The Von Eerde family's family business has existed for generations and is based in Germany. Onions, potatoes, wheat and rapeseed are grown. Within the company, Lorenz von Eerde focuses entirely on onion cultivation and onion sorting. In addition to its own harvest, the company also sorts for the growers' organisation Allia.

Reason and purpose

The sorting of onions is highly seasonal. From August to May, the sorting line operates almost continuously. Finding good staff for monotonous sorting work became increasingly difficult. Furthermore, manual quality control led to inconsistent results and high rejection rates, especially with poorer batches. Therefore, the company was seeking a solution that would make them less reliant on personnel while simultaneously delivering more consistent quality.

Choice of Flikweert Vision

During a trade fair, the company came into contact with Flikweert Vision. This was followed by discussions with other users of the installation and visits to various sorting lines. Although cheaper alternatives were available, practical experience was the deciding factor. The experiences of other users and the machine's performance convinced Lorenz von Eerde to choose Flikweert Vision. “We prefer to invest in a solution that works, rather than saving money on a solution that is still in its early stages,” says Stefan Klanten, operator at Von Eerde.

Solution and implementation

The optical sorting installation was integrated directly behind the diverter in the existing line to save space. The existing sorting table was retained, allowing staff to be deployed flexibly depending on the quality of the batch. During the first season, several optimisations were carried out together with Flikweert Vision's service department, including for the recognition of fusarium and poor quality onions. Photographs and practical data were shared directly with the service department, after which settings were adjusted remotely.

Result

The impact on daily practice is significant. Where the line previously struggled to achieve the desired capacity, it now processes it with ease. The reliance on personnel has greatly decreased and the quality of the outgoing batches has improved. “The machine runs better than expected. We process more tonnes with the same line and the quality is more consistent,” says Stefan Klanten.

Looking ahead

The company continues to invest in further automation. A new hall has now been built and future expansions are being investigated. In addition, Von Eerde is also looking at solutions to remove contamination from the product flow even earlier and to further increase the capacity of the line.