Ellips Installs Four AI-Powered Potato Grading Lines Across North America in 2026
Ellips has installed four new AI-powered Elisam potato grading lines across North America in 2026, at farms in Alberta, Idaho and Wisconsin.
Ellips has expanded its North American footprint with four new Elisam potato grading installations in 2026 — at Phoenix Farms in Alberta, Eagle Eye Produce and Wada Farms in Idaho, and Gumz Farms in Wisconsin. The systems grade up to 40 tonnes per hour, capturing 90 images of every tuber.
Ellips has expanded its presence in the North American potato industry with four new Elisam potato grading installations in 2026. The projects include systems for Phoenix Farms in Alberta, Canada; Eagle Eye Produce in Idaho Falls, Idaho; Gumz Farms in Wisconsin; and Wada Farms in Pingree, Idaho. Each installation is configured to the requirements of the individual operation, with a focus on grading speed, accuracy and operational reliability.
Grading capacity and technology. Depending on configuration, Elisam potato grading machines can process up to 40 tonnes of potatoes per hour, capturing 90 images of each potato. Using Ellips’ True-AI software, the system evaluates size, shape, color and external defects in real time. The technology is designed to increase throughput, reduce labor requirements, limit product giveaway and improve packing consistency.
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Reliability as the selling point. “Customers are looking for equipment they can rely on season after season,” said John Albert, General Manager of Ellips USA. “Whether it’s a high-capacity installation or a system tailored to a customer’s specific operation, the common thread is confidence in the technology. Reliability and grading accuracy are what drive repeat business and recommendations throughout the industry.”
AI-based adjustments. With ongoing labor challenges and changing quality requirements, AI-based grading systems are being adopted increasingly widely in potato packing operations. The True-AI software platform allows grading programs to be adjusted and updated as potato varieties, customer specifications and market requirements change. The system is designed to support consistent grading, improve pack-out and reduce waste — parameters that matter more each season as retail specifications tighten.
Installation and support. In the United States and Canada, Elisam installations are supported by Ellips USA, which assists with line design, installation, operator training and ongoing servicing. The company works with growers and packers to configure grading equipment to operational requirements and provides technical support throughout the equipment’s service life.
Building on 25+ lines. Since introducing its varietal potato grading solution in 2020, Ellips has installed more than 25 Elisam potato grading lines worldwide. The four North American installations completed in 2026 represent a further expansion of the company’s grading operations in the United States and Canada — and a sign that AI-based optical grading is moving from early-adopter novelty to standard capex in North American potato packing, with two of the four new lines going into Idaho, the continent’s biggest producing state. The spread of customers — from a Wisconsin family operation to large Idaho shippers — also suggests the technology is no longer reserved for the biggest packers: configurations are being tailored down to mid-size operations as labor scarcity forces automation deeper into the sector.
