customer case

At Koelcentrum Zederik, they want to combine top quality with perfect presentation. Since the beginning of this year, the Gorinchem-based company has been using the GearStation to package grapes in punnets. The solution saves labour and ensures quality, says Sander Terlouw of the cold storage centre. "We can now deliver even better quality with fewer people on the line."

The cold storage centre uses the GearStation specifically for grapes in punnets, says Terlouw. The grapes are delivered from various countries overseas, and the product is in transit for some time, he says. "The grapes go to the customer in punnets. They first go through quality control; the quality score is used to determine whether they meet the customer's requirements. Only then is the foil and the customer-specific sticker applied to the punnet. The GearStation helps us to assess the quality at the front end."

Labour saving

Until recently, quality control was carried out by employees. With this solution, far fewer people are needed, saving the cold storage centre two to three people on the line. Terlouw calculates that this saves our customers 800-1000 euros per day. Another advantage is that the GearStation checks the grapes accurately and consistently 24 hours a day. No employee can compete with that, he says. "This means that we can offer our customers a degree of quality assurance. The output is properly checked and delivered to the customer in the right way."

Ready for the season

The grape import season at Koelcentrum Zederik runs from October to the end of May. The solution was installed in February, right in the middle of the season, says Terlouw. "We have now been working with GearStation for four months. After the start-up phase, we performed well in the last months of the previous season and laid a good foundation to be ready for the coming season. We have collected a tremendous amount of data based on our experiences, customer instructions and quality control. This is how you build quality standards together."

Training with data

According to Terlouw, a lot of hard work has gone into training the GearStation with the collected data. Ninety punnets pass the line every minute, and the GearStation takes a photo of each one. These photos can be used for training purposes. "There is a training mode, and Gearbox can upload the photos separately to the GearStation so that it recognises more and more quality issues. This allows us to continuously improve the training of the system and further optimise it."

Customer-specific requirements

Koelcentrum Zederik's customers are importers who supply supermarkets. The company works closely with importers to meet the specific requirements of their customers, says Terlouw. "Grapes are a perishable product, so quality is very important. We want the fruit to be as fresh and good as possible when it leaves. Growers from abroad often think they are supplying a good product, but that can sometimes be disappointing when it arrives in the Netherlands."

With the data from GearStation, the cold storage centre has evidence at its disposal if a batch with quality issues is identified. Suppose that 15 per cent of a batch is assessed as poor quality, Terlouw gives as an example. "Then the importer can report this back to the supplier of the grapes. Previously, quality issues were reported with a photo, but now we can demonstrate this using objective data."

Good cooperation

Sander Terlouw is very pleased with the collaboration with Gearbox. The company is very committed, which we consider important for a supplier, he says. "Gearbox installed the solution and then we ran it for a few months, during which time the process was optimised, the photos were uploaded and the updates were carried out. The solution has improved a little bit every day. The start-up problems were dealt with effectively and the company has provided us with excellent service."

Starting this month, the cooling centre will resume the sorting and packaging process and run the GearStation for an entire season. Then we will know where we stand, says Terlouw. "We want to deliver the best quality to our customers; that is very important to us. The GearStation allows us to distinguish ourselves to our customers."

Continue to automate

He concludes that the cold storage centre also sees opportunities for automation in the near future. "We are a progressive company. If you want to move forward, you have to continue to automate. There is no other option, given the current labour shortage and the increase in the minimum wage. These are factors that have a major impact on our business. Automation will certainly play a role in this."