Pumpkin Washers

Here at TMIC we identified the need to support a rapidly growing Industry within the UK, the pumpkin market.

A quarter of Brits admit to buying a pumpkin for Halloween meaning sales of 17 million plus. These vast numbers of pumpkins need to be harvested, sized, washed and packed in a 6 week window, the majority of this process was a manual operation, but the rapidly increasing volumes coupled with continually worse situation in hiring seasonal labour has meant the industry has been crying out for some labour saving processes.

This is where TMIC has come in, we’ve listened to growers, seen the problems they have, then we look at how to help in solving them.

The Reed pumpkin washer, named after the late Colin Reed who came up with the design, was the first machine in our range, the 4.3m long version capable of washing up to 120 pumpkins per minute.

The washer comes with a host of options including auger and drag chain for automatic soil removal.

This was quickly followed by a floatation tank that proves to be the perfect way to feed a pumpkin washer, allowing boxes from the field to be either tipper via a box tipper or dropped into the tank with the forklift. The tank is an ideal pre-soak for the pumpkin before washing and loosens stubborn soil to ensure exceptional cleaning.

STANDARD FEATURES

Triple Variable Speed Brushes
Handles sizes from small Munchkins up to 400mm Pumpkins
Washing Capacity up to 125 Pumpkins per minute
Wet Intake Systems for gentle product handling and pre-soak
Automated Integral Box Tipper or Cradle Lowering Systems

WET INTAKE HOPPER

For gentle handling of the crop through water
Pre-wash of normal soil and other debris
Pre-soak of sticky soil prior to entry of the washer
High volume throughput for a high capacity feed into the washer
Water Jets to the rear of the tank to assist forward flow of the crop
Continental Web Outfeed Elevator with rubber fingers to prevent roll back of the crop

Choice of Wet Hopper Feed Systems

Automated Box Tipper

Offering a gentle tipping action
Accepts standard 1T Wooden Crop Boxes
Fully automated tipping sequence
Space saving design

Lowering Cradle System

For extra gentle pumpkin handling
Boxes are lowered into the tank, allwing the pumpkins to float out and flow forward
Extra powerful circulation pump fitted to the tank, for higher capacity rear water jets

Wet Hopper Out Feed Options

Full width transfer belt
Modular type belt or traditional rubber or PVC
Inspection platform area
Troughed singulating infeed conveyor