The goal now is to be local, states Olivier Jaubert, operations manager at MAF Roda South Africa, or at least as local as it can: the benefit of that strategy became evident during Covid and the concomitant rise in shipping costs. "The shipping price on a packing table increased from 2,500 euros to 8,000 euros per container," Jaubert remarks. "That's a lot of cost for a customer."
In the South African industry, he says, it's common on projects to import the sizer and find the peripherals locally. After contracting independently on various packhouse projects, it made sense for MAF Roda South Africa and Maintech, a packhouse equipment manufacturer in Paarl, to pool resources, last year formally announced as MAFTECH, in which MAF Roda South Africa holds 60% shareholding.
The French company has similar joint ventures in Mexico and Australia. This one makes MAF Roda the only international packline manufacturer with a production site in Africa, Jaubert says.
© MAFTECH
On MAF Roda South Africa's projects, the sizer and electronic components, such as cameras for sorting, as well as certain machines like tippers and automation equipment, are still built at the French company's overseas factories. All the peripherals around the sizers, like conveyers, the sorting and packing tables, and bin fillers, will be manufactured by MAFTECH in Paarl, Western Cape.
The shipping cost component of a project is considerably reduced in this way. "Whereas a full turnkey project would have required around twenty containers, it will now be maybe six or seven containers for the sizers," he says. "Manufacturing the peripherals here results in at least 60% fewer containers. Obviously, it is dependent on the specific project."
And when the decision is made to extend on a line, or customers need last-minute upgrades, the turnaround time needs to be quick, adds Riaan Coetzee, managing director and co-owner of MAFTECH.
© MAFTECH
Peripherals to MAF Roda's electronic, optic, and automated equipment are manufactured in Paarl, Western Cape, like this avocado dryer
Patented optics technology
The sizer market is crowded, Jaubert acknowledges, but he offers that MAF Roda's biggest advantage is its patented optics technology and scanning of sugar and acidity.
"The latest external sorting - GLOBALSCAN 7 - is patented equipment with high definition cameras, multiple wavelengths, and fibre optic for high speed communication from a hardware point of view. From a software perspective, developers around the world continuously develop software versions for all the fruits and vegetables with Artificial Intelligence and an easy user interface."
MAF Roda developed the software for every fruit category and offers a course for operators that accompanies the installation on site, but also at the premises of MAF RODA South Africa.
He continues: "Scanning the sugar level is positive sorting because knowing the sugar levels means sorting for better quality and hence returns."
© Potentieel
Working on every fruit and vegetable line in South Africa, they have a fair view of the state of fresh produce packing in the country. "Nowhere is it fully automated," Jaubert observes, "we see some automation equipment in the citrus industry with speed packers for placement packing in citrus."
In their experience, he remarks, smaller South African and Zimbabwean packhouses require simpler solutions, and in that respect, it is quite a different market from an overseas market, but the technology is ready if needed.
© Potentieel
Chris Norval and Riaan Coetzee (MAFTECH) with Olivier Jaubert (MAF Roda South Africa)
For more information:
Olivier Jaubert
MAF Roda South Africa
Tel: +27 21 8518503
Email: [email protected]
https://www.maf-roda.com/en/
Riaan Coetzee
MAFTECH
Email: [email protected]
