The first installation in Norway of Marel’s EVi salmon gutting machines is set to take place at Astafjord Slakteri in Gratangen, which has signed an agreement for two machines.
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Astafjord Slakteri has taken a bold step forward by investing in two state-of-the-art intelligent and fully automated gutting machines from JBT Marel. The machines are designed to improve uptime, efficiency, and quality today, while remaining ready to meet the needs of tomorrow.
‘This investment is a milestone for Astafjord Slakteri,’ said Astafjord managing director Alexander Johnsen.
‘By being the first in Norway to implement these machines from JBT Marel, we are setting new standards for efficiency and product excellence in salmon gutting.’
Before the decision was made to invest, a trip to the Faroe Islands was arranged to visit Bakkafrost where the O-series of the EVi has been installed and running successfully.
EVi combines mechanical precision with advanced intelligence to ensure every fish is processed to the highest standard. Powered by AQi, a proprietary vision technology, the machine automatically measures and detects critical anatomy of each individual fish to ensure precision cutting and removal of viscera as well as inspecting gutting results, identifying any defects that require additional handling. Each fish is then routed to the correct location based on its condition, ensuring consistent quality.
The gutting machines are part of a complete overhaul of our gutting department, in order to increase the capacity.
‘Astafjord is a great partner for the first delivery in Norway. They are very skilled in what they do, and I know for sure that it will be fun to work together on this project,’ said JBT Marel senior director Úlfar Arnórsson.
Collaboration between Astafjord Slakteri and JBT Marel began in 2019 with an automatic packing grader for HOG salmon, which boosted efficiency and enhanced packing precision, and last year the advanced Filleting Machine MS 2750 was installed at Astafjord. Furthermore, Astafjord uses JBT Marel’s Axin Food Processing Software to ensure connectivity for Astafjord’s production, linking machines to software and each other.
‘We are happy to continue our partnership with Astafjord Slakteri, said JBT Marel account manager Stig Ørjan Eliassen.
‘Together, we are driving forward the next generation of salmon processing technology.’
