30-50(trimming and selection) Permanent night men 15-25(Trimming and selection) The female labour content will vary according to the types of vegetable being processed. The above numbers in any case assume that, at the selection and packing end of the process, the products are being bulk packed. Where the product is intended for retail distribution in small units, a very much larger female packing staff would be required to operate filling and packing machinery. Such considerations, in this instance, however, have not been taken into account. Male operators will normally substitute for women on the 10pm to 6am shift It is stressed that the figures given can only be taken as a rough guide, d the of two types of dryer, the methods of operating which are efficient and particularly economical in labour content generally The conveyor band dryer, either single or multi pass, is probably more versatile than most in the types of vegetable it will handle, and it is particularly suitable for long sustained runs of one product. Its merits, along with those of other dryers, will be described in later chapters but in the context of the present plant under review, it requires a minimum of staff to operate it. As in the canning and freezing industries, the greatest concentration of female labour is in the trimming and selection departments, and unless strict control is exercised in these areas, as to the numbers and efficiency costs can easily overtake profits Technology has made great strides, however, in reducing the tedium and unrewarding work of product selection, and there are now very efficient colour sorting devices on the market, which effectively select and reject blemished material in the raw state, or after drying. This reduces the labour requirement for trimming and selection, and the development of these machines to the present peak of efficiency has cut the cost of these operations very considerably. As the particle size of dried vegetables rarely exceeds 10mm by 10mm by 10mm, the electronic colour sorter can scan these particles in their trajectory through an optical box against a predetermined coloured background. Any particle, whose colour, by reason of blemish, differs from that which is acceptable, is pushed into a different trajectory by a jet of compressed air and diverted through a waste spout. These machines have high efficiency and perform the task of selection at a fraction of the cost of hand labour Some visual inspection is still advisable after the product has passedWomen: 30-50 (trimming and selection) Permanent night men 15-25 (Trimming and selection) The female labour content will vary according to the types of vegetable being pmcessed. The above numbers in any case assume that, at the selection and packing end of the pmcess, the products e being bulk packed. Where the product is intended for retail distribution in small units, a very much larger female packing staff would be required to operate filling and packing machinery. Such considerations, in this instance, however, have not been taken into account. Male operators will normally substitute for women on the lOpm to 6am shift. It is stressed that the figures given can only be taken as a mugh guide, and they are based on the manning of two particular types of dryer, the methods of operating which are efficient and particularly economical in labour content generally. The conveyor band dryer, either single or multi pass, is probably more versatile than most in the types of vegetable it will handle, and it is particularly suitable for long sustained runs of one product. Its merits, along with those of other dryers, will be described in later chapters but in the context of the present plant under review, it requires a minimum of staff to operate it. As in the canning and freezing industries, the greatest concentration of female labour is in the trimming and selection departments, and unless strict control is exercised in these areas, as to the numbers and efficiency, costs can easily overtake profits. Technology has made great strides, however, in reducing the tedium and unrewarding work of product selection, and there are now very efficient colour sorting devices on the market, which effectively select and reject blemished material in the raw state, or after drying. This reduces the labour requirement for trimming and selection, and the development of these machines to the present peak of efficiency has cut the cost of these operations very considerably. As the particle size of dried vegetables rarely exceeds lOmm by lOmm by lOmm, the electronic colour sorter can scan these particles in their trajectory through an optical box against a predetermined coloured background. Any particle, whose colour, by reason of blemish, differs from that which is acceptable, is pushed into a different trajectory by a jet of compressed air and diverted through a waste spout. These machines have a high efficiency and perform the task of selection at a fraction of the cost of hand labour. Some visual inspection is still advisable after the product has passed 25