Links to a Better Bottom Line: Boosting Yield and ROI in Sausage Production

Links to a Better Bottom Line:Boosting Yield and ROI in

Sausage Production

HOST Bill KinrossGroup Publisher, Meatingplace

MODERATOR Lisa KeefeEditor, Meatingplace

Process Design Overview: Where Opportunities Exist in the

Processing Plant

Dr. Tim BowserFood Process Engineer Food & Agricultural Products CenterOklahoma State University

Assumptions

• Project is well planned • Research has been completed• Process Design is solid• Preliminary Process Flow Diagrams (PFD) have

been prepared

Four Overlooked Areas1. Cleanup2. Environmental controls (e.g. ventilation,

moisture)3. Materials handling4. Communications

Cleanup• Cleanability is the single criterion that

separates food from industrial processes• Cleanability must be designed from the start

www.ssiworld.comWeiler and Company, Inc.

Cleanup

• Robust and validated cleanup systems are required for peak process performance and product safety

• Have your cleanup methods changed since the 1980’s?

Munters Corp. 2004. M162807

Cleanup• Reduced cleanup time may be the least

expensive and quickest way to increase production

• Rapid cleanup can improve scheduling flexibility

Cleanup• Ask yourself– Do you fully utilize CIP?– Do you have schematics for

cleaning systems?– Have you thought about cleaning system

redundancy and flexibility?– What effects will cleaning have on wastewater

treatment and utilities?

Environmental Controls

• Everyone thinks about temperature…• Environmental issues often overlooked:– Humidity– Pressure

Environmental Controls

• High humidity– Ice in freezers– Indoor rain

Munters Corp. 1994. 2.5Mwww.labsafety.com

Environmental Controls• Pressure:– Positive pressure in processing areas– Higher pressure in packaging, decreasing to raw– Achieve balance for ovens• Makeup air for burners and ventilation• Exhaust

Materials Handling

• How are these being handled in your design?– Ingredients– Rework– Waste

Washington Post

Materials Handling

• Ingredients– Thaw– Staging– Bulk materials– Minor additions

donscoldstorage.com

Materials Handling

• Rework– Minimize amounts– Mechanize• Movements• Handling• Identification and tracking

Materials Handling• Waste– Minimize– Reuse– Adequate handling systems

www.greenhats.com

Communications• Process steps may become isolated, stifling

communication

ISOLATED

CONNECTED

Communications

• Remove barriers– Noise– Obstructions– Time– Ability

A Few Words From Our Sponsor

Thomas R. KittlePresident Handtmann, Inc.

Web: www.handtmann.com

Identifying the Key Area in your Plant to Improve your

Sausage Production ROI

Michael WillettIowa State Center for Industrial Research & ServiceUniversity ExtensionIowa State University

Poll Question: Which machine do you want to invest in?

$10

$20

$1.5 million Investment

$2 million Investment

1000 per day

10 per day

Throughput• The rate at which the system generates

money through sales.• Building to inventory does not generate

throughput.• Typically has 2-10 times more impact on

profit than cost reduction.

Constraints control Throughput“Because a constraint is a factor that limits the

system from getting more of whatever it strives for, then a business manager(s) who wants more profits must manage the constraints.

There really is no choice in the matter. Either you manage constraints or they manage you. The constraints will determine the output of the system whether they are acknowledged and managed or not.”

Eric Noreen, The Theory of Constraints and its Implications for Management Accounting

Where is my constraint?Your process is a series of dependent events.

Which operation is restricting your rate of throughput?

Grind Mix Stuff Hang Smoke Cool / Freeze Pack Customer

Throughput

FOCUS

Creativity before Capital

• Exploit – maximize the existing capacity of the constraint.

• Subordinate – release work into the system at the pace of the constraint. (Drum/Buffer/Rope)

Grind Mix Stuff Hang SmokeBufferInventory

Results• Any increase in capacity of the constraint from

exploiting reduces the cost per unit.• Drum/Buffer/Rope reduces inventory costs in

the system and aligns labor $ with output.• ROI = Profit/(Inventory + Investments)• Theory of Constraints (TOC) provides the focus

that allows you to maximize profits while minimizing I & I for a better ROI.

