Mariusz Chenczke farm

Packing delicate fruits requires a special approach. Strawberry packing companies must primarily ensure three things: high product quality required by retail chains, packing speed and production efficiency, and avoiding overweighting, as losses on expensive fruits can be particularly costly. The client expected that the solution proposed by Milbor PMC would take each of these aspects into account. An additional challenge was the need to integrate our solution with the existing checkweigher.

We designed a dynamic line for verifying the weight of each individual fruit package, integrated with our proprietary production management software – Libra. The heart of the line is the diverter, a sorting device that directs packages based on their weight into three paths. One directs correctly weighed packages to the next stages (sealing and labeling), the second receives underweight packages, and the third handles overweight packages. The second and third paths lead to weighing stations, where workers add or remove fruit to ensure the package weight falls within the required range. The diverter and the entire line are designed to work with various container sizes and types.

The dynamic manual packing line designed by Milbor PMC enabled the investor to speed up the packing process without compromising fruit quality while also improving production management. The investor recorded a threefold increase in order fulfilment speed. Thanks to the division into different streams, the client can easily control the weight of individual packages weighed by workers in the greenhouse, thereby saving money on potential overweight losses. The system’s compatibility with various types of packaging allows adaptation to different retailer requirements in individual countries.

I consider this investment an important step toward the development of my business. We use equipment from another company for packing tomatoes, but when it came to strawberries, Milbor PMC offered us the most competitive solution. After the first season of working with the dynamic line, I can confidently say that weight control of each individual package allows me to minimise overweighing and giving away product for free, thereby using my strawberries more efficiently. The system has significantly improved operations in the packing facility and is beneficial for both the staff and production managers. I also appreciate the fact that I can handle different packaging formats, enabling me to adapt to changing trends and the expectations of retail chains – comments Mariusz Chenczke.