Sausage and cook trolleys in the meat industry

In 2024, the company Klümper Schinkenräucherei & Fleischwarenfabrik in Schüttorf, Germany expanded its production capacities. The core of the project was the integration of robust, hygienic sausage and cook trolleys made of stainless steel for large sausage calibres Ø approx. 140 mm with lengths of ~900 mm. The trolleys are designed for gentle product storage, stable smoke circulation and efficient cleaning - with 10 shelves made of hygienically bent round steel lattice slats (Ø 10 mm), 170 mm shelf spacing and a shelf width of 795 mm for up to 7 calibres per level with free circulation.

Task

Objective: Uniform smoking quality with high throughput - without pressure points and with free smoke flow - as well as safe, ergonomic handling in a humid production environment.

Product geometry: Processing of raw cured sausage (preliminary product), calibre Ø approx. 140 mm, length ~900 mm
Capacity per level: up to 7 calibres on 795 mm support width, arranged in such a way that smoke circulation is maintained all round (no shading, no "smoke congestion" = no stagnation/blocking of the smoke due to too dense arrangement or wide support surfaces) - result: uniform smoking results
Product protection: minimal contact surfaces, no pressure points, smoking process unaffected
Process stability:170 mm shelf spacing for reproducible loading and homogeneous air circulation
Hygiene & cleaning:Stainless steel 1.4301 (V2A) for wet areas, chemical resistance and corrosion protection
Intralogistics & ergonomics: high load capacity; handling mainly with electric mover (tug) due to high product weights

Wurstliegenwagen (Rauchwagen) für 140er Wurstkaliber - Klümper Schinkenmanufaktur - Bilder zum Vergrössern bitte anklicken. | Mohn GmbH

Project description and special features

The sausage and cook trolleys supplied combine product protection, smoke flow and ease of cleaning in a compact, robust design - and also offer dual use: in addition to sausage calibres, they are also suitable for drying and curing raw ham (optional, not currently in use).

Process sequence at Klümper (practice):

Pre-drying → Smoke chamber → Drying to the target state;
the product remains on the trolley throughout (loading, pre/main process, intermediate storage/transport).

Core construction

The supports consist of hygienically bent round steel grid slats (Ø 10 mm). The open, rigid support design reduces the actual product support surface to a minimum - pressure points are avoided, smoke circulation remains free and smoking takes place evenly across all levels.

With 170 mm shelf spacing, there is sufficient air space for smoke routing, while loading/unloading remains ergonomic - even with 900 mm long calibres. The load-bearing structure is made entirely of 1.4301 stainless steel: smooth, closed surfaces and clean weld seams prevent dirt accumulation and shorten cleaning cycles.

Mobility & handling

The trolleys are equipped with 6 polyamide wheels with ball bearings (Ø 200 mm) for everyday use. The large diameter makes it easier to drive over joints and edges, while the bearings ensure smooth running - reducing pushing forces and noticeably relieving the strain on staff. Polyamide is also resistant to moisture and common cleaning chemicals; the load capacity is maintained even when fully loaded. In order to reduce the pushing forces with high batch weights, the sausage trolleys are mainly moved with an electric mover (tug).

Cleaning & hygiene

Thanks to the round bar geometry, the trolleys can be cleaned quickly and thoroughly in the washing system: Smoke resin, grease and soot residues from smoking systems/smoking chambers adhere less, the spray jet reaches all areas and nothing remains in edges or corners - this shortens the cleaning time and makes manual reworking rarely necessary.

Material advantages - stainless steel 1.4301 (V2A)

In the smoking process: neutral towards flavour/product, open grid geometry promotes homogeneous air flow
After smoking / during cleaning: quick wet cleaning, good chemical resistance, corrosion resistance when used properly

Customer feedback

In practical use, company Klümper confirms a consistent smoking quality: "The trolley concept works perfectly for the intended application; a comparison with free-hanging processes was not carried out. The trolleys are very robust in everyday use - so far there have been no complaints regarding material resistance, welded construction or running gear.

In combination with the automatic trolley washing system, the round bars of the lattice laths make cleaning much easier, so that even stubborn smoke resin, grease and soot residues can be removed quickly. During handling, the fully loaded trolleys are mainly moved with an electric mover; this reduces pushing forces and ensures safe, ergonomic processes.

"The big advantage is the dual use for calibre sausage or cured ham. We don't currently use this because the trolleys are fully utilised with sausage. We were also impressed by the very stable stainless steel construction."

- Mr. Egbers, Klümper, Schüttorf, Germany

Summary

With the sausage trolleys made of stainless steel 1.4301, company Klümper, Schüttorf, Germany has a permanently stable and hygienic solution for raw cured sausage in large calibres (Ø approx. 140 mm, ~900 mm long). 10 product-optimised supports with round steel lattice slats (Ø 10 mm) and 170 mm shelf spacing ensure gentle depositing and free smoke circulation - even with up to 7 calibres per shelf.

Cleaning with the trolley washer is particularly easy thanks to the round bars; Ø 200 mm polyamide wheels and the use of an electric mover support ergonomic processes.

The result: consistent smoking quality, efficient cleaning and reliable intralogistics - with the option of dual utilisation for curing raw ham.

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Reference project: sausage and cook trolley - meat industry