The contract with Compac Sorting Equipment LTD and University of Florida was developed and signed by both parties for the optical sizing/grading unit. The equipment has been serviced by Compaq, including updating the operating system to the latest software, computers, and electronic communication. They replaced the electronics because the chips used in the dedicated PLC’s are no longer available. Their engineers designed a new system to replace the legacy systems. This is a key to limiting the possibility of expensive repairs down the road. The payment from UF should be sent soon and the equipment delivered shortly after that. We anticipated receiving the equipment by the end of February at the very latest.
This single-lane machine has extensive capabilities with both visible spectrum and near infrared (NIR) cameras to measure fruit color, dimensions, weight, and internal constituents. Computing algorithms can be utilized the calculate fruit volume, density, internal Brix concentrations, defects, and the manufacturer believes it can accurately detect and separate HLB-affected fruit. The unit has three drops for separating different classifications of fruit.