Eqraft® introduces bin handling solutions: the next step towards the agri factory of the future
Eqraft is known for their state-of-the-art machines and software solutions for smart factories that process onions, potatoes and bulk products. Their automatic grading and packing machines are popular, but future-forward factory owners are now asking for fully automated bin handling as well. That’s why Eqraft introduces a series of machines to improve internal logistics.
Owners of agri factories worldwide are struggling with rising costs of manual labor and increasingly strict food safety and health regulations. That’s why Eqraft focuses on developing machines and software that enable their clients to get the job done with fewer workers and less stress and results in a higher quality product. The more manual labor is eliminated from a production line and replaced by sturdy machines and smart technology, the more accurate, safe and reliable the process becomes. This goes for the sorting process – the human eye can never grade onions as accurately and consistently as Eqraft’s electronic grader, that can even detect rot on the inside – but also for the internal logistics of a factory.
A lot can go wrong when boxes and crates are moved between one process and another with forklifts. People make mistakes and accidents can happen, creating a dangerous situation for all involved. Furthermore, high forklift traffic results in a dirtier, dustier factory floor. That’s why future-forward entrepreneurs are now moving towards fully automated factories in which forklift movements are replaced by automatic bin handling solutions.
‘We noticed there was a demand for sturdy bin handling solutions that seamlessly fit in with our other machines,’ says Leon Vaandrager, Teamlead Mechanical Engineering and R&D at Eqraft. Growing up in an agricultural family business himself, he started out at Eqraft almost fifteen years ago and has grown into his role of teamlead gradually. Together with his colleagues, he develops projects for clients all over the world. The first time he noticed the need for an integrated bin handling solution was when working on MSP Onions, a fully-automated onion processing plant in the Netherlands that has become an international example for the factory of the future. ‘I saw what a big difference automated internal logistics could make: it enables a continuous production process with fewer errors and damage.’
When working on a project for Onions Etc, a California-based grower-shipper of several agricultural products, the client wanted a bin handling solution to go along with his new packing line. That’s when Leon and his team started developing several bin handling solutions. ‘We designed different machines to bring bins and boxes from A to B: from bin roller tracks to transport them in a straight line to a bin turn table that turns them ninety degrees.’ The portfolio also includes a bin stacker and destacker, a bin filling station and a bin crossing. Finally, there’s the bin shuttle, which collects bins and boxes and distributes them over the factory floor. ‘Thanks to this solution, forklifts between one stage of the process and the other are no longer needed,’ explains Leon. All of the machines have been designed with sturdy, high-quality materials and make use of electronic and pneumatic technology, avoiding hydraulics that could cause food safety issues.
After Onions Etcetera, US-based clients such as Blue Sky Management (WA) and Bybee Produce (WA) have also opted for automated internal logistics. ‘So far, these clients chose to automate the logistics at the grading stage in their factories, but bin handling can be applied at any point in a production line, from reception and grading to packing,’ says Leon. ‘Several projects for fully automated bin handling are already planned for the coming years.’