Wevano JCL-1000 Optical Grader at Potatoes In Practice

The Wevano JCL-1000 Optical Grader was built with exactly that context in mind. Developed through a collaboration between Wevano Machinery and vision technology specialists Inovaa, the JCL-1000 brings reliable, high-throughput optical grading within reach of growers who need it to work—day in, day out, season after season.

Agropack Solutions, Wevano’s official Scottish partner, has been instrumental in bringing this technology to Scottish farms. With many years of shared work behind them and a growing number of successful Wevano machinery installations across Scotland, the partnership is founded on something practical: a shared understanding of what growers here actually need.

This article introduces Wevano Machinery, explains what the JCL-1000 does and how it works, and covers why Potatoes In Practice 2026 is the ideal opportunity to see it in action.

Founded in 2000 and based in Emmeloord, in the heart of the Netherlands’ Noordoostpolder region, Wevano Machinery has spent more than two decades developing custom machine construction solutions for clients across the globe. The company operates across three disciplines: agricultural, industrial, and machine and special construction.

Wevano’s credo—“what suits you?”—is not a marketing tagline. It reflects a genuine design philosophy. Every installation Wevano develops is built around the client’s end result, from individual machines to complete production lines. The team works across dosing bunkers, hedgehog belts, box fillers, sorters, clod separators, and emptying systems—always with efficiency, reliability, and practical performance at the centre.

What sets Wevano apart is the depth of agricultural understanding embedded in the business. Based in Emmeloord, the company is surrounded by arable farming. Challenges faced by growers are not abstract problems at Wevano—they are visible every day, among the team’s family, friends, and immediate community. That proximity shapes how Wevano thinks, designs, and builds.

The team describes itself as dynamic, technical, and innovative. In practice, that means returning to the drawing board for each new problem, bringing accumulated experience without being constrained by it.

Agriculture is where Wevano’s roots run deepest. The company specialises in building complete optical inspection and sorting installations for potatoes, onions, beets, and root vegetables—covering the full range of post-harvest handling requirements.

Wevano’s agricultural product range spans:

• Storage — solutions for temporary buffering and storage, from 100 kg up to 40 tonnes of produce
• Emptying — efficient systems for moving stored product into the supply chain
• Filling — high-capacity big bag and crate filling with minimal fall heights, available standalone or with stacking and de-stacking modules
• Complete lines — end-to-end optical inspection and sorting installations, with customer-specific transport built in
• Transport — solidly built conveyor belts tailored to individual width and length requirements
• Sorting — reliable, high-capacity grading machines operating by square measurement or optical camera recognition
• Inspecting — ergonomic inspection tables designed for a comfortable, productive working environment
• Processing — soil, foliage, and clod separation, with options for liquid spraying systems

This breadth means Wevano can supply individual components or design an entire line from scratch—and has the in-house engineering capability to make both approaches work.

The JCL-1000 Optical Grader is the result of a close development collaboration between Wevano Machinery and Inovaa, a specialist in machine vision technology. The system builds on an extensive data library developed through the U-Vision platform, giving it a robust, proven foundation for reliable defect detection across diverse batch conditions.

Where Does the JCL-1000 Sit in the Packing Line?

The JCL-1000 is ideally positioned directly in front of an inspection table. By automating the sorting process at this stage, the machine significantly reduces the number of labour hours required at the inspection table itself. Graders are not replaced—their time is simply redirected to where human judgement genuinely adds value.

What Does the JCL-1000 Sort and Detect?

Each item passing through the JCL-1000 is captured in 30–40 high-resolution images from all sides simultaneously. This multi-angle approach ensures that defects are not missed due to orientation or positioning. The system reliably identifies:

• Growth cracks
• Rhizoctonia
• Rot
• Deformation
• Greening
• Scab
• Damage

These are the defects that matter most to growers, packers, and buyers—and the JCL-1000 is built to detect them consistently, batch after batch.

Throughput and Product Stream Separation

Sorting capacity reaches up to 12 tonnes per hour, depending on the size and cleanliness of the batch. In a single pass, the JCL-1000 creates three precise product streams, allowing quality separation and size grading to happen simultaneously without additional handling. Undersize and oversize separation thresholds are fully adjustable, giving operators the flexibility to respond to changing buyer specifications or batch conditions.

