Red berries, the specialty of Bloedbessen from the Betuwe region of Asch. Blood berries can offer the best quality red berries all year round. For the sorting and packaging of the red currants, the company needed a production line that could not only weigh and pack the berries, but also sort different qualities in multiple packages at the same time. The system also had to immediately register all data, up to the weight of the residual flows. A partner was found in Synergy Systems from Oisterwijk.

Blood berries

“It took a while to find the right partner for our company, ”says Jos de Greef of Bloedbessen. “Our wishes turned out to be quite complex for machine builders and most of them were unable to realize them.” Until Bloedbessen came into contact with Synergy Systems, a specialist in machines, systems, processing lines and process technology for, among others, the fruit and vegetable sector.

Packing and sorting the red berries has now become a lot more efficient. The double actions have been eliminated and labor productivity has increased. “The pallets are stacked at the start of the production line,” says Jos, “Then the crates with the red berries go onto the new 4-layer line and are transported to the weighing stations. We have one operator for two weighing stations who can work with two different packages at the same time. These 32 weighing stations are controlled from one central touchscreen controller, where we enter the desired specifications. With sensors we can determine when the weighing table can be provided with a new crate. We can also weigh the boxes with residual material separately before they are automatically removed. The data of this is recorded in our ERP package. ”

Collecting and recording data was an important precondition for Bloodberries. “Data enables us to improve processes with the aim of surpassing internal quality requirements time and time again. Before we started using this production line, recording a limited number of parameters was complex. Now it is possible to easily register more data. ” After the red berries have been packed, the operators place the trays on the 4-track product line that takes them to the labeling machine. An innovative solution has also been installed here. This allows the tracks to cross each other, which is necessary to meet all labeling requirements. After the packages have been labeled, they are placed on the pick-up tables. The dishes are then moved to the outside, so that the employees do not have to bend over the table.

Bloodberries is also satisfied with the collaboration with Synergy Systems. “Synergy Systems has been proactive in developing the solution from the start,” says Jos. “That is also the difference between Synergy Systems and its competitors. Realizing these wishes requires a creative approach and drive to come up with great solutions. That makes the difference between sellers and experts of such machines. The feedback during our collaboration was beyond expectations. The entire production line has been running at full speed since January 2019. ”