At the National Fruit Show on Nov. 1 and 2 in Kent, Munckhof Fruit Tech Innovators will show its new hybrid Pluk-O-Trak with automatic bin change. The new Pluk-O-Trak is electric, making diesel smell, vibration and noise during fruit harvest a thing of the past. The hybrid Pluk-O-Trak can be charged with a 220V power connection or a built-in diesel generator. The hybrid harvester can therefore be easily recharged in the orchard.
Pluk-O-Trak versatile and efficient harvesting aid in fruit cultivation
Munckhof’s Pluk-O-Trak is a versatile harvesting aid used to quickly, efficiently and ergonomically pick fruit such as apples, pears, plums, citrus and cherries. Employees work with the harvesting system up to a picking height of 4,5 meters from the ground via the horizontally and vertically movable harvesting platforms. The fruit is laid aside on narrow movable conveyor belts after which the fruit is automatically distributed among the bins. The unique platform design makes the machine suitable for row width from 2,8 meters up to 5 meters! Working with the hybrid Pluk-O-Trak increases picking performance by 20% to 40% and prevents fruit damage by 30% to 50%. Special sensors ensure that the Pluk-O-Trak finds its own way through the orchard. The cruise control always controls the desired driving speed, even after a bin change. Four-wheel drive and automatic leveling correction ensure that the Pluk-O-Trak moves effortlessly over muddy, uneven or even mountainous terrain. The automatic bin trailer changes the full and new bins within 40 to 50 seconds.
Hybrid design prevents diesel smell, vibration and noise
The new Pluk-O-Trak has the same advantages as the traditional version. Main difference is the higher capacity and the hybrid version. The version has more, namely 6 adjustable picking belts and 4 picking platforms. The harvester can accommodate 6 to 7 pickers. The bin change takes place automatically. The new hybrid Pluk-O-Trak operates 100% on a rechargeable battery. With a full battery, the Pluk-O-Trak can be used in the orchard for about 12 hours. The hybrid Pluk-O-Trak is rechargeable via a 220V connection but is also available with a built-in powerful Kubota 4 cylinder diesel generator. This allows the Pluk-O-Trak to be recharged (automatically) in the orchard, during breaks or when the battery is down.
M-Connect as an option for precision fruit cultivation
The new hybrid Pluk-O-Trak can be equipped with Munckhof’s M-Connect system. GPS coordinates and a counting application automatically record at tree level the number of fruits, size and color coverage of the fruit. This data is automatically recorded and imported into a fruit cultivation management system. More information can be found during the National Fruit Show at booth or at www.munckhof.org.
