The most advanced pork-grading system of today. Fully automatic 3-D
ultrasound scanning of carcasses provides, among other things, information
about the total lean meat percentage and the lean meat percentage in the 
4 primal cuts: ham, loin, shoulder and belly.

In addition, the AutoForm determines the weight of the saleable meat in the
whole carcass and in each of the four primals. For procurement the Auto-
Form offers a very advanced and accurate evaluation of the commericial
value of the carcasses. Internally, the AutoForm results for primal yield can
be used for sorting e.g. loins for deboning.

Measuring principle

The AutoFom is based on ultrasound technology and provides a digitized 3-D scan of the carcass. The ultrasonic image is generated by 16 transducers embedded in a stainless steel array. The system measures every 5 mm of the length of the carcass and every 25 mm of the width of the carcass. On a normal carcass this results in a total of 3.000 measurements. On the basis of these measurements the three-dimensional image of the body is constructed.

Much like sonar technology, an ultrasound-imaging machine like the AutoFom transmits high-frequency sound waves through tissue. Variations in the density of bones, muscle and fat cause echoes that can be converted into an image of the interior. Based on the image, a digital image and data analysis are performed.

Measurement output 

• Carcass lean meat percentage

• Fat thickness

• The commercial value of each carcass

• Weight of saleable meat on specific commercial cuts

Capacity

• Up to 1.200 carcasses per hour