New blueberry sorting machine as technology gains prominence
The cost of labor may be a common theme for many growers in North America. And that’s if you’ll find the labor to start with. It’s thus not shocking to envision labor-saving initiatives, such as blueberry sorting machines being smartly researched and enforced where doable. The usage of AI and automatic machinery is continually rising and has become a profitable business for equiment manufacturers.
“The need to reduce labor is the single biggest operational goal that our customers share with us,” noted Brooks Lee of Durand-Wayland. “And, whether we are helping them reduce labor at the packing station or reducing forklift traffic, our goal is to put more money in their pocket. With hourly labor costs increasing annually and nearing $20 per hour in most places now, technology is the solution. Our technology providers, primarily Ellips, are well-suited to help our customers. Ellips’ outstanding grading accuracy reduces headcount from day one and reduces food waste.”
Health and Safety a very important issue
Aside from reducing the price of labor, the utilization of automation lends itself to form the tasks easier to perform. Repetitive movement is one amongst the additional common geographical point hazards and has been shown to guide to injuries. Machine manufacturers are keen to demonstrate the extent of automation their machines will perform with.
“I have always thought the industry could do much more to reduce repetitive motion injuries or potentially catastrophic accidents,”
Lee said. “The path to follow in this area is robotics and we have recently completed several outstanding palletizing and bin handling projects. Whether these projects were large and sophisticated or small and focused, our goal is to reduce headcount, reduce the chance of injury/accident and most of all, put money back in to our customer’s pockets.”
Produce management
Another reason why some firms want automatic processes is in relevancy food management. A number of the newest grading machines have the power to scan fruit and vegetables internally further as externally, and then automatically direct each bit of fruit or vegetable accordingly. As an example, several growers are turning to this technology to grade their produce automatically than by an employee who would only possibly scan the external qualities. According to Lee, such technologies represent the ‘biggest revolution’ for the business.
“The biggest revolution for fruit/vegetable machinery is the superiority of today’s cameras and LED light packages,” he noted. “Ellips offers state-of-the-art hardware and with their always present outstanding programmers, customers enjoy an easy-to-learn and user-friendly interface. Whether it is grading blueberries at 45 pieces/lane/second or grading watermelons, customers can rest assured that they are operating the highest performing system in the industry.”
New blueberry sorting machine showcased at PMA Fresh Summit
In line with reducing food loss and optimizing packhouse efficiency, Elifab solutions have recently launched a brand new blueberry sorting machine that that can grade 45 blueberries a second. The blueberry machine will be shown at the PMA Summit this month. Lee said Durand-Wayland, the distributor of the Elifab technology, will also have other equipment to discuss at PMA.
“We are very pleased to have several of our partner’s demo machines at PMA this year,” he shared. “We will be highlighting Elifab’s outstanding blueberry sorting machine and Elisam’s rock solid Gran Torino sizer. Both machines feature Ellips’ Next Level Grading software. In addition, we will be featuring one of Burg’s bin handling items. Burg is an outstanding partner for all things bin handling.”
He added that PMA Summit provides a good chance to talk and move with customers whithout the distractions of the workplace. In addition, it offers corporations an opportunity to share news with their customers.
“PMA Fresh Summit is the event of the year to spend focused time with customers,” he said. “The environment seems to allow them to avoid the typical barrage of phone calls and text messages so that they’re able to share their ideas and challenges while figuring out how we can help them convert on both. And since we have many customers in South and Central America, we are able to meet with them and share “what’s new” with Durand-Wayland.”
For further information about the Berry Class: our sorting machine exclusively for blueberries, click here. Or more information about the software please visit www.ellips.com.
