A range of different machines are available for sizing blueberries, which ensure optimum sorting depending on the nature of the berries. The best alternative for frozen berries is a stainless steel drum sorter. Picking goods can be processed with a perforated belt or belt sorter. In all cases, the sorted berries are either collected in separate containers or conveyed to the next processing steps by conveyor belts.
The perforated belt sorter consists of a sorting unit and a discharge belt.
A perforated belt is stretched on the sorting unit with square cut-outs. There is a 6 mm narrow bar between the cut-outs. Berries that are smaller than the cut-outs fall through the perforated belt onto a discharge belt running underneath. The main advantage of the square cut-out is the small contact surface to the berry, which helps to ensure gentle surface processing.
The belts of this compact sizer are tensioned in parallel. The spacing is 10 mm. In an optional version, the distances between the deflection rollers can be changed by moving them evenly. The sorted berries fall onto an inclined discharge plate. The larger, unsorted berries roll over another discharge chute to downstream components.
The rotation speed of the belts is adjustable.
This belt sorter is used to pre-sort berries into 4 different size categories. It is designed as a stand-alone machine that is usually NOT integrated into a dosing line.
With this sorter, the belts run over fixed deflection rollers with given roller spacings. The different sizing results from the increasing distance of the belts between the beginning and end of the belt.
The sorted berries roll into three chambers, the width of which is adjustable. The larger, unsorted berries fall into a container at the end of the belt. This results in a total of four sorting sizes.
This drum sorter is designed for sizing frozen berries. The sorting drum consists of three sorting areas, each with different perforations. There is a spiral guide inside the drum, which ensures that the berries are transported onwards as the drum rotates.