The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Pukeuri boners get robotic workmates

Otago Daily Times
4 Sep, 2016 10:30 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Alliance Group Pukeuri plant manager Geoff Proctor views robotic technology in the boning room. Photo: Sally Rae.

Alliance Group Pukeuri plant manager Geoff Proctor views robotic technology in the boning room. Photo: Sally Rae.

A $7.5 million upgrade at Alliance Group's Pukeuri meat works is the biggest investment at the site since redevelopment following a major fire in 2006.

Commissioning is under way of robotic cutting machinery in the boning room.

The machinery, developed by Scott Technology, features an X-ray unit that analyses each carcass and instructs two cutting machines where to cut.

The primal cutting machine separates carcasses into hinds, middles and forequarters.

A middles cutting machine then separates middles into racks, loins, flaps and saddles.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The technology meant higher product yields and safety benefits, plant manager Geoff Proctor said.

The machinery was able to automatically adjust to different carcass sizes, which was a challenge in red-meat processing.

While human saw operators did well, they could be "fractionally" out and the technology improved the accuracy of the cut.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The boning room had to be expanded to install the machinery.

Although slightly fewer people were needed in the boning room, no-one had been made redundant.

The machines had circular cutting blades, rather than band-saws, which improved hygiene and health and safety, and reduced strain for the workers.

The same technology was installed at the company's Smithfield plant in Timaru earlier this year.

Discover more

The Crowd Goes Wild for Watto's 'hot takes'

01 Sep 11:40 PM

The Country Today - Guns N' Roses N' Farming edition

02 Sep 02:39 AM

Jim Hopkins on Internet bullying and factless finger-pointing

05 Sep 02:25 AM

Is there a rural/urban divide?

05 Sep 02:41 AM

The machinery there was fully commissioned and was working "very, very well", Mr Proctor said.Chief executive David Surveyor said the technology upgrade formed a key part of the company's strategy to lift returns to shareholders by improving the efficiency of livestock processing.

Alliance Group's latest market update said post-Brexit exchange rates in the UK were continuing to result in frozen lamb product being diverted away to more profitable markets.

However, chilled negotiations were under way with price improvements required to cover exchange rate issues.

Demand in Europe remained firm on the back of low volumes, particularly middle cuts.

The Chinese market remained sluggish with local production in full swing and some improvement was expected as consumption increased during the winter months.

ASB's latest Farmshed Economics report said the biggest test for lamb prices awaited over the spring, particularly how Brexit impacted on UK consumers and their demand for lamb would have a large bearing on where prices settled.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Similarly, the New Zealand dollar would have a large role to play, while tight local supply should underpin prices "to a degree", the ASB report said.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Their adopted pig charmed the world. Then their romance crumbled

15 May 03:45 AM
The Country

'Pure luck': Driver unhurt after ute hits cattle beast on highway

15 May 03:37 AM
The Country

'Job well done': Sanford doubles half year profit

15 May 03:22 AM

The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Their adopted pig charmed the world. Then their romance crumbled

Their adopted pig charmed the world. Then their romance crumbled

15 May 03:45 AM

Esther's dads, Jenkins and Walter, founded a 20ha sanctuary for her and other animals.

'Pure luck': Driver unhurt after ute hits cattle beast on highway

'Pure luck': Driver unhurt after ute hits cattle beast on highway

15 May 03:37 AM
'Job well done': Sanford doubles half year profit

'Job well done': Sanford doubles half year profit

15 May 03:22 AM
Farm succession on The Country

Farm succession on The Country

15 May 01:40 AM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP