Tare Line Potatoes

A machine developed by RMA Techniek for taring potatoes

Stone separator

After the sample with the corresponding barcode has been scanned by the barcode scanner, the screen indicates that the potatoes can be thrown on the feed conveyor to the stone separator. At the push of the start button, the taring line starts automatically and the potatoes enter the stone separator.

the bottom of the stone separator, a screw ensures a flow in the water. The flow will propel the potatoes with a lower specific weight towards the product belt which transports the potatoes from the stone separator. The stones and clods that have a higher specific weight than the potatoes will not be propelled by the current but will immediately sink. Because at the beginning of the stone separator a conveyor belt turns at right angles out of the machine, the clods and stones will be transported out of the machine.

The potatoes will be transported over the product belt from the stone separator. Because the continuation of the taring line is adapted to badges of 40 kg, the stone separator is provided with a buffer at the end of the product belt. The potatoes are rotated in the buffer, which has a pneumatic discharge valve at the bottom. When the buffer bin is full, this will be detected by a sensor, the product belt will then stop rotating. As soon as the potatoes can continue in the continuation of the taring line, the release valve will open and all potatoes will be discharged. As soon as the valve is closed again, the product belt will start to rotate again.

Washer

As soon as the potatoes are in the washer, the machine starts and the bottom, which consists of a peeling disc, starts to rotate. The potatoes will be thrown around in the drum and the skin will be sanded off by the rough peeling disc. After a set time, the peeler will eject the potatoes into a conveyor belt through the ejection flap.

Underwater Weigher

The potatoes are transported into the basket by means of the conveyor belt. The basket of the underwater weigher hangs from a weighing platform, which can weigh the weight of the mass of potatoes. This happens first above water, then the cylinder, which is attached to the basket, will go out and the basket will sink under water. Here the weight is determined again. The underwater weight is determined on the basis of these two values. All data of the weighing is saved. After the cycle, the basket will automatically unload on the feed conveyor behind the underwater weigher. The potatoes are transported to the dosing belt via this conveyor belt.

Dosing vibrator

The dosing belt will transport the potatoes to the vibrator, after which the potatoes will end up on the vibrating chute. Due to the vibrating / shaking effect of this vibrating chute, the potatoes are moved in the direction of the length meter. By using 4 tracks, the potatoes are separated so that the length meter works optimally.

Length meter

The potatoes reach the length meter from the dosing vibrator. The length meter will determine the dimensions of each passing potato with the aid of a 3D sensor. This information is collected per sample and made available online. The capacity of this machine is 120 tubers per minute.

The length meter consists of a conveyor belt that runs under a sealed space. In this room, the 3D sensor can determine the dimensions of the potato using a laser beam. The data of each potato will be stored.

Cutting machine

The length meter can measure 4 tracks of potatoes at the same time, 1 track of which ends up on the cutting machine behind. Here the potatoes are cut in half. The half potato parts will be transported to a reading table, after which the quality can be determined.

The machine is made up of a V-belt with a knife on top which can be positioned with a cylinder. Because not all potatoes need to be cut, the knife can be positioned up and down. The V-belt serves to position the potatoes in the center of the knife. After starting up the knife, the potatoes can be supplied over the V-belt, after which the potatoes are cut in half. The other 3 tracks of the length meter will be transported over an adjacent conveyor belt to the inspection table.

Inspection Table with photo unit

The potatoes are transported to the inspection table, where the inspector can select the potatoes for green, harvest damage, blue, and any other defects. These defects and other information can be entered on the screen.

After the sample has been assessed by the judge, the screen can indicate that the sample can continue to the photo-unit, where a photo is taken of (part of) the sample. To prevent potatoes from rolling through when photographed, a retention valve is provided at the end of the conveyor belt. When a photo has been taken, (part of) the sample can be weighed and removed or transported further to the sorting machine.

Sorter

An elevator conveyor transports the potatoes to the sorter. The sorter consists of a frame with plastic grids in it. The plastic grids start with small square holes and end with large square holes. This frame is attached to the main frame with shaker arms. By a connecting rod that is attached to an eccentric mechanism, a shaking-shock movement is made with the grids on which the potatoes lie. Due to the shaking / shaking, a continuous movement is created and the potatoes will be sorted by size because they only fall through the grid where they can pass through.

A conveyor belt is attached under each grid which collects the potatoes per size measure and transports them further to the weighing system. These conveyor belts are each equipped with counting sensors so that the numbers per size measure are also registered.

Weighing system

The weighing system consists of a sturdy frame in which weighing buckets are attached. The weigh buckets are attached to load cells that register the weight in the weight bucket. The weigh buckets are placed under each conveyor that comes from under the sorter. In this way, the weight of each size of potato is determined and these data are sent immediately.

The weigh buckets are equipped with a valve that can be opened and closed pneumatically. By opening the flaps, the potatoes are transported on the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt transports the potatoes, via a number of conveyor belts, to the product supply flow of the factory.

Crate destacker with the filling system.

This machine has been developed to destack a stack of up to 8 empty crates. A stack of crates is fed into a roller conveyor, after which the machine will automatically destack the crates one by one. The stack is lifted from the second crate by means of a lift. The bottom crate remains, after which it is transported to the other roller conveyor. On this roller conveyor, the crate is filled with a sub-sample from the taring line. The lift will drop the remaining stack of crates, after which the second crate will be lifted.

As soon as the crate is filled with potatoes, it is transported underneath a printer, which prints a label to code the sample, and is buffered on a roller conveyor.

The entire installation consists of: