The line, installed in October 2014, is a combined potting, trimming, grading and mixing line for 9 cm pots with a capacity of 6000 pots per hour. Please have a look at the video to get a good impression of the capacity and technology that is used.
About the grower
Vigo Gerolamo in Albenga grows a wide range of aromatic plants under the name of Vigo Progress, a company that dedicates special attention to progressive growth, production, research and communications. "With a very good marketing concept, where they make different kinds of recipes with their products together with top chefs, they promote the brand Aroma Riserva, a brand that is focused on the production of high quality herbs with the guarantee of origin for all the ingredients. Albenga herbs have always been famous for genuine excellence and flavour, but Aroma Riserva herbs are also constantly controlled and certified".
Hans Preesman and Aldo Maggion of Techmek together with Vigo Gerolamo.
"We are always looking to improve our quality and customer service and in order to make another step, we contacted Techmek for a very flexible plant processing line for our new 9 cm production", said the grower Mr. Vigo Gerolamo. "Our goal is to reach 4/5 million pots per year with his new production line."
Techmek is a north Italian machine builder with much experience in this type of high tech automation. "The line is designed especially for this customer", said Techmek's Aldo Maggion. "The process starts at the growers by potting young plants and covering them with bark. We place the pots in special pot holders, which don’t permit the tilt of the pots, before they are located in the nursery that covers an area of over 23 hectares, including both greenhouse and outdoor production. "
When the plants are fully grown, they are moved to the production line; the automated line will start the grading process with precision cameras, where plants are divided in two selections according to their size. Then they are trimmed and later placed back in the nursery. The trimmed leafs are automatically being removed by a suction system. When the herbs are ready to ship, another process can select the right varieties and mixes it to customer specific packaging and tray combinations.
For more information:
Techmek
Aldo Maggion
aldo.maggion@techmek.it
Hans preesman
E:Hans.preesman@techmek.it
T: +31628458828
www.techmek.com