Litchi Grading Machine Specially Customized For Australian Customers

1. A Highly Customized Solution for Australian Lychee Farms

Australia is one of the world’s most important litchi producers. Total national production is approximately 3,000 tonnes, valued at around A$15 million, and the harvest season runs from late October to late March – the longest lychee season in the world. Growing regions span tropical Far North Queensland, Central Queensland, South East Queensland and Northern NSW.

However, the industry faces significant labour shortages and tight retail margins. To remain competitive, Australian growers increasingly invest in smart post‑harvest mechanisation that reduces manual handling while protecting fruit quality and export‑grade appearance.

The Australian lychee grower we met in early February has his own farm in Brisbane, supplying high‑quality lychees of different varieties across the country. In response to their specific packaging needs, we customised a fruit picking and grading machine with a diversion effect for this Australian customer.

The customer’s daily processing target was up to 10 tonnes of fresh lychees. Rather than investing in an expensive fully‑automatic packing line (often costing hundreds of thousands of dollars), they asked for a cost‑effective but highly flexible solution that would allow them to handle both bulk packing for wholesale and premium punnet packing for high‑end retail on the same line.
 

2. Three‑Lane Sorting Table: Efficient Manual Inspection & Defect Separation

To streamline the manual inspection process, we designed a three‑lane sorting table located right after the elevator.

• Side lanes: Workers standing on both sides of the table pick lychees from the two outer lanes, removing defective fruit (cracks, sunburn, insect damage, rot).

• Middle lane: Rejected fruit is placed into the central lane, which then directs it to a bin for collection – keeping good fruit and waste completely separate without interrupting the main grading flow.

This layout maximises manual sorting efficiency while ensuring that only top‑quality fruit enters the size grader. Because labour shortages are a persistent challenge on Australian farms, we made sure the table design allows workers to work ergonomically and maintain high throughput during the peak harvest window.

3. Three‑Outlet Size Grading: Tailored for Different Packing Needs

After the lychees pass through the inspection table, they are fed row by row onto a roller grader that sorts them by diameter into three distinct size grades. This gentle roller mechanism preserves the delicate lychee skin and helps retain the natural bright‑red colour that premium markets demand.

The standard outlets for the first two size grades are fitted with chutes that drop the fruit directly into bulk boxes. This works perfectly for wholesale packing, where large volumes need to be handled quickly.

4. Creative Upgrade at the Third Outlet: Side Chutes for Premium Punnet Packing

The biggest innovation came at the third outlet, which receives the largest‑sized luxury lychees. Instead of using a simple chute, we extended the takeout belt and added three small side chutes to split the fruit flow. This allows packers to:

• Place empty boxes (e.g., 1kg or 2kg premium boxes) under each of the three chutes.

• Easily hand‑pack the fruit while the belt continues running, without the need for a complex automatic packing machine.

• Maintain high output for the most valuable size grade while guaranteeing a perfect, uniform retail presentation.

This low‑cost, high‑flexibility design has proved to be a game changer: the customer no longer needs to invest tens of thousands of dollars in a dedicated automatic punnet packer. By making a small mechanical adjustment to a single outlet, they achieved the same premium packaging result with manual labour that was already on site.

5. Excellent Cost‑Performance Ratio: Small Investment, Multiple Packing Options

The packaging design of the shunt (three baffles) can be disassembled at will, so the customer can reconfigure the outlet whenever they need to switch between bulk and premium packing. This modular approach is ideal for growers who process different varieties across the season and need to respond to orders from both mass‑market retailers and boutique greengrocers.

With a target throughput of 10 tonnes per day, the line easily meets the farm’s commercial requirements while keeping capital expenditure within a reasonable budget. It also proves that you do not need a million‑dollar fully‑automated line to achieve export‑grade packaging – clever engineering on a single outlet can deliver outstanding value.

6. Why Choose Fstsort for Your Custom Grading Solution?

At Fstsort, we understand that every packing house has different requirements. Whether you need a simple roller grader for a small cooperative, a fully‑automated multi‑lane sorter for a large packer, or a hybrid line like this one for an Australian litchi farm, we provide:

• Made‑to‑measure grading solutions based on your fruit type, daily volume, and packaging needs

• Gentle handling technology that preserves fruit quality and export‑grade appearance

• Flexible outlet configurations that allow you to run bulk and premium packing on the same machine

👉 Interested in a similar custom solution for your packing line?
→ Learn more about Fstsort’s litchi grading machines