Trip down memory lane: focus on fresh.

What started with a number of individual projects in the fresh produce sector has since grown into a very important pillar within DERO GROEP. But how came this about?

Over the past thirty years, DERO GROEP has developed into a specialist in automation solutions for the food industry, among others. The fresh produce sector is now one of our most important growth markets, and several milestones in our history have contributed to this.

"In the early years of DERO, we worked together with Abar (later LAN), for whom we designed and built solutions for the fresh produce and salad market," says Maro Dedel, CEO and founder of DERO GROEP. "Later, Abar started building these installations themselves. Many years later, when BOSGRAAF in Joure became part of DERO GROEP, we encountered the fresh produce market again through a request from a French company to supply sachets and accessories for ready-made salads."

The sachet feeder

That request led to the development of the sachet feeder, an innovation that involved a number of technical challenges. "The small bags containing items such as dressing, croutons, cheese or seeds are delivered in bulk and are often crumpled up," Maro explains. "A bin-pick installation seems like the ideal solution, but it doesn’t meet the required capacity. That's why we came up with a system in which the sachets are first singulated. By persevering and continuing to improve, we eventually developed a hygienic and flexible robot cell with a vision system that places sachets – with both liquid and solid contents – at high speed (up to 80 per minute) in ready-made salads and fresh meal kits. It proved to be a great success."

Fast and hygienic packing

This success was quickly followed by more projects for fresh produce, such as for Vezet, a major player in the industry. After DERO GROEP Joure delivered a special version of the egg slicer, a new inquiry soon followed: packing vegetables and salads. "Our focus on and knowledge of hygienic design and cleanability of robot cells enabled us to make a difference at Vezet," says Maro. "We designed a packing cell with Schneider delta robots, which are made entirely of stainless steel, have an IP67 protection rating, and can be cleaned with high pressure. Through all our activities in the fresh produce market, we also came into contact with companies that process delicate fruits, such as avocados and mangoes. For this, we also developed robotic solutions with custom-made grippers to carefully and precisely place these delicate products."

Eyes on the future

In 2022, DERO GROEP presented an ambitious five-year plan for a future-proof organization. This involved extensive research into new markets and growth opportunities, and fresh produce was given a permanent place in the strategy and product portfolio of DERO GROEP Nieuw-Vennep. Maro: "Because the food processing industry is close to our hearts, we have the right knowledge and expertise, and there is a great need for robotization within fresh produce, this sector fits seamlessly with our ambitions to become the leading robot system integrator for this sector."

The next big step followed in October of that same year, when DERO GROEP acquired Selo's robotics and convenience product portfolio. "When Selo decided to discontinue its robotics activities, we didn't hesitate for a second to take over this discipline and its associated customers and develop it further," explains Maro. "Thanks to the acquisition, we further expanded our product portfolio with, for example, the avocado fastpicker. By applying the DERO DRIVE, we have improved this solution and have now successfully put it on the market many times over."

Plenty of opportunities 

Robots combined with vision and AI are the future for processing and packaging fruit and vegetables, and this is where DERO GROEP can make a difference. In addition to packaging, feeding sachets, and handling delicate fruit and vegetables, we are now on the cusp of a new development: the automated assembly of fresh meals. 

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// P. Mulder - Synergy Food  //