A Closer Look at the Washing-Grading Line

Pre Washing Machine with Manual Sorting

Notable
In-built roller conveyor moves within water tank into which fruit is unloaded
from crates. Conveyor moves fruit towards final washing machine, soaking
Cold Storage
Projects
dirt on skin for easy removal. Exposed on all sides, conveyor allows
unhealthy fruit to be removed manually by personnel on either side of
conveyor platform.

Final Washing Machine with Elevator Volume 5 Issue 1 January 2009

Constructed with SS AISI 304 quality steel to ensure hygiene, this machine
completes the wash of the fruit. Tank is fitted with a water pump to agitate
water and effectively remove dirt, leaves, twigs and mud. Shape of tank
ensures easy discharge of water. Recycling pump and rotary filter allow
reuse of water. Fruit is pushed towards elevator by a dispenser as it is
cleaned.


Hot Water Treatment Washer
Fabricated out of AISI 304 quality steel, this hot water washer tank is fitted
Blue Star is proud to have played a pivotal role in the design and
with an SS slat conveyor with flaps that carry the fruit through the water in
establishment of two state-of-the-art Integrated Pack Houses in
the tank, heated by a steam coil. Temperature is controlled manually by
valves. A temperature dial gauge is also provided.
Integrated Andhra Pradesh – one at Tirupati, Chittoor District, and one at
Nuzvid, Krishna District, both set up for the Andhra Pradesh State
Brush Washer
Pack Houses Agro Industries Development Corporation Limited (AP Agro), a
This tank is fitted with a conveyor equipped with brush rollers that rotate State Government Undertaking, with financial assistance from
and transfer the fruit from one brush to the other, facilitating dirt removal. support APEDA.
Sponge rollers also provided for effective dirt removal.

Agri Industry The Pack Houses offer cleaning, grading, pre-cooling, ripening,
Hot Air Drier and cold storage facilities for mango, which is the predominant
Air Drier provided to ensure fruit is completely dried without heating. in Andhra Pradesh crop of the region. The facilities have, however, been designed
flexible enough to suit a wide range of other fruits and vegetables


Fruit Singulator too.
Fruit singulator separates fruit so they reach grader one by one.

Grader


Mechanical grader separates fruit into 5 grades – from 100 to 500 grams
– and ‘take out’ belts move fruit into crates for storage/despatch. The Integrated Pack House at Tirupati.

For more information, please contact BLUE STAR LIMITED: e-mail: coolingsolutions@bluestarindia.com • AHMEDABAD: 2nd Floor, Shivalik II, Near
Shivaranjani Cross Roads, 132, Feet Ring Road, Satellite, Ahmedabad - 380015. Tel: (079) 40224000 • BANGALORE: Ozone Manay Technology Park, Sy. No.
56/18 & 55/9, Hongasandra Village Begur Hobli, Garvebhavipalya, Bangalore 560 068. Tel: (080) 41854000 • BHOPAL: “Star Arcade”, 2nd Floor, Plot No.165A &
166, Zone-I, Maharana Pratap Nagar, Bhopal 462 011. Tel: (0755) 4273378 • BHUBANESHWAR: 3A, Satya Nagar, 2nd Floor, Bhubaneshwar 751 007. Tel: (0674)
2508303 • CHANDIGARH: SCO 1, Madhya Marg, Sector 26, Chandigarh 160 019. Tel: (0172) 5024000 • CHENNAI: No.104, Old No. 46, ‘Garuda buildings’, Cathedral
Road, Chennai 600 086. Tel: (044) 42444000 • GOA: 1st Floor, Buddhaseth Apartments, Tonca, Caranzalem, Goa 403 002. Tel: (0832) 2461671 • GUWAHATI: New Star
Freeze Building, 2nd Floor, Opp. Kunjalata Bibah Bhawan, G.S. Road, Guwahati 781 005. Tel: (0361) 2340619 / 20 • JAIPUR: A-19,1st Floor, Main Sahakar Path, Near
Sahakar Bhawan, Jaipur 302 006. Tel: (0141) 2744033-35 • KOCHI: 2nd Floor, Millennium Plaza, MKK Nair Road, Alinchuvadu Junction, Kochi - 682 024. Tel: (0484) 4499000
• KOLKATA: 7, Hare Street, Kolkata 700 001. Tel: (033) 22134100 • LUCKNOW: B-140, Nirala Nagar, Lucknow 226 020. Tel: (0522) 4034000 • MUMBAI: Blue Star House, 9-A,
Ghatkopar Link Road, Saki Naka, Mumbai 400 072. Tel: (022) 66684100 • NAGPUR: 219, Bajaj Nagar, 1st Floor, South Ambazari Road, Nagpur 440 010. Tel: (0712) 2249000/
6624000 • NEW DELHI: Block 2-A, DLF Corporate Park, DLF Qutab Enclave, Phase-III, Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, Gurgaon 122 002. Tel: (0124) 4094100 • PUNE: 201/A,
Nityanand Complex, 1st Floor, 247/A Bund Garden Road, Pune 411 001. Tel: (020) 41044000 / 26169332 • SECUNDERABAD: 207, Sikh Road, Bantia Estate, Secunderabad
500 003. Tel: (040) 44004100 • THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: T.C. IX/1490, ‘Chandrika’, Sasthamangalam, Thiruvananthapuram 695 010. Tel: (0471) 2720025 / 65 •
VADODARA: Ramakrishna Chambers, 7th Floor, Productivity Road, Alkapuri, Vadodara 390 007. Tel: (0265) 2330334 / 6614100 • VISAKHAPATNAM: D.No. 49-24-65/1,
Near Sankarmattam Road, Madhura Nagar, Visakhapatnam 530 016. Tel: (0891) 2748405 / 2748433
Visit us at www.bluestarindia.com

