Automatic sorting conveyor is one of the core equipment for intelligent and efficient production in the modern food industry. It is not just a 'conveyor belt', but also an intelligent system that integrates perception, judgment, and execution, profoundly affecting the efficiency, cost, and food safety of food processing.
The following is a detailed introduction to its main applications, values, and key technologies in the food industry:
1、 Core application scenarios
1. Raw material pretreatment and grading
Fruit and vegetable sorting: Based on size, weight, color, shape, defects (such as decay, scars), and even sugar content (near-infrared technology), potatoes, apples, citrus fruits, tomatoes, etc. are automatically graded for different levels of product lines (such as high-end fresh food and processed products).
Meat/seafood sorting: Classify chicken wings, fish chunks, shrimp, etc. by weight or size to ensure consistent standards for subsequent packaging or processing.
2. Quality control and diversion during the production process
Foreign object removal: Integrated X-ray machine, metal detector, visual recognition system, automatically remove products containing metal, glass, stones, plastic or defective products (such as cookies with abnormal colors, damaged pastries) from the production line.
Shape/orientation correction: For example, ensure that all bottle caps are facing the same direction and all chocolate blocks are entering the packaging machine with their faces up.
3. Separation before packaging and palletizing
Multi variety combined sorting: Multiple products from different production lines (such as yogurt and beverages with different flavors) are merged into one main line, and then accurately distributed to the corresponding packaging stations or packing lines through the sorting system.
Order Sorting (B2C/B2B): In central kitchens, baking or fresh food distribution centers, the system automatically sorts different categories of goods into corresponding order boxes based on customers' electronic orders, achieving "goods to people" or "seeding" sorting, greatly improving e-commerce fulfillment efficiency.
4. Warehousing and Logistics Center
Box/Box Level Sorting: In food distribution warehouses, barcodes/QR codes on turnover boxes or outer boxes are automatically recognized and assigned to designated shipping areas, loading platforms, or storage locations. This is the core equipment of the logistics center of large food enterprises.
2、 Core values and advantages
Improve efficiency and production capacity:
7x24 hour continuous high-speed operation, sorting speed can reach hundreds of pieces per minute, far exceeding manual labor.
Reduce production bottlenecks and achieve seamless connection of production lines.
Ensure quality and safety:
Objective consistency: Machine judgment is not affected by fatigue or emotions, and the standards are unified.
Realize 100% online testing: conduct multiple inspections on each product to control food safety risks at the source.
Full traceability: The sorting action is linked with the data system to record the flow of each product, facilitating quality traceability.
Reduce overall costs:
Reduce labor: Replace repetitive and labor-intensive sorting positions.
Reduce waste: Accurately classify to achieve high quality and good price, reducing losses caused by manual misjudgment.
Space saving: A three-dimensional and dense sorting system can maximize the utilization of space.
Enhance flexibility:
By adjusting the sorting logic through software, it is possible to quickly respond to changes in production varieties and market orders.