The Budelpack Group and IQ Packing have started InnoFresh Packing BV in The Netherlands to automatically pack grapes into punnets.
Over the past two years, Budelpack’s Equipment Services department has developed its automated packing line for grapes in order to expand into other market segments.
“Packing grapes in the Netherlands ensures that the customer-order-decoupling point shifts from the country of origin to the Netherlands,” says Peter Nieuwkerk, director/owner of the Budelpack Group.
“Retailers want to decide which packaging they will offer consumers as late as possible.”
“If packaged grapes are imported, it’s just like the T-Ford: there’s choice, but only as long as it is in a 500 g punnet. That stands to change from today onwards,” he says.
The automated line combined with chain optimization makes packing in The Netherlands an option, which means grapes can be imported unpackaged, allowing 30% more kg to fit in a reefer transport.
The time consuming checking of pre-packaged products upon arrival is now conducted on the packing line.
Client-specific labeling is done on the packing line and does not demand additional work.
Packing in The Netherlands means all manner of packaging innovations will be able to be utilized in the future, such as specific packaging for sweet grapes or seedless grapes for better distinction.
InnoFresh Packing will be operational with a pilot line in December 2015, which will process up to 1,200 punnets per hour.
During Phase 2 of its operations, the plant will have an output of 3,600 punnets per hour.
In Phase 3, the line will be modified to make it suitable for packaging innovations such as punnet variants.
