Grading can be done via colour, weight & diameter through either a "wet" or "dry" grading system.

Sorting, grading & packaging your fruits and vegetables now means less handling of delicate/fragile product, therefore minimising damage of produce to the market & consumers.

The grading systems are constructed entirely according to specification. This means that in addition to grading machines, bin stackers/tippers, drying units, unloading belts & filling systems are available for supply. With this range of equipment Aweta and Hortraco can satisfy all the demands your business may have.

FRUIT CARE - better for fruit

Fruit is delicate; therefore care is a prerequisite not only during the grading process, but also during packing. Aweta has developed a unique computer controlled small crate packer that safeguards the quality of your produce to the very end of the supply chain. The Fruitcare machine has a precise method of weighing minimising handling and gives you the benefit of savings on labour costs. The Fruitcare: a machine that can be connected to any grader.

The Fruitcare operates on a tilting principle and has a unique distributor that lays the fruit in the crates. This not only helps preserve the quality of the product, but also provides even distribution in the crate enabling packing of the crate to the precise net weight you set.

The sliding of the distributor and the tilting of the crate are perfectly geared to each other. The speed of the total operation is adjustable, dependent on the size of the fruit and the crate dimensions. The Fruitcare has ten (10) programs that are easily put into operation at the touch of a button. The Fruitcare small crate packer can be connected to your computer grading machine thereby integrating a completely automated grading and processing system into your business.

DEFECT SORTING SYSTEM

Aweta was one of the first to introduce a camera system into the fresh produce industry to colour sort fruit and vegetables. With the technical advances in camera technology and image processing much has changed.

The Powervision Defect Sorting System uses the latest state of the art high-speed processing, high-resolution digital cameras and firewire communication. This innovative technology is used to create a revolutionary optical stereovision system. Typical colour systems are only capable of measuring average colour and accumulated surface areas. Powervision can identify tiny scars from half a millimetre upwards, using more than 100 parameters. Powervision can subdivide the product into different quality classes by the type of defect that is detected.

How does POWERVISION work

• As the product moves and rotates under the camera, images are taken at four different angles.
• From the stereo visual information, a three-dimensional view of the product is computed.
• Contrast filters compute the position of all scars and blemishes on the product. This is done with a combined image using visible and infrared light.
• The stem and calyx are detected.
• The colour and diameter of the product are determined.
• The type of defects is identified using more than a hundred stored properties.
• With the requirements set by the user, the product is sorted into a specific quality class.

THE CUP GRADER

The Cup colour/weight/diameter grader is specially made for grading fragile fruits such as apples, pears, peaches, avocados, mangoes, kiwis & vegetables like capsicums & tomatoes. The machine has a large capacity and is available in numerous models varying from 2 - 12 grading lines with a maximum of 48 exits. The cup grader is equipped with the new CS colour measurement system and has a central grading computer.

This grading system can be set for "wet" as well as "dry" feed and are constructed according to specification.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Capacity - 4,5/cups per second per lane

Sorting line - 2 - 12

Weight range - 0-500 gr. or 50-1000 gr.

Weight accuracy - 1% of product weight

Colour system - Aweta CS system

Diameter - 40 - 120 mm

Number of outlets - max 48

Drive - main motor up to 4 lines 0.75 kW

main motor 6 - 8 lines 3 kW

main motor 10 - 12 lines 5.5 kW

Option - Colour, diameter & quality measurements

Electronic Tomato on the vine Machine Type E20

The uniform grading of both tomatoes on the vine as well as cherry tomatoes is simplified with the E20. This machine will also grade the product according to various quality categories.

Grading takes place via an extremely accurate computer controlled grading facility using small "transporters" known as discs. The tomatoes on the vine are placed on the transporter discs, after which a conveyor belt carries them into the weighing system. After weighing, the computer determines the weight category into which they should be allocated. The tomatoes are then conveyed to a collecting station.

The collecting station store the grouped weights together until the preset weight per batch is reached. At this point, the station is opened and the transporters are conveyed to the packagers. The empty station is immediately closed and the cycle repeats itself. The maximum speed of the grading system is 75discs per minute.

Technical Information

Design: elevator left or right

Capacity: max 3600 dishes per hour

No. of outlets: 21

Weight system: weighs 50-1000g

Accuracy: +/- 3g

Machine: 0.75 kW electric motor

Power requirements: 230 - 400V / 3 phase 50Hz standard

Disk diameter: 250mm

THE CHERRY KG GRADER

The Cherry KG Grader is specially made for cherry tomatoes. This grader can be supplied in various sizes from 2 to 12 grading lines. The supply system can be made to the customer specifications, while the collection and transport system is adapted to suit the product to be graded.

The KG Grader has a unique colour measuring system. Each sorting line has an electronic colour detection system. As the product 'rolls along' beneath the cameras, it is fully scanned to allow optimal colour grading. Next the computer calculates the average of the various measurements taken, while at the same time allowing for colour deviations outside the standard range.

Technical Information

Capacity - 4 cups per second per lane

Sorting line - 2 - 12

Size of product - maximum 35mm

Weight range - 0 - 150 gr.

Weight accuracy - +/- 0.5 gram

Setup - complete with singulator for cherry tomatoes

Outlets - maximum of 32

Products - Only for cherry tomatoes

CALISTAR SORTING MACHINE

Calistar is designed for larger volume applications such as pre-sorting projects. This machine is unique in that all relevant components such as electronics, drive, transport units, chains etc., are all situated above the product. The product is rotated on the singulator in order to detect colour, dimensions & quality. After that they are gently picked up & transported to the lateral conveyors. They are then taken to the weighing unit where their weight is recorded to an accuracy of 2 grams.

With a capacity of 8 grabs per second per line & different models are available offering four to ten lines per type. The Calistar can cope with any speed that may be required. The gripper system makes it impossible for two products to pass through the sorting process together.

Once colour, weight or diameter has been determined, the computer automatically activates a switching system above a brush belt causing the gripper to put a product down with different dropping possibilities per lane. In this way, products do not fall on top of one another. The brush belt transports the product to the collection belt, bin filler or water channel. Now empty, the gripper continues its way to the end of the machine and returns along the top to the beginning of the circuit to start again.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Number of lines: 4,5,6 & 6

Capacity: max 8 grippers per second, per line

Product size: max size 140mm / min size 40mm

Weight range: 40 - 500 grams

Colour: Aweta CS system

Products: round products i.e. apples, tomatoes, peaches, citrus fruits etc.

Supply: dry singulator + V-groove

Wet singulator direct from water channel

Discharge: brush belts, 50mm bristles

Brush, round 250mm + discharge belt

Brush collection + water channel

Number of drop points: belt width 550mm - 2 switch points per exit, per line

The HSG, fast, accurate and product friendly grading

The AWETA HSG is an ultra fast and accurate colour/weight/diameter grader. It's principal features are the continuous product conveying and grading system with a capacity twice that of other graders with the same number of grading lines.

The machine is virtually silent and since changes of speed and differences in height have been practically eliminated, its product friendly qualities are unparalleled. The HSG is prominent for grading round fruits such as apples, peaches, oranges, tangerines, kiwis etc as well as tomatoes. The HSG is available with 1 to 8 grading lines with a maximum of 64 outlets, or any combination thereof. The unique CS colour system and diameter-measuring feature make this grader complete.

The Aweta HSG is the nucleus of a highly comprehensive grading system. Apart from the grader, one can include water dumpers, de-stacking devices for crates, crate tilting equipment, drying units, unloading conveyers, filling systems and the fully automatic FTV fruit packer. All of this supplying the demands of a modern grading system.

All of this is regulated and controlled by a central computer monitoring the entire grading system.

AWETA GS: computer cucumber sorting machine

The GS cucumber sorting machine provides high capacity sorting. The machine has a rotating plateau rather than trays' so packing into boxes is faster and more convenient yet minimises the risk of product damage. Electronic weighing is done with special sorting trays.

An easy-to-operate computer controls the cucumber sorting machine where change of program is simply the push of a button. There are 30 different programs available.

Technical Information

Execution: single sided

Capacity: adjust from 5000 - 14,000 cups per hour

Product length: max 550mm

Weight range: 50 - 1500 g

Accuracy: 1% of product weight

Number of rotating Plateau: 4 - 12

Max no. exits: 32

Rotating plateau: dia. 120cm (working height c.a. 100cm)

Camera Specs: IR measurement (length only)

Length accuracy: + / - 1 cm

Drive: electric motors 400V / 3phase, 50hZ standard

machine 0.75kW