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Apple harvester – FELIX Z

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The end of September is the middle season for apple producers. Fruits are harvested for fresh markets and for the industry. The apple harvesters work in orchards…

Apple harvested directly from trees

Industrial apples in Poland included about half of the total apple production in the season over the years. However, this percentage is increasing every year. We already have orchards planned specifically for machine harvesting and the producers of these fruits ask us more and more often about apple harvesting machines.

 Young apple orchard for mechanical harvest

Apple harvesters are also a very good solution for times when we haven’t people to work and the cost of work still increases. So, using the machine you can reduce harvesting costs for industry fruits.

When you talk about apple harvest directly from the trees firstly you think about hand-picking. For industry, we pick up apples from under the trees. Fruits are bruised, stuck with leaves, and rotten. FELIX/Z harvester gives the possibility of picking fruit directly from the tree. Fruits are cleaner than apples picked from the ground. It is important if we want to sell the products quickly and for a better price. It is also important if you produce juices and concentrates by yourself.

A few weeks ago we were in the orchard where our customer uses FELIX/Z for apple harvesting.

 Apple harvester at work

Harvester for apples… and not only

FELIX/Z is a full-row trailed harvesters for sour cherries, prunes, olives, almonds, industrial apples and other stone fruit. Machines are designed to work in orchards with espalier structure, where trees are formed properly.  The technology of collecting fruits is based on vertical shakers harvesting system. The fruit are falling on the conveyor and are being transported through the cleaning unit. The effective sealing system eliminates fruit losses. Depending on the fruit’s designation market and on the final customer’s requirements, fruits can be harvested into large 500 kg or small 10-20 kg boxes.

Harvesting apples mechanically

 Harvesting apples mechanically

Effective apple harvest

Basic working components enabling efficient work:

  • Shaking unit with 2 vertical shakers and adjusted shaking head
  • Set of transporters (2 long and 2 vertical)
  • Sealing unit with catchers minimizes efficiently fruits losses
  • Cleaning unit with a set of fans
  • Discharge chutes

All harvester’s working units are hydraulically driven. This solution ensures efficient work as well as smooth adjustment of operating parameters.

Apples harvested with a harvester

 Apples harvested with a harvester

Apple orchard – optimal parameters for machine harvest

  • Distance between rows: min. 4 m
  • Distance between trees in a row: min. 1,5 m
  • Tree trunk height measured from the first branches: min. 0,7 m
  • Max. trees height:
    – 3,5 m for model KWZ 280
    – 3,85 m for model KWZ 315
  • Trees should be grown with an upright trunk and elastic side branches bearing fruit. Branches older than 4-5 years should be pruned

If parameters of your orchard are different, please contact us. We will help you to choose a suitable solution!

See, how the machine works:

Contact us and find out more!

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