Today, FruitMasters officially opens the Smart Fruit Hub in Geldermalsen. This modern logistics and packaging center for fruit is considered unique in Europe due to its advanced systems for sorting, packaging, and logistics, all integrated into a closed and refrigerated supply chain. While the new facility is officially inaugurated today for growers and supply chain partners, the press received a sneak preview on Wednesday.
Investment: 62.5 million euros
The Smart Fruit Hub represents a 62.5 million euro investment. According to director Adriaan Vis, it took considerable effort to justify this large expenditure to member growers, especially during a challenging period for the fruit sector. However, attitudes gradually shifted "from furrowed brows to pride" as members recognized the potential of what may be the world's most advanced fruit facility, delivered on time and within budget—"an absolute prerequisite."
"But we recognized the need and are eager to grow. Our goal is to become more demand-driven and make smarter use of data," Vis explained. This approach has led to a combination of mechanization, automation, and robotization. "This not only adds value for our growers and partners but also supports a future-proof sector where health and sustainability go hand in hand," said the CEO, proudly noting that the Smart Fruit Hub has achieved the highest BREEAM Outstanding certification with a score of 91.04%, making it the most sustainable food production facility in the Netherlands.
23-meter high-bay warehouse
In Geldermalsen, 30,000 square meters of new construction now house packaging facilities for apples, pears, and soft fruit, spread over two floors. FruitMasters uses Greefa sorting machines capable of sorting 3,360 apples per minute, assessing each apple for size, color, weight, and internal and external quality. Each apple is analyzed with 160 images using color photos, infrared technology, and artificial intelligence to ensure quality. Based on this analysis, each apple is directed to one of 71 water lanes, matched to the appropriate quality grade. Once filled, the lanes release the apples into storage crates, which are washed, stacked, and transported to the high-bay warehouse.
At the heart of the Smart Fruit Hub is a fully automated, 23-meter-high high-bay warehouse with a capacity of over 10,000 storage bins for sorted fruit. This advanced system can process 32 tons of apples per hour. After sorting, apples and pears are temporarily stored in the high-bay warehouse until a packing order arrives. The system then automatically selects the right batch of sorted fruit, and one of four cranes begins the picking process. This setup allows FruitMasters to respond efficiently to customer preferences. The packing process is partially automated, using packing robots to ensure consistent product quality, with the SmartPackr robot arranging apples with their blush side up and stems aligned.
AGVs and AMRs
Internal transport is nearly fully automated using Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), ensuring a safe and efficient working environment. AGVs handle transport between the high-bay warehouse and the packing lines, moving crates to the correct location in just 2:30 minutes. A notable feature is the "robot highway" on the first floor—a network of AMRs that deliver packing materials to the lift for the hard fruit packing stations or directly to the soft fruit department. Packed fruit is then transported to the shipping department and the packing center, using a 75-meter packing bridge for automated packaging supply and return flows.
Soft fruit is packed immediately upon delivery from growers at a temperature of 3°C, ensuring maximum freshness. For blueberries, FruitMasters uses a dedicated Elifab sorting line that inspects each berry for internal and external quality. Berries arrive in bulk, enabling them to be harvested in the field using robots and later sorted at FruitMasters.
Facts & figures
Constructing the Smart Fruit Hub required 2,910 piles, 200 tons of steel, and 5,000 m³ of concrete. The roof features 2,812 solar panels. The facility's crate wash can process 125 crates per hour. In total, the center operates 51 sorting and packing lines, with an annual processing capacity of 80 million kilograms of top fruit. "We cannot guarantee it will be a success, but we have created all the conditions for it to become one," Adriaan concluded with satisfaction.
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For more information:
FruitMasters
Deilseweg 7
4191 NX Geldermalsen
Tel: +31 (0)345 578800
[email protected]
www.fruitmasters.com