Handtmann, Inc. specializes in filling, portioning and linking equipment for meat processors, providing machines for all sizes of sausage filling lines and

meat processing businesses

Sales Contact: Bob Koris, Sales ManagerPhone: (847) 808-1100Web: www.handtmann.com

A Few Words from Our Sponsor

Case Studies of Successful Sausage Manufacturers

Dr. Jay WentherExecutive DirectorAmerican Association of Meat Processors

Case #1 – Sausage

• Linking method progression• Hand linking• Stuffer linking

• Automated machine linking• Entire linking systems

• Hand linking• 250-300 lbs. / hour

• Automated linking/stuffer linking• 1,500 lbs. / hour of 8,000 links / hour

• Entire linking systems• 4,500 lbs. / hour of 24,000 links / hour

Case #1 – Sausage

Courtesy of Famco®

• Lessons learned from production• Don’t operate stuffer at full production (70-80%)

• All employees have to operate at their capacity (sausage production, packaging, shipping, etc.)

• Ramp up production over time• Started at 10,000 links/hour• Increased production by 500 links/hour• Now operating at 24,000 links/hour

Case #1 – Sausage

• Take home message• Recognize what areas are slowing you down now and focus

on methods to improve each area

• Operating the stuffer at the speed the employees can achieve will keep everyone working 100% of the time

• Production is a team effort

• Bring your entire team gradually up to a higher level of production will improve their abilities and maintain quality

Case #1 – Sausage

Case #2 – Clipping Machines

• Clipping method progression • Hand tying• Hand clipper• Pneumatic clipper• Automated clipper

Case #2 – Clipping Machines

• Overview• Understand the investment costs

• Cost of machine• Cost of clips• Cost of casings• Cost of what you are currently using• Cost of your time

• Cost of clips used for automated clipping are twice the cost of other clips

• Sheared casings are twice the cost of other casings

Courtesy of Poly-clip System Corp®

Case #2 – Clipping Machines

• Summer sausage• Machine will go as fast as you want it to, but other

production personnel may not be able to keep up

• Previous system (individual casings and clipper)• 2” casing and 400 lbs. load = 2 hours• 200 lbs. per hour

• Current system (sheared casings and automated clipper)• 2” casing and 400 lbs. load = 45-60 minutes• 400-450 lbs. per hour

Case #2 – Clipping Machines

• Ring bologna• Pound for pound of product produced, the collagen casing

cost was the same as the natural casings

• Previous system (natural casings and hand tying)• 300 lbs. per smokehouse truck = 1 ½ hours to stuff/tie/hang• 200 lbs. per hour

• Current system (natural casings and automated clipper)• 300 lbs. per smokehouse truck = 20 minutes to stuff/clip/hang• 900 lbs. per hour

Case #2 – Clipping Machines

• Braunschweiger• Hidden benefit is the fact that the machine allows for

much cleaner production with the braunschweiger batter

• Previous system (individual casings and clipper)• 100 lbs. product = 30 minutes to stuff/tie/hang• 200 lbs. per hour

• Current system (sheared casings and automated clipper)• 100 lbs. product = 6-7 minutes to stuff/clip/hang• 825 lbs. per hour

Case #2 – Clipping Machines

• Take home message• Time saver

• Sooner you get done with one task the quicker you can get to the other tasks

• Physical labor saver• Stagger production to maximize the usage of capital

equipment investment• All the benefits gained justified the investment of money

to make more money

Case #3 – Automated Sausage Hanger

• Stuffing method progression • Straight stuffing & hand hanging• Link stuffing & hand hanging• Automated stuffing & automated hanging

• Cost benefit may not solely be due to increased production, but also attributed to product consistency

Case #3 – Automated Sausage Hanger

• Straight stuffing & hand hanging• Production

• 2,400 lbs. / day (300 lbs. / hour)• Problems

• Casing and stuffing was highly variable• High volume of rework produced

• Final product• Label = 1.5 ounces• Actual package = 1.7 ounces to account for product variability

Case #3 – Automated Sausage Hanger

• Automated stuffing & automated hanging• Production

• 6,400 lbs. / day (800 lbs. / hour)

• Final product• Label = 1.5 ounces• Actual package = 1.5 – 1.6 ounces• Increased production by 6 cases /

800 lbs. of sausage batter or 6 cases / hour

• Take home message• Removed stuffing operator variability• Increased production by 6 cases per hour = $2,500/day• Decreased risk of customer complaints and USDA label

misbranding due to potential under-weight packages• Operates at 70-75% stuffer speed

• Speed is essentially based on how fast the operator can load the sheared casing on the stuffing horn

• Easier on the equipment

Case #3 – Automated Sausage Hanger

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Dr. Tim Bowser: bowser@okstate.eduMichael Willett: mwillett@iastate.edu

Dr. Jay Wenther: jay@aamp.com

Bill Kinross: bkinross@meatingplace.comLisa Keefe: lkeefe@meatingplace.com

Webinar recording and PowerPoint presentation available at:www.meatingplace.com/webinars