Go Products is a family business based in Noordoostpolder, the Netherlands. They work with different onion set growers. After years of manual sorting, they were ready to take the next step - an Eqraft electronic sorter. Project leader, Mike Kooijman, and client, Arjen Goud, discuss this collaboration.
Go Products consists of father, Hans Goud, son, Arjen Goud, and a handful of permanent employees. At first glance, a massive investment such as an electronic onion sorter, therefore, did not seem the obvious choice. Yet, more than a year ago, Arjen Goud opted for the Eqrader from Eqraft. Installing this machine was no mean feat. However, the sorting machine is now running at Go Product's factory in the Dutch town of Nagele in Noordoostpolder. Arjen says, "The technology is fantastic. It is unbelievable that a computer can look inside an onion and detect any rot there."
Expanding capacity
Hans, Arjen's father, has about 35 years of experience in the area of onions. He started Go Products in Nagele 20 years ago. Arjen grew up among the onions. He learned all about the sector on his father's knee. However, Arjen first worked for other companies for several years. He then joined his father's company. Thanks to Arjen, the company now also processes and packages organic consumer onions. This is in addition to the onion sets.
Go Products is a contracting company. It is, therefore, dependent on other parties. These other businesses make use of Go Product's sorting and packaging capacity. That means Go Products must be quick and flexible when it comes to responding to their clients' needs. These are sometimes last-minute. "If someone phones in the morning, we should, preferably, get started for them that same day already," says Arjen.
Finding the right staff is, however, becoming increasingly difficult and expensive. "There are not many people who want to work on an assembly line. Staff turnover is high too. It then costs us a lot of time to keep training new people." Add human error to this - employees may not be, for instance, be able to see an onion is rotten on the inside.
This results in inconsistent quality. Changeover times between orders are also often too long. The consumer onions sorting line's capacity was, therefore, not sufficient. So Arjen went in search of a solution to all these problems.
Longstanding relationship
The Eqrader was not a random choice. The Goud gentlemen already have machines that were manufactured by Eqraft. The first machine they bought was an onion topper. This machine is still running well after 20 years. Go Products' owners are also pleased with the additional equipment they purchased afterwards. "They build good machines," says Arjen. "Their service is excellent too. If there is a problem, they are here within ten minutes. That is extremely important for our continuity."
Arjen had his eye on the Eqrader for quite some time. Dad Hans, and Rob, an employee, still had to be convinced. They do not believe in new technology until they have seen a trial run with their own eyes. A visit to HOZA factory, where the Eqrader is used, was the deciding factor. "It was quiet for a long time on the car ride back. I knew then they were convinced."
When the contract was being signed, Eqraft was going through a turbulent time. The company was changing hands. This, however, did little to change Arjens' choice for this optical sorter. The bond of trust he had built up with Eqraft played a major role in this. "My father and I had a good working relationship with Pieter Kaat of Eqraft. He was always extremely open and honest with us."
"We, therefore, trusted that they would, once again, deliver a good result in the end. That is how we work - we only want longterm relationships." Mike Kooijman, Eqraft's project leader, is grateful for this choice. "It meant a lot to us that they signed for this project." He, and his colleagues, have since reached calmer waters again. They are currently finishing the new sorting line for Go Products.
The missing piece of the puzzle
Executing the project was not without its difficulties. Firstly, positioning the sorting line was a challenge. Go Products' factory is angular. "That seemed to be a puzzle at first. Fortunately, the machine line seemed to fit perfectly into the building's angle," says Mike. The takeover of his company also caused some turmoil. It meant everything did not always go according to plan. But, the new sorting line was up and running in early 2020.
That was thanks to Go Products and Eqraft's joint efforts. Mike says, "Now, the t's just need to be crossed and the i's dotted. It remains a learning process for us. The Eqrader is a relatively new machine and, each time, we learn something new." Arjen agrees, "We did experience some difficulty with this machine's delivery. However, in the end, the people from Eqraft reached a result of which they can be very proud."
Ready for the future
According to Arjen, the biggest advantage lies in his company's newly acquired flexibility. "Say a client phones in the afternoon and says, 'I want a batch of onions sorted today.' We then switch the machine on. We can respond much quicker to our clients' wishes. We are also less dependent on seasonal workers." The Eqrader also allows for working more sustainably with byproducts. Thanks to the camera and infrared technology, bad onions can easily be removed from a batch.
Even inner rot can be detected. These can then be used in, for example, a biodigester. Nothing, therefore, has to be thrown away. Go Products' people will still need to familiarize themselves with the new factory set-up. However, as far as Arjen is concerned, there is no looking back. "Given the chance, I would choose the Eqrader again," he concludes.
Do you want to know more about optical sorting? From 5 to 7 February, Eqraft will be at Fruit Logistica in Berlin - Hall 9, Stand D-20.