Icelandic operator Samherji and Dutch fishing company Parlevliet van der Plas (P&P) are preparing to install Marel FleXicut systems on their freezer trawlers.
In a deal struck between the companies and Marel, Samherji and P&P expect to install further FleXicut systems in the coming years as part of a process of overhauling their processing activities both at sea and ashore. The first of the seagoing installations is scheduled to take place later this year.
According to Marel, having the latest processing equipment available and software is important to Samherji, so it’s no surprise that when the FleXicut onboard system is installed on one of the company’s DFFU trawlers, it will represent a huge step forward in the development of the next generation of freezer trawlers.
‘This will be followed by a FleXicut installation on board a UK Fisheries vessel, which is co-owned by Samherji and P&P,’ a Marel spokesman said.
‘We’re excited to be the first to implement FleXicut onboard our vessels and benefit from the big advantage this will give us, especially in fillet utilisation, which is key to the success of any whitefish processing operation,‘ said Samherji CEO Thorsteinn Már Baldvinsson.
The FleXicut water-jet cutter with high-precision bone detection automatically removes pinbones in whitefish and portions it with high accuracy to customer specifications. It is capable of producing uniform, precision-cut products that are then distributed into up to eight different product streams specified by FleXicut’s software intelligence, using the FleXisort product distribution system.
The automation of the bone removal process has transformed the whitefish industry by increasing productivity while greatly improving product handling and yield. A new pre-trim line further automates this previously manual labor-intensive process.
Marel and Samherji worked together to develop the FleXicut onboard system. One of the key differences between the onshore and onboard versions is the machine’s finish, which needs to withstand the tough onboard environment.
‘With its small footprint, FleXicut is very well suited for onboard processing,’ explained Sigurður Ólason, Managing Director at Marel Fish. ‘The system has already marked a shift in the nature of whitefish processing in factories, and will now improve productivity and efficiency onboard too, as well as product quality.’
