Vacuum stuffing equipment plays a vital role in the finished product quality of meat and poultry products. It is important to understand the unique benefits of twin-piston vacuum stuffing and pumping systems and how they affect desired finished product characteristics.
Below is a summary of the advantages of twin-piston technology for the pumping and stuffing of whole muscle, ground and comminuted products.
Superior vacuum levels are achieved with Marlen’s twin-piston vacuum pumping design.
This is mainly due to Marlen’s twin-piston and sleeve design. Through this design, the pump maintains less than 4 torr vacuum pressure in the pumping chamber. Marlen’s vacuum pressure is accomplished via the syringe-like action overcoming the upper hopper vacuum levels for efficient loads. Marlen’s superior vacuum levels result in higher product density. Other auger & vane style pumps rely on a dual stage vacuum system, which requires a lower vacuum level at the hopper during the loading of the product. This lower vacuum level in turn results in lower product density.
Benefits of the greater product density is achieved through twin-piston vacuum stuffing & filling.
It’s important to understand the implications of insufficient air removal in meat and poultry products. Marlen’s twin-piston vacuum stuffing and filling process is superior and is known for overall material savings result, which encompasses less casing, netting or bags needed for the same amount of product. This equates to an increased amount of product on each screen, and therefore in each smokehouse and chill cycle. Reduced amount of pinholes and voids results in:
- Less entrapped oxygenated air in the product
- Extended shelf life period
- More desirable and firm product texture as well as improved appearance
- Better sliceability
- Improved cured color retention
Other advantages of Marlen’s twin-piston and sleeve pumping design:
Marlen is noted as best in the industry at maintaining whole muscle meat integrity. This is principally due to the large sleeve size (8 9/16” diameter x 14” long sleeves) which achieve loads up to 24 lbs. of product at a time which results in minimal cut points of large, desirable whole muscle pieces. Note that other auger & vane style pumping designs can only accept product the size of a small grapefruit, which isn’t ideal for maintaining whole muscle quality. Marlen’s piston and sleeve design have zero slip / blow by. This ultimately results in reduced product temperature rise, less wear parts and reduced product degradation.
Twin-piston Vacuum Stuffing Also Benefits Portioning.
The Marlen COV portioner guarantees portion accuracy of +/- 0.5% fill weights, which is the best in food processing industry. Marlen’s transducer portioning system (TPS) is also very accurate due to linear transducers controlling the stroke of the piston to 1/1000th of an inch. Depending on portion weights, fill weights are +/- 1-2%.