A panoramic view of the inside of the pack house.
Blue Star. Proud to participate.
Blue Star was chosen to partner AP Agro and their
Project Management Consultant in setting up the twin
Pack House facilities at Tirupati and Nuzvid.
Factors that swung the decision in Blue Star’s favour
during the thorough tendering process include:

Proven market leadership in cold storages

Vast experience in setting up large pack house
facilities

Extensive project management strengths
Blue Star’s role covered almost the entire gamut of
activity at the two sites. It included the design, supply,
erection, commissioning and handing over of the entire
refrigeration plant, thermal insulation, the pre-cooling
and ripening chambers and the cold storages. It also
covered the design, supply, erection and commissioning
of various electrical systems at site such as the HT and
LT lines and power distribution systems within the
The cold storage room.
complexes, and the fully automatic power generators.
And finally, it included a state-of-the-art washing and
grading line to handle up to 3 tons of fruit an hour.
Blue Star’s purview included the training of operating
and maintenance personnel to ensure smooth operation
after handing over.
Challenges at site
The execution of this dual project posed stiff challenges
that a lesser equipped company might have wilted
under.
For one, both projects – at two different locations –
were to be taken up simultaneously for execution,
resulting in twin teams to be set up for every activity,
and the whole supply chain reorganised to ensure
efficient parallel processing.
Secondly, Nuzvid is a remote location which made
movement of men and material a logistical nightmare,
slow if not outright difficult.
The pre-cooling chamber.
There were technical challenges too, chief among them
being that the pre-cooler was to be designed to double
up as a ripening chamber, so that it could play either
role depending upon the quantum of fruit and the
demand for pre-cooling or ripening at any point of time.
And yet, both Pack Houses were commissioned and
handed over on schedule.
Controlling the washing and grading equipment.
Facilities at the Pack Houses
Each Integrated Pack House boasts of the following The process flow
world-class facilities:
The typical process flow at each Pack House when

Fruit Washing, Treatment and Grading System, mangoes are brought in is as follows:
which cleans and sorts the fruit automatically by
 Receipt of mangoes in crates
weight and allows manual sorting as well. More
 De-Sapping
details overleaf.
 Weighing in crates

Pre-Cooling Chambers, where the fruit is brought  Pre-Washing
in immediately after harvest to pull down  Final Washing
temperature quickly without losing moisture. This  Hot Water Treatment
process extends shelf life.  Brushing
 Hot Air Drying

Ripening Chambers, where fruit is placed for  Grading by Weight
artificial ripening. The ripening systems used at  Pre-cooling as per need
Tirupati and Nuzvid are state-of-art, and incorporate
 Cold Storage as per need
fully automatic systems that measure and inject
 Ripening as per need
the exact amount of ethylene into the chamber
 Despatch to market
depending upon the condition of the fruit.

Cold Storage Chambers, where the fruit is stored A bright future
at a desired low temperature and humidity level for
extended periods of time, till there is demand from The twin Integrated Pack House facilities at Tirupati and
the market. Nuzvid are indeed world-class infrastructure that Andhra
Pradesh and India can be proud of – and ones that
Blue Star is immensely happy to have been associated
The facilities are supported by automatic diesel
with.
generator sets to ensure 24x7 operation and efficient
lighting. Salient Features
Order Value Rs 6.38 Crore
Both at Tirupati and at Nuzvid, the entire facility has Pre-Cooler 5 Metric Tonnes
been laid out ergonomically, allowing smooth flow of Ripening Chamber 12 Metric Tonnes
produce through the various stages of storage and Cold Room 40 Metric Tonnes
Packing Grading Line 3 Metric Tonnes/Hour
handling, resulting in efficient and speedy processes.

