SLICERS
Questions to Ask
1. Is your customer bulk slicing or slicing to order? • Automatic slicers are recommended for bulk slicing • Manual slicers are recommended when slicing to order. 2. How many hours per day does your customer intend to use their slicer? • The amount of slicer operation time per day will determine whether they need a light, medium or heavy duty slicer. » Light Duty – 30 minutes to one hour per day of meat slicing with little to no cheese slicing » Medium Duty – two to six hours of meat slicing per day with light to moderate cheese slicing » Heavy Duty – all-day meat and cheese slicing 3. How much cheese does your customer intend to slice? • Cheese is one of the hardest items to slice and will also help to determine whether your customer needs a light, medium or heavy duty slicer. • Typically, slicers with 1/2 HP motors have enough power to push through cheese without warming it, eliminating any melting risk. 4. What is the largest product that will be sliced?
• Slicer capacities vary by blade sizes: » 9” slicers will slice a 6” round product » 10” slicers will slice a 7” round product » 12” slicers will slice an 8” round product (most popular) » 14” slicers will slice a 10” round product 5. Will vegetables be sliced? If so, what kind? • Fences are recommended for smaller items such as pepperoni or cucumbers. » Fences are accessories fastened to the carriage and hold narrow products against the side guard to stabilize them during slicing for improved consistency. • A vegetable hopper is suggested for bulk slicing produce such as tomatoes or onions. » Vegetable hoppers allow the operator to fill a large cylinder fastened to the carriage with product for bulk vegetable slicing. Items can be arranged for cross-sectional or non- uniform cuts. 6. Will you be slicing frozen or semi-frozen meat? • Frozen and semi-frozen meat slicing requires a serrated knife which cannot be sharpened with a traditional blade sharpener.
Types of Slicers
Gravity-Feed Slicer
Vertical Slicer
• Designed so the carriage meets the knife at a downward angle, allowing gravity to help guide product into the blade. • Available in both manual and automatic models, most gravity-feed slicers feature multiple speeds to improve performance as well as carriage stroke length options. • Ideal for slicing small products that require a fence.
• Commonly known as “fly wheel” slicers, designed so the product meets the blade at a perpendicular 90° angle. • Typically used for prosciutto and other artisan meats because of their ability to reduce the amount of heat generated during operation, which protects the integrity of the cut. • Available in both manual and automatic models.
EQUIPMENT GUIDE
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