The Italian-based company Bulltec has supplied Master Fruit of Licata, an already well-established customer of many years, with a new processing plant that has a weighing system for packaging courgettes and peppers entirely in 4.0-ready stainless steel.
The plant was designed and developed by Bulltec to facilitate and optimize the processing of these products, specifically when they are packaged in guaranteed weight trays/baskets/nets. This type of line is the subject of a patent filed by Bulltec in 2022.
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"The plant," explains Bulltec's Ruggero Ricci, "consists of a series of conveyor belts that feed the product onto a battery of weight belts, in this case, 12 scales, which determine, through the application of Bulltec software, an optimized combination of 2/3 and 7/8 pieces. Thus, the minimum weight is guaranteed for each package while limiting excesses."
Overall, 9/10 operators are employed on this line, of which six manually place the product on the supply belts, one operator loads the empty trays onto the belt, and three operators pack the product. The line capacity, verified during the processing phase with the customer, is 35/40 beats per minute for peppers and 35 beats per minute for courgettes. The average excess weight over the guaranteed weight varies from 3 to 5 percent maximum for each type of package.
The Master Fruit customer believes it has achieved its goal of making this particular guaranteed-weight processing more efficient.
With the previous system, the same quantities were processed, but with 14 operators engaged to pack and check each individual tray, statistically finding an average of 10/12% overweight per package.
The customer declared that currently, a pallet of product is processed in 30 minutes with ten operators, whereas previously, the same operation was completed in 40 minutes with 14 operators engaged. The customer also finds an average recovery of 7/8% on excess weight.
The end results obtained and verified by the customer by working with the new Bulltec line is a 25 to 30 percent productivity efficiency of each operator employed on this processing.
"I chose Bulltec with the objective of finding a solution that would allow me to optimize the processing of my vegetables in guaranteed weight packages in terms of productivity and reduction of product waste. I am satisfied once again, not only in terms of the performance achieved by the new plant but also in terms of service and product quality. All promises were kept, and the goal I set was fully achieved. I can therefore consider myself amply satisfied," said Master Fruit.
The new Bulltec processing line ensures a high level of delicacy in product handling, and this is because there are no drops between belt runs as they all work at the same height. In fact, Master Fruit claims to be able to process light courgettes, which are an extremely delicate variety.
The line can be customized according to the customers' needs. Bulltec guarantees to be able to treat products such as eggplant, cherry tomatoes, grapes, artichokes, fennel, and more with this type of technology.
For more information: 
Bulltec
Via Cipro 45
47522 Cesena (FC) - Italy
+39 0547 1932254
+39 349 6923431
ruggero@bulltec.it
www.bulltec.it