Greek fruit processor goes for fully automated sorting process

From initial pilot to scalable automation

The collaboration between Agrophoenix and QING began several years ago with a clear goal: to automate the grading process of peaches with a high degree of accuracy. Important drivers to start automating were:

• optimizing product quality,  
• reducing waste,  
• coping with the growing labor shortage  
• and increasing efficiency within production.

Following the successful initial implementation of a Vision AI system built on QING’s control software STAQ, the results were impressive. The system inspects and sorts peaches using AI, sensors, cameras, and robotics. In this way, the Q-Sort System delivers consistent quality, reduces manual labor, and generates valuable data for further process optimization.

After two productive seasons with the first system, Agrophoenix has taken the next major step. In collaboration with QING, production has been expanded to include eight AI-driven STAQ sorting systems, thereby automating the entire sorting process.

Agrophoenix chooses QING to fully automate peach sorting process with 8 STAQ sorting systems > read the full story here.

See, Think, Act

The STAQ framework, developed by QING, is based on the See - Think - Act principle. The technology combines Vision AI, robotics and data analytics to accurately inspect and automatically sort products. Here's how it works:

• See: The system observes with 2D, 3D or line scan cameras. ‍
• Think: AI algorithms analyze images, recognize patterns and assess the quality of each peach. ‍
• Act: The robot performs the appropriate action, such as removing products with deviations. With each cycle, the system learns, continuously improving efficiency.

Application in figures

With its eight Q-Sort systems, Agrophoenix can:

• Inspecting 500,000 peaches per hour for quality
• Detecting defects with advanced Vision AI models ‍
• Perform up to 80 picks per minute per robot
• Achieve a 97% pick rate
• Increase quality consistency by 85% ‍
• Save 50 FTE of manual labor daily

Smarter, more efficient and future-proof

With this expansion, Agrophoenix is preparing for a future in which production processes are becoming increasingly data-driven, efficient and sustainable. An important step toward fully automated food processing.

Take the step toward cost savings and consistent quality

Wondering how you, as a food manufacturer, can make the most of the benefits of Vision AI? Contact Will—he’ll be happy to tell you more.