Volta

Volta Technology

The VOLTA Head Stunning System is based on a completely new principle of stunning in poultry processing.

This principle of the stunning system is based on natural poultry behavior. The heads, of both larger and smaller birds, are positioned in such a way that they are accessible by the “head electrode”.

The birds are shackled on the overhead conveyor and pass through the VOLTA carousel which automatically puts them into the cones. The transport rail takes them to the point where stunning takes place. Before stunning, the heads are moistened by spray nozzles to ensure optimum conductivity.

The actual stunning is done by electrodes which are automatically placed next to the bird’s head and are activated during 3 seconds. The electrodes are designed in such a way that the stunning process is constantly monitored.

The monitoring is done per bird and per second and can be followed on a screen. Per bird, this data will be stored in a computer file. The plant manager or the plant veterinarian can check these data at any time during the day and if needed, this information can be stored on a data stick or computer hard drive.

Birds which are not or only partially stunned will ignite an LED light signal that runs synchronically with that particular bird. These birds come to the attention of the machine operator, allowing him to take action by removing the bird from the shackle or manually stunning it. The time span between stunning and killing can be adjusted in order to be in compliance with government rules and regulation.

It is possible to program different interval times depending on a particular line speed of the moment. This ensures a high flexibility in operation. After the birds leave the VOLTA carrousel they continue the normal slaughter process and the next step will be to go through the correct bleed-out process.

Topkip’s patented Stunning Technology is the only method in the world which meets the strict Halal slaughter regulations enabling advanced poultry slaughter companies to broaden their scope of activities into Islamic regions.

Technical informationOperating principle
Percentage non-stunning ≤ 1 %Manual shackling of birds  
Voltage ≈90/130 voltAutomatic positioning into cone shaped holder
Current minimum ≈240 mA (by law)Individual resistance measurement
Frequency 50 HzIndividual Stunning
Average time unconscious /100sec.Voltage registration per bird
Every slaughter shackle type possibleIntegrated tracking of non-stunned birds
T or Tube track integrationCarrousel system

Volta Economic Benefits

The advantages of the Volta System are:

Minimum product damage
Excellent quality characteristics of poultry carcasses
Individual stunning, tracking and tracing
High stunning efficiency
Excellent alternative for water bath and gas stunning
Suitable restraining during stunning, animals remain calm without any stress
The bird resistance determines the proper stunning electrical current
Bird is immediately unconscious and non-responsive to pain
All birds recover to consciousness after stunning
Easy to integrate in existing slaughter lines
Compatible with all overhead conveyor systems and slaughter shackles