Since March, Van Vliet Paprika has been operating with a completely new harvesting system, something that was no small undertaking. To install it, the concrete floor had to be cut open to lay down induction wires. After that, the system had to be carefully configured: harvest carts need to "know" which routes to follow, when to stop, and which carts have priority.
Van Vliet chose not to install a buffer zone—this was a deliberate decision. The packing hall is spacious enough to accommodate a 45-meter-long conveyor belt, which in effect serves as the buffer. The setup includes 40 paprika AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) harvest trolleys from Berkvens Greenhouse Mobility, delivered by Steenks Service, along with a tipping system supplied by Taks Handling Systems.
Sander Zuidgeest (Steenks Service) and Alex van Vliet (Van Vliet Paprika)
Product damage
For 18 years, Van Vliet Paprika used hydraulic pipe-rail trolleys for harvesting. Harvest crates were attached behind the trolleys, and as the season progressed and the crop grew taller, the risk of damage increased. Each bell pepper would drop through a long PVC harvest chute from above the crop into a container below—a significant fall height for such a delicate product.
Eighteen years is a good run, but the old system had reached the end of its lifespan and needed replacing.
Now, things work differently. The harvest container moves up along with the worker, on the same platform. It has a movable bottom that lowers gradually as more peppers are collected. This means there's never a long drop. Alex van Vliet has noticed a clear improvement: "We're seeing far less damage to the product—which is great, because that really pays off."
Labor
Most of the current staff at Van Vliet Paprika had experience with the old harvesting system. According to Alex, they're happy with the upgrade.
"It's more ergonomic, easier to work with, and also more efficient," he says. "Within a day, everyone understands how the system works—and they use it like they've been doing it for years."
Even though it's not yet peak season, Alex is already seeing results: a 15% reduction in labor hours. "And I expect that will increase to over 20%. That's a big difference. No—I wouldn't want to go back. I'm more than satisfied."
Each harvester works with around two harvest trolleys. These aren't bottom-dumping carts. Instead, the harvest containers are lifted off and placed directly onto the conveyor, where they are tipped automatically. Every cart frame carries its own individual container.
Management
Van Vliet Paprika wanted a single point of contact for the entire system overhaul. They chose Steenks Service for the job. Sander Zuidgeest explains: "We're the premium dealer for Berkvens Greenhouse Mobility and the main contact for Taks Handling Systems in this project. We'll also be responsible for ongoing maintenance."
For more information:
Steenks Service
Sander Zuidgeest
Tel.: +31 (0)174 510 266
Mob.: +31 (0)6 516 875 05
[email protected]