Six months ago, Burgess Farms invested in a new potato wash line from Haith Group and the company is already stating that the benefits are ‘clearly visible’.
The line was installed in October to increase the throughput, with optical grading and sorting capabilities.
Having started washing and packing potatoes at the Sutton Bridge site 25 years ago, the company aims to be the UK’s leading supplier of sustainable roots, potatoes and organic vegetables.
Produce is sorted and packed, with pack sizes from 200g up to 25kg and above available.
“The senior management team were aware that the line could be significantly improved with investment in new technologies and were keen to take further advantage of optical sorting and grading,” says David Booth, engineering manager at Burgess Farm.
“They asked me to specify a washing and packing line with a Newtec Celox at its centre.”
David researched the options available, including visiting the Haith factory and other customers to see the lines in operation.
“I’ve been in the industry for a long time and have worked with Haith previously, but that didn’t mean we didn’t do our research,” explains David.
“The size of the investment was considerable, and we wanted to ensure we got the best value for money and that the new line would offer us the capability, reliability, and longevity we were looking for. Haith has a reputation for building high-quality machines that last, and that is what they’ve delivered.”
The new line
Burgess Farms’ new line starts with RotaTip TE electrically powered box tipper. Potatoes enter the system over a web to remove loose soil before moving onto a SupaFlume de-stoner.
The crop is then passed through a semi-submerged barrel washer, with floating debris removal, and dried over a Direct-Drive Sponge Roller Dryer.
At the centre of the line is the Newtec Celox P-DUAL-UHD Camera which sorts the crop by size, shape and quality, as well as identifies any damage or disease.
It can be set to work with up to 16 categories and will feed four, eight or 12 lanes depending on the capacity. Burgess Farms also installed a Haith VertiFill Pro box filler and weigh platform scales with weight indicator on each lane.
CCTV was also installed, enabling a single operator to oversee the entire operation.
“As our high quality potato business continues to expand at Sutton Bridge, it was essential that this project delivered not only increased efficiencies but also enhanced operational flexibility and accuracy that further supports our potato quality culture at the Sutton Bridge site,” says Mike Scott, managing director: potatoes at Burgess Farms.