Case Vandersterre Grootebeek

Succes story

In 2020, Vandersterre was commissioned to pack cheese in boxes in addition to crates. They were therefore looking for a suitable partner to convert the production line. DGS turned out to be a good match. Both boxes and crates can now be transported via the same belts and palletisers. This solution saves space and promotes process efficiency. A new packing line was also installed for packing the boxes, equipped with the latest vision camera technology. Thus, together, a great project was realised.

2022, Grootebroek

New challenge

A Dutch family business, Vandersterre has been maturing and ennobling, packaging and selling cheese specialities for almost 100 years. They have a modern packaging plant in Grootebroek where they cut and pack the cheese. In 2020 came a new challenge: the cheese had to be packed in boxes. However, this required a conversion of the current packing line. DGS soon came into the picture. The wish was for a complete packing line for packing cheese in boxes and a palletising system suitable for both boxes and crates. A new plan was also needed for the internal logistics within the relevant production lines.

Committed professionals

The cooperation between the two parties went well. Vandersterre was particularly struck by DGS’s commitment and expertise: ‘DGS has an enormous execution ability and carries out the work incredibly quickly. Everyone works within their own specialism, making them work together like radars. You can see they are real professionals.’ In addition, it was clear who the contact persons were and they could easily be reached. Thanks to DGS’s short lines of communication, Vandersterre got quick answers to their questions.

Beyond expectations

The new packing line at Vandersterre is equipped with two SCARA robots with vison-camera technology. By using vison-camera technology, the position of the packs of cheese can be read and the robots can easily pick them up, regardless of position. The SCARA robots easily place the packs of cheese in boxes which are then weighed, coded and folded shut via the conveyor belt. The lift and conveyor belts transport the folded boxes to the next step in the process: palletisation. By means of the divider unit, the boxes are separated over two robot lines which pick the boxes onto pallets and prepare them for transport.
Rolf Tanbach: ‘The machines do more than was expected. They run faster, work more efficiently and are also silent. These are great advantages over the old line’.

What makes the new conveyors and palletising robots extra special is that they are not only suitable for boxes, but also for crates. So boxes and crates can be processed simultaneously via the same conveyors and palletising robots. ‘For us, it was really a revelation that there are projects that go right the first time,’ says Rolf Tanbach.

About Vandersterre

Vandersterre is a Dutch family company which, with around 450 committed colleagues, is active in ripening and refining, packaging and selling cheese specialities. They sell these specialities in the Netherlands and in more than 80 countries worldwide. Besides the head office and distribution centres in Bodegraven, they have a modern packaging plant in Grootebroek and a location in Meerkerk for the storage and ripening and refining of various types of cheese. Vandersterre stands for making a good and honest product for everyone around the world to enjoy.