Automation of IQF bag emptying for the preparation of ready meals

The client, a food industry company specializing in the preparation of cooked dishes (paella, country-style sautéed dishes, forest sautéed dishes, rice-based dishes, vegetables, and meats), was looking to modernize its IQF product assembly process (Individually Quick Frozen).

Historically, the emptying of frozen bags was done manually by operators, leading to several issues:

• heavy and repetitive handling of 20 to 25 kg bags,
• potential errors in recipe assembly,
• risks to operator safety in cold zones,
• losses in productivity during recipe changes and cleaning.

The goal was clear: robotize and automate the IQF product emptying and transfer line in order to secure operations, improve hygiene, and ensure consistency in mixtures for the various prepared dish recipes.

Palamatic Process designed a fully robotic and hygienic installation, adapted to the constraints of freezing environments:

• A depalletizing robot, enclosed and protected against washdowns, equipped with a vision system to identify the position and orientation of IQF bags, whether they contain vegetables, rice, or proteins (meat, fish).
• A suction-cup gripping system connected to a vacuum pump, ensuring reliable handling of frozen bags even when the surfaces are frosted or uneven.
• A Sackbot® 100 Cut X opening hopper, integrating a sharpened 304 stainless steel blade to automatically slit the bags. The IQF products then fall directly onto a hygienic conveyor.
• A 304 stainless steel food-grade belt conveyor, designed according to FDA standards and fully cleanable using a foam cannon. This conveyor continuously feeds a declumper system.
• A declumper ensuring the separation of frozen products to make them easier to dose and more homogeneous during mixing.
• Centralized automation via an industrial PLC and HMI interface, allowing recipe management, batch traceability, and facilitating production changeovers.

The installation is located in a positive cold zone and was designed to withstand frequent washdowns between recipes and at the end of production.

1. Covered depalletizing robot:

• Automatic picking of IQF bags (20 to 25 kg).
• Integrated vision system for recognizing bag position.
• Full protective cover to withstand washdowns.
• Reduced manual handling in the cold zone.
   

2. Suction-based gripping system:

• High-performance vacuum pump to ensure the gripping of frozen bags.
• Adaptable to different bag formats.
• Enhanced safety with protective filters against condensation.
   

3. Sackbot® 100 Cut X opening hopper

• 304 stainless steel blade for clean and hygienic bag cutting.
• Simplified cleaning (CIP / foam cannon).
• Compliant with FDA standards and IQF sector requirements.
   

4. Hygienic 304 stainless steel conveyor:

• FDA-certified food-grade belt.
• Removable design for easier cleaning.
• Resistant to frequent washdowns in the cold zone.
   

5. Declumper:

• Efficient separation of agglomerated IQF products.
• Improved mixture homogeneity for recipes.
• Optimized downstream automatic dosing.
   

6. Automation & supervision:

• HMI interface for overall control.
• Multi-recipe management with batch traceability.
• Automatic alerts for maintenance and cleaning.

• Full automation: from picking the bag on the pallet to feeding the mixture.
• Guaranteed hygiene: all equipment is made of 304 stainless steel, FDA compliant, and foam-cannon washable.
• Operator safety: elimination of heavy manual handling and reduced risks in the cold zone.
• Flexibility: adaptable to different types of IQF products (vegetables, rice, meats, fish).
• Increased productivity: consistent throughput, elimination of assembly errors, optimized recipe changeovers.
• Traceability and control: batch management and process monitoring via PLC and supervision.