High-tech at the point of sale
Valentina and Constantin Kuchler develop precision cutting equipment
The fact that the love of sushi has now spread around the world is proven not least by the fact that a company on the edge of the Alps is working on the perfect machine cutting of salmon slices for nigiri sushi. Valentina Kuchler and her brother Constantin have developed a device in their company S.A.M. Kuchler Electronics GmbH that works at least as precisely as Japanese nigiri chefs. The siblings run the company, whose electronically controlled slicers have been "state of the art" since 1963 for sausage, cheese and, for the past 20 years, fish. The Klagenfurt-based company will present the nigiri cutter and other precision equipment for use in fish production and trade at this year's fish international (September 4-6, 2022) at the Bremen Exhibition Center.
Delicate and skillful like a Japanese nigiri chef
"Nigiri sushi is usually cut by hand," Valentina Kuchler explains. While one hand glides over the fish, it provides the other hand with the necessary information and impulses to ensure that the knife passes through the salmon fillet with exactly the right pressure and speed. A machine would have to handle the cut product with corresponding sensitivity, precisely maintain the desired cut thickness, and at the same time cut gently but courageously. Apparently, the "Nigiri Slicer 308Sushi" from the Kuchler siblings succeeds in doing just that - and very quickly, too. The machine produces up to 18,000 nigiri slices per hour fully automatically.
As one of the latest developments from the Klagenfurt-based company, the nigiri cutter exemplifies technology from Kuchler. "We operate in a niche market," says Valentina Kuchler, adding, "Our machines are designed especially for use in companies with lower production volumes and in retail at the point of sale." The machines pack the slices in a multi-layer portion in foil immediately after cutting: "This relieves the sales staff from cutting and packaging so that they can concentrate on serving the customers," Valentina Kuchler explains.
More time for customer service
Even when company founder Fritz Kuchler began tinkering with the high-tech slicing machines in the 1960s, he had recognized the problems that food retail workers had to deal with every day when slicing sausage or cheese. "The work is physically demanding and involves unnatural movements," Valentina Kuchler reports. Her father worked for years to find a solution to the problem - in 1969 he founded "Electronics Constructions" and focused on a fully automatic depositing machine for freshly cut slices. In 1971, he brought it to market as a world first. Not without reason the company is called S.A.M., which is an abbreviation for the Latin words "Sine Auxilio Manus" - without the help of the hand.
S.A.M. Kuchler - always on the pulse of time
Over the years, Fritz Kuchler has continuously developed his machines. "Our father received more than 500 patents. Innovation and quality improvement have always been our focus," says Valentina Kuchler. And so the employees of S.A.M. Kuchler Electronics constantly observe the market, analyze developments and present technical solutions right at the start of a trend: As early as 2018, the Klagenfurt-based company supplied the first online supermarkets with slicing systems that take orders directly from the web store and process them independently until the finished packaged goods are ready.
The guiding theme is the supermarket of the future
Two years ago, the first talking slicer, the first compostable delicatessen packaging and the first ordering terminal for the service counter were launched. This year, the Klagenfurt-based company presented the first slicing and packaging line that automatically produces multilayer MAP packs in the smallest possible space - including slicing, packaging, vacuuming or MAP gassing and price labeling. And Valentina and Constantin Kuchler have long since moved their thoughts further into the future: "What will the supermarket of the future look like?" is their current guiding theme. One thing is clear: Kuchler machines will definitely be in these markets.
"The self-service sector will continue to grow"
The preliminary stage of this future market is already becoming visible. "The self-service sector will continue to grow," Valentina Kuchler is convinced, "but at the same time, customers don't just want to take the goods from the refrigerated shelves, they also want to have a look at production." Thanks to their small footprint, the machines from Klagenfurt find a place near the sales counter, which allows them to "make production visible." Valentina Kuchler also sees the trend towards self-service counters in the fish sector. Machines such as the nigiri slicer should enable suppliers to produce self-service products such as sushi in larger quantities on site in the market.
