A company must make strategic choices about design, functionality, and target group if it wants to market a product. That applies to sorting machines, too, with much thought going into their purpose and specifications. "Our global dealer organization particularly targets growers and packing plants. When developing grading systems, the emphasis is on fruit-friendly handling and ease of operation for the user," says product manager Charles van den Heuvel of Perfect - Van Wamel.
According to him, today's economy and fruit sector demand flexibility, and this Dutch company chooses to provide machines that offer both that and capacity. Their machines offer both easy scaling up and down and processing multiple types of produce simultaneously. Also, you can often integrate Perfect - Van Wamel's modular solutions into existing production lines.
The company's optical graders, specifically for top and stone fruit, use high-end color and infrared cameras that sort by diameter, weight, color, and external quality. They have developed a mechanical grading machine for cherries: the Uni-Grader. This AI-enabled sorter is designed to recognize defects like rot and scab. It uses AI and deep learning to identify various defects, even unseen forms of rot. This technology considers weather conditions and the machine can, therefore, respond to seasonal variations.
The Uni-Grader was designed with an intuitive user interface similar to a smartphone, making it easy to operate even for less language-proficient staff. The machine is easy to maintain and clean, and parts are always in stock for quick delivery. The Perfect - Van Wamel team also provides support via phone, email, and video calls, bridging the distance to the customer.
The company used standardized software and high-quality components to develop a universal fruit system. It is designed for long-term customization and expansion, guaranteeing continuous support. When it comes to internal quality grading's technical capabilities, Charles sees that the high investment cost often does not stack up against the benefits, depending on circumstances and economic returns. There are also ethical considerations like food waste and grower satisfaction.
Perfect – Van Wamel is not only active in the Dutch and Belgian markets; you can find their sorting machines in many parts of the world. "There's always a client that suits you," Charles concludes.
PERFECT – Van Wamel
Energieweg 1
6658 AE Beneden-Leeuwen
Tel: +31 487 592944
[email protected]
www.perfectvanwamel.com