The BOK Partnership replaces complete bagging line CULTIVATION AND TECHNOLOGY toes roll into the batch feeders via vibrating lanes. They then drop into the weighing buckets, which take care that the total weight is as close as possible to the preset packaging weight. First, six of the ten buckets are filled. The remaining four are filled so that the final weight comes as close as possible to the desired total weight. According to Keen, the weigher even has a weighing tolerance of 20 grams. The old machine could still deviate by 500 grams. ‘You always set the weigher at a plus tolerance. You can figure out for yourselves how much you can save on 6,000 tons. This is how we get an important portion of our investment back’, laughs Keen happily. And for some export countries you do not want 25 kg in the bag, but exactly 23.70 kg. All desired weights can be quickly and easily entered “For we only have one man now to keep an eye on everything.” in the computer according to Keen. The machine is provided with a systematic touch screen with clear operating functions. ‘We often get orders with varying weights. It is quite nice that the machine can be adapted to the new weight straight away. We increasingly fill 5 kg bags now. These potatoes often go to the garden centres, but mainly abroad. Spain is an enthusiastic buyer of these bags.’ As the weigher, apart from the grading machine, is right in front, the machine also determines the total capacity of the bagging line. With the old weigher we had a capacity of nine bags per minute, we now run 25 bags per minute.’ The partners now fill six hundred bags a day, which is two hundred more than previously. Fully-automatic machine saves labour The following machine in the line is the Pro-Pack sowing machine: the Bagmaster JN. This machine also has quite a capacity and with seven hundred bags an hour, the capacity is higher than that of the weigher. ‘In order to be able to make the right choice, we have been going around to look at the machinery of our colleagues. We have also listened to the recommendations of our machinery supplier: Oldenhuis & Prinsen in Emmeloord. This finally led us to the Pro-Pack. This machine also has a computer with a practical touch screen. The sewing is very good. If there are problems, you can easily reach all parts. And it is possible to place every standard brand of machinery in front and behind it without any problem. A machine that will be connected soon is the bag placer, for which the partners have ordered a fully-automatic machine at ERC in Emmeloord. It is the Baxmatic, which can hang individual bags from 2.5 to 50 kg onto the bag-sewing machine. This machine can pick up both jute and net bags. With a maximum capacity of eight hundred bags an hour, the ERC fits in really well in the total line that Keen and Ten Brinke have set up. But the most wonderful thing is that this machine replaces the COLLABORATION IN WORK AND MECHANISATION The collaborating neighbours Henk and Bert Keen and Adrie ten Brinke have a partnership named BOK. This is an abbreviation of their surnames: Ten Brinke, Ouwehand and Keen. Neighbour Ouwehand stopped a few years ago and sold his farm to the two remaining partners. The collaboration includes both labour and mechanisation. Land and buildings are farmed individually and they also choose their own crops. Altogether, they have 70 hectares of seed potatoes on 35 (administrative) plots. In addition to farming their own land, they lease and exchange plots in the region of Creil. They sell their seed to the Agrico cooperative. A few varieties they grow for Agrico are Agata, Picasso, Romano, Fontane, Manitou and Spunta. Most seed is stored in boxes. The total storage capacity is 3,500 tons, half of which has mechanical cooling. heavy bagging work consequently saving a fulltime worker. ‘Before long we will only need one person to operate the complete line including the palleting machine. Stacking and wrapping automated The palleting machine is also state-of-the-art. It is a Synach machine, which both stacks and wraps. According to Keen, it can process 26 bags per minute. ‘The best thing is that the stacking and the wrapping are fully automated. We also save on one fulltime worker here. In the old situation, the palleting machine stood apart from the wrapping machine and you had to place the full pallets in the wrapper with the fork-lift truck, which wrapped the foil around it, but you had to cut and tie the foil by hand. With the Symach, cutting and tying is automated. The stacking is much neater as well, so that bags don’t protrude from the pallet any longer. This means that lorries are easier to load and bags and potatoes are no longer damaged so much’, according to Keen. ’What we also considered when we bought all these machines is their position. We wanted to put the machines as close to each other as possible, and we succeeded. That compact position not only saves space but also gives a good overview of all the machinery. For we only have one man now to keep an eye on everything. In total, the investment cost an amount of EUR 350,000. That’s what we had to consider as well. The old machinery really needed to be replaced. These new ones also have sufficient capacity for expansion. We hope that we can work with them for the next fifteen years.’ ● Leo Hanse Potato World 2011 • number 3 27 Pagina 26
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