Bühler’s unique 3-in-1 simultaneous sorting solution helps boost quality and efficiency for Chilean walnut exporter, Pacific Nuts

Since investing in Bühler's 'three-machines-in-one-solution', the SORTEX F optical sorter, leading exporter of nuts and dried fruits in Chile, Pacific Nuts, has reduced its input shell contamination from five percent to 0.4 percent. The company has also successfully adhered to the strictest quality export standards of a maximum of one shell per 250 kg of walnuts.

Often cited as the best quality walnuts in the world, Chilean walnuts are renowned for their  distinctive  light  colour,  rich  flavour, and  long shelf-life.  Loaded with proteins, fatty acids, antioxidants, and phytochemicals, regular consumption of these walnuts is believed to maintain the brain's cognitive function, reduce the risk of type two diabetes, and boost  heart health and metabolism.  In  tandem with  the ongoing healthy eating trend  that's gripping consumers across the globe, demand for  Chilean  walnuts is  increasing.  

As  one of the largest exporters of nuts and dried fruits in Chile,  Pacific Nuts decided to invest in the SORTEX FB2 optical sorter with BioVision technology from  Bühler to meet this growing demand and to maintain its  high-quality  standards in walnut processing. 

Quality standards
Pacific Nuts has approximately 400 employees working across four processing facilities, each dedicated to a different commodity: walnuts, almonds, prunes, and raisins. The company works hard to connect nut and dried fruit growers with consumers from all over the world. 20 percent of the products processed are grown from their own orchards. 

Cristian Infante, General Manager for Pacific Nuts, says, 'We studied the  FB2 machine, and  we liked its performance and versatility; it  was the perfect fit to fulfil  our  goa l of having  the greatest  quality walnuts  in the market.

'The Chilean walnut industry as a whole is expecting a harvest of between 140.000-145.000 tons of walnuts in 2021, a volume that will, of course, be confirmed once the season is over. But so far, it looks to be greater than the 130.000 tons we recorded in 2020. So, we look forward to putting our FB2 to good use!'

Last season, the company exported 6.500 tons, but it is hoping to dispatch around 9.000 tons to its main European market and growing markets in Asia and the US next year. Subsequently, strict quality export standards must be met. 'We must adhere to a maximum of one shell per 250 kg. With our SORTEX FB2 machine, we  can  meet this requirement. Our five percent input shell contamination is reduced to 0.4 percent after just one pass through the SORTEX F sorter,' Mr Infante  states. 

3-in-1 solution 
The SORTEX FB2 can  smoothly  handle walnut halves of up to  eight-ton capacities per hour in a 1200mm tray. With Bühler's unique ability to 'split' its machines for multiple re-sorting, both mechanically and at a software level, Pacific Nuts has benefitted from a 'three-machines-in-one-solution,' consisting of 600, 400, and 200mm independent partitions. 

The primary partition is intended to quickly and efficiently process an average of 1.5 to 2.5 tons of walnuts halves per hour, removing not only colour defects, septum nuts, and foreign material such as sticks and stones, but also sorting the halves by shape – this allows Pacific Nuts to remove any large, medium or small pieces from its main product flow. 

The remaining two partitions are used to re-sort the rejects online, helping to reduce good product losses and unnecessary bins/grain containers handling and optimising logistics and processing times within the plant.

Unique shape technology 
'After the cracking process, a mixture of halves and quarters is obtained, which are separated by sieves and also by the SORTEX F. Having a system for the separation by shape and size is really helpful since it allows us to keep more than 85 percent of our halves. Reaching these values ​​simplifies the task at the selection tables, which increases our efficiency and allows us to produce a high-quality product,' Mr Infante  says.

This is all thanks to Bühler's  PROfile  shape detection software. Unique shape recognition algorithms  can  detect any misshapen halves (3/4, large, medium, and small pieces), as well as sticks and  foreign material. 'PROfile  technology ensures that we have minimum product waste and  maximum profits,' Mr Infante mentions.

Uriel Tosco, Managing Director at Sortechnology SpA says, "The SORTEX F is a popular choice amongst nut processors in Chile due to its incredible versatility. With the ability to solve up to three different processes in the same sorter, the SORTEX F simultaneously combines our cutting-edge colour, texture, and shape technologies for unmatched FM detection.' 

Challenges and opportunities 
Like many businesses, in 2020, Pacific Nuts faced challenges that they could never have anticipated: a world pandemic. Mr Infante states, 'Fortunately, the food industry and, in particular, our business did not stop. On the contrary, consumption of our products increased throughout the year, which allowed us to end the year on a positive note.

'In 2021, we will be taking the opportunity to update our machinery and increase our production capacity by 30 percent, meaning in this coming season, we will have more and better-quality products to offer our customers.'

For more information visit the Bühler website, HERE.

 

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.