FRANKFURT, Germany – The April 2015 acquisition of Marel’s high-speed slicing business by the Middleby Corporation added Thurne to its growing number of brands while also adding an opportunity to deliver new solutions to processors. Fortunately for Middleby, one of the newest innovations from Thurne is designed for one of the hottest segments in the industry. Bacon is not only the rage in the US, but throughout the world, making Thurne’s IBS 4600 precooked bacon slicer the right solution at the right time.
During the 2016 IFFA show (held in Frankfurt, Germany May 4-9, 2016), the crowd at the Middleby booth routinely spilled out into the aisles as regularly scheduled bacon slicing demonstrations each day drew the attention of hundreds. Peter Jongen, president of Thurne, pointed out the 4600 is available in three- or four-lane systems, each with its own dedicated blade, drive and vision system and each with the ability to produce up to 600 slices per minute, with the speed determined by the capacity of an operation’s ovens.
With 23 slicers up and running at plants throughout North America, most of them in two- and three-shift operations, some of the most prominent bacon processors are reporting that the weight accuracy of each slice produced by the IBS 4600 helps them minimize waste and maximize the yield of each belly. As the bellies reach the blade and become bacon slices, Jongen pointed out, “there is no overlap so there is no over or undercooking.” He added, “Because of the accuracy of the weight, which ensures there is no over packing, the giveaway is reduced and that gives an extremely good return on investment.”
Jongen admits that the 4600 isn’t the fastest bacon slicer on the market, but it produces more slices than existing microwave ovens can process and it has proven to be a reliable and durable performer in the plants where it has been installed. “The maintenance is low because there is less stress on the system,” and currently, none of the current US customers using the 4600 are running them at their maximum capacity. Consistent slices of between 1 mm and 6 mm are available with the machine and it can produce up to 1 million slices per day. Other features of the slicer are its sanitary design and easy accessibility to ensure it can be efficiently cleaned and sanitized after long operation runs.
For processors investing in the slicer, installation is swift and downtime is nullified in most cases. “When we install a machine like this, we start on a Friday and it is up and running on Monday,” Jongen said. “This is a revolution in bacon slicing,” he concluded.
For more information, call Keith Shackelford, Vice President Sales, Thurne North America, (773) 897-6931 or visit www.thurne.com.