A panoramic view of the inside of the pack house.
Blue Star. Proud to participate.
Blue Star was chosen to partner AP Agro and their
Project Management Consultant in setting up the twin
Pack House facilities at Tirupati and Nuzvid.
Factors that swung the decision in Blue Star’s favour
during the thorough tendering process include:

Proven market leadership in cold storages

Vast experience in setting up large pack house
facilities

Extensive project management strengths
Blue Star’s role covered almost the entire gamut of
activity at the two sites. It included the design, supply,
erection, commissioning and handing over of the entire
refrigeration plant, thermal insulation, the pre-cooling
and ripening chambers and the cold storages. It also
covered the design, supply, erection and commissioning
of various electrical systems at site such as the HT and
LT lines and power distribution systems within the
The cold storage room.
complexes, and the fully automatic power generators.
And finally, it included a state-of-the-art washing and
grading line to handle up to 3 tons of fruit an hour.
Blue Star’s purview included the training of operating
and maintenance personnel to ensure smooth operation
after handing over.
Challenges at site
The execution of this dual project posed stiff challenges
that a lesser equipped company might have wilted
under.
For one, both projects – at two different locations –
were to be taken up simultaneously for execution,
resulting in twin teams to be set up for every activity,
and the whole supply chain reorganised to ensure
efficient parallel processing.
Secondly, Nuzvid is a remote location which made
movement of men and material a logistical nightmare,
slow if not outright difficult.
The pre-cooling chamber.
There were technical challenges too, chief among them
being that the pre-cooler was to be designed to double
up as a ripening chamber, so that it could play either
role depending upon the quantum of fruit and the
demand for pre-cooling or ripening at any point of time.
And yet, both Pack Houses were commissioned and
handed over on schedule.
Controlling the washing and grading equipment.
Facilities at the Pack Houses
Each Integrated Pack House boasts of the following The process flow
world-class facilities:
The typical process flow at each Pack House when

Fruit Washing, Treatment and Grading System, mangoes are brought in is as follows:
which cleans and sorts the fruit automatically by
 Receipt of mangoes in crates
weight and allows manual sorting as well. More
 De-Sapping
details overleaf.
 Weighing in crates

Pre-Cooling Chambers, where the fruit is brought  Pre-Washing
in immediately after harvest to pull down  Final Washing
temperature quickly without losing moisture. This  Hot Water Treatment
process extends shelf life.  Brushing
 Hot Air Drying

Ripening Chambers, where fruit is placed for  Grading by Weight
artificial ripening. The ripening systems used at  Pre-cooling as per need
Tirupati and Nuzvid are state-of-art, and incorporate
 Cold Storage as per need
fully automatic systems that measure and inject
 Ripening as per need
the exact amount of ethylene into the chamber
 Despatch to market
depending upon the condition of the fruit.

Cold Storage Chambers, where the fruit is stored A bright future
at a desired low temperature and humidity level for
extended periods of time, till there is demand from The twin Integrated Pack House facilities at Tirupati and
the market. Nuzvid are indeed world-class infrastructure that Andhra
Pradesh and India can be proud of – and ones that
Blue Star is immensely happy to have been associated
The facilities are supported by automatic diesel
with.
generator sets to ensure 24x7 operation and efficient
lighting. Salient Features
Order Value Rs 6.38 Crore
Both at Tirupati and at Nuzvid, the entire facility has Pre-Cooler 5 Metric Tonnes
been laid out ergonomically, allowing smooth flow of Ripening Chamber 12 Metric Tonnes
produce through the various stages of storage and Cold Room 40 Metric Tonnes
Packing Grading Line 3 Metric Tonnes/Hour
handling, resulting in efficient and speedy processes.
 A Closer Look at the Washing-Grading Line
Pre Washing Machine with Manual Sorting
Notable
In-built roller conveyor moves within water tank into which fruit is unloaded
from crates. Conveyor moves fruit towards final washing machine, soaking
Cold Storage
Projects
dirt on skin for easy removal. Exposed on all sides, conveyor allows
unhealthy fruit to be removed manually by personnel on either side of
conveyor platform.

Final Washing Machine with Elevator Volume 5 Issue 1 January 2009

Constructed with SS AISI 304 quality steel to ensure hygiene, this machine
completes the wash of the fruit. Tank is fitted with a water pump to agitate
water and effectively remove dirt, leaves, twigs and mud. Shape of tank
ensures easy discharge of water. Recycling pump and rotary filter allow
reuse of water. Fruit is pushed towards elevator by a dispenser as it is
cleaned.


