FBL x parma impianti rivista

quired by this kind of reflection.
In its main lines, we consider as a
starting point, an operating plant
where the average time of tomato
utilization, that is when the fresh
material is available, is no longer
than three months per year, and the
weather of the area enables other
mediterranean or tropical fruit crops
to be grown. Which leads to another
seven/eight months of production.
From a commercial point of view,
covering the mediterranean areas,
this kind of plant must possess a tomato
processing capacity not lower
than 100,000 tons per year. In spite
of this considerable tonnage, the
firm must bear high running costs
that may greatly affect its profitability.
The problem can be solved only
if the amounts obtained are diversified,
and the semi-manufactured
products delivered by processing
are partially finished products or finished
goods to be sold to the consumer
throughout the year.
In particular, besides the cost of capitals
locked up in finished products,
of course with a year’s cover, it is
cause for managerial pain the problems
concerning staff, permanent
for some jobs (maintenance, plant
indirect and regular services). Also
energy plays a part, all the same
consumed mostly when storage under
modified atmosphere is applied,
as well as problems in general posed
by wharehouse handling, etc.
It was observed that companies producing
only semi-manufactured products
for seasonal periods, are definitely
taking high economic risks.
The fact still remains that a mass
product such as tomato is all the same
a poor product. It couldn’t in fact
exist without the economic aid to its
support from the institutions. The
drastic reduction of plants doing
seasonal work is a clear evidence of
it.
The exercise starts with a few remarks
on the step opening the tomato
processing: raw material receiving.
Tomato at least in the more industrialized
areas, is delivered to a
processing plant in truck loaded bins
with a global capacity of dozens of
tons. When working with “integrated”
systems, tomato and fruit, receiving
is a station vitually featuring
highly diversified equipment, mainly
due to the hourly amounts to be pro-
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cessed.
On the matter it is worth recalling
how the utilization of boxes typical
of the Sixties is a quite old-fashioned
practice, whereas they are still
in use for delicate fruit, such as
strawberries, wild fruits and various
tropical fruits.
To protect fruit, usually besides these
boxes, to contain mechanically
strong fruits such as for instance
pears, apples, mango, 300/500-kg
large cases are used. (In some
plants for the production of juices
and purees, in large amounts, also
dump truck loaded bins are used).
As a result, the feed-in of smaller-sized
vats is made by special dumps
which also protect the wholeness of
fruit during overturning.
Citrus fruit processing requires a separate
speech. Here the amounts
can be enormous with the fresh product
placed in huge-sized “cages”.
Citrus is washed in vats and after
brushing is conveyed through sorting
to the unit for the extraction of
juice and essential oils.
Citrus juice processing can then
make use of the tomato processing
line at the final stage of concentration.
This is possible if the concentration
systems used are of special
type, that is suitable to protect an
extremely heat-sensitive product such
as juice. Of course these very
sophisticated systems can also produce
top quality tomato pastes,
unfortunately with the drawback of a
poor hourly throughput.
Coming back to our exercise, the
cargo of tomatoes loaded on the
truck bin, equipped with emptying
shutters, arrives at the unloading
area. Unloading ramps are installed
in this receiving area where the
truck is slightly tilted, orthogonally to
the driving direction, to help
emptying bins into the receiving vat.
A nozzle system operated either by
hand or automatically injects water
onto the bulk of tomatoes making it
fluid so that it flows and falls into the
vat.
The installation of “pools”, huge holding
vats, seems by that time rather
outdated, both due to their lack of
practicality and the loss of precious
juice mainly from overripe tomatoes
or suffering from serious mechanical
shocks occurred during transportation.
At present bins are preferably unloaded
into long and narrow tanks, with
U section and flaring edges, equipped
with some basic grills and special
devices for a non-stop removal
of stones and slime always adhering
to tomatoes coming from the field.
On an integrated system, fruit processing
undergoes a few changes
required, as previously said, by the
characteristics of fresh product and
the hourly amounts involved.
After washings, always made with
strong sprays of water on the rotary
product, tomato and fruit, whenever
possible, or with special shaped
tanks and net conveyors for delicate
fruit, the vegetable reaches sortings,
today always performed, for a massive
product like tomato, and in high
capacity plants, by optical sorters.
The optical sorters can be used as
well for fruit, especially some species
of fruit, including apricots, pea-