Marcelissen Installs Six-output Optical Sorter
Marcelissen recently delivered a complete production line for processing potatoes into various end products at Funk Kartoffeln in Büttelborn, Germany. Marcelissen was tasked with the design and installation of the entire line from A to Z. Funk Kartoffeln needed the ability to process new potatoes, or potatoes to be divided into ½, ¼, ⅙, and also to be able to process excess potatoes on one line in a workflow that is as continuous as possible with as little personnel as possible.
Optical sorter with six outputs
The equipment that was installed stands out not because of the use of a knife peeler or halver, but because of the company’s renewed optical sorter with no less than 6 outlets and an overflow. The user-friendly Ellips interface ensures that the customer can control the quality, and thus the peel loss and waste, of his production line. The optical sorter is considered the ‘heart’ of the line, enabling the customer to get the highest return from his product and at the same time the reduction of food waste to a minimum.
By means of buffer conveyor belts, the three different potato sizes, which have to be divided later, are collected separately. These eventually end up on a three-track conveyor belt – each size on its own track – before reaching the 6-lane sub-machine.
A challenging project
In addition, an output is reserved for further processing of potatoes, one for further processing of the excess and another for the bad product, which is pulverized in a shredder. The overflow is used for re-peel potatoes that are returned to the knife peeler via a long screw conveyor.
“It was a challenging project that we look back on with great pleasure. We would like to congratulate the Funk family and wish every success with their completely new Marcelissen production line,” said the company in a press release.
For more information or an inquiry, please contact Marcelissen here.
