Fruit is delivered to the line from the fields in plastic containers and placed onto powered roller conveyors. Each of the packers collect a container of fruit and place it on their side table. They then place an empty punnet on a special weighing table and fill the punnet by hand with the correct weight of fruit. Green and red indicators tell the operator when the weight is correct - they then place the full punnets on the flat belt conveyor where it is transported in a queue through a check weighing and labelling section and then onto a 2m diameter rotating storage table.

When they have emptied the plastic container they return the empty container to the gravity roller conveyor situated below the powered roller conveyor, it then travels to the loading bay. When the packers require more full containers they press a button which runs the roller conveyor for 5 seconds, therefore moving new containers into position.

Four operators at the rotating table pack the finished punnets into plastic containers ready for shipping.
When the containers are full they place them onto the driven roller conveyor 'D' and they are conveyed to the dispatch department where they are loaded on the lorries and delivered to the shops.

This system speeds up the packing process and ensures that freshly picked fruit is on the supermarket shelves in the shortest possible time and is in perfect condition.

Monk Conveyors Limited

Woodside Park, Catteshall Lane, Godalming, Surrey, England.

Tel: +44 (0)1483 791700. Fax: +44 (0)1483 791701