AN EXPERIMENTAL PACKING LINE FOR McINTOSH APPLES 

 An Interim Report 



By Stanley W. Burt, industrial engineer 

 Transportation and Facilities Branch 

 Agricultural Marketing Service 



INTRODUCTION 



Packing high-quality apples has placed a burden on apple packers' 

 methods and equipment. Many have had to abandon mechanical packing lines 

 and resort to hand methods to obtain quality packing. Technology in apple 

 storage, handling, and packing is changing rapidly, and the market is becoming 

 more demanding. On top of this, many packers are facing increased production 

 with packing facilities which are already taxed. More efficient apple packing 

 methods and equipment are needed to meet the problems arising from these 

 changing conditions. 



About half of all apples grown in the New York-New England area are of 

 the Mcintosh variety. In some States this variety represents nearly three- 

 quarters of the apple crop. Besides being the predominant variety produced 

 in the eastern area, the Mcintosh is also one of the most tender and easily 

 bruised. Any packing line that meets the demanding requirements of the 

 Mcintosh variety will be suitable for use with other varieties as well. 



The first step in the development of a mechanical packing line suitable 

 for Mcintosh apples was to assemble a line consisting of the latest commer- 

 cially available equipment and install it in the packing room of a commercial 

 packer. This line was tested, revised, and then tested again to determine: 

 (1) The cost of labor and equipment for packing apples, (2) the amount and 

 severity of bruising and where it occurred, (3) effectiveness of sorting 

 operation, and (4) accuracy of the mechanical dimension sizer. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PACKING LINE 



The experimental apple packing line consists of equipment which is 

 commercially available. It is experimental to the extent that the combi- 

 nation of equipment has not been tested before with the Mcintosh variety, 

 although each item of equipment has been used successfully with other 

 varieties and in other areas. The items were assembled into an experimental 

 line to determine whether the advantages of mechanical packing could be 

 applied to the Mcintosh apple, and whether the equipment could be modified, 

 if necessary, to meet the requirements of the Mcintosh variety. 



A layout of the complete packing line is shown in figure 1. This line 

 consists of the following components: 



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