Issues That Can Get in the Way of Meeting Your Production Goals
The average American consumes around 144 pounds of meat annually. It is the job of meat processing plants around the United States to keep a steady flow of quality meats coming to the consumer. If you own or manage a meat processing plant, you probably have daily, weekly and monthly yield goals in place. Failing to meet these goals can make your processing plant less profitable.
Keeping track of daily production is the only way to discover problems with your operation early on. The more you know about potential bottlenecks in the production process, the easier it will be to fix them before damage is done. The following are some common issues that can get in the way of meeting your production goals and what can be done to fix them.
Overworking Mixers is Never a Good Idea
A meat processing plant generally has a number of different machines running at any given time. One of the most important parts of any meat production operation is the mixers. When trying to blend meat with fat or other curing agents, an industrial mixer can come in handy. The main thing you need to be aware of is how quickly your mixers are being unloaded and reloaded with product.
If you feel like manually mixer unloading is slowing down production, automating this process is imperative. With the help of pump feeders and a conveyor system. You also need to assess the horsepower settings on your mixer to ensure they are correct. If CO2 is used during the mixing process, the product in the mixer will harden. This can be quite taxing on the agitator. By ramping up the horsepower settings, you can offset the problems caused by this issue.
Grinder Issues Can Slow Down Production
If you want to keep your team productive and happy, you need to provide them with top-notch meat processing equipment. Over time, the equipment you have in place will need to be maintained to stay functional. If the grinders your workers use have dull knives or plates, they will struggle to keep up with demand.
The main cause of dull plates and knives is running the grinder dry. Failing to properly lubricate these essential parts before use can ruin the plates and blades. If your grinder is equipped with level sensors, it will shut off before this machine is allowed to run dry.
Overloaded Blenders Can Be Problematic
Some meat processing plants make bad decisions in the name of increasing output. Overfilling your blenders in an attempt to increase production is a mistake that can come back to haunt you. Putting too much product into your blender will lead to extended blend cycle times and will put undue stress on your equipment. If you want to improve blender speed, you might want to consider upgrading the agitator it has.
Are you in the marketing for high-quality meat processing equipment? If so, M & M Equipment Corp. is here to help.