Kea Fruit is a collective of seven growers and exporters working together to pack and export New Zealand apples globally. They approached EQM Industrial to design and supply a brand-new fit-out for their apple packhouse.
CHALLENGE
Kea Fruit required a highly efficient apple carton conveying system within a space-constrained packhouse, capable of handling 450,000 cartons in the first season.
We were to provide an apple carton conveying system that covered an impressive 70 meters of conveyor, plus an additional 40 meters of carton racking mounted on a cantilever support structure.
The system needed to optimize both storage and throughput, while integrating with existing automation equipment for carton gluing, barcode reading, and selection systems.
SOLUTION
We supplied a modular Tranzband Conveyor system, spanning 70 meters of band-driven roller conveyor, with an additional 40 meters of carton racking on a cantilever support structure. The system featured three tiers, with two racks for storing empty cartons above the conveyor handling full cartons below.
The Tranzband Conveyor system was part of a standard line stocked by EQM, but we were able to customise the powder coating to match the colours of existing equipment. We provided the system in a short timeframe, being one of the first companies to deliver equipment to the site for installation.
EQM worked closely with other project partners to incorporate a carton guiding system to feed and index the packed cartons at the correct pace for automatic carton-gluing equipment. We also liaised on barcode reading and carton selection systems, ensuring that cartons were distributed to the right exit lane for manual stacking on pallets.
Specialised high-speed 24Vdc diverters were imported for the project and fitted with the standard Tranzband frame to achieve seamless pallet stacking and maximum output.
BENEFITS
- Space optimization with a modular design fit for tight constraints
- Increased efficiency with automation-ready integration for gluing, barcode reading, and sorting systems
- Fast delivery and installation ensured early productivity for the project
- Adaptable system for future scalability and automation expansion
EQM Industrial specializes in delivering customized, high-efficiency solutions for food processing operations, ensuring optimized space utilization and increased output.
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