There is an old saying the “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Well it is thanks to the apple producers in agriculture that give us the option. So whether they are red or green makes no difference, we take a look at equipment used in apple production.

Apple producers use a bit more help than Sir Isaac Newton did when (when the apple fell from the tree).

A couple of different versions for harvesting.

Tuthill Mk. 2 Centipede Harvester:
		Technical Specifications Centipede Harvester capacity: 12 tonnes per hour Row width: From 5.5 metres to 6 metres other widths available Height over picking head by tree trunk: 500 mm Power system: Independent hydraulic system driven from the tractor PTO 40 litres per min. @ 400 PTO rpm Power consumption: 15 HP Cleaning systems: Twin Tuthill Temperley hedgehog belts, with brushes and 710mm diameter fan system Trailer height: 2 metres. Fruit diverter for efficient filling of 4 tonne trailers. Closed circuit colour TV system with 2 cameras: Optional Centipede Side Sweep cleared width: 0.6 metres Centipede Front brush cleared width: 2.6 metres
Pick up system:The pick-up system uses a combination of Tuthill Centipede technology to give an exceptionally fast and gentle pick-up that can handle the heaviest crops. Forward speeds of over 3 kph (2.0 mph) are possible and enable the harvester to cover over one and half acres per hour. The Centipede picks large or small fruit gently and without damage.Cleaning system: Most growers using Centipede harvesters are able to send their fruit straight to cider-makers without any post harvester cleaning. This is because the Centipede harvester has an efficient double cleaning system. It has two well proven Tuthill hedgehog cleaner belts which are combined with a powerful 710mm dia.fan. The hedgehog belts each have a rotary brush to keep them clean and operating efficiently. This system provides very high fruit throughput with unrivalled fruit quality combined. Elevator and conveyor systems: The elevator lifts the fruit from the picking head to the cleaning system from where a conveyor delivers the fruit into the trailer. The conveyor can fill a large trailer with 2.00 metre high sides. There is a fruit diverter at the end of the conveyor so that the fruit can be directed anywhere in the trailer. It is quite usual for trailers to carry more than four tonnes of fruit. Power system and control: The Centipede harvester is hydraulically powered from the tractor PTO. It has its own integral hydraulic tank, oil cooler, and hydraulic control valve. The controls are all electric and there is a compact switch console conveniently mounted in the tractor cab. Closed circuit TV: The harvester is fitted with two closed circuit TV cameras. One camera gives the driver a view of the cleaners and the other looks over the conveyor and trailer loading. Trailer towing: The Centipede harvester is attached to the back of the tractor in a way that leaves the tractor’s automatic hitch available for trailer towing. This keeps the tractor balanced, and traction optimised. The tractor has complete freedom of movement when turning left with a trailer, and limited movement when turning right. Clearing fruit from between the trees: Tuthill Centipede side sweep is mid-mounted on the tractor. It is clears the fruit very efficiently from between the trees. There is no need to use a blower. The side sweep can work in any row widths from 4.25metres (14 feet) to 6.0 metres (20 feet). It folds up for transport. The speed limit for the Centipede working between trees is around 3 kph (2.0 mph). Centipede front brushes: Centipede front brushes are mounted at the front of the tractor and clear any fruit lying in the path of the tractor. They clear a path of over 2.6 metres (8.5 feet) giving ample room for a trailer with wide tyres to follow without crushing fruit. The Centipede system clears the fruit quickly so there is no fruit left on the ground when the harvester gets to the end of the row. The brushes fold automatically when lifted. This makes them compact so that turning at the headlands requires less space. The brushes are available in two versions. One version fits onto a standard tractor front three point linkage. The other version has its own lifting system. Both brushes fold automatically. Harvester output: The output of the harvester can be measured by the amount of ground it has covered or the amount of fruit harvested. In heavy crops the harvester can easily pick and clean over 12 tonnes per hour. Output will ultimately depend on the speed with which it can be supplied with empty trailers. In lighter crops the harvester can travel at up to 3 kph (2.00 mph), to cover about one and half acres per hour.

