FirmPro is an instrument for measuring firmness, size and colour of small fruits, developed by HappyAgro, which revolutionised the fruit industry. Processes that were previously carried out manually by people and took a long time can now be automated thanks to technology, allowing for improved processes in the fruit production industry.
According to HappyAgro CEO Robinson Gálvez, “FirmPro was designed with a complete solution in mind, which includes everything necessary to use the equipment from the moment it is received, freeing the user from unnecessary technical complications. The data is output in an Excel spreadsheet, but it can also be connected to other pre-existing computer systems of the client. It captures high-resolution images and processes them to calculate the average color of each individual fruit. In addition, each image is stored as a digital countersample.”
This tool is highly valued by customers, as it allows them to standardize the parameters in the reception of fruit quality and obtain a report with the results in real time. Through FirmPro technology, fruit producers streamline their processes.
One of HappyAgro's main clients is Aurora Australis, who invested in HappyAgro's technology from the very beginning, acquiring four FirmPro and four Colorimeters in 2021, which increased as the company grew, now reaching a total of seven complete units in its laboratories.
In this regard, the Quality Assurance Manager, Gianinna Salazar, stated that “when we thought about new technology, the first thing we envisioned was to standardize the parameters in the quality reception, mainly because we used another instrument to measure firmness that had a limitation for us, which was the availability of specialized labor, which limited the possibility of having the same professional every year, due to the high market demand for this position. In addition, there was variation in the data obtained due to errors in handling. Another important point for us was to have the result of the report available, both for the operational area and for the producer, in the shortest possible time, thus helping in decision-making. Finally, the third reason for acquiring FirmPro was the need, following the pandemic, to supply missing labor and reduce costs in the reception area.”
Another of the main advantages of FirmPro is that it has an intuitive interface that is quick to learn, and that also allows for the incorporation of new functionalities via software updates. For the CEO of HappyAgro, this is one of its main virtues, “at HappyAgro we wanted to develop an instrument that can be used easily and that only means improvements in the processes, for this reason, our service also includes training and support for our clients. In addition, feedback from our clients is very important to us, in order to adapt to their needs and, if necessary, create new options, such as the Colorimeter, for example.”
Salazar said that this technology has allowed them to obtain “more consistent labels in the market, a better batch planning program and greater confidence in the results.”
HappyAgro and its fruit technology are revolutionizing the industry. The Chilean company continues to expand its horizons and today already has 127 clients in Chile, Peru, Mexico, the United States, Spain, the Netherlands and China.
