Two Norwegian pelagic factory ships have installed monitor system to speed up the entry of fish into their filleting machine.
The monitor system comes from VMK Fish Machinery AB in Sweden and PISCES Industries in the USA. The system is already running on board M/S Kvannoy, while M/S Gardar is having it fitted .
VMK is a part of PISCES and the two companies have worked together to produce a machine monitor system able to remove fish from the damaged line, or the wrong species or wrongly-orientate in the head cutting machine's fish pockets.
Advanced system
his monitor system has been designed to fit existing VMK machines and it comprises camera and sensors linked into a central computer. The computer can run four lines, so it becomes cost effective to equip up to four lines, as only extra cameras and sensors are required.
Johnny Nilsson, VMK's manager in Sweden, says: "The camera can run faster than the machine and we improved the automatic feeder at the same time. So, we have additional kit available for that as well." VMK has done much work to improve its VMK 12 pelagic filleting machine and two UK-based processors are now using modified versions to produce smoother fillets. Johnny Nilsson says that refitting the upper part of the filleting machine with wider belts has improved its performance. In addition, parts previously made of bronze have been replaced with stainless steel. This modification, which is used for any pelagic fish at speeds up to 300 fish a minute without any risk for gapping, is now ready for general sale. The VMK 12 machine is normally used for processing single fillets.
For land and sea
Roe and milt separation is now an option too, as VMK has produced a recognition system for use at sea and in land-based processing plants. He believes that this system will increase output and earnings at the same time as using fewer workers. Roe can be separated and sold instead of being sent for fishmeal. The milt can have medical uses, too.
Reassuring for at-sea operators is that the monitor system can be moved out the way in the event of a breakdown, so production can continue.
Under development by VMK-ARENCO for release next year is a titbit cutter for herring being designed to add to a filleting line after the skinner. "In the future we will be able to go from whole round fish to skinned tibits on one line and with the monitor system this will be done operator-free", says Johnny Nilsson.
VMK Fish Machinery offers a huge range of processing machinery for species such as herring, mackerel, sprat, anchovy, kilka, sardine, horse mackerel and blue whiting. Service and sales for VMK machines remains based in Gothenburg, but equipment manufacture was transferred to ARENCO in Kalmar, Sweden two years ago.
