UNITEC GROUP launches UNICAL 8.0 at MACFRUT 2017

The novelties of Unitec, international group that specializes in the innovation of fruit and vegetable industry with technologies dedicated to more than 35 types of fruit and vegetables, were at the center of the annual Macfrut show (Rimini Fiere, May 10th-12th, 2017). The important Rimini event was the ideal stage to present Unitec Group novelties that aim to increase the competitiveness of Packing Houses and bring concrete improvements to their business and revenues. The spotlight will be on Unical 8.0, the latest Unisorting-branded innovation that was developed by Unitec to efficiently meet the needs related to the processing of the most popular product in the world: apples. Unical 8.0, Gold medal at Macfrut Innovation Award, stands out for the strong innovation that makes it the world's first machine designed to be 100% sanitizable and thus avoid the contamination of good fruits during their processing. The highest reliability in apple classification is now possible with Unical 8.0 and Apples > Sort technology for the selection and classification of external and internal quality, using high-resolution cameras capable of classifying each single fruit with the highest efficiency and accuracy. "We already worked with Unitec for apple sorting in the past – said Giancarlo Minguzzi, owner of Minguzzi SpA, who recently chose Unical 8.0 to process his apples. – After 5 years Unitec presented us with Unical 8.0. I immediately realized that there were improvements in several calibration phases, especially in defect detection. The market requires more and more perfect products. With Unical 8.0, first we found these solutions on paper, and then in practice, now that we are using them. With Unical 8.0 we can guarantee our customers a consistently good quality." This innovative technology, designed with particular attention to its size, combines maximum gentleness in fruit handling and high productivity in small spaces thanks to an intelligent electronic conveyor system that synchronizes 3 independent mechanisms: soft rollers for the singulating phase, gentle pliers that weigh each single fruit and cup transport. "This new sorter is very compact - Minguzzi continues – so I did not think that it could achieve higher productivity than the previous one. We have already noticed a 15-20% increase in productivity, which means that thanks to Unical 8.0 we can reduce processing costs". UNICAL 8.0, versatile and compact, requires minimum maintenance and enhances any space, in the warehouse and during the shipping. In addition, every part of the sorter can be easily cleaned, and is designed with materials that comply with food contact regulations and can be completely sanitized, avoiding product loss caused by contamination. "The system that grasps the fruit has special pliers and respects it completely. The fruit is not affected and therefore is not damaged. [...] All parts of Unical 8.0, especially cups, can be easily cleaned and this prevents contamination of the product. We have been using Unical 8.0 only for a few weeks, but we have already noticed these benefits. I would like to say to my colleagues - concludes Minguzzi – that the product is absolutely not damaged at any stage of sorting. The big difference compared to other machines is that it does not create more defects than the ones you have at the start and this is a great benefit." Cherry Vision 2, Unitec technology for the selection and classification of the internal and external quality of cherries, will also be present at Rimini event. After the excellent results achieved abroad, it became increasingly successful in Italy too. Cherry Vision 2 enables operators to detect and classify cherries with the highest reliability, according to their size, color, internal defects, external defects, soft fruits, absence or presence of the stem, Brix degree etc. "Thanks to Cherry Vision 2 for defect, color and size selection - said Franco Paoli, Director of Melinda plants - our image will improve, since we can offer products with better quality. Unitec technologies help us provide customers with products of consistent quality, so our credibility is increasing too. We are convinced that this will lead to customer loyalty in the long run and will increase consumption too. " Along with Unical 8.0 and Cherry Vision 2 the following technologies were also at the tradeshow: - Uni Manager > P95, Unisorting-branded technology for citrus processing that was developed after the acquisition of Longobardi, Sado and Sammo companies by Unitec Group.  - UNI BIG BAG, the vertical packaging machine for food developed by Unitec Intelligent Packaging, the group packaging division that specializes in vertical packaging machines for food (for pasta, biscuits, flour and pet food up to 4th range products). - The technologies of UT Instruments, a company that was born from the merger of Unitec and Tr Turoni and that specializes in portable technology devices for measuring the qualitative parameters of fruit throughout all the phases of the supply chain, from the field to Packing Houses, up to large-scale retail trade and wholesale markets. Thanks to Ut Instruments, producers will be able to improve their production standards, and Packing Houses will be able to sample the products correctly and supply them to retailers and wholesalers who, in turn, by using these new instruments and software can provide their customers-consumers with quality that was correctly classified and is consistent with each delivery, avoiding unnecessary and prejudicial waste.  For more informationUNITEC S.p.A. - Clara Colonelli - Ph +39 0545 288884 / +39 342 9316471clara.colonelli@unitec-group.com / www.unitec-group.com