Intelligent laser fruit sorter pick of the crop, says company

The Belgium-based company said the improved mechanical set up of its Primus Gemini system means that berries can be sorted and graded on a single run – instead of a the more usual two – to detect discoloured and soft products.

Taking blueberries as an example, Best said they previously needed to be sorted in two separate machines.

“Because of this double sorting step, the berry was dropped down the sorters twice, resulting in a higher risk of bruising,”​ a company spokesman told FoodProductionDaily.com. “Another disadvantage was the fact that often one machine was used for both detection steps, resulting in a higher false reject load and the machine not being able to handle all defects, when the incoming product was machine picked and thus had a higher amount of defects.”​

But the new sorter blueberry producers to first sort fruit on colour to reject the off spec products. Further on the same run it inspects the blueberries again, removing the structural defects using laser technology.

The spokesman added: “Both sorting steps are integrated in one single sorter. This allows the processors to limit the risk of damaging and separate both reject streams, which now can be used for different purposes, where before they were frequently lost.” ​

Maximises yield​

The systems even allows producers to pick and sort lower quality berries that were previously left on plants because they had too many defects and needed to be gathered manually.

Improved inspection capabilities and boosted accuracy means reject streams can now be kept apart and yields improved by reducing false rejects, added Best.

The new model retains the gentle-handling characteristic of its predecessor –thanks to a thin and round belt. Dropping and rolling of fruit is also cut, which helps ensure that more produce keeps the so-called ‘white bloom’.​ The system can also be equipped with different belts depending on the fruit being sorted, said the Belgian firm.

Further features include an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI), so operators can easily increase or decrease sensitivities on red, green or soft and even take frame grabs for optimal sorting results.

The system is versatile and can sort cherries, cranberries and IQF raspberries, as well as blueberries.

Unveiled in January 2011, Best said first orders are due for delivery by mid-March, said the company.