TRADE AND MARKETING Fruit Logistica: World Network GIANT STEP FORWARD To get quality potatoes properly to the consumer, the packaging is an essential element. Manter in Emmen has been doing just that for many years now. The company has recently improved its product range. Herman Wehkamp explains that a traditional machine can weigh 70 bags per minute. The new Manter range is now achieving over 90 bags per minute. He compares this improvement with the transition from the fixed skates to the newly-designed clap skates. This adjustment is possible as a result of Manter’s own new calculation techniques. Wehkamp tells us that this is only possible by combining the various activities. When a weight combination has been delivered, the next one is already being prepared. ‘This system has been used to the full satisfaction of the citrus sector and it is also used for potatoes. This knowledge can also be used for other products.’ An impressive new tool is the Manter Tablet. This is a state-of-the-art wireless remote control. A special Android app makes everything clear. According to Manter’s Herman Wehkamp, this gives an overview of the entire installation and the user can zoom in on the machine in question. This means that one man can directly intervene and perform more tests in a safe and secure way. Manter can also look at the machine to see what is happening at a distance. ‘Depending on the application NEWTEC COUNTS AND MEASURES THE SIZE For about 8,000 euros, Newtec offers a GPS-controlled camera in a frame, which can follow the flow of potatoes. Sandra Pannekeet, of the Dutch importer Jasa, shows that the frame can easily be installed near the potato intake. Subsequently, a camera – the same as that used in the large grading machines – measures the length and counts the number of tubers. This is automatically shown via built-in software. ‘You know immediately how big the tubers are in a lot’, Pannekeet tells us. Kristian Madsen of Newtex (Denmark) adds that there is no longer the need to sample for size. However, the camera is not yet able to distinguish between clods and potatoes. The capacity is 35 tons per hour at a belt width of 500 millimetres and 50 tons per hour at a belt width of 800 millimetres. In addition, Madsen explains that this camera can also be mounted onto lifting machines. This means that you already know the size and the number of the tubers in the field. As the entire process is GPScontrolled, you can also use this data to determine the yield of the plot. Tracking and tracing is also directly guaranteed. It is easy to arrange for management system data to be exchanged. Another useful extra gadget is that the data can be immediately read out on your i-phone. used, the tablet shows directly what is happening. The status of the lot of potatoes is also clear for the planning. You see exactly how much has been done. It makes heavy demands, however, on the internal logistics and communication between the systems involved. It’s another step towards the further automation of the packaging line.’ DEEPEST VACUUM Fruit Logistica is also an ideal show for detecting new trends in the fruit and vegetable sector. What is clear is that the range of sliced and pre-processed food products is still increasing, which is a trend that is found in the machinery hall of the Berlin Show. GKS from Son (in the Netherlands) is showing a brand-new vacuum system for vertical packaging machines. Sales Manager Wim van der Meulen explains how the machine works. ‘This machine pulls a very deep vacuum, much deeper than any other machine on the market. The vacuum that can be pulled is comparable to the strong vacuum you can accomplish with a hand pump. The advantage of a deep vacuum is that you can keep a product like sliced potatoes for a long time without any preservatives. A potato bag with deep vacuum has a storage life that is equivalent to a bag of potatoes with preservative gas.’ The machine has only just been developed, which is why Van der Meulen doesn’t know the price yet. 32 Potato World 2012 • number 2 Pagina 31
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