The tearing stresses of meat as a basis for mechanical engineering

Cutting technology seems to be fully devolped in spite of the large amount of manual work still involved. In addition to interconnections, refinements and optimization of known techniques and processes it is only in the field of robot technology combined with modern computer controls that we can fin d any free area of development. Is this a blind alley. The present paper is intended to direct attention to a well known basis of meat cutting and to suggest that we should consider whether there are not other possible ways o f mechanizing and automating the cutting process. Investigations into the m echanical properties of meat are described and in particular the tearing st resses of the chewing musculature of the pig are determined.