Purportedly the world’s fastest fresh produce filling machine has been shown off by Hamilton-based BBC Technologies at an influential United States fruit and vegetable conference and trade show.
The New Zealand-based fresh produce sorting solutions specialist unveiled its brand new CURO-16 Filling System which it says has been proven to consistently pack up to 240 clamshells per minute – significantly more than competitor products which claim packing rates of up to 180 per minute. The CURO – 16 was showcased for the first time at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference in January, which brings together growers, vendors and suppliers in a four day event held annually in Savannah, Georgia.
BBC Technologies has a strong focus on research and development and has long been recognised for pioneering a wide range of fresh produce sorting and packing advances.
“Clients have been consistently asking for a faster filling system that retains all the advantages of our existing equipment whilst taking speed to the next level – and we’ve responded with the development of the CURO-16. However speed is just one of the many reasons why this machine will redefine today’s market,” said Jason Walker, international sales and marketing manager, for BBC Technologies.
He says key advantages of the new 16 head fill-by-weight machine are speed, accuracy, gentle handling and a simple and intuitive user interface.
“Our comprehensive testing programme has shown that the machine performs at a consistently higher level than anything else in the marketplace. We’ve also been able to significantly reduce the drop from the conveyor belt to the hopper, ensuring produce does not get damaged during sorting
and packing.”
BBC Technologies sales engineer Troy Cleaver says the machine has all the flexibility of BBC Technologies existing 10-head fill-by-weight technology but it’s even more efficient at switching between different sized packing options and is also simpler to operate.
“We looked at all aspects of our equipment and have incorporated every recent technology advance in the CURO-16, thereby ensuring precision control at each stage of the filling process.”
BBC Technologies is the world’s leading supplier of blueberry sorting and packing machinery and has expanding markets for its high quality equipment to sort and pack cherries, small tomatoes, dates, cranberries, and other delicate products such as olives and mushrooms.
It provides complete solutions that cater for fresh produce from the moment it enters the packing shed to when it leaves, ready for sale.
The CURO-16 Filling System, which has been in development for more than 12 months, will join BBC Technologies’ suite of advanced turnkey technology for the fresh produce sector. This includes its MIRA – 360 machine which sorts for colour and identifies and removes defects including cracks and splits, soft rot, wrinkles and bruises and insect damage.
Another example is the 2014 Soft Sorter Dura Touch Compact which removes over 80 percent of soft or damaged fruit while ensuring all product is handled gently.
“Anyone who has an expanding packing business will be interested in our new offering. For larger operators, the beauty of this innovation is that they can buy one machine, rather than having to purchase two smaller ones, and pack just as much, if not more.” Chip Manuel, BBC Technologies North American East Coast sales manager says the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference was the ideal event for launching the new equipment.
“This is a really important event for the global fresh produce sector – it’s the first big show of the year for the crucial east coast region of America and it attracts plenty of international interest. The United States is a vitally important market for BBC Technologies and we are excited to be launching this product in a region where we have many valued customers.”
BBC Technologies is a world specialist in the manufacturing and development of advanced processing technology with customers in more than 25 countries across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
