Realizing turn-key agri factories with Eqraft
Published at OnionBusiness.com, October 24, 2024
An agri factory is not a chain of individual components: all elements need to be perfectly aligned for things to run smoothly. That’s why Dutch tech company Eqraft is not just a machine builder, but also a comprehensive supplier of future-proof agri factories, from designing the ideal set-up to making sure all involved parties are aligned and the installation process goes flawless.
As an agri entrepreneur, your main focus is to keep your factory up and running and your clients happy. Investing in new machinery and installing new production lines can be a stressful ordeal. That’s why Dutch tech company Eqraft hasn’t just specialized in supplying state-of-the-art machines, they also offer all-round consultancy and project management when it comes to realizing future-proof factories, making sure they don’t leave your site until everything is up and running. For the same reason, Eqraft works together with Modesta and Symach, who both take on specific parts of the process, forming an alliance and delivering turn-key projects together.
Onion Tech Alliance partners Eqraft, Modesta, and Symach deliverd a new turn-key onion facility in the United States by September 2024. On the photos shown in the video, the complete production line is visible: from infeed, active cleaning, topping, and optical grading to packing, palletizing, wrapping, and dust extraction. The factory lay-out has been designed with efficiency in mind, creating several vertical layers for optimal usage of space.
Connecting the dots
Eqraft started out as a machine builder in the eighties from their main office in the Netherlands and has built up an international client network over the decades. Having evolved into a comprehensive supplier for agri factories, they’ve realized prestigious projects such as MSP Onions in the south of the Netherlands, which boasts the world’s largest automated onion processing line to date. Eqraft has also built a strong presence in the United States over the past thirty years, having recently worked on the new onion factory of Blue Sky Onions in Royal City, Washington, amongst others.
Thanks to their years of experience, Eqraft understands the importance of great planning, organization and optimization. Their team of project managers streamlines communication between the client and third parties and makes sure the new line is up and running within the agreed time frame and budget. ‘In every phase, we meet with the right parties so that all considerations are discussed and the client can make the right choices,’ explains Nico Bredenhoff, Manager Projects.
Onion Tech Alliance
Part of this comprehensive approach was founding the Onion Tech Alliance together with extraction expert Modesta and palletizing Symach. Modesta’s solutions ensure cleaner onions, premises, and equipment. A clean working environment is vital in keeping a factory running. Thanks to their dust extraction installations, the machines of the other OTA members perform better. Taking care of palletizing and load securing, Symach provides an integral part of the agricultural factory of the future. Their custom-built palletizers offer great stacking quality. The joint approach of these three companies is a great advantage for any factory owner, as their solutions are optimally adapted to each other. Instead of having to piece together the puzzle by themselves, factory owners have access to OTA’s expert advice at every step of the way.
Designing the ideal agri factory
‘Projects that start with a blank slate and include us in the entire trajectory, from building new premises to deciding where the different processes will be placed on the factory floor, are the most exciting ones,’ says Rutger Keurhorst, Commercial Manager. And although these kinds of projects might seem intimidating, they often lead to more efficient lay-outs and better end results than when working with an existing building. ‘When building new premises, we can design the ideal production line for our client,’ says Rutger. ‘For instance, we can make sure we limit the factory’s footprint by building vertically.’ Another advantage is that a newly built line can give a factory a lot more flexibility: the grading and packing line can be easily adjusted to the user’s wishes, allowing for different combinations and configurations. For instance, the operator can either decide to clean, grade and pack the onions straight away, or clean and grade the onions and then put them in storage, ready to be packed according to the buyer’s wishes when needed.
Adapting an integral approach from the beginning benefits the services of the other OTA members, too, as having the input from three different perspectives improves the overall end result. All these advantages help agri factory owners around the world to ensure efficiency, cleanliness, and long-term success in an increasingly competitive global market.
Contact Eqraft
Mr. Rutger Keurhorst
Call: +31 527 256 130
Email: info@eqraft.com
Website: https://www.eqraft.com