Leading Icelandic and Dutch seafood companies Samherji and Parlevliet en van der Plas are preparing to install FleXicut systems from Marel on their freezing trawlers.
In an extensive co-operation deal between the companies and Marel, Samherji and Parlevliet en van der Plas (P&P) expect to install further FleXicut systems in the coming years as part of a complete modernisation of their on-board and shore-based processing operations. The first of the onboard installations will be made in the third quarter of 2017.
Being equipped with the latest fish processing equipment and software is important to Samherji, so it was no surprise that when the FleXicut system was selected to be installed on one of the company’s DFFU trawlers. This will be followed by a FleXicut installation on board a UK Fisheries vessel, which is co-owned by Samherji and P&P.
“We’re excited to be the first to implement FleXicut onboard our vessels and benefit from the big advantage this will give us, especially in fillet utilization, which is key to the success of any whitefish processing operation,” says Thorsteinn Már Baldvinsson, CEO of Samherji.
The FleXicut water-jet cutter with high-precision bone detection automatically removes pinbones in whitefish and portions it with high accuracy to customer specifications. It can produce uniform, precision-cut products that are then distributed into up to eight different product streams specified by FleXicut’s software intelligence, using the FleXisort product distribution system.
The automation of the bone removal process has transformed the whitefish industry by increasing productivity while greatly improving product handling and yield. A new pre-trim line further automates this previously manual labor-intensive process.
Marel and Samherji worked together to develop the FleXicut onboard system. One of the key differences between the onshore and onboard versions is the machine’s finish, which needs to withstand the tough onboard environment.
“With its small footprint, FleXicut is very well suited for onboard processing,” explains Sigurður Ólason, Managing Director Marel Fish. “The system has already marked a shift in the nature of whitefish processing in factories, and will now improve productivity and efficiency onboard too, as well as product quality.”
