More and cleaner with potato grader
More and cleaner with potato grader
GREATER throughput and improved crop cleaning performance are considered to be the key selling points for the Proteus range of potato graders from EW Downs.
Available in 1.8m, 2.1m and 2.4m widths, the graders feature a flat-topped loading elevator which is designed to improve crop flow by smoothing out large heaps from bulk trailer loads.
A smooth intake of crop is also ensured by an all-seeing eye mounted above the flat-top conveyor which sends signals to the motors to vary the belt speed, according to Downs.
Cleaning is carried out by a Gaxlaxy soil separator which comprises star rollers working alongside hexagon profile bars.
Both elements are powered by electric motors which can be varied in speed to suit crop condition, and the hexagon bars can be reversed for cleaning wet crop.
After the cleaner, crop falls on a Synchron separation unit where smaller potatoes drop through a rotating mesh screen.
Agitation on the screen is provided by a crank, while internal brush rollers run at twice the speed of the screen to dislodge trapped potatoes.
Larger potatoes then fall onto a grading line conveyor belt where stones, clods, trash and reject potatoes are picked out manually.
The main crop is discharged onto a side conveyor, while a long waste conveyor positioned underneath the grader disposes of trash.
Claimed to handle up to 50t of crop/hr, the Proteus grader is priced from £55,000.
The Proteus potato grader from EW Downs is designed to offer greater throughputs and cleaning performance.