Grading and packing at IPPE USA

Equipment and services representing state-of-art technology and efficiency were demonstrated at the 2013 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta.

Until the mid-2000’s, Diamond Systems held a virtual monopoly in the US for grading and packing installations. This company successively increased the complexity of products incorporating blood, crack, leaker and dirt detectors and increased the capacity of units up to 500 cph (cases of 30-dozen per hour). These units can effectively process the output of 1.5 million hens on a single complex in one shift.

Notwithstanding the claimed rate of existing installations ranging from 250 to 500 cph, there are losses in efficiency due to rate of loading when operating off-line, segregating eggs among houses supplying specialty products to the plant and for interruptions as packing material is changed.

The Staalkat Optigrader 600 recently introduced to the US market is a fully equipped system from loading through washing, leaker, dirt, and crack detection, weighing and packing. The Staalkat grader system is manufactured and installed by the Sanovo Technology Group which has sold installations for new plants and as retrofits to existing operations. A significant advantage is the relatively small footprint compared to competitors’ installations. All Staalkat components and modules are easy to clean since they are designed to allow wash down. Sanovo also market a range of SAT accumulators which offer high efficiency and yield and are compatible with other makes of graders operating with 6 to 18 rows.

MOBA graders are now marketed in the US by Diamond-MOBA Americas. A number of Omnia installations rated at 500 cph have been installed either as new installations or as upgrades in existing Diamond-equipped plants. Accessories for the MOBA Omnia installations include case packers, tray stackers, Easylift auto pack modules and robotics for pallet stacking.

Approximately one third of all shell eggs produced in the US are processed into liquid which is pasteurised for domestic consumption or in some plants dried for export. Sanovo has an extensive range of breakers and pasteurizing equipment based on their technology developed in Denmark. Moba has a parallel program including breaking, separating, pasteurizing, spray drying and packaging. The Company offers a “Plant-in-a-Box” installation which can be imported and trucked to a site to operate in a conventional shipping container.

Pelbo of Italy is a new entrant to the US market through their subsidiary Pelbo Americas Corporation. They offer a complete range of breakers, separators and pasteurising installations with capacities up to 30,000 Kg per hour. The company supplies the Ovolution series ranging in capacity from 470 Kg to 1,300 Kg per hour. In addition liquid egg filling modules are available for bag-in-box, bottles and gable packs.