Citrus companies around the world benefit from TOMRA sorting and grading solutions
VU
The demands of the citrus consumer are increasingly higher, and this is having consequences in the packers. If the fruit does not satisfy the consumer, the business that sold it will lose future sales. For this reason, businesses look for their suppliers to provide them with a perfect product.
TOMRA Food is one of the global leaders in optical sorting and grading in the food industry. The effectiveness of its solutions is the result of the company's research and development, decades of close work with packers and processors, which allowed it to understand the needs of its customers.
TOMRA solutions for citrus fruit are already operating in Europe, the United States, Australia, Asia, North Africa, South Africa and South America. In California alone, TOMRA annually installs up to 200 new lines in citrus packers. The company manufactures solutions for industry-leading companies, including the world's largest citrus packer, which has more than 200 lines, as well as small businesses with one or two lines.
TOMRA offers three ideal solutions for citrus: the classifier and grader, pioneer in grading and stain detection systems, Spectrim; the non-invasive solution for internal calibration, Inspectra²; and one of the most advanced fruit grading platforms in the industry, TOMRA 5S Advanced.
Spectrim is a calibration platform equipped with uniform illumination, 2-wavelength infrared, powerful imaging, and machine learning. It sorts and grades defects of any size, including insect damage, surface blemishes, irregularly shaped fruit, and abrasions. It is capable of detecting hard-to-see defects such as light rot. The classification parameters are configured according to the types of defects.
Pieter Nortje, owner of the Sitrusrand citrus grove, located in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa, says that Spectrim and Inspectra² provided new opportunities for sizing, based on the Brix degree of the latter. The Spectrim guarantees a high quality calibration, with a minimum period of inactivity, therefore it also ensures uniformity of deliveries.
TOMRA 5S Advanced takes advantage of the high performance of Compac's Multi Lane Sorter, which was totally redesigned (In 2016, TOMRA bought Compac). This grader handles product with care and offers easy cleaning and maintenance. The software, with programs for the mixture of elements, optimization of the packaging process and production control, guarantees the efficiency of the line. These functions are controlled through the grader's intuitive graphical user interface. The TOMRA 5S Advanced also has a dynamic line compensator, which makes the fruit evenly distributed throughout all the lines of the grader. The machine does not need an operator and automatically adjusts its operation according to the data from its interface with the Sizer software.
The Turkish company Özler Tarim uses TOMRA 5S Advanced. The company's CEO, Özbek Özler, plans to invest in a second TOMRA 5S machine in two or three years, depending on the results of the first one.
Xiangjia Juyou, the Chinese citrus producer, installed two 6-line TOMRA sorting and packaging lines in 2021 to boost its productivity to 100,000 tons of citrus per year and also supply products to markets with different quality requirements. Jia Kaijun, Director of the Fruit Department at Xiangjia Juyou, points out that this precise classification allows them to establish adapted sales strategies. Internally, the fruit is classified according to its Brix degree and its acidity. Externally, it is evaluated according to color, imperfections and defects caused by diseases and insects.
TOMRA Insight, the cloud-based data platform, ensures the efficiency of citrus companies. Developed for food processing and packaging lines of other categories, in the coming seasons it will be implemented in citrus packaging machines. This platform makes it possible to turn sorters into the digital epicenter of sorting and packaging operations.
TOMRA Insight has access to machine data, allowing full product traceability from picking to packing. Above all, the machine operators can quickly access the data they obtain in real time and thus improve the efficiency of the line. In addition, the analysis of historical data helps to improve the efficiency of the line and the supply of raw materials. TOMRA Insight contributes to the competitiveness of the packer and enhances its progress, even in complex market conditions.
To schedule an appointment with the TOMRA team, send your inquiry