On-site Planning
Installation & Commissioning
Automated & Energy Efficient
Client Name: G***F
Country: Republic of Chile
Region: Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Region – the core fruit producing area of Chile's Central Valley, a base for exporting cherries, blueberries, grapes, and apples
Core Products: Cherries, blueberries, grapes, apples, peaches, strawberries, pineapples, bananas, mangoes, nectarines
Equipment Configuration: Hadof custom flexible bubble + spray + brush combination fruit washing line (compatible with ice water pre?cooling and wax coating system)
Commissioning Date: Q3 2024
Chile is one of the world's largest fruit exporters. Its unique southern hemisphere climate allows cherries, blueberries, grapes, and other fruits to dominate the Chinese market during the Spring Festival. G***F Group is the largest fruit exporter in Chile's Central Valley, shipping tens of thousands of tons of fresh fruit annually to China, the United States, and Europe. However, as Asian markets impose increasingly strict requirements on fruit surface cleanliness, traditional washing methods are facing severe challenges:
Conflict between bloom preservation and cleaning: The natural waxy bloom on blueberries and grapes is a sign of freshness. Traditional washing easily removes it, reducing visual appeal and shortening shelf life.
High damage rate for delicate fruits: Strawberries and cherries have extremely thin skins. Traditional mechanical washing caused damage rates of 8?10%, leading to complaints of spoilage upon arrival at Chinese ports.
Pesticide residue risk on tropical fruits: Tropical fruits such as bananas and mangoes often use preservatives during cultivation. Insufficient surface cleaning can lead to seizure by Chinese customs.
Low efficiency when mixing varieties: Different fruits (cherries, blueberries, apples) require different washing processes. Traditional lines required hours of downtime to switch varieties, severely impacting efficiency during peak shipping seasons.
The client's needs were clear: preserve the natural bloom to prove freshness, achieve zero damage for strawberries and cherries, thoroughly remove pesticide residues, and withstand sea transport of over 20 days.
After comparing American and Spanish washing equipment, the client ultimately chose our company. Our advantage lay in deep process adaptation to the characteristics of different fruits, rather than a generic machine.
Solution: Four Custom Designs Adapted to Diverse South American Fresh Fruits
1. "Gentle Air Bath" Bloom Preservation Technology
For blueberries and grapes, we used micro?pressure airflow tumbling instead of mechanical agitation. Air bubbles gently impact the surface, removing dust and pesticide residues while preserving over 95% of the natural bloom. Tests showed that after washing, the bloom remained intact and shelf life was extended by 5 days.
2. Sponge Cushion + Variable Frequency Brushes – Zero Damage for Strawberries and Cherries
For delicate fruits like strawberries and cherries, the conveyor belt uses food?grade sponge cushions with individual fruit slots. The washing section uses variable?frequency flexible brushes that automatically adjust speed according to fruit hardness, reducing the damage rate from 8% to below 0.5%, with a 99.5% intact rate upon arrival at Shanghai port.
3. Ultrasonic + Ozone Combined Pesticide Removal
For smooth?skinned fruits such as bananas, mangoes, and apples, ultrasonic cavitation penetrates microscopic pores in the skin, while ozone oxidizes and decomposes pesticide residues. SGS tests showed removal rates of 98.7% for pyrethroids and organophosphorus pesticides, meeting the strictest standards of China, Japan, and the EU.
4. Integrated Ice Water Pre?cooling + Wax Coating
The end of the washing line integrates an ice water pre?cooling section (water temperature 1?3°C), which cools the fruit core during washing, suppressing respiration and extending shelf life. For apples, citrus, and others, an optional wax coating module can automatically apply edible wax after washing for improved appearance.
5. Vision Recognition + AI Adaptive Changeover
An AI vision system at the line entrance automatically identifies the fruit variety (cherry / blueberry / apple / mango) and adjusts brush speed, spray pressure, water temperature, and other parameters within 1 second. Changeover time was reduced from 2 hours to 30 seconds, increasing daily capacity by 40%.
One year after commissioning, G***F Group has been transformed.
Capacity & Market Breakthrough
Daily throughput: Increased from 120 tons/day on the manual line (limited by changeover efficiency) to 220 tons/day continuous operation on the automated line, with peak season shipments during the Spring Festival doubling.
China market: Washed cherries and blueberries, marketed with the selling point of "natural bloom fully preserved," entered premium channels such as Hema, Sam's Club, and Costco, selling at 25% higher prices than ordinary Chilean fruit. Exports to China grew 60% in 2024, making G***F one of the top three Chilean exporters.
Significant Economic Benefits
Return on Investment: The group's production director calculated: "We used to need 150 workers for sorting and washing; now the entire line needs just 12. We save over $2 million annually in labor costs. With reduced spoilage, we recouped the investment in under 18 months."
Loss Reduction: Strawberry and cherry damage rates dropped from 8% to 0.5%, reducing losses by over $8 million annually.
Technological Leadership
Industry Benchmark: This line became South America's first "bloom?preserving" fruit washing line, earning Chile's Ministry of Agriculture "Innovative Export Award" and driving a technology upgrade across the Central Valley region.
"Hadof's equipment helped us find the perfect balance between freshness and cleanliness. Now Chinese consumers can see the natural bloom on blueberries and eat them with confidence. That's our secret weapon for conquering the Asian market with Chilean fruit."
—— G***F, Group Export Director
