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SED Graders’ success stories are why so many national and international oyster farmers turn to us for their oyster grading automation machinery. For over two decades we’ve been working closely with the oyster farming industry to design, manufacture and commission automated oyster grading systems that enable oyster farmers to greatly reduce labour costs, enhance their productivity, and improve speed to market and farmgate consistency.
Oyster farmers Goodnight Oysters and Australian Native Shellfish, Stella Bay Shellfish in Vancouver, Canada, McAsh Oysters and Wheelers Oysters are just a few customers who have seen significant improvement in their oyster farming operations with the help of SED Graders’ oyster grading automation equipment.
“Quite honestly, using the SED Vision Grader has completely changed our whole outlook,” says Hugh Wheeler of Wheelers Oysters.
Saving time and money with improved consistency
Time and money go hand in hand. For oyster farmers, saving time on the oyster grading process creates significant labour cost savings. Automating the grading process produces improved consistency, translating into improved farm gate pricing and reputational value.
In recent years, oyster farmers have been able to mitigate the risk of labour shortages through automation and the SED Graders vision grader has proved a highly valued investment in allowing oyster farms to meet demand in times of tight labour market and lease the equipment out when it’s not in use.
“On my farm, we produce about 60,000 to 70,000 dozen oysters a year, but I also have other farmers that use the machine, so our throughput is more like 220,000 to 250,000 dozen a year,” explains Ewan McAsh from McAsh Oysters.
“We do that with ease and not too much clashing of timetables. It’s been helpful for other farmers who can’t make the capital expenditure for a machine or don’t have space for it. I have guys who travel three hours to use the machines for grading because of the time advantage they gain by using them,” says Ewan.
International customers are reaping the benefits
SED Graders’ sustained success in Australia has seen several international oyster farms take advantage of our Australian ingenuity. Our vision graders operate in Japan, New Zealand, the USA and Canada.
The added pressures of staff shortages have seen oyster farms worldwide turn to automation to relieve the stress. The SED Graders vision grader is purpose-built for oyster farms, and our in-house team custom-designs a solution to meet individual demands.
The 99% accuracy rate greatly improves consistency and productivity, and the machine can be operated single-handedly, replacing up to 13 skilled graders, with no downtime or staff scheduling complications.
Sean Reid, President of Stellar Bay Shellfish Ltd, Vancouver, Canada, says:
“The primary reason for automating the grading process was efficiency and consistency. We chose the SED Graders vision grader because we liked the ability to vision grade, whereas most other graders on the market were weight-based graders.
The SED Graders vision graders are by far the best graders on the market. They have made a significant difference to the way our farm operates. Maintaining key staff where they are most needed is a big plus for our team and the SED Grader vision grading machines make light work of the grading process. Our team is enthusiastic when using the machines; the improved safety and technology make them easy to use and reliable.
The team at SED Graders has always helped us troubleshoot any problems, and spare parts have never been an issue. I highly recommend the SED Graders vision grader to any oyster farm that wants to automate the grading process.”
Safety and sustainability
Big issues facing oyster farmers are retaining key staff and ensuring their farms are leading the way in sustainability. The SED Graders Vision Grader is assisting farms in both of these areas. Taking the pressure off key staff at grading time keeps them working in the areas they are most needed and where their expertise is best utilised. This helps to maintain higher levels of staff job satisfaction and improved retention.
The automation process reduces exposure to injury, and the speed of automated grading lessens the farm’s carbon footprint with reduced energy usage.
The Vision Grader grades up to 28,800 oysters per hour and sorts and bags in the same process line, making them one of the most efficient and productive methods of grading oysters anywhere in the world.
SED Graders will customise an oyster grading solution for your farm. Our experience with international oyster farms ensures you have complete confidence that our grading machines will immediately impact productivity and profitability.
SED Graders Australian and family owned
SED Graders is an Australian and family-owned company. We provide worldwide after-sales support and fully train you to use and optimise the vision grader for maximum output.
Contact us for any questions, and when your farm is considering a SED Graders oyster grading machine or upgrading your current machine, we can advise the perfect solution tailored to your needs.