Gentle Handling — A Critical Detail

Potato damage during sorting is a real commercial concern. The JCL-1000 addresses this directly. Fingers are pre-positioned before making contact with each item, eliminating the sudden impact that causes bruising and skin damage. There are no significant drop heights within the machine. The result is sorted product that arrives at the next stage of the line in the same condition it entered.

Operation and Support

Running the JCL-1000 requires no specialist training. The machine is controlled via a 12-inch touchscreen with a wizard-guided setup process that walks operators through configuration clearly and quickly. Settings can be saved and reused, reducing setup time between batches. Internet connectivity enables remote diagnostics, software updates, and direct support from Wevano—meaning help is available without waiting for an engineer to travel.

Potatoes In Practice 2026 takes place on Thursday 13 August at Balruddery Farm, near Dundee—Scotland’s premier outdoor potato event, and one of the most important dates in the Scottish grower’s calendar.

Agropack Solutions will be exhibiting at the event with six field-to-packing machines on display, each selected specifically for Scottish potato and root crop growers. Alongside the JCL-1000, the stand will feature the Vegniek Selecto 4WD roguing cart, the Wevano Pentle Belt for stone, clod, soil and haulm separation, the Verbruggen Twin Head Weigher with cross belt, the Verbruggen Stitcher with label dispenser, and the APS Box Filler.

Crucially, the Wevano team will travel from the Netherlands to be present on the day. This is a rare opportunity to speak directly with the people who designed and built the JCL-1000—to ask technical questions, understand how the machine would integrate with your existing line, and see the system demonstrated in person.

Whether you are looking at upgrading your grading line, reducing inspection table labour, or simply exploring what the technology can do, the Agropack Solutions and Wevano teams will be available throughout the day to talk it through without pressure.

The Right Machine for Scottish Growing Conditions

Optical grading technology has been available in various forms for years. What makes the JCL-1000 different is the quality of its detection, the practicality of its design, and the depth of support behind it. Developed by Wevano Machinery—a company that has spent more than 25 years building agricultural machinery close to the land—and backed in Scotland by Agropack Solutions’ hands-on expertise, the JCL-1000 is not a generic solution adapted for Scottish farms. It is a capable, proven machine supported by people who understand the realities of growing and packing in Scotland.

To find out more or to plan your visit to Balruddery Farm on 13 August, get in touch with the Agropack Solutions team at agropacksolutions

What is the Wevano JCL-1000 Optical Grader?
The Wevano JCL-1000 is an optical grading machine developed in collaboration between Wevano Machinery and Inovaa. It captures 30–40 high-resolution images per potato from all sides, detects defects including growth cracks, rot, scab and greening, and creates three separate product streams in a single pass at up to 12 t/hr.

How does the JCL-1000 reduce labour costs?
The JCL-1000 is designed to sit directly in front of an inspection table. By automatically sorting product by quality and size before it reaches the table, the machine significantly reduces the number of operators needed at the inspection stage, freeing labour for higher-value tasks.

What defects can the Wevano JCL-1000 detect?
The JCL-1000 reliably detects growth cracks, rhizoctonia, rot, deformation, greening, scab, and physical damage. Detection is supported by an extensive data library built on the U-Vision platform.

Does the JCL-1000 cause bruising or skin damage during sorting?
No. The JCL-1000 uses pre-positioned fingers that make contact with each potato before movement occurs, eliminating sudden impact. The system is also designed without significant drop heights, protecting crop quality throughout the sorting process.

How difficult is the JCL-1000 to operate?
The machine is controlled via a 12-inch touchscreen with a wizard-guided setup process. Settings can be saved and reused between batches. Internet connectivity allows Wevano to provide remote support and push software updates directly to the machine.

Where can Scottish growers see the JCL-1000 in person?
The Wevano JCL-1000 Optical Grader will be on display at the Agropack Solutions stand at Potatoes In Practice 2026 on Thursday 13 August at Balruddery Farm, near Dundee. The Wevano team will be present on the day to answer questions directly.

Who is Agropack Solutions?
Agropack Solutions is Wevano Machinery’s official Scottish partner, specialising in post-harvest machinery and services for Scottish potato and root crop growers. The company provides equipment supply, installation, pre-season servicing, parts, and ongoing technical support. Agropack Solutions was named a finalist in the 2025 British Potato Industry Awards in the Machinery or Implement Innovation category.