Over the past five years, Bercomex – in collaboration with growers – has further extended its expertise in and experience with fully automated flower processing and so it is now feasible to process various other kinds of flowers in addition to tulips with the Furora, including chrysanthemums, lilies and summer flowers.
Each stem measured individually
A Furora is equipped with several cameras which enable it to grade each stem according to a range of criteria determined by the grower. The range of scanning techniques includes: colour, X-ray (mono or stereo), infrared and detection of side shoots. Depending upon the type of flower and the requirements of the nursery, a Furora can measure the length or curve of individual stems, stem thickness, colour (as an indication of ripeness) but can also evaluate aspects such as haulm length, umbel size, bud size and bud height.Fast and flexible processing of flowers
Growers are increasingly seeking a flexible processing system that can be adjusted with ease, because end users are specifying bunches with a different number of flowers – e.g. 5, 7 or 11 stems – more frequently. The Furora can be adjusted to achieve that in a matter of moments. Another important argument for using the Furora is the option to bunch various lengths and grading classes at the same time.Custom-made
Each Furora model is unique, and the functionalities required by each nursery are carefully checked to make processing as effective and efficient as possible. In collaboration with the growers, the best possible solution for automatic flower processing – precisely geared to the nursery – is always realised.Recently installed projects
More than 100 Furoras are already installed at flower nurseries in various countries, including Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. Some examples of recently installed projects:• Chrywijk nursery: "Our grading is now more uniform, something we weren’t able to achieve manually in the past"
Since the beginning of this year, the Chrywijk nursery has been processing bouvardias and chrysanthemums using a Furora Nova. The fully automated grading and bunching machine ensures that the chrysanthemums are graded in a more uniform and effective manner. Lies van Wijk: "A noticeable quality improvement in bunch production is a major reason for using this automation. Considerably fewer actions are now required to grade and bunch the flowers. This results in a more uniform product with an enhanced quality; the bunches look much neater now. This was not possible in the past when grading was done manually. Damage to the flowers can now be avoided more effectively, since there is less manipulation."
The Chrywijk nursery uses two Furoras to process large numbers of chrysanthemums and bouvardias every day.
• Blumberg Flowers: "We are now less dependent upon backpackers"
Finding workers is not always easy for the Blumberg nursery in Australia. Since the employees required for the processing of spray chrysanthemums could not be found locally, Blumberg mainly depended upon backpackers passing through and willing to work in the nursery on a temporary basis. Derek Clarke: "The installation of the Furora Nova has reduced my dependency upon temporary workers who had to be shown the ropes time and again. What's more, I myself have much more time on my hands. When we used to work with lots of different backpackers, I would personally carry out the final check on each and every bunch. The point is that our customers ask for uniform bunches, and consistent grading seemed to be quite a difficult task for many backpackers. The Furora assesses each stem exactly as per my setting; this means that I no longer have to perform final checks and can focus more on my nursery."
The Blumberg nursery grows an extensive range of approximately 15 types of spray chrysanthemum. The Furora Nova allows fast switching for consecutive processing of these different cultivars.
• J.A. Collison & Sons: "We can meet the requirements of the supermarkets"
At the end of last year, a Furora Compact was installed at the family-owned Collison nursery in Norfolk. The main reasons were to keep better control of costs , increase capacity and to free up staff time to add value to the bunches. Ian Collison: "We supply a large volume of flowers to supermarkets. The capacity of the Furora ensures that we can produce more uniform bunches at a faster pace and that the bunches are more consistent and faster to pack. This enables us to meet the requirements of our customers. The advantage is that, in addition to mono and mixed tulip bouquets, we can also grade and bunch other flowers thanks to the Furora. We also plan to use the Furora for processing lilies and stocks."
The Furora Compact turns out mixed tulip bouquets at a high pace.
High-quality solutions for a flower market that increasingly demands more
Bercomex specializes in systems for automatic flower processing. With the application of modern technologies, such as X-ray, colour and infrared scanning techniques, Bercomex responds to the need for increasingly more efficiently produced bunches of flowers of the highest quality. This chimes with a market where increasingly high demands are made upon the supply of flowers. In addition to modern systems and effective management information, Bercomex offers its customers enhanced operational reliability by providing custom-made solutions, service and preventive maintenance.
For more information
Bercomex bv
Holenweg 4A, 1624 PB Hoorn
The Netherlands
P.O. Box 2209, 1620 EE Hoorn
T: +31 (0) 229 – 50 21 50
F: + 31 (0) 229 - 50 21 16
www.bercomex.com