A nearly 40-year trusted partnership with Reid Fruits has paved the way for introducing a new product to the GP Graders range in 2024. The collaboration with the Reid Fruits team has resulted in the development, design, and construction of a new gantry-style bin tipper, which is part of the AirJet® cherry grader upgrades completed in preparation for the 2024/2025 cherry season in Tasmania.
In previous years, cherries being graded on this specific machine (of which there are two) were loaded via a receival tank that required manual loading by 5 or 6 operators from the picking lugs arriving from the orchard. This method led to machine capacity limitations and unnecessary labor costs due to the repetitive nature of the process. When a machine processes between 3 and 4 million cherries daily, it becomes evident how every adjustment can significantly influence overall performance, making it essential to address this aspect of the process.
The clear objective was to invest in automation to reduce the loading team from 6 individuals to just 1 forklift operator and 1 coordinator. Additionally, with the AirJet® grader being upgraded from 6 to 10 lanes and extra exits being added, the need to load more cherries became crucial. Manual loading posed physical limitations on the quantity of fruit that could be sent to the grading line. The goal was to allow the loading of up to 4, quarter-tonne bins simultaneously, providing sufficient time for the loading sequence to run before the need for reloading. These criteria ensured that up to 10 tonnes of cherries could be loaded every hour, aligning seamlessly with the grader’s capacity to analyze up to 6 tonnes per hour while also accommodating future expansions.
To meet these needs, GP Graders tailored a design specifically for Reid Fruits, setting out to create this innovative product from the ground up. With over 60 years of experience in fruit handling, automation, and workflow optimization, the aim was to develop a robust and reliable system capable of withstanding the demands of busy harvest seasons for years ahead. The solution features a hand-built chassis, high-quality motors, gearboxes, chains, and castors, combined with a proprietary electronics system, resulting in a durable solution for fruit loading. The tipping process has been programmed carefully to ensure that the cherries are handled with utmost care, and no fruit is left in the bin, as each bin is subtly submerged into the receival tank water for efficiency while ensuring gentle handling.
As a fully electric system, the design eliminates the need for hydraulic actuators and associated pumps, minimizing maintenance and preventing the introduction of excess synthetic fluids in food production environments. The current sequence allows for the pickup, transfer, tipping, and returning of all 4 bins (1000kgs) in approximately 5 minutes, while workflow efficiency is enhanced with smart sensors around the enclosure, permitting the loading of new full bins even before the final empty bin is placed down, all while ensuring operator safety. Following this, empty bins can be removed with a quick press of the go/load button, and the sequence restarts.
A lug holds about 10kg of cherries, requiring each of the 6 people to load around 165 lugs per hour just to maintain pace. This was not sustainable; fatigue, illness, and distractions impacted performance. Bin tippers consistently performed their task, ensuring efficiency throughout the process. Commitment to complete packhouse solutions remains a priority, ensuring growers benefit from optimized workflows from the orchard to the packaged produce in coolrooms. If a production pain point is identified, now is the opportune moment for growers to connect with the GP team to explore how assistance can be provided.
Source: https://gpgraders.com/innovation-meets-automation-a-smarter-fruit-bin-tipper/
