Advanced Burger Frying – Served with Safety

Craving a burger from time to time? A freshly toasted bun, grilled meat, breaded chicken or a vegetarian patty, refined with sauces, fresh vegetables or a slice of cheese, finished with a pinch of salt and pepper – who could resist? But behind this fast and tasty experience lies a significant organizational and resource challenge. This is where REET - short for Restaurant Efficiency Enhancing Systems - comes in. Based in Wiener Neudorf, the start-up develops fully automated, digitally controlled kitchen processes designed to efficiently manage high production volumes - independently of staffing availability.

While ordering in Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) is already largely automated today, kitchen automation is still in its early stages. “Until now, there were no manufacturers offering automation for burger preparation,” explains DI (FH) Roland Ambrosch, MSc, Managing Director and CTO of REET. “That’s why we decided to break new ground and develop our own solutions.” The goal is to increase quality, service, and speed, even with a high level of product variability. By leveraging its expertise in order automation, REET brings efficiency to the kitchen: improved planning, reduced food waste, optimized energy usage, and more targeted workforce planning.

At the core of this innovation is FABAL – the Fully Automatic Burger Assembling Line, delivering maximum efficiency for operators and an enhanced customer experience.
 

From the design phase onward, Pilz has been a reliable partner on the path to CE conformity.

Key benefits at a glance:

• Increased efficiency through automation
• Reduced food waste thanks to precise planning
• Optimized energy consumption and staffing resources
• High production capacity with maximum flexibility

Despite its specialized application, FABAL is classified as classic machinery and therefore must be implemented in full CE compliance. To achieve this, REET brought Pilz on board as a partner — from the development of the first prototype in 2020 through to series production by an Austrian machine manufacturer. The system itself is highly complex: the electrical schematics alone span more than 1,500 pages. Behind the sleek stainless-steel panels lies a dense network of motors, drives, pneumatic cylinders, sensors, and actuators.

Pilz supported the project from the very beginning, including risk assessment, safety concept development, verification of safety functions in accordance with EN ISO 13849, validation, safety checks, and comprehensive documentation reviews.

Early involvement helped prevent costly modifications and ensured CE conformity. “Especially with complex machinery, an external perspective is crucial,” emphasizes Roland Ambrosch. Pilz confirms this view: early consultation helps avoid risks such as mechanical hazards or faulty process sequences — particularly in machines with numerous access doors and moving parts.

The doors of the FABAL are safely locked using the PSENmech mechanical safety interlock until all hazardous machine movements have come to a complete stop. The system also prevents unintended restart of hazardous movements as long as the door remains open.

Mechanical Safety Interlock PSENmech

“The very early involvement of Pilz in the project, combined with the high level of engineering, has more than paid off. As a result, the required changes and adjustments remained very limited”, reports Roland Ambrosch from his hands-on experience in the design process.

Another advantage for the CTO: “Our employees don’t need to acquire accreditations for risk assessments and validations, which are required for some tests. Pilz, on the other hand, brings decades of expertise and makes it available to us. And — this is important to mention — if we were to issue the CE declaration ourselves, we would be fully liable. Pilz gives us the assurance that nothing is overlooked and that everything necessary for safety has been done.”

“The sleek stainless-steel exterior is deceiving”, says Ing. Stephan Weidinger, Head of Consulting Services at Pilz. “Open the doors, and you see the multitude of small applications, sensors, actuators, and much more.” Throughout the entire development phase, Pilz experts stood by REET’s side — all the way to the final commissioning of the first FABAL in early 2025 at a QSR branch.

“Our responsibilities included the risk assessment, creation of a safety concept, the calculated verification of safety functions according to EN ISO 13849, validation under the Machinery Directive, all safety checks, and last but not least, documentation review”, outlines Weidinger, summarizing the substantial scope of Pilz’s service. “Especially during machine development, this is of course an ongoing and demanding process. It’s a great advantage for our customers that we bring together a team of absolute experts. In the end, it results in the confirmation of CE conformity.”

• Handling of heterogeneous food items such as tomatoes, lettuce, or patties
• Integration of multiple modules like the Patty Flipper, Cheesy System, and Onion Cannon
• Safety management for numerous doors, hatches, and drives
• CE compliance and risk assessment for a legally secure solution

The entire process takes just over a minute, and up to 11 burgers can be produced simultaneously. “Food is naturally heterogeneous in shape and consistency. Reliably handling these variations is one of the biggest challenges in mechanical engineering. Worldwide, there is no competitor that is as advanced as we are in terms of machine technology and process optimization”, emphasizes Roland Ambrosch, highlighting the global innovation potential.

First, the bottom buns are toasted and placed into the packaging, after which sauces are applied according to the specific burger recipe. The packaging is then transported along a conveyor belt and marked with all relevant data using an inkjet printer. In the second module, the patties are placed onto the buns in the boxes. Each patty has its own patty compartment, where it is kept warm or reheated at the end. Depending on the burger variant, a slice of cheese is added at this stage. A special robot moves the packaging with its contents further along, and salt and pepper can optionally be added. In the third module, the remaining ingredients — such as tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, lettuce, and the toasted top bun — are added before the finished burger is retrieved by the employee.

REET – Restaurant Efficiency Enhancing Technologies is an Austrian technology company focused on optimizing efficiency in Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) through digital solutions and advanced automation technology. The company was founded out of a corporate group specialized in QSR operations, combining years of hands-on experience as a recognized QSR operator with highly specialized technological expertise.