Tuthill SL81e Multi Directional Tree Shaker:
		Technical Specifications Shaking capacity: from 100 to over 360 trees per hour Row width: To 7.3 metres (24 feet) Jaw opening: 700mm (27”) maximum Power system: Independent hydraulic system driven from the tractor PTO. 40 litres per min. @ 400 PTO rpm Power consumption: 15 HP
The SL81e is a highly developed versatile tree shaker that is tractor mounted and can work in both bush or standard orchards. It mounts directly onto the tractor’s three point linkage. It is fast and powerful yet gentle on the trees. It swings sideways from the tractor to grip trees in rows up to 7.3 metres (24 feet) wide. The shaker head can be lifted or lowered to that the tree can be gripped anywhere on the trunk.Shaking action: The shaker has two eccentric weights that combine to create a multidirectional shake that gives excellent fruit removal, without damaging the tree trunk of the centre leader of the tree. The power of the shake can be adjusted by changing the weight set.Cushioned jaw rubbers: Large jaw rubbers provide a well-cushioned grip of the tree’s trunk. There are lubricated flaps over the jaw rubbers to eliminate tree bark shear. Low overall height: The machine has a low profile and a shaped cover which enables it to slide under laden low-hanging branches on bush trees without damaging them. Performance: The side swing action enables the machine to work in any row width and the tractor to be driven in a straight line beside the row to be shaken without any need to change gear or reverse. The shaking head is supported on a self-centring mechanism. This makes the machine easier and faster to drive. Experienced operators can shake over 360 trees per hour with the SL81e. Power system and control: The SL81e shaker is hydraulically powered from the tractor PTO. It has its own integral hydraulic tank, and hydraulic control valve. The controls are all electric and twin joysticks in the cab control all the functions of the shaker.

Then the processing of the fruit starts, peeler and corer.

Automatic apple peeler and corer with segment and ring cutting system

The PDS/R line of apple peelers offers several advantages, among which the most significant is the fact it gathers different processing options alltogether.
Made of stainless steel and alluminum, PDS/R performs the peeling and coring as well as the cut in segments or in rings and chunck of apples of different varieties, having minimum size 60mm diameter and maximum size 100 mms. The processing of fruit having size that exceed the limits above, is possible with just some modification of the basic structure.

With a completely automatic procedure, PDS/R peels, cores and can cut the apples in different shapes at a maximum speed of 100 fruits for minute (according to the model) with the guarantee to get high quality product and leaving fruit characteristics totally unchanged – structure, character, flavour.
The exclusive ability to peel different varieties of apple, also those less regular, as well as the extreme rapidity in the adjusting and settings constitute an elements of preference in the choice of the operators.

In reason of specific demands, each peeler can be equipped with the right device for the cut in segments or for the cut in rings (slices) or as well as it can mount an application allowing the cut in irregular dice or even in perfect cylinders (i.e. special feature of processing): the substitution of a station with the other can be realized quickly and without the need of particular tools.
Of course as a manner of simple endowment the machine can be made available with just one cutting unit. From here it derives the name of the model.
PD is the basic structure, Peeler and Corer
PDS is the machine that besides peeling and coring performs the cut intto segments.
PDR is the machine that peels, cores and cut into slices.

Some solutions that can improve your production.

Three formats of cut: segments to get from 2 up to 16 equal parts; slices with adjustable thickness, ranging from 3 up to 15 mms; irregular dices.

Double head of skinning for a profile more delineated.

New finishing lines in fact of productivity and aesthetics of the ended product.

From the production of small lot to the industrial processing: in this range you can find the machine that allow you the right flexibility.

PDS/R excels with 3 cut options, technical perfection and good peeling performances.

Equipped – in its basic version PD of modern control technologies and hi-tech components that were before reserved exclusively to the large processing lines.

(description of the cycle of job)
The full automatic working principle is synthesized as follows:
– apple feeding;
– orientation;
– peeling and coring;
– cut in segments and seed cell removal;
– slice cut.

