Kentmaster’s Abattoir Equipment Maintenance Guide: Ensuring Optimal Performance

Abattoirs are places where animals are killed and where the meat is processed and ready to eat.. These places are often sections of bigger meat-making factories, where the meat is handled and packed to be sent out.

This article will be all about slaughterhouses, how they work, what steps are there and, as the title says, a detailed look at what tools are used and how to take care of them. 

We’ll look at different ways this can be done correctly to ensure you do it often so that it becomes second nature and you get optimum performance from them.

If you follow this mini-guide, your tools won’t cause any problems. And if they’re from a good maker and are top-quality stuff, you can expect to keep using them for many years without stopping.

The Abattoir: Everyday Operations

The act of killing animals at a slaughterhouse usually comes with many steps. 

First, the animals are brought into a place to wait where they stay until it’s time for them to be killed. Then, they are taken through a tube or passage, where they might be shocked or murdered. 

The most usual ways to make an animal numb are using electric shock, a captive bolt gun or gas.

Once the animal is shocked, it’s usually lifted onto a moving belt or track system, killed by bleeding, and then its head, as well as skin, is taken off. 

Next, the meat is checked to ensure it’s good, and any extra fat or muscle part is cut off. After the meat is made ready, it gets wrapped up and taken to a place where it can be sent out. 

From there, trucks carry these packages full of food supplies towards:

• Large stores
• Supermarkets
• Commercial Kitchens
• Restaurants
• Butcheries
• And more…

Places where animals are killed for meat must follow tough food safety and animal care rules. These places are closely checked to make sure they meet these standards. 

These rules are here to make sure that people can eat meat without getting sick and also, all animals are treated well through every phase.

Workers and Training

An abattoir job can be hard and needs trained workers to make sure everything goes well. People who work at slaughterhouses might have butcher knife skills, be meat checkers, quality controllers or maintenance workers.

Besides following the rules, abattoirs need to put worker safety first. The tools used in the killing process can be harmful, and workers need to learn how to use them without getting hurt. Workers also need safety gear, like hard hats, gloves and goggles to protect them.

These come under the category of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and there are many different protective equipment available for everyone in the line, including specialist equipment for more uncommon cuts and specialist jobs.

Abattoir Equipment Maintenance Guide

Here, we will list the most common tools that are used in everyday abattoir use. There are other tools for more specialised meats and cuts, but overall these are what are most used:

• Stunners

These are tools that give a planned electric hit or strong blow to the animal’s mind, making it sleep and unable to feel pain. You should check that stun guns are working and have the right power flow and safety level before using them. After using them, you should clean them with soap and water, then kill any germs by rubbing on alcohol or bleach. They need to be kept in a safe and dry area.

• Hock cutters

These tools slice through the animal’s leg joint, starting the process of removing its skin and guts. Before using hock cutters, check if they are sharp, straight and oiled well. After every time you use them, clean them with water and soap, and then make sure to kill any germs using hot water or steam. They should be kept in a place that is not wet and is free from dirt.

• Dehiders

These tools take off the skin of the dead animal, keeping its meat and fur good in quality and worth. Before you use dehiders, make sure they are sharp, tight and fast enough. After using them, clean them with soap and water and then sterilise them by rinsing them in hot water or steam. You should keep them in a place that is dry and free from dirt.

• Blade Sharpener and Conditioner

This tool keeps the cutting and skin-removing blades sharp and in good shape. Before each use, the blade sharpener and conditioner need to be checked for power, straightness and how rough it feels. After each time you use them, wash them with soap and water. Then, clean them using alcohol or bleach to kill germs. You should keep them in a safe and dry spot.

• Pizzle Sealer

This tool closes off the animal’s penis so that pee can’t get on its body after it dies. Before using it, always make sure to check the power, heat and wire state of your pizzle sealer each time. After each time they are used, it’s important to clean them with soap and water. Then, you can make sure they’re safe by rubbing alcohol or bleach all over their surface. They should be kept in a safe and dry spot.

• Splitting Saws

These tools cut the dead animal’s body into two parts, making it easier to do more work and check carefully. You should check the power, sharpness and safety of a cutting saw before you use it each time. After every time you use them, they should be washed with soap and water, then cleaned again using hot water or steam. They should be kept in a place that is not wet or dirty.

• Brisket Saws and Shears

These tools slice through the animal’s chest bone, opening up a way to take out its inside parts. You should test the strength, sharpness and safety of brisket saws and shears before using them every time. After every time you use them, they need to be washed with water and soap. Then, you should kill the germs by using hot water or steam. They need to be kept in a dry and neat area.

• Carcass Cleaning System

This is a machine that uses steam, hot water and suction to clean the animal’s body from any dirty things like poop, hair or dirt. You should examine the power, force, heat and suction of the body cleaning machine before every use. After each time you use them, wash them with water and soap, then kill any germs using hot water or steam. They should be kept in a place that is not wet and free from dirt.

• Offal processor, Tripe Washer and Refiner

This system handles the inside parts of an animal, like its stomach, guts, liver and kidneys. It does this by using water with heat to make steam as well as special brushes. Before each use, you should check the power, pressure, heat and speed of the waste parts maker, stomach cleaner and refiner. After you use them, they need to be cleaned with soap and water and then disinfected using hot water or steam. They need to be kept in a place that’s dry and neat.

• Fat Sucker

This tool pulls the fat out of a dead animal’s body, making it lighter and better looking. You should check the power, suction and hose condition of a fat sucker before using it each time. After using them, you need to wash them with water and soap, then clean them in hot water or steam. They need to be kept in a dry and neat area.

SUMMARY

Overall, Abattoir Equipment plays an essential role in the food industry by providing a steady meat supply down the chain for human consumption. However, the operation of these facilities must be carefully managed to ensure that both food safety and animal welfare standards are met, along with the finished product being left with a premium cut and perfectly preserved with no contamination. When you get the first step right everything else follows.