Protect yield and operator safety by following our simple yet highly effective advice
It’s vital to keep a skinner running optimally. Just the slightest fall in performance can affect yield considerably and have a significant impact on the bottom line. A machine that isn’t functioning optimally also poses safety risks. Hans Stil, Marel’s Product Specialist in skinning, suggests three simple things you can do to maintain consistently high performance and safety standards at all times.
1. Check the skinner tooth roll regularly to ensure its pulling power
As the diameter of a tooth roll diminishes due to normal wear, it affects the tooth roll-to-blade clearance. A regular check with a tooth role gauge will tell you how sharp the tooth roll is and if the diameter is giving the correct clearance.
A tooth roll gauge is only a small tool but has an enormous effect on skinning yields. It detects wear and tear on a skinner tooth roll so that it can be replaced before yield begins to decline. It’s simple to use and can be obtained from your friendly Marel service technician.
Regular once-a-month testing with the Tooth Roll Gauge can result in a 1% yield gain, with payback in less than a month.
Hans Stil
Product Specialist for Skinners, Marel
How to use the tooth roll gauge
Watch our video to see how easy it can be to check the tooth roll quality of your open-top and conveyorized skinner.
Tooth roll gauge service notice (English)
Download our service notice leaflet with an overview about the Townsend and MAJA skinner models and the corresponding tooth roll gauge size.
| Tooth roll gauge brochures (English) | PDF (0.1MB) |
For conveyorized skinners, it’s also important to check and maintain the optimum top pressure so that it aligns with the tooth roll. To maintain a good cut, the skinner design must exert a precise amount of top pressure on the product. The shoe will “float” during skinning and visibly move away from the tooth roll as the product advances across the skinning surface. During membrane skinning a minimal amount of float is desired. Shoe pressure can be adjusted to accommodate intended products.
2. Replace blades with a Marel original
The combination of a Marel skinner and a Marel original blade ensures optimal performance and the highest possible yields. Cheaper alternatives are available but can simply not match the quality of the Marel original blade. The exceptional steel processing and grinding method makes the blades last longer and ensures superior results. They are precisely manufactured to resists nicks and cuts, which minimizes wear and tear. This, in turn, decreases drag and energy demands from both the machine and operator, resulting in a longer skinning cycle.
3. Schedule preventative maintenance
Preventative maintenance is essential to maintain performance and safety standards. We all take our cars to the garage at least once a year. A skinner also needs the same care and attention!
By putting a Marel Service Level Agreement (SLA) in place, all preventative maintenance can be taken care of automatically. Visits from a highly trained Marel engineer can be scheduled at regular intervals to detect potential points of failure and take the necessary measures to prevent interruptions to the production flow. Sometimes a simple adjustment of the blade position or the pressure device can help to re-adjust the skinning process and improve skinning quality and yield.
Do you have a critical parts package on your shelf? Our recommended spare parts kits make sure that in case of a failure, you do not have to wait for a package to arrive with the required parts. So maintenance staff can immediately work on the problem and minimize downtime.
Contact us to find out how you can minimize downtime with preventative maintenance.
Industry-leading performance
Built on more than 70 years’ knowledge and experience, our MAJA and Townsend skinners are the most preeminent solutions on the market. They offer unmatched efficiency, versatility, and exceptional product handling. By following these three easy steps, you can ensure optimum productivity and operator safety at all times.
