Unitec Group technologies at Asia Fruit Logistica 2017

UNITEC, international group that specializes in designing and developing technologies for the processing, sorting, quality selection and packing of more than 35 types of fresh fruit and vegetables, will be present, again, at Asia Fruit Logistica, to be held in Hong Kong from September 6 to 8. At the prestigious exhibition event, the Group will spotlight a particularly specific range of new and accurate vision systems dedicated to the selection and classification of the internal and external quality of fruits that are particularly appreciated by Asian consumers, such as blueberries, cherries, peaches, plums, apricots, kiwis and apples. The innovations of UT Instruments, a company that belongs to Unitec Group, will integrate this offer, in a logic of system integration. UT Instruments will exhibit a wide range of portable technology devices that measure the qualitative parameters of fruit throughout all the supply chain, from the field to the packing house, from the large-scale retail trade to general markets. "Over the last few years, the participation in this important event has proved to be strategic, since it helps us establish and strengthen increasingly profitable relationships with the Asian market and with all the countries that export here. Asia is a very important market for Unitec Group, as it’s a context in which our excellence-driven technologies are finding more and more ways to give their best. Our interest in Asia is growing constantly, because these markets demand higher product standards and full, long-term reliability of every single supply", says Luca Montanari, Vice-President of the Group, commenting on the participation of Unitec in Hong Kong trade show. “We are aware - adds Montanari- that the demand for fruit characterized by consistent quality over time can only be met through the use of innovative technologies designed and developed specifically for this purpose and the offer that Unitec has perfected in over 90 years of activity is perfectly in line with this increasingly widespread way of understanding business. Today at Unitec we are able to offer state-of-the-art technologies that guarantee the accuracy of fruit selection and classification based on specific and increasingly complex parameters (ripeness, acidity, dry matter, degree Brix, internal and external defects, besides typical parameters like color and size). This degree of specialization enables packing houses to offer fruit with a highly diversified quality that is in line with the market demands and with the taste of end consumers. These innovative technologies also allow packing houses to plan their export strategies in a targeted manner, taking into account the different needs of the target markets. The standardization of selection processes guarantees the quality of the products that arrive on the markets (even when they are far away): only fruits that are suitable for this journey towards the most profitable markets are selected, packaged and shipped. Business prospects, increased profitability and access to new distribution opportunities, which are realized thanks to the technological innovations of Unitec Group, have been extraordinary so far" concludes Montanari. Unitec technologies under the spotlight of Asia Fruit Logistica 2017At Asia Fruit Logistica, Unitec Group will bring its know-how and the push for innovation of an R&D department that is constantly striving to make fresh fruit and vegetables processing more and more efficient. In particular, the spotlights will focus on all the quality selection and classification systems dedicated to the processing of fruits that are particular interesting for the Asian market:- Blueberry Vision (Image 1). It is the pioneering technology for the selection and classification of blueberries, the first and one-of-a-kind system that guarantees the possibility to inspect 100% of the blueberry surface without damaging it and, therefore, greatly improves the reliability in the selection and classification of the product before it is placed on the market.- Cherry Vision 2 (Image 2). It is the innovative system 100% developed, designed and manufactured by Unitec for the electronic sorting of several quality parameters of cherries. This technology enables operators to analyze the internal and external quality of fruits, detecting size, color, internal defects, external defects, softness, absence or presence of the stem, degree Brix. In particular, Cherry Vision 2 is the only technology in the world that can detect the fruit softness with the highest reliability and efficiency and can select cherries according to the their color, so as to provide products tailored to the different needs of the reference market. Since it can process large quantities of product in less time, it significantly reduces also management costs, ensuring consistent quality over time.- Apples Sort (Image 3). Apples Sort vision system was designed by Unisorting, a company of Unitec group that specializes in apple technologies. It is equipped with high-resolution cameras and classifies each apple with the highest efficiency and accuracy, ensuring an unprecedented selection accuracy. Avoiding invasive processes, this technology can take into account and connect an extraordinary complexity of parameters, including: size, color, shape, integrity, degree of ripeness, internal and external defects, sourness and degree Brix.- Peach Vision. It is the technology for the detection of internal and external quality of peaches, nectarines and saturn peaches that enables operators to detect size, color, internal defects, external defects, softness and degree Brix.- Plum Vision. In order to provide effective solutions for the automatic selection of plums, Plum Vision can guarantee perfect product integrity and, at the same time, significant cost reduction in the defect selection phase.- Apricot Vision. This technology ensures an excellent sorting and selection of overripe apricots by means of optical sensors that operate in the infrared light band and are capable of detecting fruit pulp consistency, removing fruits that are no longer suitable for sale. The benefits it brings are considerable and allow packing houses to provide their customers with unprecedented quality, making long-distance exports possible.- Kiwi Vision. It is the exclusive Unitec technology for the detection of internal and external quality of kiwis. It enables operators to detect and then select according to: weight, size, color, internal defects, external defects, hardness, degree Brix, shape and symmetry. Unitec enables packing houses to increase their revenues by guaranteeing the weight accuracy of the packages. Whether you want to process kiwis with presorting or with direct packaging, for low or high volume, Unitec is the partner that enables you to get the highest performance with maximum profitability.- Dates Sort. This Unisorting-branded technology enables you to select and classify the valuable or non-valuable characteristics of any type of date. On each of these types of dates, Dates Sort can carry out a careful selection and classification of external defects, such as detachment of the skin from the pulp, shape defects and much more.- UT Instruments, a company that was born after the merger of Unitec and TR Turoni, which has been in the industry of quality control of fruit and vegetables for more than 30 years, will exhibit its precision electronic instruments that measure the quality of fruit and vegetables. Portable, smart, fast and accurate, with Bluetooth technology and dedicated software, UT tools are the perfect completion of Unitec Group's offer. UT electronic tools enable you to measure various fruit quality parameters, such as: small/big, with a long/short shelf-life, sour/sweet, soft/hard, ripe/not ripe, and therefore allow the entire supply chain to meet the specific consumer needs. Unitec will be at:ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICAHong Kong, 6th-8th SeptemberHall 5 Stand 5-G27 Infoph. +39 0545.288884 press@unitec-group.com