Processor Lizman grows in Argentina's changing times
Automation according to plan – update of CoreTech to full Nuova eviscerator
The dynamic markets in the poultry industry are sometimes unpredictable. Who could have foreseen that Argentinian processor Lizman would be once again upgrading its processing systems after just three years? Processing activities in Pergamino have been flourishing and have paved the way for the next step towards automation and higher capacities. Lizman recently updated its CoreTech to a full-blown Nuova eviscerator, complete with automated giblet harvesting, just as Marel originally intended.
A national market
Domestic consumption of chicken meat in Argentina for 2020 is forecast at 45.5kg [100 lbs] per capita, representing 90% of chicken meat production. National economic conditions greatly influence the production and investment decisions made by Argentinian poultry processors. The same goes for the purchasing power of consumers.* At this moment, Argentinian processors are having to fight hard for their market share, because rising utility costs (mainly electricity) and labor as well as value added taxes are undercutting their competitiveness when compared to competitors from abroad. When times are tough, the tough keep going. That's what is happening in the Argentinian market right now. Lizman is obviously one of the successful companies in Argentina. Lizman sees the situation as an opportunity to develop further in changing times.
At Lizman's, installation of the CoreTech eviscerator three years ago was the result of a first period of growth. Now, a new milestone has been reached, topped off with its metamorphosis into a Nuova 20 with automated giblet harvesting. The Nuova CoreTech was Lizmans' first step in the automation of the evisceration process. As a startup in industrial processing, Lizman had a limited budget to spend on automation, although a later expansion had to be kept in mind. Marel presented a perfect solution to this dilemma. The upgradable CoreTech eviscerator offered a unique opportunity. CoreTech is a basic machine without separate viscera line but comprising Nuova's advanced technology. The perfectly developed technique of extracting the viscera pack from the abdomen cavity is identical in all Nuova machines. CoreTech then differs in that it carefully hangs the viscera pack over the back of the carcass. In this situation, giblets are harvested manually.
Perfect positioning
By installing this solution, Lizman had left the door open to growing along with the market at a later stage. Nobody, however, could have foreseen that expansion would happen this quickly. Just three years later, after continuous growth of the company, General Director Carlos Guzman decided to upgrade to a fully fledged Nuova. This includes transfer of the viscera pack to a separate shackle as well as the automated harvesting of livers, hearts and gizzards, a technique in which Marel has led the market for more than 25 years now. In the pack processing line, perfect positioning of the giblets is crucial for quick and accurate harvesting. It allows Lizman to sell these giblets with considerable added value.
Two-step path
In retrospect, making the investment in two steps proved to be the ideal path for Lizman. Three years ago, the company seized the chance offered by CoreTech to make its initial investment. This allowed Lizman to profit, right from the start, from Marel's underlying premium technologies without having to invest heavily. Lizman's operations have now grown to such extent that the company does want to harvest giblets automatically. It is a relatively small investment to convert CoreTech quickly and easily to the full Nuova specification. This new approach in evisceration will open up great opportunities for attracting new business and markets. Nuova will help Lizman produce perfectly eviscerated top quality, top hygiene chickens and giblets for its Santa Monica and Loco por los Pollos branded products.
* source: Rabobank
lizman.com.ar