In the year of its 175th anniversary, AVR, producer of a full range of machinery for potato cultivation and world player in that market segment, has a lot of product launches planned. The first wave of launches includes no less than three new machines within the crop handling range, including the very first AVR box filler: the AVR Scorpio.
The AVR Scorpio box filler completes the AVR crop handling range and reflects its identity by combining user-friendliness with capacity and gentleness in product handling. The capacity offered by Scorpio equals that of one experienced forklift driver. In other words: it delivers one filled crate every minute.
- Potato-friendly
The moving main belt is composed of two elements, with an inflection point in the middle. As a result, the separate elements are longer than that of most other models on the market. This guarantees low drop heights while ensuring that the potatoes are gently guided into the crate via a gradient that is not too steep. The limited inclination renders a belt with a profile superfluous, while the simple addition of a scraper is enough to prevent the accumulation of dirt.
The main belt is driven on both sides by a drum motor for optimal and equal traction in both directions. This allows drum motors that are quite small in diameter to be used – which minimizes drop heights – while ensuring a large enough contact surface to prevent slipping. Looking for even more protection? The rubber flaps on the main belt curb the speed at which the flow of potatoes slides downwards.
- User-friendly & pleasant to use
The crate filler is very easy to operate via the buttons on the electrical control box and the intuitive 7” touchscreen. Thanks to the fully electrical control system, the Scorpio is energy-efficient and remarkably quiet, and can be operated very smoothly.
Thanks to the various sensors – including the sensors that determine the position of the belt and a laser sensor that continuously monitors the product level in the crate – crates are automatically filled from the bottom to the top, with minimal drop heights during the entire process.
- AVR Line Control
The installation of AVR Line Control software allows the Scorpio crate filler to communicate with all other AVR machines in the crop handling line. The entire line comes to a halt, for example, when both crates are full, and will automatically restart as soon as an empty crate is put in position and the main belt has reached the bottom of the empty crate.
If one crate is full and the other is empty, the crate filler will stop while the rest of the line and the AVR Line Control remains active. At that point in time, the crate filler will buffer some product on the belt and switch to the empty crate. This allows smooth switching from one crate to another, without impacting the capacity of the crop handling line.
The buffer effect can also be expanded to the Mamba conveyor via AVR Line Control, for example, in order to optimize capacity.
- Flexibility
The Scorpio can fill crates in just about all conventional dimensions. This is because the frame height and the crate position are adjustable. The indicator light allows the forklift driver to easily see if the crate has been positioned correctly.
Convenient options include an additional supply belt – which offers extra buffer capacity and facilitates 180° supply – as well as a frequency regulator for the infinite adjustment of the conveyor speed, switched power outlets and LED working lights.
In practice
The prototypes were tested extensively and received positive feedback from the users. The series production will commence in 2025. The Scorpio will be on display in stationary mode during the Potato Demo Day held in Westmaas, the Netherlands, on 21 August. It will also be presented live in a demo set-up at the Potato Europe trade fair held this year in Villers-Saint-Christophe, France, on 11 and 12 September.
