In the modern fruit processing industry, efficiently sorting delicate fruits is essential for both profitability and customer satisfaction. For those seeking the most reliable results, manual sorting is no longer an option. Nevertheless, the Magnus sorting machine from Optimum Sorting delivers a solution that meets all challenges head-on. Specifically designed for delicate fruits such as blueberries, cranberries, and cherries, the Magnus ensures efficient sorting while preserving the integrity and quality of the fruit. Let’s explore the five key features that set this machine apart.

 

Sorting fragile fruits: a challenging task

For many fruit processing companies, sorting delicate fruits like blueberries, raspberries, cherries, and cranberries is a challenging task. Traditional sorting systems often cause mechanical damage to those fragile fruits, leading to quality loss, lower selling prices, and increased waste.

The delicate nature of many soft fruits, which have thin skins and are prone to bruising and damage, makes it difficult to sort them efficiently using mechanical methods. Moreover, the high-quality standards in the market demand perfect-looking products without a single bruised spot. Additionally, high sorting speeds must be balanced with care to ensure the quality of the final product is not compromised. How can we best overcome these challenges?

 

Innovation ahead: the Magnus all-in-one sorter

Magnus stands out as a cutting-edge sorting machine, designed and manufactured by Optimum Sorting. It can handle delicate fruits with a gentle and precise approach. Thanks to advanced technologies, Magnus carefully sorts fruits by size, color, shape, and other physical characteristics without compromising product quality or sorting speed.

As the most recent machine developed by Optimum Sorting, Magnus stands alongside the Triplus, Novus and Ventus. It incorporates several technological advancements from our earlier models and utilizes the combined power of laser and camera detection. Read on to discover the 5 key features that make this machine truly unique.

Five reasons to choose Magnus for your business

 

1. Gentle handling of fragile fruits

The Magnus features a unique low-speed conveyor system with 64 strings. Thanks to these O-shaped strings and minimal drop at the exit of the conveyor belt, fragile products can be transported throughout the sorting system with minimal risk of mechanical damage. This gentle handling ensures that even the most delicate items, such as raspberries, are sorted with the utmost care.

Despite its gentle operation, the Magnus does not compromise on performance or quality, delivering highly accurate sorting results. This innovative design not only preserves the integrity of the product but also helps reduce waste by minimizing damage during the sorting process. The result? Minimal risk of bruised products, guaranteed extended shelf life, and greater satisfaction for your end consumers.

 

2. Flexible and versatile

Do you need a machine that can be seamlessly integrated into your existing production line? The Magnus will be your perfect match! With its compact 1.4-meter width (55 in), this machine is designed for effortless integration, fitting smoothly into any production setup.

Additionally, the Magnus combines two types of machines in one, sorting by both color and structure. Instead of purchasing two separate machines (one for camera sorting and one for laser sorting), you can now combine everything into a single system. This eliminates the need to purchase, clean, and maintain two separate machines, resulting in significant savings in space, time, and costs.

 

3. Unmatched detection accuracy

A second unique feature of the Magnus optical sorter is its multispectral laser. With an astonishing performance of 3,333 scans per second, the laser can achieve a precision of 0.3 mm (0.02 in). This allows our technology to detect even the tiniest berry stems. Small details that the human eye could miss are no challenge for Magnus, ensuring superior sorting quality.

Up to 6 lasers can be combined to identify soft and shriveled fruits as well as foreign materials such as wood, plastic, stone, and glass. By utilizing multiple lasers, the system can create a comprehensive profile of each item on the belt, analyzing various aspects such as texture, color, and density. In the end, this will guarantee an excellent good-to-bad ratio that leaves other systems far behind.

 

4. High sorting speed

As the fourth unique feature of this machine, let’s look at its sorting speed. The color camera of this machine can process up to 1 meter per second, resulting in a high processing capacity of 2 to 4 tons per hour. The exact capacity depends on factors like fruit  size (e.g., large cherries versus small blueberries) and the quality of the infeed. Let’s take the example of blueberries: With handpicked berries, the proportion of green or red fruits is usually no more than 10%, but for machine-picked berries, this can increase to 20 to 30%, depending on the season. The less ‘bad’ material you will present at the infeed, the faster the machine can perform the sorting process.

It is crucial that during peak season, the harvest is processed quickly each day, as the berries ripen and are picked simultaneously within a very short timeframe. The high processing capacity of the Magnus allows our customers to quickly process their full harvest in just a few weeks, ensuring smooth operations.

Did you know the Magnus machine from Optimum Sorting can also be rented? A grower in the USA can, for example, rent a machine at the beginning of the season in Florida. We can then transport it to Georgia, and later in the year, relocate it to Washington or Oregon. This ensures the same machine is in use from April to October.

 

5. Sanitary design compliant

One of the most unique features of the Magnus belt sorter is its pneumatic valves. 64 valves (one above each string of the sorting line) ensure defects are ejected with the utmost precision. By accurately targeting and removing defective items, the system minimizes waste and ensures that only the best fruits continue through the sorting process.

Overripe fruits are blown down, preventing any released juice from contaminating the good product flow and the machine. This is a small but game-changing solution that sets us apart in delivering real value to our customers. Additionally, the frame is entirely made of stainless steel and meets IP65 safety standards. This ensures that the machine is easy to maintain and always adheres to the highest hygiene standards.

 

Interested in a free demo?

Get in touch with the sales team of Optimum Sorting and have your soft fruit tested at one of our demo centers around the globe.
Experience firsthand the benefits our machines can bring to your business!