Discover how Fstsort engineered a heavy-duty SUS 304 customized lychee and passion fruit grading line (3-4 t/h, 415V/50Hz) for an Australian grower in Mutarnee, Queensland. Featuring 6-grade roller sorting, waste auto-discharge, and auto-weigher integration.
Country / Region
Australia
Fruit / Material
Lychee/Litchi; Passion Fruit
Capacity
3~4 t/h
Equipment Configuration
An infeed elevator; inspection table with two rejecting belts; pvc elevator; adjustable roller grader with 6 outputs;
Project Background & Challenge
Queensland is Australia’s tropical fruit powerhouse, known for producing premium lychees and passion fruits. However, tropical post-harvest processing presents critical operational hurdles:
· Short Harvesting Window & High Labor Costs: Lychees are highly perishable and prone to pericarp browning, requiring immediate sorting, grading, and cold packing. Australia’s high farm labor costs demand high-throughput automation.
· Dual-Crop Versatility & Wide Size Range: The grower required a flexible line capable of handling fragile, uneven lychees as well as larger, spherical passion fruits (ranging from 55mm up to 93mm+), requiring roll-back prevention and precise gap adjustments.
· Strict Australian Food Hygiene & Electrical Standards: The entire line had to be constructed with food-grade SUS 304 stainless steel and engineered strictly to Australian 415V/50Hz 3-phase power standards.
Custom Engineering Solutions - Fstsort' Lychee Sorting Machine
To fit the client’s packhouse layout and dual-crop requirements, we engineered a fully customized, modular sorting line ensuring gentle, damage-free handling throughout all processing stages:
1. Standalone Heavy-Duty Infeed Elevator (Widened Hopper Design)
The intake section features an independent 60-roller infeed elevator fitted with a 1200mm widened receiving hopper and an extended 1800mm horizontal sorting zone. This setup effortlessly buffers bulk crate tipping and high-volume bin unloading, ensuring lychees and passion fruits are fed into the system in a uniform, single layer without mechanical bruising caused by crop pileups.
2. Ergonomic Multi-Band Inspection Table (Dual Rejection & Auto-Waste Conveyors)
The 4-meter, 32-roller inspection table continuously rotates fruits 360° for fast, hands-free defect removal. Two 10cm side guide plates divert secondary-grade fruit to an underneath conveyor that raises them to packing height, while cull fruit dropped into chutes is automatically elevated and discharged by bottom belts. Dual-sided master E-stop buttons ensure all-around operational safety.
3. Anti-Roll High-Cleat PVC Incline Elevator
Connecting the inspection table to the grading section, this elevator was specifically tailored for spherical passion fruits using food-grade, high-profile cleated PVC belts. The engineered cleat geometry and gentle incline angle ensure large fruits (from 55mm up to 93mm+) climb securely without rolling back, maintaining a steady, non-stop flow while preventing skin abrasion.
4. Precision Adjustable Roller Grader (Independent Drive & Auto-Weigher Docking)
The core sizing module features a 76-roller precision adjustable grading unit delivering 6 accurate, non-destructive size grades from 55mm - 93mm. All 6 discharge outlets are driven by independent motors with individual on/off switches for flexible packing management. To achieve seamless docking with the customer’s downstream 990mm computer multi-head weigher, the discharge motors are mounted horizontally with 500mm conveyor extensions, while quick-release rear panels allow effortless washdown and sanitation.
Technical Specifications Table
Parameter | Engineering Specification |
|---|---|
Capacity | 3 – 4 Tons / Hour |
Overall Footprint (LĂ—WĂ—H) | 12,370 mm Ă— 2,000 mm Ă— 1,700 mm |
Construction Material | 100% Food-Grade SUS 304 Stainless Steel |
Electrical System | 415V / 50Hz, 3-Phase (Australia Grid Ready & Compliant) |
Grading Methodology | Adjustable Gap Precision Roller Sorting (Zero Skin Damage) |
Grading Grades | 6 Outlets (Fully adjustable from 55mm to 93mm+) |
Operational Benefits & ROI Impact
· Labor Reduction by up to 60%: Automated sorting, secondary-grade diversion, cull elevation, and 6-stage sizing drastically cut packhouse manual labor requirements.
· Dual-Crop Utilization: One single line processes both Queensland’s seasonal lychee harvest and off-season passion fruit crops, doubling machine utility and accelerating ROI.
·Zero Fruit Damage: Polished stainless steel rollers, gentle transitions, and PVC cleated belts preserve fruit bloom and prevent skin browning.
· Plug-and-Play Australian Deployment: Built strictly to Australian electrical voltages and industrial hygiene standards for rapid on-site commissioning.
🔍 Explore More Tailored Post-Harvest Solutions for Your Packhouse
Every fruit farm has unique facility dimensions, throughput demands, and crop characteristics. In addition to our customized lychee and passion fruit sorting lines, we engineer end-to-end post-harvest processing systems for avocados, citrus, mangoes, dragon fruit, tomatoes, and stone fruits—spanning bubble washing, hot-air drying, waxing & polishing, electronic weight grading, optical vision sorting, and automated multi-head weighing & packing.
For more information about the lychee grading machine, please visit our product page of Lychee Packing Line→