ORAKA Technologies

Machine Vision Specialists

Newsletter for our customers

and others interested in Oraka Systems.

January 2008

We now have many new generation machines and upgrades of older machines running. We have two packhouses in California with 10 machines between them. The new systems are proving to be all we had hoped for and we are getting excellent feedback from the users. The machines are showing big improvements in diameter grading, bunch weights, colour and maturity detection.

In the last few years several suppliers producing close copies of the Oraka system have entered the world market. As we expected, the Oraka machines, both new and upgraded older models have proven superior to these imitators.

This is largely due to Oraka’s unequalled experience in the industry. Asparagus is a difficult crop to work with and there is no substitute for experience when it comes to building handling and grading equipment.

The singulating aid that we have worked on for several years is now a reality and is proving very successful.

We have upgraded the software to run faster than the 12 cups per second we have been running at. In fact the program will run at over 20 cups per second. Of course there are practical reasons why we cannot run that fast yet but that is what we hope to be able to do in the future.

Most of our development work is the result of requests from users and most improvements owe much to the help and encouragement of people using our equipment in the field. No two users have the same requirements but all want increased accuracy and reduced costs.

We therefore welcome suggestions and questions from all interested parties, whether they be owners, operators, prospective owners or others involved in the asparagus industry.

Since the early nineteen eighties Oraka has been experimenting with development of a selective asparagus harvester. In the last few years this development has accelerated with the help of an American investor and with help from Washington State Dept of Agriculture and Washington State University. We plan to have the latest version of our harvester in Washington again in April 2008 for evaluation.

As we have reported before, Oraka has produced systems for grading many crops besides asparagus. There is a minor revolution occurring in agriculture. It is fuelled by the rising cost and increasing scarcity of labour and we are working closely with a major Californian engineering company to produce harvesters for several major crops.

This page was last revised in January, 2008.

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