Bandsaws are a common tool in the food industry. You can cut meat and bones in a very precise way that is difficult to achieve manually with this equipment. But you need to respect the proper operation of the machine and its maintenance in order to ensure safety of the operators and the quality of the food products.
If you don’t maintain the bandsaw, you will soon see problems in its operation.
You will be risking many safety hazards as poor maintenance can lead to the blades becoming dull and components becoming loose. There may be faulty electrical connections as well. You need to check whether safety features like guards and shields are working properly. There will be a maintenanceschedule that is recommended by the manufacturer so that you know which steps are to follow and how to reduce the malfunctions. You have to consider the actual task you want to complete when it comes to food industry bandsaws. This is because there are certain blades that are allocated for certain tasks. You can find different blades to cut through meat or bone. There are even blades to cut through frozen items. If you don’t use the right blade, efficiency will drop and the blade will wear out faster. The machine will not be in its optimal condition either.
There is a limit to the amount of meat
Or bones that can be cut at one time with the bandsaw. If you exceed this, there will be a lot of strain on the motor. You will find that the blades tend to lose their sharpness when you do this. The machine can also become unstable. Before using the machine, the operator has to be well aware of the capacity of the model. There may be instances when you need to process large quantities of meat. Instead of overloading the machine, you need to portion the batches so that it comes within capacity. The operator has to be trained on the correct methods for cutting. You should not be pushing the meat directly into the blade using your hands. This can be very dangerous as it increases the likelihood of injuries. The meat should not be forced through the blade. Forgoing the right technique will cause the cuts to become inconsistent. There are pushing devices that come with the bandsaw for safe operation. Your hands and fingers should never be kept in the cutting area.
You have to be cautious about moving components of the bandsaw.
There are guards and shields to be installed so that the operator is safe. Sometimes, people tend to remove these so that they have better access or to see the process better. But it can open you up to accidental contact with the sharp blade. There is a list of pre-operation inspection checks to carry out so that you know the bandsaw is in good condition before you start the tasks of the day. You have to check if the blade is aligned properly and sharpened. The safety features should be inspected as well. While this can take time, it is incredibly important to ensure safety of the workplace.