Peach pitting machine model 350 APA-VISION

The peach pitting machine model 350 APA-Vision, a technological evolution of the model 320 APA-E, is equipped with a fruit position detection system managed by a programmed logic controller (PLC).

The machine is capable of pitting “freestone” and “clingstone” type peaches with a mechanical speed of 350 fruits per minute.

Thanks to the innovative PLC-managed recognition system, the machine can detect the correct positioning of the fruit and remove improperly positioned fruit from the conveyor belt and recycle them into the feeder, resulting in improved orientation efficiency and a drastic reduction in stone fragments.

The system is composed as follows:

• A station that detects the position of fruits and communicates the acquired information to the PLC.
• A pick-up stage that, depending on the information received from the PLC, removes from the conveyor belt any fruit that has not been correctly positioned as it passes through the mechanical orientation systems.
• A recirculation system that transports the removed fruits from the picking system to the feeder.

The continuous automatic orientation system (protected by international patent) already guarantees a percentage of well-oriented fruit equal to that of the twist pitting system (average efficiency of 90 percent) and without the intervention of labor, unlike discontinuous alignment systems. With the implementation of the Vision system, the final orientation rate exceeds 95 percent. The high percentage of correctly positioned peaches, combined with the pitting system with 360-degree knife rotation driven by a brushless motor at high rpm, ensures superior cutting quality, the absence of whole pits and a drastic reduction in stone fragments, ensuring reduced manpower use in peach inspection and reworking operations after pitting.

• 5 kW brushless motor (DRAINING KNIVES) has class energy IE4
• 0.75 kW brushless motor (MOVEMENT PLIPS) has class energy IE4
• 2.2 kW motor (MAIN MOTOR) Has energy class IE3
• 0.55 kW worm gear motor (DISCONTINUOUS ORIENTATION) has energy class IE1
• 0.25 kW motor (CONTINUOUS ORIENTATION) has energy class IE1
• Two 0.09 kW motors (FRUIT RECYCLING NETS) have energy class IE1
• High production capacity.
• Fully automatic, requires no labor.
• Better orientation performance than any other machine, both knife and twist.
• More uniform cut thanks to the very high-speed rotating knives.
• Reduced consumption of mechanics due to the absence of knife rotation for repositioning.
• Reduced labor in post-pitting operations due to the automatic fruit orientation and position recognition system, which generates less stone breakage and reduces the presence of pit fragment within pitted fruits.
• An automatic lubrication system, made from top-of-the-line materials, ensures constant and metered lubrication of all moving parts, resulting in reduced maintenance requirements.

The machine is made in accordance with the highest sanitary standards. All parts in contact with the product are “food grade.” Frame and machine guards are made of stainless steel. The stoning machine is manufactured in accordance with European standards for safety, according to Directive 2006/42/EC as amended.

The peaches are transported inside the stoning machine hopper and individually feed the eight honeycombs of each fruit-bearing plate (flight). The peaches, passing through the distinct orientation sections, are placed and aligned along the suture line. In the pitting station, pitting knives, driven by a brushless motor, rotate 360° at very high speed, separating the kernel from the pulp. At the same time, the cutting unit divides the fruit into two halves.