Elifab True AI System becomes key asset for North West blueberry packhouse

SOUTH AFRICA – The first Elifab 2 Lane sorter fitted with Ellips True AI in South Africa’s North West Province now anchors the workflow at Handvol Boerdery’s blueberry packhouse, according to the team that runs it.

Flowpack Systems, the Southern African distributor of Elifab Solutions, installed the system earlier this year. Rory Cole says the new image recognition brings a level of clarity that growers needed.

He explains that “the main difference with the True AI is that it can recognise the calyx and the stem with 100% accuracy.” Rust on petals often creates false defects on older systems, which leads to rejected fruit that still meets top grade.

Cole notes that the new sorter fixes that problem because “if that berry turns, it will recognise the calyx a hundred percent of the time.”

Elifab Solutions manufactures the system in Spain.

Packhouse team notices immediate gains

Handvol Boerdery installed the 2 lane sorter in August 2025. Production manager Cat Squire recalls how quickly the new machine settled into the workflow. She says, “we expected an upgrade in efficiency. What we didn’t expect was how quickly it would transform the entire rhythm of our packhouse.”

Her team saw accurate readings from the start. She explains that “the production readings were remarkably accurate, giving us a clear picture of pack out and grade distribution in real time.” She adds that variety changes also became simpler because the sorter moves between cultivars and berry sizes without long resets or stoppages.

Cole says the system performs strongly because Ellips trained its algorithm with a huge image bank gathered from more than 3500 packhouses across the world.

AI improves quality control and lowers labour needs

Squire says the defect detection stands out the most. It identifies internal softness, shriveled berries, dry scars, rain splits, picking scars, immature fruit, and mould. She says, “this accuracy has allowed us to maintain export level standards even with mixed quality batches or end of season fruit.”

The sorter handles 370 to 400 kilograms per hour and her team cut manual sorting nearly in half.

Gentle handling adds extra value. Small drop heights protect bloom and reduce bruising, which protects shelf life.

The system also scans 160 degrees for softness. Cole says the team uses Durafel readings to decide which fruit can travel by sea. Fruit that falls short still moves by air.

Simple upkeep and steady results

Squire explains that the system runs well with simple care. She says, “within a few days, our team was running the system confidently and efficiently.” Clean rollers keep the sorter sharp and the self cleaning steamer shortens the process. She adds, “just start the cycle, step away, and within 20 minutes the rollers are clean and ready for the next run.”

She trusts the sorter even when markets shift. She says, “once the programme is set, you can walk away confident that the results will stay consistent from start to finish.”

Squire believes the Elifab system now sits at the centre of their operations. She says it again in closing: “we didn’t expect how quickly it would transform the entire rhythm of our packhouse.”

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