Fish sorting line

Machine builder SMO has constructed and installed a completely new fish sorting line for the Flemish Fish Auction. Fish that is supplied fresh by the shipping companies must first be sorted by weight before they can be auctioned.

Because of the large amount of fish that has to be processed daily, the Flemish Fish Auction has been able to save a lot with this installation (2 lines) by increasing efficiency.

One sorting line consists of three different machines:

Tilting system: First the trays with fish are brought directly from the boat to the fish sorting line with a forklift. There the trays are placed on the machine. The tilting system will de-stack the stacks of crates with fish and ice and dump them one by one into a funnel. The empty trays are then stacked again to be washed afterwards. The empty trays are stacked via nesting to take up a smaller volume.

Dividing band: The fish and the ice are removed from the funnel by using a conveyor belt and sent it through a vibrating screen. This vibrating screen largely removes ice from the fish. The fish is then placed on a conveyor belt where operators place the fish head to tail. The fish are then ready to be weighed. Underneath this part of the machine is a central ice removal conveyor belt to transport the excess ice from all lines to the quay.

Sorting machine: Every fish is weighed to an accuracy of 10 grams via a fast scale installed at the start of this machine. By means of software, the fish is then sorted into crates according to 10 weight classes. This part of the machine is largely supplied by an external partner since it concerns existing technology.

Thanks to the two new fish sorting lines, 18 tons of fish can be sorted per hour. As a result, the Flemish Fish Auction has increased its capacity by 10%.

In addition to constructing the new machines, SMO has also managed the relocation of the existing sorting line.