Product handling is a key point in the production line for fruit and vegetable producers. Product life span begins to decline at the point of harvest and many variables can affect the quality of fresh produce before it reaches the consumer. Damage to fresh produce that occurs within the processing or packaging line results in added expenses to food operators as a result of high levels of unsaleable product. Fortunately, advanced conveying solutions for fragile products are available and can eliminate product breakage, while providing superior cost savings and increasing automation levels. Heat and Control offer a range of conveying and product handling solutions and these systems provide gentle, smart and dependable product transfer solutions for Fruit and Vegetables.
Conveying
The FastBack® range of horizontal motion conveyors are the industry benchmark when it comes to conveying fragile fresh produce such as lettuce, spinach, cauliflower or broccoli. This is because of FastBack’s ability to virtually eliminate product breakage by gently sliding the product along the pan instead of bouncing it. The FastBack 260E-G3 Horizontal Motion Conveyor gently transports product by cycling through a slow-forward and fast-back horizontal motion, without damaging fragile products. At the same time providing the fastest product travel rates while maximizing product distribution efficiency. FastBack conveyors can reliably transport large quantities of product without build up in the pan, reducing downtime for cleaning and also maintaining product blends without segregating product pieces. FastBack horizontal conveyors have five times the design life of the competition with the highest travel rates and throughputs. The gentle motion results in near zero product breakage which has made the FastBack brand famous, while also having the highest resale value in the market. The groundbreaking Fastback® Revolution® Proportional Gate 3.0 is a proportional distribution system that uses unique cylindrical outlets that rotate to divert a proportional portion of product, so the main product supply continues to flow as it allocates amounts to individual weigher/bagmaker stations. Downstream stations are not "starved" and do not need to wait for product. The patented design introduces various advantages that make it the premier gate in the industry. The gentle, innovative design diverts product without creating a single pinch point which reduces typical product breakage by 4 or more percent.
Blending Systems
FastBack Blending Systems offer manufacturers the most economical and accurate means of delivering product blends to multiple scales in a variety of environments. Distinct products behave uniquely when conveyed and blended and the FastBack Blending Systems give manufacturers the ability to calibrate each component stream for a constant product stream flow. For manufacturers of fresh produce achieving balanced blends is a complex task that requires the synchronization of various technologies. This synchronization provides consistent component streams, meters components with dependable accuracy, and conveys blended components without segregation–while giving operators complete and intuitive control over the entire process. FastBack Blending Systems weigh only the final metered product stream of each component instead of bulky hoppers associated with loss-in-weight systems. This allows the use of high-resolution load cells for precise measurement. Hermetically sealed stainless steel load cells are tough enough for the most demanding environments and simple sanitation quick-disconnect weight trays and wipe-and-go sanitation minimises cleaning time and maximises production time.
