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Automated Filleting Line Doubles Salmon Processing Productivity
Bidfood Kralupy modernized its seafood facility with JBT Marel automated filleting technology to increase throughput and reduce operational labor.
marel.com
Application Area: Automated fish filleting and portioning
Industry Sector: Food processing and seafood packaging
Bidfood Kralupy, a food processor and distributor of fresh fish, meat, game, and frozen products across Central and Eastern Europe, deployed advanced salmon filleting equipment engineered by JBT Marel at its Kralupy facility. Supplying retail and gastronomy sectors throughout the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania under brands such as Nowaco, Petron, and Gourmet, the company expanded its processing infrastructure to address surging salmon consumption while navigating tightening domestic labor conditions.
Operational Challenges and Automation Objectives
Fresh fish output at the Kralupy site grew to match the throughput of the facility's meat and frozen processing divisions. With retail distribution accounting for 70 percent of volume and institutional food service representing 30 percent, the existing, largely manual filleting configuration could not sustainably satisfy rising order volumes.
Concurrently, workforce shortages and rising wage costs across the Czech labor market made manual processing unviable for sustained growth. Bidfood Kralupy required a technology upgrade capable of scaling daily output, improving fillet yields, and optimizing labor allocation without compromising cut quality or product specifications.
Technical Evaluation and Equipment Selection
Bidfood Kralupy selected JBT Marel to deliver an integrated processing solution based on prior operational performance with the supplier's filleting and portioning equipment. Following engineering reviews and technical evaluations at JBT Marel's manufacturing site in Denmark, the company chose the MS 2730S automated filleting line, customized to integrate into the existing plant footprint.
The technical configuration incorporated an automated deheader alongside an I-Cut portioning unit. The setup was engineered to handle raw material variation, deliver consistent mechanical filleting, and produce precise 250 to 300 gram portions, which constitute 70 percent of the fresh fish division's output, in addition to standard whole and half fillets.
Installation, Commissioning, and Staff Training
On-site mechanical installation and commissioning of the JBT Marel line were completed within one week. A field technician from the equipment manufacturer delivered direct operational training to plant personnel on the factory floor.
During the subsequent four weeks, Bidfood Kralupy technicians collaborated with JBT Marel specialists to calibrate blade settings and optimize software programs for trimming and filleting profiles. The deployment of the automated deheader—one of the earliest implementations of the unit in Central Europe—stabilized raw fish feeding and cutting accuracy across continuous shifts.
Quantifiable Throughput and Efficiency Improvements
The automated line altered operational capacity by processing 25 metric tons of salmon per day with a crew of 12 workers over a single 12-hour shift. The predecessor manual line required approximately double the staff operating over twice the labor hours to yield equivalent output.
The upgrade also generated measurable improvements in fillet yield and raw material utilization, reducing trim waste and standardizing portion sizes across retail specifications. Following these operational gains, Bidfood Kralupy has integrated JBT Marel portioning equipment across both its fresh fish and meat divisions to maintain processing consistency throughout the Kralupy site.
Edited by Natania Lyngdoh, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.
www.jbtmarel.com
Industry Sector: Food processing and seafood packaging
Bidfood Kralupy, a food processor and distributor of fresh fish, meat, game, and frozen products across Central and Eastern Europe, deployed advanced salmon filleting equipment engineered by JBT Marel at its Kralupy facility. Supplying retail and gastronomy sectors throughout the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania under brands such as Nowaco, Petron, and Gourmet, the company expanded its processing infrastructure to address surging salmon consumption while navigating tightening domestic labor conditions.
Operational Challenges and Automation Objectives
Fresh fish output at the Kralupy site grew to match the throughput of the facility's meat and frozen processing divisions. With retail distribution accounting for 70 percent of volume and institutional food service representing 30 percent, the existing, largely manual filleting configuration could not sustainably satisfy rising order volumes.
Concurrently, workforce shortages and rising wage costs across the Czech labor market made manual processing unviable for sustained growth. Bidfood Kralupy required a technology upgrade capable of scaling daily output, improving fillet yields, and optimizing labor allocation without compromising cut quality or product specifications.
Technical Evaluation and Equipment Selection
Bidfood Kralupy selected JBT Marel to deliver an integrated processing solution based on prior operational performance with the supplier's filleting and portioning equipment. Following engineering reviews and technical evaluations at JBT Marel's manufacturing site in Denmark, the company chose the MS 2730S automated filleting line, customized to integrate into the existing plant footprint.
The technical configuration incorporated an automated deheader alongside an I-Cut portioning unit. The setup was engineered to handle raw material variation, deliver consistent mechanical filleting, and produce precise 250 to 300 gram portions, which constitute 70 percent of the fresh fish division's output, in addition to standard whole and half fillets.
Installation, Commissioning, and Staff Training
On-site mechanical installation and commissioning of the JBT Marel line were completed within one week. A field technician from the equipment manufacturer delivered direct operational training to plant personnel on the factory floor.
During the subsequent four weeks, Bidfood Kralupy technicians collaborated with JBT Marel specialists to calibrate blade settings and optimize software programs for trimming and filleting profiles. The deployment of the automated deheader—one of the earliest implementations of the unit in Central Europe—stabilized raw fish feeding and cutting accuracy across continuous shifts.
Quantifiable Throughput and Efficiency Improvements
The automated line altered operational capacity by processing 25 metric tons of salmon per day with a crew of 12 workers over a single 12-hour shift. The predecessor manual line required approximately double the staff operating over twice the labor hours to yield equivalent output.
The upgrade also generated measurable improvements in fillet yield and raw material utilization, reducing trim waste and standardizing portion sizes across retail specifications. Following these operational gains, Bidfood Kralupy has integrated JBT Marel portioning equipment across both its fresh fish and meat divisions to maintain processing consistency throughout the Kralupy site.
Edited by Natania Lyngdoh, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.
www.jbtmarel.com
