Interko has completed a digital upgrade of its RipePilot automatic ripening control system, enabling fully digital data communication within fruit ripening rooms. The update allows ripeners to collect and analyse more detailed sensor data during the ripening cycle, with the aim of improving process control, decision-making, and consistency of the end product.
© Interko
The upgrade replaces analogue connections with a fully digital data network. Sensors in the ripening room are now connected via a single digital data cable, allowing additional parameters to be monitored and analysed in real time. According to Interko, this setup provides more accurate insight into conditions inside the ripening room and supports tighter control throughout the ripening process.
© Interko
The digital configuration is also intended to simplify installation, maintenance, and servicing. With fewer cables and a standardised digital connection, commissioning and technical interventions can be carried out more efficiently, potentially reducing operational costs.
The system has undergone several years of testing with customers before being rolled out more widely. Interko says the digital foundation also allows for future expansion, including the integration of additional sensors within ripening rooms as new requirements emerge.
RipePilot was introduced at the end of 2022 as a sensor-driven system designed to automate and optimise fruit ripening cycles. It is used to manage parameters such as temperature, humidity, and gas levels during ripening, with the objective of maintaining fruit quality and shelf life while limiting losses and energy use. The system includes a fail-safe mode designed to maintain control if sensor data is interrupted.
The RipePilot system is currently in use at more than 100 ripening sites worldwide, covering over 300 ripening rooms. It can be installed in new ripening rooms or retrofitted into existing Interko installations, including Ultimo, Optimo, Axesso, and Mobilo room types.
Interko reports continued uptake of the system, including new installations and retrofit projects in multiple markets. In the UK, for example, RipePilot is being installed across a combination of newly built and existing ripening rooms during 2026.
© Interko
The company will be present at Fruit Logistica 2026 in Berlin, where it plans to discuss technical aspects of fruit ripening, de-greening, and pre-cooling with industry visitors.
Interko will exhibit at Fruit Logistica 2026 in Hall 1.2, Stand D-40, alongside Fresh Produce Instruments.
© InterkoFor more information:
Chris Maat/Anna Zegveld
Interko
Tel: +31 (0) 79 593 2581
Email: [email protected]
www.interko.com
