Single Drum Plucker

This plucker is matched to work in conjunction with the 6 Bird Stunner/Bleeder combination and the 75L Scalding tank. Low power requirement is the main feature of this plucker. It is possible to use the Plucker, Scalder and Stunner/Bleeder, including refrigeration with only the power from a small diesel or petrol driven generator about 5 kVA, where mains power is not available.

The main frame is made from a heavy gauge mild steel completely welded and hot-dip galvanized thus offering complete rust protection. The feather bin and canopy are removable to facilitate thorough cleaning. The bin can hold the feathers of about 200 birds.  The plucker is well balanced and free standing. A standard pluck finger is used, i.e. about 80 mm long that pulls into a hole of 19 mm. Soft to medium hardness (45 to 55 degrees shore), plucking fingers are preferred.

Tilting Drum Plucker

The plucker is well balanced and free standing with a capacity of 12kg (live weight) per minute that is 360 x 2kg, 480 x 1,5kg ..... birds per hour. The machine has a low power consumption, driven by a 1,1KW motor 380V, 3 phase as standard. Single phase motors and other voltages are optional. The motor is mounted high at the back of the machine under the starter box out of the general water splash area. The starter box is large enough for the addition of timers, o'load relays etc. to be fitted if required. The motor shaft has a lip seal between the shaft and the motor casing to prevent the ingress of water into the top bearing housing. A shaft seal located on the bottom of the frame is there to prevent water spray from the plucking bowl entering the lower pluck head bearing. 
The tilting bowl action eliminates an ejection door with hinges etc. This makes the construction of the bowl stronger, resulting in a smoother inside finish that is easier to keep clean. The loading door hinge is an integral part of the plucker bowl covering the whole length of the door.
A harness bolted to the top of the bowl gives rigidity and accommodates the tilting mechanism. The bowl harness has two stops on the side of the machine frame that ensures the bowl being held securely in place during the plucking cycle. 
The plucking head uses a standard plucking finger ±80mm long that pulls into a hole of 19mm diameter. The Pluck fingers are arranged in a spiral sequence moving upwards to turn carcasses over during plucking. A medium to hard plucking finger is preferred (55 to 60 degrees Shore A hardness), as the plucking finger has to pluck, as well as, turn the birds for all round plucking. The pluck finger consumption is about 1 finger per 1500 birds plucked. This figure may vary if the machine is overloaded and worn or broken pluckfingers are not replaced timely (or with poor rubber quality). The main frame of the plucker is made from heavy gauge mild steel, completely welded and hot dip galvanised, thus giving complete rust protection outside and inside the tube sections. All bolted connections on the frame and the pluck bowl are Silicon sealed for hygienic reasons.

75 Litre Scalder Tank

A constant water temperature of 53 degrees Celsius will soft scald the birds in 1,5 minutes. When operating the tank, it should always be topped up with hot water slightly warmer than 53 degrees Celsius to reduce water re-heating time. Birds should be agitated in the water to get wet right down to their skin.

The tank has a hard water grade heating element of 2 kW. The thermostat is electronic, and controls the water temperature within 1 degree Celsius. The outlet is 25 mm B.S.P. and is connected to a hose that hooks over the top of the tank.

200 litre Scalder Tank

A constant water temperature of 53 degrees Celsius will soft scald the birds in 1,5 minutes. When operating the tank, it should always be topped up with hot water slightly warmer than 53 degrees Celsius to reduce water re-heating time. Birds should be agitated in the water to get wet right down to their skin.

The tank has a hard water grade heating element of 2 kW. The thermostat is electronic, and controls the water temperature within 1 degree Celsius. The outlet is 25 mm B.S.P. and is connected to a hose that hooks over the top of the tank.

6/12 Bird Stunner Bleeder

Electric stunning is the most humane way to render the bird unconscious and lame. Due to this the heart beat is increased to ensure a faster and more complete bleed. The force to remove feathers is reduced because the muscles are completely relaxed. A wide range of poultry sizes can be handled simply by changing the loose divider that fits into the large cone. 

The bird is stunned by pushing its head through the hole in the stunner front panel, then the side of the head is lifted to touch the comb electrodes just behind the ear where skin is the barest. The stunner is mounted on the post above the large cone. The cone takes dividers with 4, 5, 6 and 8 divisions to accommodate a large range of bird sizes. Stunned birds are placed in the divider segments with their heads through the bottom of the cone. The artery is then cut just below the left jowl to bleed. The wind pipe must not be cut.

Portion Cutter

This portion cutter forms an integral part of the packing section of the abattoir. The main function of the machine is to add value to the product, and for salvaging healthy portions of chickens damaged during processing. As a self-standing machine, the space and cost of the table which supports a normal table model portion cutter is saved. Portioning a chicken takes about 20 seconds depending on the type of portioning dictated by the market. Portion cutters may be arranged back-to-back to form a very compact cut-up section, resulting in an even more efficient use of space.

Cutting is done by a rotating blade at the motor speed of 1400 RPM through an extension shaft that is shrunk onto the motor shaft.
Cutting blades are made from heat treated Martensitic stainless steel and are 210 mm in diameter. The smaller size blade is sufficient for cutting a large chicken, and also allows for the use of a smaller frame size motor.
The machine frame is made up of heavy section steel that is completely welded and hot-dip galvanized to SABS 763 - 1988 specifications, offering a complete rust protection. All bolted joints are sealed with silicone. A rack is provided on either side of the main frame. The rack on the left side holds the crate for the whole birds, and the rack on the right side is for portions. The centre part of the frame below the cutting blade and guide bar is covered with a stainless steel working surface. 
The blade guide bar is inclined at an angle of 15 degrees to the horizontal and closely follows the normal movement of the operators' hands when pushing the chicken through the rotating blade. To facilitate cleaning and sterilizing of the guide bar and blade cover, they are removed by unscrewing two wing-nuts. This feature enhances the hygienic aspect of the machine to comply with normal abattoir practice. 
The motor frame has a standard (B14 small) flange with a shaft seal and is bolted to the main frame. A close fitting stainless steel cover prevents pieces of product lodging themselves into the cooling fins of the motor. Push button switches for stopping and starting of the motor are mounted on the motor cover. To comply with normal safety standards the stop button is mushroomed for emergency stopping.

Drip and Cooling trolley

After proses has been completed, birds are placed on trolley, and strored in Freezer.