The process itself can also be interrupted to the simple coring leaving the apple whole.

The adopted solutions and the technology applied on the P.D.S. / R. allow an exceptional quality of the job with minimum waste amount, aesthetic look of the product and assurance that fruit is not contaminated during any of the processing phase.

The peeler is provided of centralized lubrication timer driven to guarantee the best long-lasting operating conditions. Board panel featuring an on/off and a jog-switch button for isolated movements.

All the PDS/R are supplied with a set of spareparts, a user manual, pneumatic and electric schemes.

Peeling and partial peeling
All the PDS/R peelers can process fruit having sizes of 60 mms. up to 100 mms. in diameter. The processing of apples exceeding the above mentioned dimensions is possible once the machine is properly set.
The peeling, that is the basic function of the machine, is mechanical and is performed through a rotating knife that runs on the apple surface. On specific application it is possible to install a special device that allows to get a partial skinning of the fruit.

Coring
The coring is developed through a cylindrical hole that removes the core only of the apple.

Coretubes are available in different dimensions to optimize the yield depending upon fruit size.

16 mms. diam. for small apples
18 mms. diam. for middle apples
20 / 30 mms. diam. for big apples

Seed cell
Seed cell blade remove the spherical hollow in the heart of the apple after that it has been cored. Of course the blades is available in various dimensions, better fit fruit size.

Segments and half segments
Minimum of obtainable parts: 2
Maximum obtainable parts: 16

Knives are radially positioned on the cutting disk: the dimensions of the segments depends exclusively upon the number of employed knives.

Slices and half rings
Minimum thickness: 3 mms.
Maximum thickness: 15 mms.

The cutting disk is combined with special spacer to be inserted between the disk and the blade in such a way to always get different thickness of cut.

After the cut into slice apples are discharged and collected through special convoyers. When the end product is intended to be apple segments, the convoyers are replaced by stainless steel slides.

Or perhaps slices.

GE 120-4 Apple Segment Slicing Machine The outstanding feature of this machine is that while the apple is being sliced into segments, the seed cells are removed. GE120-4 is a simple machine, easy to maintain, requiring little attention and is easy to lubricate. It has the capacity to slice apple into 2 to 24 individual segments. Segment slicer ring are easily change for different cuts requiring little “down time”.  Operation After the apples are pared and cored on the Pease 4-Cup Apple Parer, they roll from the Parer onto a Trimming Table, which is part of the Slicer. At this point the apples are trimmed by an operator and then fed to the Slicer. Each Slicer unit will segment slice and seed cell 45 to 60 apples per minute. The machine consists of a 120″ long x 28″ wide Trim Table frame with 4 Segment Slicer units and space for the person inspecting the apples as they come from a Parer. Whether the apples are large or small, each are automatically centered with the knife that removes the seed cells. Several sizes of seed celling knives are available. Good clean apple slices are assured because the slices do not come in contact with any grease or oil. This simple machine is easy to maintain and requires little attention. It is easy to lubricate and requires little “down time”. All parts that come in contact with the apple are made of stainless steel or nickel bronze.  Models Deluxe and Standard models are available. The Deluxe model uses stainless steel where possible. Stainless steel provides superior corrosion resistance and better long term appearance. The Standard model is made of steel coated with a corrosion resistant paint.  Applications This equipment is designed for preliminary processing of apples for use in pies, jellies, apple sauce, and for baked, fried, dried, and canned apple products. The Pease GE120-4 Apple Segment Slicer is currently used by large food industries and food processing plants, world wide.  Specification Width: 120″ Depth: 28″. Overall height: 42″. Net weight: Approx. 650 lbs. Boxed for shipping with spare parts kit: Approx.950 lbs.

If you are not into peeling or coring or slicing but prefer to juice instead.

So whether it is apple cider, apple pie, apple dumplings or maybe just a polished one, this is some of the equipment used.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 15th, 2011 at 5:34 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.