17 August 2022
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UK manufacturer goes overseas to present award-winning machine for first time.
VEGETABLE handling machinery manufacturer, Haith Group, will soon have its first overseas exhibition since winning its second Queen's Award for Enterprise in April 2022.
The UK manufacturer will present its latest grading and sorting machines to European farmers at Potato Europe 2022 on September 7th and 8th at Rittergut Bockerode near Hanover in Germany.
As well as promoting its new ProSort mobile optical grader, Haith will talk about the latest developments in modular washing lines, the ProLine, and the RotaTip box tippler.
Developed by Haith Group and GRIMME UK, the ProSort automates the removal of stone, clod and foreign debris from potatoes, helping growers cope with labour shortages.
Featuring a TOMRA 3A optical sorter, the ProSort can handle up to 100 tonnes per hour and the manufacturer states it has high levels of accuracy. The TOMRA 3A employs Near Infra-Red multi-spectral sensors for an unobstructed assessment of every object 'in flight', seamlessly identifying between potatoes and foreign material. As well as debris, the 3A's colour sensors can also detect green potatoes, which like the debris, are removed at the end of the conveyor belt by intelligent finger ejectors.
As the ProSort is a modular unit, it can be used in the field or on a farm and easily integrated into a new or existing grading line.
Sales Manager Rob Highfield said: "The ProSort has been extremely well received by UK growers, and we expect a similar reaction from visitors to Potato Europe."
Haith's ProLine is a flexible wash line platform for potato packers and processors. It features its RotaTip box tippler, waste separation, SupaFlume de-stoner, barrel washer, polisher, dryer, optical sorter, box fillers and packaging machines in a modular solution.
"The ProLine has evolved over several years, in which time we have undertaken some of our largest ever turnkey projects," said Rob. "By working with some of the biggest food producers and packers in the UK and overseas as well as smaller businesses, we have had the opportunity to refine how our individual machines work together."
Haith's Rota-Tip Up-Eject was recognised in the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category. First manufactured in 2011, it transfers produce onto washing, sizing and packing lines, and was designed at the request of food packers and processors who experienced oil leaks, high energy use and instability when using traditional hydraulic box tipplers. Haith innovated the design by replacing the hydraulic motors with all-electric drives, which use less power and prevents oil leaks. It also developed a rotating system that could handle larger box volumes.
Since introducing the Up-Eject system, Haith has sold more than 180 machines to UK food suppliers and exported them to Europe, Japan, Israel, Canada and the United States. In the UK, Haith estimates that 95% of the UK's supermarket potato suppliers now use the Rota-tip.
The Rota-Tip Up-Eject is the second Haith machine to receive a Queen's Award for Innovation. The company's RootVeg Polisher was recognised in 2010.
"We are very much looking forward to Potato Europe. We missed it last year and in 2020, so expect it to be a really busy show. It will also be our first overseas exhibition since winning our second Queen's Award for Enterprise in April 2022."
