Automatic Poultry Slaughterhouse Process

Turnkey Automatic Poultry Slaughterhouse Projects

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Air Chilling

Live Bird Handling & Processing Preparation

This section represents the initial stage of the poultry processing line, where chickens and other poultry enter the processing workflow. Once the birds are ready for slaughter, they are carefully loaded onto transport vehicles and delivered to the slaughterhouse. This process is typically carried out by placing the poultry into plastic crates and securely loading them onto vehicles.

During transportation to the slaughterhouse, animal welfare and poultry health are treated as top priorities. All handling procedures are performed with care to minimize stress and ensure optimal processing conditions. Based on these requirements, the appropriate machinery and equipment are selected and supplied.

Machine and equipment selection is determined according to the facility’s processing capacity, ensuring efficient workflow, compliance with international standards, and reliable operation throughout the poultry slaughterhouse and cooling process.

Slaughtering and Defeathering Process

The slaughtering and defeathering process is a critical stage in poultry processing, where the live chicken is humanely slaughtered and prepared for the next processing steps. The functionality and precision of the machinery used in this process are of great importance to ensure consistent quality and operational efficiency.

Another key consideration at this stage is that the chicken is exposed to machine intervention in the most ethical and psychologically appropriate manner, in accordance with animal welfare principles. Proper system design and equipment selection play a vital role in minimizing stress and ensuring controlled processing conditions.

The main objective of this process line is the slaughtering of chickens, removal of feathers, and preparation of the carcass for evisceration. This is achieved through the use of specialized machines and equipment, each designed to perform specific functions efficiently. The cleaner and more accurately processed the chicken exits this stage, the smoother and more effective the subsequent processing stages become.

The modular structure of this processing line allows for easy capacity expansion in the future. This flexibility enables modifications to existing systems without major operational disruption. Equipped with comprehensive safety measures, this process delivers a highly efficient, continuous, and energy-efficient poultry slaughtering solution.

Automatic Evisceration Systems

The automatic evisceration process is one of the most complex and technically advanced stages of the poultry processing line, where equipment and machinery precision is critical. In addition to removing the internal organs of chickens arriving from the slaughtering and defeathering section, maintaining the quality of the separated edible organs such as liver, gizzard, and heart is equally important.

At high processing capacities, operating the line at increased speeds makes manual evisceration extremely difficult and inefficient. For this reason, every machine and each individual station within the automatic evisceration line is designed to perform uniform and consistent operations on every chicken from start to finish, ensuring high productivity and processing continuity.

Each machine within this process has a specific and dedicated function and operates in full synchronization with the conveyor system. The robust mechanical structure of the equipment ensures long service life and operational reliability. Additionally, multiple adjustment options based on average bird weight and size allow each machine to operate at maximum efficiency, delivering optimal processing results under varying production conditions.

Water Chilling Process

The water chilling process is a critical stage in poultry processing, where washing and cooling play a vital role in maintaining product quality and food safety. Poultry cooling can be performed using two different methods, and the most suitable option is selected based on processing capacity and customer requirements.

In low-capacity poultry processing facilities, the water chilling system alone is often sufficient. As production capacity increases, the combined use of water chilling and air chilling systems becomes necessary to achieve optimal cooling performance.

The primary purpose of this stage is to reduce the body temperature of slaughtered and eviscerated chickens before they are transferred to the air chilling process. Lowering the carcass temperature in advance allows for a more effective and uniform cooling process, resulting in improved poultry quality and extended product shelf life.

By performing the cooling process with water, chickens are also washed and cleaned, ensuring hygienic conditions before entering the cold air section. This integrated approach positively impacts both product safety and processing efficiency.

Air Chilling Process

Cooling is a critical factor in food processing, as it directly affects product quality, safety, and shelf life. In poultry slaughterhouses, the air chilling process requires special attention and precise control to achieve optimal results.

The most important parameters in air chilling are the time the product remains in the cold room and the controlled ambient temperature within the chilling chamber. All calculations are carefully performed by considering poultry meat health, food safety requirements, and processing efficiency.

Based on these calculations, the optimal conveyor length is determined to ensure balanced cooling. Over-chilling can negatively affect meat quality, just as insufficient cooling can compromise product safety. Therefore, maintaining the correct cooling balance is essential.

The length and configuration of the conveyor system vary according to processing capacity, allowing the air chilling system to be precisely adapted to different production volumes while ensuring consistent and efficient cooling performance.

Grading and Sorting Line

The weight grading and sorting section is one of the most complex and technologically advanced stages in a poultry slaughterhouse. At this stage, the weight, quality, and size classification of each chicken are performed fully automatically through a computer-controlled grading panel.