Hot Water Treatment Washer
Fabricated out of AISI 304 quality steel, this hot water washer tank is fitted
Blue Star is proud to have played a pivotal role in the design and
with an SS slat conveyor with flaps that carry the fruit through the water in
establishment of two state-of-the-art Integrated Pack Houses in
the tank, heated by a steam coil. Temperature is controlled manually by
valves. A temperature dial gauge is also provided.
Integrated Andhra Pradesh – one at Tirupati, Chittoor District, and one at
Nuzvid, Krishna District, both set up for the Andhra Pradesh State
Brush Washer
Pack Houses Agro Industries Development Corporation Limited (AP Agro), a
This tank is fitted with a conveyor equipped with brush rollers that rotate State Government Undertaking, with financial assistance from
and transfer the fruit from one brush to the other, facilitating dirt removal. support APEDA.
Sponge rollers also provided for effective dirt removal.

Agri Industry The Pack Houses offer cleaning, grading, pre-cooling, ripening,
Hot Air Drier and cold storage facilities for mango, which is the predominant
Air Drier provided to ensure fruit is completely dried without heating. in Andhra Pradesh crop of the region. The facilities have, however, been designed
flexible enough to suit a wide range of other fruits and vegetables


Fruit Singulator too.
Fruit singulator separates fruit so they reach grader one by one.

Grader


Mechanical grader separates fruit into 5 grades – from 100 to 500 grams
– and ‘take out’ belts move fruit into crates for storage/despatch. The Integrated Pack House at Tirupati.

For more information, please contact BLUE STAR LIMITED: e-mail: coolingsolutions@bluestarindia.com • AHMEDABAD: 2nd Floor, Shivalik II, Near
Shivaranjani Cross Roads, 132, Feet Ring Road, Satellite, Ahmedabad - 380015. Tel: (079) 40224000 • BANGALORE: Ozone Manay Technology Park, Sy. No.
56/18 & 55/9, Hongasandra Village Begur Hobli, Garvebhavipalya, Bangalore 560 068. Tel: (080) 41854000 • BHOPAL: “Star Arcade”, 2nd Floor, Plot No.165A &
166, Zone-I, Maharana Pratap Nagar, Bhopal 462 011. Tel: (0755) 4273378 • BHUBANESHWAR: 3A, Satya Nagar, 2nd Floor, Bhubaneshwar 751 007. Tel: (0674)
2508303 • CHANDIGARH: SCO 1, Madhya Marg, Sector 26, Chandigarh 160 019. Tel: (0172) 5024000 • CHENNAI: No.104, Old No. 46, ‘Garuda buildings’, Cathedral
Road, Chennai 600 086. Tel: (044) 42444000 • GOA: 1st Floor, Buddhaseth Apartments, Tonca, Caranzalem, Goa 403 002. Tel: (0832) 2461671 • GUWAHATI: New Star
Freeze Building, 2nd Floor, Opp. Kunjalata Bibah Bhawan, G.S. Road, Guwahati 781 005. Tel: (0361) 2340619 / 20 • JAIPUR: A-19,1st Floor, Main Sahakar Path, Near
Sahakar Bhawan, Jaipur 302 006. Tel: (0141) 2744033-35 • KOCHI: 2nd Floor, Millennium Plaza, MKK Nair Road, Alinchuvadu Junction, Kochi - 682 024. Tel: (0484) 4499000
• KOLKATA: 7, Hare Street, Kolkata 700 001. Tel: (033) 22134100 • LUCKNOW: B-140, Nirala Nagar, Lucknow 226 020. Tel: (0522) 4034000 • MUMBAI: Blue Star House, 9-A,
Ghatkopar Link Road, Saki Naka, Mumbai 400 072. Tel: (022) 66684100 • NAGPUR: 219, Bajaj Nagar, 1st Floor, South Ambazari Road, Nagpur 440 010. Tel: (0712) 2249000/
6624000 • NEW DELHI: Block 2-A, DLF Corporate Park, DLF Qutab Enclave, Phase-III, Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, Gurgaon 122 002. Tel: (0124) 4094100 • PUNE: 201/A,
Nityanand Complex, 1st Floor, 247/A Bund Garden Road, Pune 411 001. Tel: (020) 41044000 / 26169332 • SECUNDERABAD: 207, Sikh Road, Bantia Estate, Secunderabad
500 003. Tel: (040) 44004100 • THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: T.C. IX/1490, ‘Chandrika’, Sasthamangalam, Thiruvananthapuram 695 010. Tel: (0471) 2720025 / 65 •
VADODARA: Ramakrishna Chambers, 7th Floor, Productivity Road, Alkapuri, Vadodara 390 007. Tel: (0265) 2330334 / 6614100 • VISAKHAPATNAM: D.No. 49-24-65/1,
Near Sankarmattam Road, Madhura Nagar, Visakhapatnam 530 016. Tel: (0891) 2748405 / 2748433
Visit us at www.bluestarindia.com