Last year, Fruitbedrijf en Pakstation Tijssen began using a brand-new production warehouse. The Dutch fruit company grows and sorts apples and pears. "We moved to the new production site, which includes a newly-built packing plant. An additional cold store is being constructed, too," begins owner Menso Tijssen. "We had to invest in new machinery, including a grader. The old one needed to be replaced. Looking to the future, it was time to find the latest sorting technology."
Multifunctional, very easy-to-use machine
After a lengthy search, Menso arrived at the Van Wamel Uni-Grader with its new PERFECT-Sort system. An optical grader that combines vision (camera) technology and Artificial Intelligence and Deep-Learning technology-based sorting software. This smart sorter rapidly assesses each fruit for size, color, weight, shape, and external defects.
"We need a multifunctional machine because the apples and pears are packed right off the belt. The packaging ranges from trays and punnets to bags, boxes, and crates. The grader must adapt to that. Increasing capacity and quality was also high on our wish list. After looking at and researching several machines, we decided to go for PERFECT's smart PERFECT-Sort system," says Menso.
Several aspects played a role in his new machine choice. "It must deliver what it promises, and there must be good service. Others have positive experiences with PERFECT Van Wamel. That they're close by is a nice bonus. Just as important to us is user-friendliness. Most of our employees are permanent, but finding and keeping good quality staff seems quite difficult for others. Sometimes we need an extra person, and they must then be able to run the machine effortlessly; we want everyone to be able to handle the machine easily."
Simple operation more important than ever
"For clients, operating ease is a major requirement and increasingly important," adds William Oomen of Van Wamel. In recent years, the managing director has seen more and more need for machines that are easy to operate. "We, of course, must be able to deliver just that. We've begun cooperating with experts from Radboud University, especially for this purpose. They specialize in the (human) use of systems. Software is technical and complex, but it should be simple and predictable to operate. Just as easy as using an app on your phone. The PERFECT-Sort system is very intuitive; it speaks for itself without short-changing all the machine's capabilities and performance."
An aspect that has to certainly be considered is fruit-friendliness and handling of, especially, Conference pears. These fragile pears come in many shapes. PERFECT's Uni-Grader is specifically designed for sorting fragile products, like Conference pears. Minimum crossing and using cups ensure fruit-friendly and efficient handling of the fruit as it moves through the machine.
More volume, less waste, fewer people
The fruit company has been using the PERFECT-Sort system since July last year, and Menso loves it. "We've improved our efficiency hugely. Sorting out quality by hand works fine, but it takes longer and sometimes has variable results," Menso admits. A machine never has a down day. "This smart sorting machine also prevents good fruit from being sorted out; you don't want that."
According to him, the most unusual thing is the smart technology. The (camera) vision system, combined with Artificial Intelligence and Deep-Learning, means Menso can guarantee its customers top quality, customized, market-oriented sorting. "The market is generally becoming more critical of quality; everything has to be just right. By being able to grade properly on quality, we're taking a big step forward. We can now also get the most out of each batch. If it's mostly an inferior batch, you can't sort it efficiently. With this grader, we can. Depending on the product, sorting is now as much as 25% more efficient."
William: "With the new system, users can easily select customer product classes and specifications. One of our focal points was enabling effortless, easy, customized grading. That gets the maximum yield from a batch and prevents food waste."
Pleasant work, improved working conditions
Working with the Uni-Grader is a true breath of fresh air, says Menso. "Especially for the workers on the sorting line every day. PERFECT has an efficient solution for disposing of Class II fruit. That means our staff has to turn around less. Plus, the machine has a low noise level, significantly improving the working environment. And it shows; people who wanted to quit before the move have decided to stay. Surely that says it all. Admittedly, it was a big step for us to make such an investment, but considering the ever-increasing costs, now's the time. With the new system, we are once again perfectly able to keep up with the market, now and in the future," he says.
Focus on efficiency and the future
"Fruit's increasing production costs, rising labor costs, and fruit prices that lag behind inflation" is how Charles van den Heuvel of Van Wamel sums up the situation. Investing in efficiency, he says, is, therefore, a logical and necessary step. "The availability of people is a particular issue. It's increasingly difficult to find and retain staff. Employees who don't speak the language (well) and staff turnover means you have to be able to quickly and easily show workers how to operate the grader properly and get everything from it. With the new PERFECT-Sort system, sorting companies can do just that."
Van Wamel has been developing optical sorting technology for more than 30 years. They designed the system using the latest technology, vision systems, and software. "We started completely from scratch. That benefitted us; we didn't have to consider or suffer from any past legacies. All that has resulted in the new PERFECT-Sort Uni-Grader, which adds an extra dimension to grading," the product and sales manager concludes.
For more information:
Charles van den Heuvel
Van Wamel B.V.
Energieweg 1
6658 AE Beneden-Leeuwen
Nederland
Tel.: +31(0) 487 59 29 44
perfect@vanwamel.nl
charlesvdheuvel@vanwamel.nl
William Oomen
williamoomen@vanwamel.nl