Colour Sorting Of Apples By Machine

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31042, 23 April 1966, Page 3

Colour Sorting Of Apples By Machine

(New Zealand Press Association)

HASTINGS, April 22

A machine which sorted apples by colour was demonstrated to officers of the Apple and Pear Board in Havelock North today.

It was demonstrated at the D.S.I.R. research orchard by its designer, Mr N. Brooks, of the Physics and Engineering Section of the D.5.1.R., Wellington. He said the present practice was to sort coloured varieties of fruit by hand at cool stores. Coloured apples were marketed as fancy grade if more than a certain proportion of the fruit surface

was red, and as commercial grade if the redness was less than this proportion. The machine functions by measuring the amount of red and green light reflected by evenly-illuminated apples. Apples were placed on a revolving belt into a speci-ally-shaped chamber where there are mirrors set at various angles. As the fruit passes photo-electric cells, the colour is measured and acceptance or rejection is made automatically.

The proportion of acceptable colour is predetermined by the operator who holds a small control box in his hand. The box is scaled into degrees of colour. Mr Brooks said the machine would cost about £5OO to manufacture. He is hopeful it can also be used in food processing.