Tomra Food has introduced SmartGrade on its Spectrim platform.
The new system, according to a news release, puts the packhouse in complete control of grading with such accuracy that it is able to pack fruit to maximize sales by matching very precisely the specific requirements of the individual customers.
“The advantage is that you can look for different things on each pass, rather than having to bundle them together,” Kurt Bagby, research and grading team lead for Tomra Fresh Food, said in the release. “This is very useful when defects occur together or on top of each other. It allows you to get very granular in your grading.”
The multiple passes targeted on individual defects means that SmartGrade maintains a consistent grading performance when there are variations in incoming fruit batches, the release said.
The release said SmartGrade also helps packinghouses address the issue of labor shortage, as it requires fewer people on the line for manual grading due to its ability to maintain high accuracy with high variability in incoming fruit batches.
