Many sites would like to envisage these operations automatically, either online using the additional functions of the feed robot for the egg grader or the egg breaker, or remotely in a washing room where a robot will receive stacks of pallets, dividers and pallets of egg trays, and then continuously feed the pallet/divider washer and the egg tray washer. To meet its clients’ requests Ovoconcept has therefore developed and produced a washer loading robot to meet the needs of these 2 types of operation.
In terms of rate, in the online version the depalletising robot only has to load pallets and dividers. In this way we can process 125 items per hour (i.e. the equivalent of 250,000 eggs/hour). As for the empty egg trays, they will be stacked and then routed to the washer inlet by a stack reclaimer conveyor by the egg grader or breaker loader. For a remote version, a washer loading robot can also process the equivalent of 250,000 eggs per hour by feeding both washers. In most cases we supply a 6500 items/hour egg tray washer and a 150 items/hour pallet and divider washer. This means that the maximum absorbable rate is 200,000 eggs per hour in this configuration.

Ovoconcept has developed and produced a palletisation cell for “Farmer Kits” with several possible recipes depending on the type and size of the farm.
Generally, all the egg trays which leave the washer are used to produce the kits. On the other hand, the pallets and dividers do not exit depending on the requirements for the kit. So, in this robot area, as well as the kit assembly position, we have stacking areas for clean pallets and dividers.
When pallets or dividers are not required for the kits, they are stacked in dedicated areas. The robot will also fetch the number of pallets or dividers that it needs for the kits from this area.
In terms of rate, it depends on the “recipe” for the kits to be made up, but in all cases the robot cell absorbs all the products which leave the 2 washers without difficulty.

On this site fitted with a Moba egg grader, the starting point had been to automate the feed to the egg grader. Firstly, we installed a new 6-stack SIME-TEK loader to make it possible to automate the loading of the egg grader with eggs coming from farms external to the side.

As the site was already equipped with the ECS plastic concept (plastic egg trays, pallets and dividers) and our LA 1500 egg tray washer, we were able to put in place a D125 depalletising robot for loading the egg grader. The robot receives the pallets of eggs, feeds the egg grader loader by stacks of 6 and stacks the empty dividers. This installation improves the productivity of the egg grader and also avoids the drudgery of this task for operators.
Then on the outlet of the egg grader the production of film-wrapped inserts is an important part of the volume. In order to avoid any handling to recover the inserts at the egg grader outlet, putting them on a pallet followed by loading them on the film-wrapping machine to obtain the finished product, we have installed a connector direct from the egg grader outlet to the inlet of the film-wrapping machine.
We have put a motorised transfer ejector in place at the outlet of an egg grader packing line and then an automatic conveying system to the film-wrapper inlet. A top tray denester and an automatic insert denester were set up on the conveyor line to avoid any operator intervention. A system for the control and detection of missing eggs was also installed to ensure there are no non-compliant products at the outlet of the machine.
Ovoconcept is very proud of this new installation and thanks Philippe Collas and his entire team for the confidence they placed in us. This installation enables the site working conditions and productivity to be improved. It is also a very good work tool to be demonstrated to develop the loyalty of current and future customers of La Ferme du Moulin Saint Jacques.

In order to meet the needs of the administration, the hotel and restaurant industry as well as the agrifood industry, Ovoconcept has been supporting the CACG in setting up a production line for pasteurised liquid eggs with a capacity of 250 kg/hour. The entire production line (as well as ancillary equipment such as sandwich panels and refrigeration units) has been installed by the customer with the help of local companies, whereas the start-up for the entire line was performed on-site by an Ovoconcept technician.
We would like to thank La Coopérative Avicole et Cunicole de Guyane for having entrusted us with its project for diversifying part of its production and we are very happy to have set up the first egg breaking line in French Guyana.

The automated assembly consists of a “special egg breaker” depalletiser, the Ovoperformer D500, which supplies the egg breaker with all-plastic 4 stack by 4 stack at a rate of 180,000 eggs/hour. In concurrent operation time, the Ovoperformer D500 deposits the dividers and pallets vertically on the Ovotunnel LPI 150 pallet and divider washer. As for the egg tray washer (6500 trays/hour) it is installed directly online at the outlet of the egg breaker loader. A 2nd Ovoperformer P400 robot has been installed at the outlet of the 2 washers in order to reclaim on the one hand the clean egg trays and on the other the clean pallets and dividers to form the “Farmer Kits”.
The line may be managed by 2 people, one for the feed for the pallets of eggs and the other for the management of the Ovoperformer P400 at the outlet of the washers. This investment has made it possible to improve productivity and working conditions significantly. When the egg breaker is stopped it is possible to use the depalletiser to supply the pallet and divider washer at a rate of 150 items per hour.
Massive thanks to the staff of Liot for their collaboration in this efficient, realistic project.