Precision is key when it comes to volume cutting of potatoes, whether for French fries, crinkle cut chips or diced and sliced. Around the world there are companies that specialise in cutting equipment that more than makes the grade.
As volume cutting can see huge and unnecessary product losses, quality control and efficiency is paramount. As Dutch company Tummers Methodic states: “The cutting of potatoes and tubers for human consumption is a very precise and important part of the process to ensure that the processor obtains a perfect final product.
Other important factors in the chain of machines used in a process line include raw material consumption, ease of use, hygiene and waste reduction.” Tummers Methodic can customise the complete cutting system according to a processor’s needs. Each installation consists of a chain of innovative techniques when it comes to water cutting.
A cutting line would feature a chain of innovative systems for sorting, Pumping, changing cutting blocks, dehydration, filtering and cutting.
“The cutting of potatoes and tubers for human consumption is a very precise and important part of the process to ensure that the processor obtains a perfect final product.
Other important factors in the chain of machines used in a process line include raw material consumption, ease of use, hygiene and waste reduction.” Tummers Methodic
Quality and Variety
Once all capacity and maintenance factors are taken into account, Tummers then designs and builds unique cutting lines for each situation, based on client specific requirements and space available and in combination with mechanical cutting techniques where appropriate.
And another market leader, Kiremko, also stresses the need for precision, particularly when using hydro-cutting for French fries, in order to obtain maximum length and to produce the sizes according to the required specification. This needs to be achieved with a minimum amount of waste or off cuts, no feathering and shattering, no breakage in order to get an optimum yield from the potato.
“To realise these goals, we have invested a lot of time in developing different types of knife blocks, aiming devices, change-over systems and product pumps,” the company said recently. Kiremko’s Tension Knife Block has proved a boon for French fry processors in recent years as its tensioning of the ultimately thin cutting ribbon in the block and maintaining the correct speed of the pump, the potatoes are cut without breakage or feathering, which would cause higher fat consumption and produce fatty fries due to the open “inlets” in the strip.
The US-based Urschel Laboratories offers a variety of potato chip slicers, potato dicers and cubers, and strip cutters for French fries. For example, its tried and tested TranSlicer 2000 Cutter off offers precision cutting at high capacities and it uniformly slices a wide variety of food products while being ideally suited for elongated products.
Features include sanitary stainless steel design including motors, sliding and hinged access panels ease maintenance and changeover of parts and a specially designed contoured discharge chute eases product flow and reduces product damage.
With its wide variety of interchangeable cutting wheels available, to produce a full range of slices and julienne cuts, and its VFD (variable frequency drive), the TranSlicer offers precise speed control and maximum energy savings.
Urschel Laboratories has Product Test Cutting Facilities located worldwide ready to work with you on high speed cutting applications.
Another global company with US roots is Vanmark: its hydrocutting system is designed scientifically to gently move product through the cutting process to increase product yield, quality and decrease energy cost.
It features new control systems available with flow meters, pressure sensors, new HMI with water level control and safety features with lockout – tag out.
Besides this the new light weight cutter head housings are ergonomically designed for easy removal and installation.
