Flikweert Vision builds innovative sorting machines for the potato and onion industry, with a proprietary AI algorithm as their beating heart. Smart technology inside the machine also calls for smart engineering. That is why the company has relied on HiCAD since its founding. The point cloud module and parametric design bring efficiency to every drawing.
Flikweert Vision’s sorting machines use advanced cameras and artificial intelligence to inspect products: rejected items are automatically ejected, while quality produce continues along the processing line. At the core of the machines is a self-developed AI algorithm that is continuously trained on new data. This ensures highly reliable quality control, tailored to the real-world demands of processing facilities.
Flikweert Vision has worked with HiCAD from the start. “The 3D CAD package allows us to build our extensive catalog of standard components, such as conveyors, frames and machine parts, parametrically into a custom-made machine. This means components can be easily adapted to different lengths or shapes without having to redraw them each time,” explains Arend van der Spek of Flikweert Vision. “For example, designing a hopper without this module takes about an hour, but with parametric design it’s reduced to just five minutes.”
Another major advantage of HiCAD, according to Van der Spek, is the point cloud module. “Using a LIDAR scanner, our representative creates a 3D scan on site. That data is imported into HiCAD so we can precisely integrate the new sorting line into the existing processing plant. For customers this is a huge benefit: they see their own environment reflected in the drawing and can immediately assess whether the new line meets their expectations.” Van der Spek also highlights HiCAD’s performance with large files: “Where other CAD systems slow down with massive 3D models, HiCAD continues to run smoothly, even with multi-gigabyte files.”
With machines now operating in fourteen countries including Canada, Poland, Spain and across South America. Flikweert Vision is steadily moving toward its ambition of becoming a leading player in the global potato and onion processing industry. The combination of in-house AI development, powerful vision technology and efficient engineering with HiCAD forms the foundation for this goal. Flikweert Vision proves that innovation is not only in the machine itself, but also in the way you design it.
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