HB Grandi hf. has contracted with Marel hf. to purchase an innovative processing system for saithe. The first of its kind in the world, the new system significantly increases automation, capacity, utilisation and product value. The contract is valued at approximately ISK 60 million.
For the first time the pinbone can be removed automatically instead of employing the traditional VUR-cut. Fillets are then X-ray scanned to determine that all bones have been removed, thereby maintaining quality standards. This method ensures less trim and greatly improved yields of high-value product.
The benefits of the new pinbone removal and detector system are: better utilisation of labour and thereby greater productivity; improved product utilisation, which increases revenue per raw-material kg; better overall utilisation with faster raw-material throughput; greater quality with X-ray scanning and less handling; and the possibility of continuous processing.
This new processing line, which has been in development for five years, began as a cooperative project between Marel hf. and a Norwegian fish-processing company to increase automation in cod processing. Over the past three months, the processing line has been adapted to saithe in cooperation with HB Grandi. Results have been excellent and the new line is now running at full capacity.
