Horizontal char slicer, system and method
A horizontal char slicer for cutting a food product includes a frame housing having a heating housing and a cutting device located at a discharge end of the heating housing. The heating housing includes a heating element, and the cutting device has a generally horizontal cutting plane. A generally horizontal conveyor belt extends at least the length of the frame housing, between a heating inlet for delivering the food product through the heating housing to the cutting device. The horizontal conveyor belt also extends from the cutting device to an outlet of the frame housing. The horizontal conveyor belt transports the food product away from the cutting device. A finished-product conveyor also extends from the cutting device for transporting a finished-product away from the cutting device. The finished-product conveyor and the horizontal conveyor belt are configured to work in parallel downstream of the cutting device.
1. A method of producing a pre-cooked food product comprising the steps of:
inputting a food product into a first horizontal char slicer, comprising a horizontal conveyor belt that receives the food product and transports the food product into and through a heating housing having a heating element, the heating housing having a discharge end;
delivering the food product through the heating housing in a generally horizontal path;
cutting the food product directly after being discharged from the discharge end of the heating housing;
outputting a finished product that is cut and removed from the food product;
outputting a remainder of the food product that is an unfinished product; and
inputting the unfinished product into a second horizontal char slicer, wherein the unfinished food product is conveyed through a heating housing having a heating element.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the heating element is an infrared burner.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the cutting device is a band slicer.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the cutting device slices the food product in a cutting plane that is generally horizontal and generally parallel to the conveyor belt.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the finished product is transported away from the unfinished product on a finished-product conveyor.