Cristiano Lorenzini of OP Lorenzini Naturamica of Mantua, confirmed that the solutions provided by Arrigoni were indeed effective. (Image Source: Arrigoni)

New field tests conducted on the land of Italian industry leaders OP Lorenzini Naturamica of Mantua and Azienda Agricola Malavasi provided abundant confirmation of the efficacy of use of Arrigoni Lirsa brand agrofilms in controlling temperature, increasing plants’ yields, reducing water use and ensuring earlier ripening of the crop

Arrigoni, a constant investor in research and development, will be presenting this and other innovative solutions for protecting melons and all greenhouse fruit and vegetable crops at the upcoming GreenTech in Amsterdam, the key international show for the entire production chain, to be held from 11-13 June 2024. 

Examples of two agrofilms include Lirsalux and TraTec, that come with very high thermal insulation properties, mainly used to deliver earlier cropping and mitigate low winter temperatures, reducing frost damage. These products are particularly effective for the cold-weather protection of crops like melon and watermelon. Other products particularly well suited to crops like melon include Prisma and Robuxta. 

For late summer crops, the use of Sanalux low tunnel film is ideal, because it cuts off NIR (Near InfraRed) radiation, keeping the temperature in the tunnel significantly lower. This characteristic helps to create a healthier environment where plants can grow and prosper in June and July, the hottest months.

Last but not least, Arrigoni has a rich assortment of mulching films, also under the Lirsa brand, such as the Thermoplast range films developed for greenhouse or orchard applications and have significant effects on plant growth, increasing crop size and quality.

Cristiano Lorenzini of OP Lorenzini Naturamica of Mantua, in its specific case used the Lirsalux, Sanalux and TraTec films. He confirmed that the solutions provided by Arrigoni were indeed effective. 

“Melon growers like us can face two conflicting needs: plants transplanted early can require more heat to protect them from possible late frosts and bring production forward significantly. At the same time, plants transplanted late can still need a good level of heat but it’s also important to prevent scorching on the hottest days,” said  Lorenzini. “By using Arrigoni Lirsa brand agrofilms, we were able to achieve these aims easily, hugely reducing plant stress levels. We found plants’ output was much more uniform, with higher product degrees Brix and an overall improvement in fruit quality over a very long crop cycle,” he concluded.  

To meet Arrigoni at GreenTech, visit: stand 345 in hall 01. 

For more information, visit: http://www.arrigoni.it/  

The CHRONOS OMP-2090 B delivers maximum productivity through reliable, fully automatic operation, outstanding bagging accuracy and high product and operational safety. (Image source: Bühler)

Swiss technology group, Bühler recently announced its partnership with Canadian packaging equipment manufacturer, Premier Tech to launch the CHRONOS OMP-2090 B, a fully automatic bagging station

Developed for a wide range of powdery and other non-free-flowing products, the new bagging station delivers maximum productivity through reliable, fully automatic operation, outstanding bagging accuracy and high product and operational safety.

The CHRONOS OMP-2090 B features an innovative bag opening system that delivers maximum efficiency with highly reliable operation. Its innovation in bagging accuracy of approximately 25 kg is made possible through the incorporation of dosing and weighing technology and intelligent controls. Its uniquely robust bag handling concept delivers optimal uptime and has a capacity of up to 900 bags per hour and its hygienic design coupled with comprehensive safety features demonstrates Bühler's and Premier Tech’s dedication to high food and human safety standards. These features significantly optimise the profitability of millers without compromising the efficiency of their operations.

“At Premier Tech, we leverage our decades of expertise to deliver high-performing, food-safe, and cost-effective automated packaging solutions," said Partner Relations director at Premier Tech Systems and Automation, Alexis Michaud. "This dedication to quality and innovation ensures that businesses in emerging markets have access to the automation level they need to compete. Our solutions empower them to enhance their operational efficiency and product quality, ultimately contributing to their long-term success.” 

The product will be available in all markets, apart from the US, Canada and the European member states. 

For more information, visit: https://www.buhlergroup.com/ and https://www.premiertech.com/

The weighers have helped deliver greater efficiencies, while maintaining the quality of the cut fruit. (Image source: Voie Certe)

With the aim of meeting increasing demands, Ishida weighing technology has played a significant role in enabling French fresh produce specialist, Voie Verte to expand and develop its range of fresh cut fruits and fruit salads

Fresh, sticky and bruise-sensitive products are generally delicate, which makes them hard to handle. To address this issue, Ishida Fresh Food Weighers (FFW) were specifically designed to provide a solution to the efficient and accurate weighing of these products. So far, three of these weighers have been installed to maximise production capacity in Voie Verte's new facility which includes a large and dedicated area for fresh-cut products. Growing demand coupled with exceptional performance has urged the company to invest in two additional six-head weighers. 

The presence of a distribution system at the top of the weigher allows one or two operators to evenly distribute products through belt feeders to the weigh hoppers, which also allows operators to have a final check on product quality before it is weighed into portions. The FFW’s ergonomic layout makes it easy to spread out products on the feeder table and the belt feeders facilitate a precise and consistent product feed to the hoppers. Scraper hopper gates, ribbed surfaces and scrapers on the collection belt conveyors minimise product sticking. These features help to maximise the speed, accuracy and efficiency of the weighing process.

In the case of Voie Verte, the weighers have helped deliver greater efficiencies, ensuring precise and accurate weighing of each portion of fruit with minimal giveaway, while maintaining the quality of the cut fruit. This has allowed the company to assign fewer operators to the packaging operation for these products. 

The intuitive remote-control unit on each machine allows for quick recipe changes, which makes the weighers suitable for short production cycles. Hoppers can also be easily removed for cleaning, enabling recipes changes to be carried out in around 10 minutes. In addition, the 12-head model is ideal for fruit mixtures as it can weigh two different fruits simultaneously. At present, the weighers are operating at a speed of around 20 trays per minute. The reason for choosing lower speeds is to maintain smoothness and consistency, while also allowing other equipment on the line to keep up with the FFW's maximum speed.

For more information, visit: www.voieverte.fr 

It is essential to monitor and control the water content in grains. (Image source: Hydronix)

Recent advances in moisture measurement technology are enabling forward-thinking businesses to achieve better control of their grain processing operations, rewarding them with numerous benefits, such as quality improvement, yield maximisation, energy savings and more