Reiser UK’s Ed Hewitt talks to Meat Management about how the latest developments in automation are helping sausage producers, big and small, create low-waste, consistent products.
“I think cutting costs in production is about making sure the products you are making are consistent. If you can avoid rework or out of spec issues, then you’ll reduce wastage and increase yield. It’s as simple as that,” Ed explained.
“Businesses using machines without process control is where we tend to see these issues happening the most. It doesn’t matter if they’re using a bowl cutter, a mixer or a grinder, if a business leaves it up to operators to decide how long they mix for, or how much grinding or cutting they do, then invariably they’re going to create variations in their product from batch to batch.”
Effective control over the preparation phase plays a crucial role in achieving this consistency. That’s why many of Reiser UK’s machines include integrated control systems, which offer operators pre-set programs for cutting, mixing or grinding. What manufacturers should be looking to achieve, Ed said, is a consistent and repeatable process with fixed time and speed parameters; and that’s exactly what the Reiser range provides.
Flexibility to develop and expand
Reiser UK’s machines are renowned for their versatility and flexibility. What sets the Vemag range apart from other available systems is its distinctive double-screw technology. Unlike many other systems with multiple components, Vemag offers a streamlined two-piece portioning system. This design not only simplifies assembly and disassembly, but also reduces the potential for lost parts and damage.
From emulsion-style hot dogs to coarser sausages, including plant-based varieties, the machines effortlessly handle a wide spectrum of products, often requiring minimal or even no adjustments. As the sausage market continues to grow, with products maintaining a significant presence on the shelves, Ed believes that Vemag’s flexibility will be invaluable to customers looking to expand and diversify their offerings.
He explained: “Our standard range of machines lends themselves to a huge variety of sausage types. Flexibility is a huge asset to have in manufacturing, especially if you want to expand or develop your existing product lines. The bottom line is: Reiser customers have a machine that can work across a range of meats, meaning they don’t need to reinvest or buy in change parts to be able to expand.”
In with the new
The introduction of inline grinding systems on their smallest machine represents a significant innovation by Reiser UK. Available on the Vemag HP1 model - an entry-level sausage linking system – the inline grinding feature allows smaller sausage producers to access technology that has traditionally only been accessible to larger-scale manufacturers.
Ed explained: “Automation is often seen as big robots, lots of clever stuff; but for many people their first step into automation is by moving from an existing piston stuffer to a Vemag HP1. As well as providing a solution for large-scale production, the Vemag range can offer a more accessible entry point into automated lines of production. It’s a flexible solution .”
In recent months, Reiser UK’s Seydelmann range has also expanded – most notably, with the addition of a new mixer-cutter catering to small to medium-sized butchers.
This mixer-cutter addresses the needs of butchers who work with existing grind-mix-grind systems, where multiple passes are required to produce a single product. Streamlining this process into a one-step operation, the machine offers precise recipe control and temperature management while maintaining a compact footprint and energy efficiency.
