A project lifecycle: Large-scale pig slaughterhouse completed in 7 months
How did Kometos deliver the largest pig slaughterhouse in its history? A fully-equipped meat processing plant consisting of 22 modules was completed with remarkable speed despite some challenges.
An international corporation specializing in the pork industry expanded into a new operational area, requiring a new pig slaughterhouse. The regional responsibility brought with it a market of over eight million residents, setting high production targets. For this purpose, Kometos designed the largest slaughterhouse complex in its history.
Complete slaughterhouse and production facilities from the same supplier
The new facility produces slaughtered pigs as half carcasses. Future plans include producing boneless cuts, such as organs – heart, kidneys, liver, tongue, and cheek muscles from the head.
The pig slaughterhouse has a processing capacity of 35 pigs per hour. Products leave the facility packaged in boxes and frozen, ready to be packaged for consumer distribution.
The modules of the Kometos-supplied meat processing plant are equipped with electrical, ventilation, water, and sewage systems, as well as refrigeration and heating equipment. The delivery also included all necessary production and packaging equipment, plus automation and carcass registration systems.
Training and guidance ensure reliable quality
Julius Viskari, Kometos’ project engineer, was responsible for this international project. His task was to organize the project from design to installation, all the way to kicking off production.
During the commissioning of the facility, equipment and process training was provided to the staff, along with instruction on hygienic and best practices in slaughterhouse operations. Viskari explains:
It’s important that staff at the meat processing plant understand how the farming, transport, and slaughter processes affect end product quality. Livestock must be treated humanely to produce high-quality meat products for consumers.
From start to finish in just seven months
The design of the facility began when Kometos’ local agent received information about a pig slaughterhouse being built in the area. Kometos’ sales organization started negotiations with the client by conducting a needs assessment, which led to an offer to deliver a pig slaughterhouse to the region.
Kometos didn’t have a ready-made concept for a slaughterhouse of this size, so the first step was to create an initial design agreement with the customer. The completion of the plans took a couple of months and was carried out in collaboration with a local design agency.
The sales agreement was finalized in early summer, and by September, the facility was transported on-site. By the beginning of October, installations were already in full swing. In December, the first pigs were slaughtered at the facility, and the final production kick-off took place the following spring.
Kometos has a highly knowledgeable and skilled staff, so all problems were solved through cooperation.
Overcoming all challenges
The facility’s large size, 1 100 m², presented a challenge. All modules were premanufactured at Kometos’ 3 000 m² production facilities. However, some modules had to be equipped outside the factory, as the plant was partially built for testing and measurements.
Another challenge was selecting appropriate machines and equipment for the process and adapting them to modular structures.
“Kometos has a highly knowledgeable and skilled staff, so all problems were solved through cooperation. Challenges give us additional motivation and desire to create better solutions for customer problems. During the project implementation, regulatory issues emerged that were different in Finland and the destination country. Because of this, we modified certain parts of the process.”
The construction schedule for the slaughterhouse was ambitious. And a little extra challenge was added by the fact that a facility of this size and technology had never before been manufactured in Kometos’ history. The project particularly highlighted Kometos’ quick responsiveness, innovation, and ability to adapt cost-effectively to customer wishes and needs.
Tight collaboration deepens the trust
The client corporation is highly knowledgeable and aware of structural and regulatory issues related to meat processing plants, which was reflected in their precise requirements.
After the design agreement was completed, a total of 462 designs and blueprints had been made. When the facility was manufactured at Kometos’ factory and handed over to the client, there were a whopping number of 3 817 designs of equipment and structures. Collaboration with the client deepened further when the facility plans were completed. Both parties were satisfied with the results.
The client visited the Kometos factory in Finland to learn about the modular structures and was very pleased with what they saw. When Kometos announced that the delivery had left for its destination exactly on the agreed day, the client’s full trust in Kometos had been achieved.
“We succeeded in designing and manufacturing an excellent and functional slaughterhouse facility for the customer in a project where Kometos and its entire staff went through an amazing learning process,” Viskari sums up, rightfully proud.
💡 Interested in Kometos’ modular slaughterhouses? Learn more about our slaughterhouse and meat processing facilities here.
