How does this optical onion sorting technology work in practice? What do users see as the main advantages? JDC Onion Grading Solutions invited the top European onion companies to judge this for themselves at the Swiss onion processing and packaging company Gugger-Guillod. Delegations from German, French and Dutch onion companies entered the practical test.
The system was set for class 1 quality standardisation. Those who want to supply this quality, have to be able to rely on every onion with a type of rot, sprout formation or other defects being taken out. And this happens, the enthusiastic guests saw.
"Guaranteed quality and big savings in labour. These are the main advantages of an optical sorting line compared to conventional sorting. The camera system faultlessly picks out the onions that don't meet the demands. The user sets the desired quality standards themselves," says Bas Ruygrok of JDC Onion Grading Solutions.
Besides the reliability the visitors also notice the simple control. To illustrate the length standard for onion tails was set. Longer than 4 cm? Straight back to the remover. With one press of a button. Even calibrating the camera and lighting system was fully automated.
The integrated sorting solutions by JDC can be rendered from 5,000 tonnes of onions per year.