Aerospace technology comes to packing houses

Compac, part of TOMRA Food, has recently launched the Sizer Simulator, a simulation tool which allows fruit and vegetable packhouses to train operators and prepare for incoming real produce.  As Compac has announced: Sizer Simulator extracts maximum performance from existing equipment.

This tool allows optimizing machine set-up and processes in virtual environment by creating a digital replica of packing house. So called “digital twin” technology is frequently used in aerospace and energy industries.

“When we used to talk with new prospects and wanted to design new packing line or packhouse we used 2D-drawing, 3D models, but just imaging that now, with Sizer Simulator, everyone can run free over that line. In virtual space we now are able not just to build customer’s packhouse, we can virtually run the customer’s fruit across that line and calculate what a commercial outcome will be with different scenarios. And customers can do the same”, - explains Head of TOMRA Food Grading Mike Riley and adds: “From the other side you do not want your operator to practice on your fruit. This is your fruit – you will lose money. This tool is widely used in process control industry. You don’t build an oil platform, drill for oil and then figure out whether the oil is there or not. You do not do it like this! You pretend that you find oil, you simulate exactly what is going to happen before you start to drill a hole.”

Packing houses are always afraid to change any settings in software parameters as this can lead to waste in production, so they typically use the same software parameters for each variety as they did in the previous season. This does not allow making any improvements, which could have caused receiving additional profit.  The Sizer Simulator