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VEGETABLEPROCESSING EQUIPMENT
Equipment selection guide

Sorting & Grading Vegetables Before Processing

Define the defect classes, size bands and throughput basis before choosing inspection or grading equipment.

Sorting and grading are preparation duties. The current single-machine range does not list a dedicated sorter or optical grader. Define the duty, reject handling and throughput basis with the line so any sorter, inspection table or grader is quoted as a named scope item rather than assumed to be part of the washer.

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Start with the defect list

Write down what must be removed: stones, soil clods, rotten or damaged product, undersize pieces, foreign matter and any material the buyer rejects. Each class may need a different presentation, detection method and reject lane. A single conveyor with people standing beside it is not a grading specification.

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Choose the grading basis

Grading can be by size, weight, density, colour or visual defect. Roller or screen sizing suits a narrow size range; weight or optical systems may suit a quality grade. Throughput changes with singulation, recirculation and the share of product sent to a second pass, so give a feed basis rather than an assumed finished rate.

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Design the inspection point

Product should be presented in a single layer at a controlled speed, with shadow-free light and safe access from both sides where needed. Define the reject lane and how rejected product is recorded. Human inspection has attention limits; do not describe it as complete removal of every defect.

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Connect washing, grading and preparation

A practical order is receive, pre-sort, wash, post-wash inspection, grade, then peel or cut. Reject and waste streams must not re-enter the product path. A buffer before the washer can steady the feed, but it cannot correct a permanent mismatch between receiving and washing capacity.

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What to send for a quotation

Send the vegetable, incoming size range, expected defect and soil load, required grade, throughput basis, available floor space and the existing machines before and after the inspection point. A sample of the actual feed is more useful than a description alone.

Selection checklist

What to prepare
before the quotation.

  • List every defect and foreign-matter class to be removed
  • State the size or quality bands and the target grade
  • Give throughput on a defined feed basis, including recirculation
  • Show the inspection position, lighting and reject lane
  • Agree who verifies grade and what sample is used
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Practical answers

Before you select the machine

Can a brush washer grade vegetables?

No. A brush washer removes surface soil; it does not separate product into size or quality bands. Sorting and grading need their own inspection, sizing or optical equipment and a defined reject route.

Should sorting happen before or after washing?

Both positions can be useful. A pre-sort removes stones, rotten fruit and foreign matter before they enter the washer; a post-wash inspection can remove damaged product and verify the cleaned grade. The order should follow the contamination risk and the condition of the incoming load.

How is sorter capacity stated?

State the feed rate and its basis, the size range, the expected defect rate and how recirculated product is counted. A headline belt speed does not establish graded output.

What if the product is already graded upstream?

Then confirm the incoming grade and sample plan rather than adding an unnecessary inspection stage. The receiving check, washer and downstream machine still need a consistent feed.

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