Improve quality and productivity associated with live blue mussel inspection through the installation of automated sorting equipment

Final report

Allen's Fisheries Ltd
AIMAP 2012-N01

Background

Allen's Fisheries Limited (AFL) proposed to purchase and install an automatic sorting and defect removal system supplied by Best Sorting Systems Inc, Belgium to improve the quality of live blue mussels processed at the plant and improve plant productivity. The technology does not exist in Canada and has not been used to sort mussels.

The goals/objectives of this project were to improve productivity and quality of finished mussel products and to reduce producing costs.

AFL completed preliminary investigation into available technology and concluded the processing advantages of incorporating new automating sorting technology. The use of automatic sorting systems will provide improved finished product quality, increased productivity and volume. The proposed system would provide inspection capacity up to 8,000 kg per hour or double the current production level. Manual inspection processes are labour intensive, not always effective and often monotonous. The manual inspector performance is significantly reduced as the shift progresses and is influenced by employee vision, process lighting and worker fatigue.

The following report provides details on the technology insight mission specific to automated packaging of whole in-shell mussels and outlines preparations which were included in advance of the equipment arrival.

Project

Allen's Fisheries Ltd. (AFL), Benoit's Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador with the assistance of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), Aquaculture Innovation and Market Access Program (AIMAP) and theDepartment of Fisheries and Aquaculture's Fisheries Technology and New Opportunities Program (FTNOP) initiated a technical review of automated sorting and defect removal systems for whole live blue mussels in 2011.

The initial research project facilitated a thorough evaluation of the equipment, the inspection process, the expected throughput and related cost. The project included preparation of equipment supplier reports on the mussel detection process, individual machine performance evaluation and facilitated a technology insight mission to BEST Sorting Systems headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. Upon completion of Phase I research, AFL decided to purchase the new mussel sorting technology in 2012. Purchase contracts were signed and the machine manufacturing was initiated in BEST's North American facility located in Denver, US. The use of this specialized laser and optical inspection equipment for blue mussel processing at AFL was a first for North America.

This report details the installation of the BEST (Helius C-1200) which took place at AFL in March 2013. Leading up to the machine delivery, the project management team had initiated preparation for placement within the blue mussel processing operation. The inspection equipment would be placed after primary processing which includes initial declumping, primary size grading, washing/cleaning and debyssing. AFL's maintenance personnel including electricians and fabrication engineers prepared the facility for the new equipment. In March 2013 a BEST Field Service Engineer travelled to Benoit's Cove from their headquarters in Belgium to conduct the installation and employee training. Upon arrival the equipment was quickly uncrated and placed into the mussel processing area. The machine was assembled, all parts connected and tested. AFL provided engineers, electricians, computer/phone technician, maintenance personnel and mussel production and quality control personnel throughout the installation process. In addition to placing the Helius C-1200, the installation team also installed required auxiliary equipment which included a new air compressor, air dryer, water chiller and nitrogen gas system, all of which were necessary for the automated inspection process.

The technician reviewed the operation manual, maintenance and cleaning schedule for the machine and demonstrated the start-up and PAX communication system features. The latter allows BEST technicians in Belgium to communicate directly with the machine at AFL to trouble shoot and check various operating programs. The placement of the machine was necessary in order that AFL could complete their mussel infeed conveyor and take-away (good and reject ) assemblies. AFL plans to manufacture several specially designed conveyors needed to complete the machine integration.

The placement of a water conveyor hopper in under the machine is critically important, as it must prevent any breakage resulting from the inspection process. The amount of working space under the machine is limited and this is the reason the machined needed to be placed before design and fabrication could be finalized. Once the conveyors are assembled AFL will configure the entire system and conduct initial processing trials. AFL's project management team believes the system will perform according to specification and assist in the removal of mussel defects which include; broken mussels, dirty mussels, kelp, crabs, sea stars and empty shells. AFL expects the equipment to be fully functional by 2014.