Automatic Egg Sorting Machine VS. Manual Grader Which Is Better for your business?

Egg grading is very important for farms and egg processing enterprises, which directly affects sales, market competitiveness, and profits. The egg grader or egg sorting machine decides the performance of egg grading. There are two main methods on the market: automatic egg grader and manual grader. No matter what type of machine, the process of egg grading mainly includes egg feeding, candling, weighing and grading, and egg packing. Farm owners may have no clue as to which kind of egg grading machine should they buy. This article will compare the pros and cons of each in depth to help you choose the most suitable solution. 

The core comparison of automatic egg grader vs. manual grader

Firstly, let’s clarify what is an automatic egg grader and a manual egg grader. As the name suggests, the automatic egg sorting machine needs no labor or just 1-2 people operation. The automation is realized by an integration of the egg lifting machine, egg grader section, and egg packing machine. Some of the automatic egg graders can work together with egg collecting machines and egg cleaning machines. A manual egg grader depends on labor to put eggs on the grading machines and collects the eggs manually after they are graded. The semi-automatic egg grader may be equipped with the vacuum-type egg lifter but still needs labor to pack the graded eggs at the end of the egg grading processing line.

Automatic egg grader

Efficiency: The automatic egg grader can grade more eggs (normally above 10,000 eggs) per hour compared to the manual and semi-automatic egg grader. 

Accuracy: The automatic egg grader uses a weight sensor or visual recognition, accurate to grams. 

Labor costs: 1-2 people operation, can reduce a large number of labor needs.

Initial investment: The initial investment price is high ($3,000-$100,000), but the long-term return of large equipment is high.

Suitable farm scale: Suitable for medium and large farms, and egg processing enterprises. 

Maintenance: Needs regular maintenance and cleaning to avoid damage.

Market adaptability: Suitable for export and supermarket standards, increasing product value. 

Manual egg grader

Efficiency: The capacity of a manual egg grader is commonly small. The eggs graded per hour are generally below 10,000. 

Accuracy: Lever-weighing principle, accurate weighing, easy to adjust.

Labor costs: Need multiple workers, long-term cost is high.

Initial investment: Investment is low, but the long-term labor cost is high.

Suitable farm scale: Suitable for small farms, and family breeding.

Maintenance: Low maintenance costs, but high labor fatigue.

Market adaptability: Suitable for small local sales.

The application scenario of an automatic egg sorting machine

The automatic egg grader is suitable for layer farms with an annual production of more than 50,000 hens, and egg processing enterprises that need standardized grading to meet supermarket and export standards. The goal is to reduce labor costs and improve production efficiency.

Advantages:

• Improve efficiency: 3-10 times faster than manual grading.
• Reduce losses: precise grading to avoid human error and high breakage rates.
• Compliance with market standards: Fully automatic grading makes it easier to meet international market and food safety requirements.

The application scenario of manual egg grader

The manual egg grading machine is suitable for small farms (5,000-50,000 pieces per year), and companies with limited budgets that are temporarily unable to invest in automatic equipment. It is mainly sold in the local market and does not require high grading standards.

Advantages:

• Initial investment is low, only need to buy simple tools or manual weighing.
• High flexibility, can adjust the operation mode according to the demand.
• Suitable for multi-breed eggs (such as free-range native eggs).

How to choose the right type of egg grader?

When choosing between the automatic, semi-automatic, and manual egg grader, one should take into account several core considerations such as your business scale, market demand, budget, labor costs, etc. Before you make the decision, ask yourself at least the following questions. 

Size of your business: Does it produce more than 50,000 pieces per year? If the answer is yes, then it is recommended to choose the automatic type of egg grading machine.

Market demand: Are your customers demanding standardized ratings?  To ensure the graded quality meets demanding standardized ratings, an automatic egg grader with higher precision is advised.

Budget: Can you accept the return on investment cycle of automatic equipment? If not, you’d better choose a semi-automatic or annual egg grading machine. 

Labor costs: Is local labor expensive? Is it hard to find workers? Labor costs are a key factor when selecting the type of egg grader. If the local labor is expensive, and it costs too much, you can think about using an automatic egg grader. Although the initial investment is higher, the future return is considerable.

Which is better for you?

Still confused about the choice? Here are some major principles you can adhere to. 

• If your business is growing or you want to compete in the market, an automatic egg grader is the best choice.
• If you are a small local seller with a limited budget, manual grading may be a suitable temporary solution.
• For medium-sized farms, you can consider starting with semi-automatic equipment and then gradually upgrading to fully automatic graders.

If you are looking for some tailored solutions for egg grading on your farm, don’t hesitate to contact us. FAMtech supplies various models of egg grading machines to upgrade your business efficiency. Our business scope is quite extensive. We focus on providing premium quality products and first-class services. FAMtech has helped domestic and abroad customers to get the most cost-effective solutions.