In 2017 a new all-in-one onion packaging plant with storage space for boxed onions was built in Idaho. Products that still need to be packed can also be temporarily stored here, and there is a large processing hall with lines for the processing and packaging of onions.
There are four storage areas fitted with the latest QCC 160 compact coolers. There is room for 1 900 tonnes of boxed onions per cell. In contrast with the norm in the Netherlands, these onions are completely dry once they reach the storage room. The QCCs are equipped with a hatch which also makes ventilation with outside air possible. All the QCCs are controlled by a Vision Control climate computer.
The processing plant is divided into a "dirty" and "clean" area. In the "dirty" area, the onions are spread out, cleaned and their roots are cut off. By sorting and packing the onions in a separate section, it is easier to keep this area clean. This part of the plant contains the optical sorting machines, bunkers, picking tables, weighers, packaging machines and palleting machines. The total input capacity is 50 tonnes of onions per hour.
This complete turn-key project is unique for the region (North America) because its lines are far more advanced than is standard in the USA. A processing line with intermediate storage in bunkers is a new concept in the United States. The fully automated weighing, packaging and palleting of the onions means a substantial reduction in the amount of labour required.
Source: Tolsma