Key features of this production facility are as follows:
- Production capacity of up to 150 tons of raw material per day.
- Requirement to meet all HACCP specifications.
- Requirement to produce both products frozen in blocks and individually frozen, head-on and headed.
The process flow is organized such that each production area could support one operation and feedstock could proceed from one area to another only in one direction passing a dedicated control point. Feedstock flows at different process stages do not intercross. The receiving hopper is intended for fish being unloaded from motor vehicles. From here, fish is fed by a scraper conveyor to feeding hoppers. 3 feeding hoppers are intended for buffer storage of 40 tons of fish. Feeding conveyors include work stations for removal of garbage and by-catch and for fish segregation by species. Different fish species are sent to different hoppers. The design of hoppers precludes partial jamming of feedstock, its crushing and mechanical damage due to accumulation of an excessively thick layer of fish, existence of “dead spots” and similar designing and manufacturing errors. Another specific feature of this hopper is that incoming and outgoing flows are independent and may proceed simultaneously.
Sorted fish is fed to the dressing area. H&G is produced at a NAG-501 semi-automatic machines manufactured by Nikko (Japan) and H&G or HOG is produced at a slot conveyor manufactured by Technological Equipment Company. Fish is directed from the sorting area to its respective machine which precludes repeated sorting. After entrails are extracted by NAG-501 machines, they are split into roe, milt and waste in a separate production area. At slot conveyors, roe, milt and waste are extracted separately after which sac roe is directed to the roe processing area for further processing and milt is directed to placing into a block mold for further freezing. Other viscera are fed by a system of conveyors to the crusher, accumulated for buffer storage and transported by trucks for processing or disposal. After fish processing at NAG-501 machines, its viscera separated into roe, milt and waste are sent to similar process lines. Fish heads can be sent either to freezing or to waste.
After gutting, extraction of viscera, kidney removal and washing, fish bodies are sent to the area for placing into block molds. In this production area, fish bitten by sea animals is rejected and remaining fish is placed into block molds and directed for freezing in a plate quick freezer. Fish moving pattern before getting to the placing machine table/hopper is circular; the conveyor in this area has high sides, significant length and width and serves as a buffer allowing for continued fish gutting when placers are unable to handle the flow timely. Fish freezing in blocks is performed in 7 plate quick freezers.
Frozen products are discharged from quick freezers to packing areas. Block-frozen fish is subjected to thawing, demolding and glazed in a submerged-type glazing machines. Block molds are returned by a chain conveyor via a washing unit to placing areas or sent for buffer storage. Glazed blocks are packed into a liner and kraft bag. Packed products are put on pallets and transported to warehouse.
All plant equipment, except for quick freezers and NAG-501 machines, was manufactured by Technological Equipment Company at its own manufacturing site in Vladivostok. Technological Equipment Company has been designing and manufacturing fishing processing plants and refrigerated warehouses, developing and introducing waste free technologies, designing and manufacturing modern high-tech serial equipment for fish processing for 19 years. During its lifetime, the company has implemented 50 major engineering projects in the Russian Far East achieving good practical results in recovery of Russia’s onshore and higher-level fish processing capacity.
Feedback. Maxim Dugov. Director General
We had been summoning up our courage for a long time to start refurbishing our plant. We are very glad to have finished this. A well-thought technology, dedicated work stations intended for one particular operation only – all this assists in solving a problem common for al fishermen, namely, shortage of skilled workforce. The slot conveyor is particularly useful in this respect. A couple of hours of working on it, and newcomer may be considered an experienced fish dresser. Fish, block mold and roe movements are well organized. It is much easier to manage production, finished product quality has improved, output per worker has noticeably increased and many other benefits have been gained. We have no complaints regarding performance and quality of the equipment.
