Achieving a Higher Standard of Sorting

Dec. 2, 2014 - PRLog -- Cambridgeshire based Spearhead Potatoes is a successful and expanding grower and processor, supplying all the major potato processing companies in Britain with a wide range of potato varieties for the chip, crisp and snack food market. As such, volume and quality are at the forefront of their whole operation.

Potatoes are supplied by Spearhead unpeeled to a processing market where skin defects are less important. However, the efficient and effective identification and removal of external defects that affect factory performance, such as greens, rot and pest damage, is vital. Achieving this while handling high volumes and keeping costs under control has been a focus of attention to the company – and the recent installation at East Harling in Norfolk of a Herbert Oculus next generation optical sorter, from Herbert Engineering, the leader in agricultural handling systems, has made a marked impression on Spearhead’s throughput.

Spearhead’s supply chain manager, Craig Uttridge, says: “For us and our customers, defects are a big issue, particularly as we are working to exacting quality standards, bulk production – up to 500 tonnes a day – and just in time deliveries for our customers.

“Different processors want different levels of quality and acceptability. The Herbert Oculus gives a great level of adjustment so we can focus on giving the factories the quality they specify and increase the yield for the grower. The Oculus plays a key role in defect removal, protection from foreign objects and sizing the crop on length and width to deliver premium product to the factory.

“If this were a typical line, it would need nine inspection staff. With Oculus, we need four people maximum.”

Spearhead currently grow around 30,000 tonnes of potatoes per year themselves and also work with a growing number of local growers, who produce around 70,000 tonnes. Their relationship with growers is both strong and close.

Craig Uttridge continues: “We work with growers from seed to factory to ensure the crop is of the quality the factories want. The Herbert Oculus is extremely important in this process as it enables us to deliver the highest possible quality crop with the lowest rate of rejection and at the most competitive price. This benefits the entire supply chain.”

At the heart of the Herbert Oculus is the 360º camera vision and lighting system. 360º vision allows easy and effective inspection of the whole of the tuber while infrared cameras enable improved performance and in particular identification of greens and other defects. The latest digital colour cameras deliver market-leading resolution of up to 0.25mm sq pixel size, giving exceptional accuracy of defect identification. LED lighting is also standard and gives a stable background light.

Herbert Engineering can be contacted at +44 (0)1945 430666, www.rjherbert.co.uk and at Herbert Engineering BV on +31 40 20 10 434.