necessary. The apples then pass through a skin eliminator with powerful waterjets, Losses by this method vary from 45 to 47 percent for medium sized apples, including coring losses Mechanical peeling can be carried out by a battery of semi automatic Pease peeling and coring machines. Each machine has 4 paring and coring heads, and is fed by one operator at a rate of 80 apples per minute at 100 percent efficiency but, in practice, 75 percent of the manufacturers rated throughput is more realistic. More manual trimming is often required after le machines, and 50 percent losses are usual. The following table gives the theoretical and proven outputs(factory test)of one 4 head unit. Diameter Throughput/hour Throughput/hour Throughput per in mm 100% efficien @75% efficien 8 hours 2016 552 3312 4464 From the above factory figures, based on an actual days production, 4 units produced 6. 5 tonnes of prepared apples averaging 70mm in diameter 30 trimmers were employed on the inspection belt a better type of mechanical peeler with automatic feed is available from Atlas-Pacific. This will handle 110 apples per minute (at 85 percent efficiency)or 700kg per hour of 80mm apples. Peeling losses are claimed to be 35-40 percent, and with regular shaped apples of good quality, few trimmers are required-approximately one third of the number needed with 4 semi automatic units The principle of mechanical peeling and coring is that the apples a offered up to, and impaled on a rotating spindle and a spring-loaded floating peeling knife follows the contour of the rotating fruit, removing a narrow strip of peel. a circular coring knife then lift simultaneous movement and removes the stem, calyx and seed cells in one a peration. The peeled and cored apple is then mechanically ejected from the spindle downa chute and on to a discharge conveyor which delivers it to the inspection and trimming conveyor As soon as the apple is peeled and trimmed it must be submerged in ither a 1.5 percent salt solution or sulphite solution to prevent browning and oxidisation. This is most conveniently done in a flume which deliversnecessary. The apples then pass through a skin eliminator with powerful waterjets. Losses by this method vary from 45 to 47 percent for medium sized apples, including coring losses. Mechanical peeling can be carried out by a battery of semi automatic ‘Pease’ peeling and coring machines. Each machine has 4 paring and coring heads, and is fed by one operator at a rate of 80 apples per minute at 100 percent efficiency but, in practice, 75 percent of the manufacturer‘s rated throughput is more realistic. More manual trimming is often required after the machines, and 50 percent losses are usual. The following table gives the theoretical and proven outputs (factory test) of one 4 head unit. Diameter Throughput/hour Throughput/hour Throughput per in mm @ 100% efficiency @ 75% efficiency 8 hours 50 336 252 201 6 60 408 306 2448 70 552 414 331 2 80 744 558 4464 90 1008 756 6048 kg kg kg From the above factory figures, based on an actual day’s production, 4 units produced 6.5 tonnes of prepared apples averaging 70mm in diameter. 30 trimmers were employed on the inspection belt. A better type of mechanical peeler with automatic feed is available from Atlas-Pacific. This will handle 110 apples per minute (at 85 percent efficiency) or 700kg per hour of 80mm apples. Peeling losses are claimed to be 35-40 percent, and with regular shaped apples of good quality, few trimmers are required -approximately one third of the number needed with 4 semi automatic units. The principle of mechanical peeling and coring is that the apples are offered up to, and impaled on a rotating spindle and a spring-loaded ’floating’ peeling knife follows the contour of the rotating fruit, removing a narrow strip of peel. A circular coring knife then lifts in an arc in a simultaneous movement and removes the stem, calyx and seed cells in one operation. The peeled and cored apple is then mechanically ejected from the spindle down a chute and on toa discharge conveyor which delivers it to the inspection and trimming conveyor. As soon as the apple is peeled and trimmed it must be submerged in either a 1.5 percent salt solution or sulphite solution to prevent browning and oxidisation. This is most conveniently done in a flume which delivers I73