Smarter cheese processing at Grozette.

Grozette, specialist in grated cheese products, is taking big steps in automation together with DERO GROEP. With high-speed drying lines and smart cutting machines, for example. Innovations that not only make the work faster and cleaner, but also save costs and guarantee top quality. This way, Grozette cleverly responds to the growing demand, meets strict safety standards and remains future-proof in a changing market.

As the expert in grated cheese, Grozette offers a wide product range, from dried powders to snack cubes and cheese pearls. Their products find their way to bakeries, pizza chains and producers of long-life ready meals. Grozette does not make the cheese itself, but carefully processes it to ensure that the flavor is preserved and the shelf life is long - fully ready to use.

A breath of fresh air in the drying process

In 2023, Grozette opened a new factory in Woerden. "With the construction of this plant, we also wanted to develop a new cheese dryer," says Peter Gerber, production director at Grozette. "The old production line, where cheese was dried over conveyor belts, needed replacement. Cheese drying depends on time, temperature and humidity, which affects the quality and quantity. Sometimes the height of the cheese filling varies, which makes drying more difficult. DERO GROEP had the perfect solution for this."

Peter explains that they wanted a system where the cheese is dried in trays. "This reduces contamination, is more hygienic and is easier to clean by using trays for transport," adds Maro Dedel, director of DERO GROEP. Together they developed a robotic system that layers the cheese and transports the trays in and out of the dryer. A key challenge was to fill the trays evenly for a consistent drying process. Peter emphasizes: "The team at DERO GROEP really thought along. If there were problems, we worked closely together to get everything working properly."

The grating dry line and cube cutting machine at Grozette.

Maximum production

In addition to the grating dry line, DERO GROEP also developed a special cube cutting machine for Grozette, which produces up to 550 kilograms of cheese cubes per hour at double speed. Ideal for the growing demand for snack cubes. Maro says: "The machine is designed with two cutting lanes, allowing two rows of cheese to be cut simultaneously. The machine is efficiently designed and operates with minimal actions. This allows Grozette to make more cheese cubes in less time."

Fast switching and smart solutions 

Peter appreciates the involvement of DERO GROEP: "We have one project manager at DERO GROEP, which ensures short lines of communication. In case of breakdowns or adjustments, the team always responds quickly. Their flexibility and solution orientation are of great importance, especially in our complex environment where both automation and manual actions are needed to stay flexible."

Smarter cheese processing

Automation is essential in the cheese industry. Peter explains: "Automation not only helps us to produce faster, but also allows us to save costs and comply with strict regulations on working conditions. With machines such as those provided by DERO GROEP, heavy operations - such as lifting heavy cheeses - no longer have to be done manually. This makes the work safer and less demanding, which is a great advantage in times of labor shortages."

Thanks to automation, Grozette can now produce faster and more efficiently with lower labor costs, without compromising on quality. Peter: "From machine design to solving unexpected problems: DERO GROEP is there for us. The team is committed and continues to seek improvements, which shows their commitment to our success."

Wondering how automation can improve your production process? We would like to think along with you!