Chickens entering the line are transported on a special suspension system, where their individual weights are accurately measured and classified. A load cell installed on the conveyor line performs the weighing operation and instantly transmits the data to the central computer system.

Thanks to PLC-controlled automation, all weighing and sorting operations are carried out with millisecond-level precision. Based on the measured weight, each chicken is directed to its designated category and released into the appropriate bin using pneumatic drop stations integrated into the conveyor line.

Despite operating on high-speed conveyor systems, our weight grading line delivers exceptional accuracy and consistency, ensuring reliable classification and optimal product standardization for downstream processing and packaging stages.

Cutting and Portioning Line

In poultry processing, products remain structurally intact from the beginning to the end of the process. To divide this whole structure into market-ready portions, an automatic poultry cutting line is utilized. Depending on market demand, poultry can be offered as whole chickens or portioned products, making it essential to align investments with customer and market requirements.

The automatic cutting line is a dedicated system featuring a custom platform structure and conveyor system. The conveyor is equipped with special suspension shackles and guiding elements, designed to precisely position the chicken and the cutting equipment according to the specific cutting area. This ensures accurate and consistent cutting results.

Designed for high-capacity poultry processing facilities, the automatic cutting line delivers fast, efficient, and highly accurate portioning. The cutting process is performed by independent yet conveyor-integrated machines, each responsible for a specific operation. The cutting line includes:

Wing tip cutting
Wing joint cutting
Whole breast and specialty breast cutting
Half-cut (splitting)
Drumstick cutting
Drop and transfer units

Between each machine, guide mechanisms are mounted on the conveyor to control the orientation of the shackles. Thanks to its modular design, machines can be easily added or removed based on production needs.

For operator safety, all cutting blades are fully guarded, and emergency stop systems are installed throughout the line. Each machine is equipped with height adjustment and guide positioning mechanisms, allowing efficient processing of various poultry weight ranges.

The location and configuration of the automatic cutting line are custom-designed and manufactured according to the specific project layout, ensuring optimal workflow and maximum operational efficiency.

Packaging Section

The packaging section is the final stage of the poultry processing line, where products are prepared for storage and distribution. Packaging operations are performed in a fast, hygienic, and organized manner, ensuring product safety and operational efficiency.

This process line consists of a pneumatic bagging machine and a clipping machine, both mounted directly onto the conveyor system. The pneumatic bagging machine operates using air pressure, allowing the operator to simply place the chicken into the bag with minimal physical effort.

Once the bags are positioned on the conveyor, the operator performs the clipping operation quickly and efficiently, enabling high-speed packaging with maximum output in a short time. This system minimizes handling time while maintaining high hygiene standards.

After packaging, the chickens are transported to cold storage, where they are held under controlled conditions and prepared for shipment and distribution.

Waste Management Section

Facility cleanliness is a critical factor in food processing systems, and poultry processing plants generate a significant amount of organic waste and by-products. In poultry processing, waste materials are not only a hygiene concern but also a valuable resource for recycling and energy recovery.

To efficiently manage this waste, facilities utilize waste separators and pump systems. Poultry by-products generated during processing are transferred to rendering systems, where they are converted into raw materials for animal feed. This approach supports both resource efficiency and environmental sustainability.

Environmental cleanliness is another key consideration. All waste and by-products generated within the facility must be strictly controlled. From live bird intake to final product shipment, the poultry processing plant operates as a single integrated system where continuous cleanliness and hygiene are essential.

Poultry Tech Group ensures maximum hygiene levels through its integrated waste management solutions, designed to keep the facility clean during and after production. For this reason, waste handling systems are incorporated into the facility design from the earliest project stages.

Waste collection channels and pits are planned during the initial architectural design phase, and machine layouts are determined according to this waste channel plan. As a result, the facility remains consistently free of waste, both during operation and after production, ensuring a clean, safe, and compliant working environment.

Control Panels

All control, management, safety, and main power distribution of equipment in the poultry processing line are handled through system control panels. These panels form the backbone of the automation system, ensuring safe, efficient, and synchronized operation of the entire facility.

The control panels are divided into dedicated sections, with each processing area having its own independent control panel. All panels are supplied from the main power distribution panel, allowing centralized energy management and operational control.

Through the system control panels, operators can manage electric motors, conveyor gear reducers, emergency stop systems, and conveyor line speeds with a single command. This centralized control structure improves operational efficiency while minimizing downtime and operational risks.

During production, the panels provide real-time monitoring of the system. Operators can easily identify:

Which machines are running or stopped
Which equipment has reported a fault
Conveyor rotation speed
Critical operational values displayed on digital indicators

Thanks to this comprehensive monitoring capability, system control panels ensure rapid response to malfunctions, increased process safety, and uninterrupted production flow across the poultry processing plant.