ONION BUSINESS OF THE MONTH
Dutch extraction specialist Modesta offers state-of-the-art dust collector systems to agricultural businesses all over the world. Why do clients choose to invest in Modesta’s technology? Let’s ask the people who rely on their systems on a day-to-day basis.
Modesta enables factory owners all over the world to keep their premises clean and their machines functioning properly. As director Wyboud Kloppenburg likes to put it, ‘if we do our job correctly, nobody will notice us.’ Modesta’s dust collection systems keep sheds from getting dusty, make sure processing lines keep running, and ensure a long machine life, preventing dirt from causing wear and tear. Furthermore, Modesta’s active cleaning solution removes dust and lighter fractions, such as onion skins, ensuring a cleaner and, therefore, premium product.
With a company legacy that goes back over 75 years, Modesta has created a network of long-lasting client relationships all over the world, from Europe to North America. In the US, for instance, Modesta collaborated with Target Ag, ByBee and Blue Sky in Washington State and Big O Farms in New York State. And although the industries in which their clients operate differ, they often choose Modesta for the same reasons.
Improving air quality, saving time
‘Our new Modesta installation is in line with our strategy to adapt to technological innovation early on,’ says Larry Bauman, owner of Target Ag Production LLC, an agricultural enterprise from Othello, Washington. Target Ag invested in a new chain filter, which increased their dust extraction capacity from 11 772 cfm to 65 000 cfm. Modesta also helped them optimize their factory lay-out to benefit their dust extraction solution. ‘It’s important to take the air balance into account when deciding on the lay-out of a factory,’ explains Sjoerd van Diepen, Technical Sales Adviser at Modesta. ‘We make sure the airflow goes from the clean parts of the factory – packing, for instance – to the uncleaned parts – the parts where the onions are stored, cleaned, and sorted.’
On top of that, Modesta has installed a windsifting solution along the conveyor belts. And it works, says Larry: ‘It’s definitely a lot less dusty and there are fewer leaves and skins scattered around. The air quality has improved. In the old situation, we’d have to spend a lot of time to clean our production environments at the end of the day. We’ve cut the cleaning time down a lot.’
Safety first
‘Thanks to Modesta’s safety measures, fire and explosion hazards are now a thing of the past,’ says Maxwell Torrey from Big O Farms, a family-run agricultural business located near the East Coast of the United States. After a devastating fire in one of its packing sheds, the company needed a new factory. On top of a new production line, they needed a dust extraction solution that would guarantee fire safety, as well as efficient dust collection. Modesta offered them exactly that. The Dutch family business was included in the conversations from the start, resulting in a dust extraction solution that’s perfectly integrated into their new factory layout, leading to longer machine life and a cleaner and safer working environment for the employees.
Factory of the future
On the coast of the southern part of the Netherlands, the world’s most futuristic onion factory was opened a few years ago. Dutch family business MSP Onions boasts the world’s largest automated onion processing line, consisting of 12 lanes and an optical grading solution. Modesta took care of the dust extraction strategy for this state-of-the art project. Thanks to their smart air technologies, dust on the factory floor is reduced to a minimum and residual flows are disposed of efficiently. Modesta was involved in the project from the very beginning and advised the client extensively on dust handling and fire risks. They supplied MSP with dust collector systems, cyclones, wind sifting solutions, extraction hoods, and scraper conveyor belts. The result is a total of 105 943 cfm of air technology.
The decision to include Modesta in this project was an easy one, says Lindert Moerdijk, owner of MSP Onions. ‘We were already using their equipment and were very happy with it. Modesta’s installations are robust and suitable for handling lots of dust and onion skins. They’re easy to use and require little maintenance.’
But Modesta’s contribution went beyond just supplying their installations: they also helped shape MSP’s residual flow strategy. ‘Where sustainability is often seen as a necessary evil, both we and Modesta believe sustainability can actually save money. For example, processes that generate heat will be used to warm up the building,’ explains Moerdijk. He sums it all up by saying: ‘Thanks to Modesta, dust extraction is well managed in our factory. We don’t have to worry about it. For us, that’s the most important thing.’
CONTACT
Mr. Sjoerdvan Diepen
+31 682 483 343
svd@modestafilters.com
www.modestafilters.com/agri
