Expert Taring Line

An expert tare line to assess potatoes on quality.

Weighing bunker

RMA Techniek’s Weighing Bunker has been developed to weigh and unload potatoes. The insertion of the potatoes is automated by a conveyor belt. After weighing, according to the set parameters, the machine will unload the product onto the conveyor belt that is attached under the machine. The conveyor belt will transport the product to the next machine, the drum washer. The weighing bunker can weigh up to 150 kg.

Drum washer

The Drum washer is intended to wash potatoes automatically. The potatoes are cleaned through the driven drum that rotates with the lower part through the water. Attached to the end of the drum is a valve that can determine the time of the potatoes in the drum. When the potatoes come out of the drum, they are transported from the washer with a conveyor belt to the roller reading table.

Roller inspection table

The potatoes end up on the roller inspection table through the conveyor belt. The machine is designed to read a sample of potatoes. The potatoes are transported on the roller inspection table in such a way that the potatoes get a rotating movement. By rotating the potatoes, any defect in the potatoes can be visualized. In addition, deviating parts can be sorted manually after which they can be weighed in weighing buckets. The remaining potatoes will continue their way to the sorter or be transported to the peeler via a selector valve.

Sorter

The reading belt transports the potatoes to the sorter. This sorter consists of a frame with plastic grids in it with square holes that go from small to large. This frame is attached to the mainframe with vibrating arms. A connecting rod that is attached to an eccentric mechanism creates a shaking-shock movement with the grids on which the potatoes lie. The shaking/shock creates a progressive movement, and the potatoes will be sorted by size because they only fall through the grid through which they can go. A conveyor belt is mounted under each grid, which collects the potatoes by size and transports them further to the weighing system.

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 weighbucket. The weigh buckets are placed under each conveyor belt coming from under the sorter. In this way, the weight of each size of potato is determined and this data is immediately forwarded. The weighing buckets are equipped with 2 valves that can be opened and closed pneumatically. By opening the valves, the potatoes are transported on the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt carries the potatoes through a hole in the floor to the factory's product supply stream.

Peeler

The peeler has been developed to peel a sample of potatoes of up to 40 kg. After starting the machine, the bottom, which consists of a peeling disc, starts to rotate. The potatoes will be thrown around in the drum and at the peeler, the skin will be sanded off by the rough peeling disc. After a set time, the peeler will eject the potatoes through an ejection valve onto the conveyor belt. The peeler can be filled manually by opening the front flap and throwing in a box of potatoes, but it can also be filled automatically from the supply belt.

Salt bath

After the potatoes have been peeled, they are transported by a conveyor belt into the salt bath. The salt bath is a bath filled with water that contains a certain amount of salt. The potatoes will fall into the salt bath and be transported out of it utilizing a conveyor belt mounted at a certain angle. The potatoes that start to float will end up in a receptacle by means of a flow, which is caused by a pump. After the good potatoes have been removed, the tilting flap behind the elevator belt will switch. The receptacle will throw the floats into the salt bath, and these are transported from the bath through a flow and the conveyor belt on a conveyor belt to the underwater weigher.

Underwater Weigher

The salt bath transports the potatoes to the underwater weigher via a conveyor belt. The conveyor will stop rotating when all the potatoes are in the basket. The basket of the underwater weigher hangs on a weighing platform, which can weigh the weight of the mass of potatoes. This happens first above the water, then the cylinder, which is attached to the basket, will go out and the basket will sink under the water to determine the weight. The underwater weight is determined based on these two values. All weighing data is saved. After the cycle, the basket will automatically unload on the belt behind the underwater weigher. The potatoes are transported via this cross conveyor to the inspection table with a chip cutter.

Inspection Table

The potatoes are transported to the inspection table, at this point the inspector can select the potatoes on green, harvest damage, blue and any other defects. Four Weighing Buckets ensure that every defect is weighed. Everything is registered and the values are visible on the screen. The inspector can also cut a few potatoes with the chip cutter. The machine has been developed to cut 1 fry from the centre of the potato and then cut the potato in half. The fries and half potato will fall on the inspection table. The inspector will carry out several tests to determine the quality of the batch of potatoes.

The total installation consists of: