People like their blueberries crunchy, juicy, and sweet. If they are too soft or sour, things not seen with the naked eye, they are rejected. Magnus, Optimum Sorting's grading machine for fragile fruit, though, can catch that. Steve Raskin, Chief Sales Officer at this Dutch company, explains that Magnus's technology allows it to identify even the most minor defects.
"The berries pass under the line scan camera at 1m/second," says Steve. The sorting process begins with the camera spotting unwanted colors, like green or red berries. The machine's carefully positioned white LEDs allow light to fall directly on the berries so shadows do not interfere with imaging. That ensures accurate imperfection detection, even in the smallest details.
After the camera has caught these flaws, the grading's second phase begins. Steven explains that "the grader can evolve"; in other words, the system can be adapted to growers' needs. That is done using a laser system that measures the berries' texture and sugar and water content. Many competitors use only two lasers. Magnus uses six to monitor multiple parameters simultaneously, resulting in highly accurate sorting.
The technology behind Magnus removes unsuitable berries and increases the grading machine's efficiency. The machine is compact and only one meter wide, making integrating it into existing lines easier. Plus, it saves costs by combining two functions - color and texture recognition - in one unit instead of using two separate machines. That results in lower operating costs and more efficient use of space.
Optimum Sorting has a unique leasing model for Magnus, specifically for seasonal crop markets. Steve sees opportunities to expand this model to the United States, where companies from Florida to Oregon can rent the machine to cover the entire blueberry season. "With just a power connection and compressed air, the machine can get to work providing the market with trays of only crunchy, juicy, sweet blueberries," he concludes.
This grader offers blueberry growers a flexible, cost-saving solution with advanced technology that takes fruit sorting to the next level. Optimum Sorting keeps innovating and improving, too, making Magnus not only an answer to current market demands but also ready for the future of fruit processing.
Optimum Sorting
Zolderse Kiezel 36
3511 Hasselt (Kuringen)
T: +32 (0)11 71 80 24
E: info@optimum-sorting.com
W: www.optimum-sorting.com