How many potatoes do you need to grow for an automated palletizer to be a bargain? Which model should you choose? When will such an investment pay off?
We asked Mikhail Afarinov, head of the Packaging Equipment division of the Agrotrade Company, to answer all these and other important questions of agricultural enterprises planning to increase the supply of their products.
- Mikhail, let's start with the "alphabet": what is a palletizer? Who needs it and why?
- Palletizer (palletizer) - a machine for automatic stacking of goods on a pallet, usually it serves as the final link of the packaging line.
As a rule, such equipment is purchased by rather large farms: say, growing potatoes on an area of about 1000 hectares and having good productivity indicators.
What are the benefits for those who purchase such a machine? The first is the speed of work - from 13 to 36 packs per minute (depending on the model): such a pace is beyond the power of a person. Second - high quality: the machine places the goods perfectly precisely and evenly. In this case, the stacking height goes up to 2 m 40 cm. The third is the stability of the pallet. The pallet, which is stacked automatically, can be transported over long distances while maintaining its shape. There are no problems with loading / unloading, the possibility of damage to the cargo is practically excluded. And the fourth is the elimination of the influence of the "human factor". Palletizers are purchased by farms that have contracts with retail chains or processing plants. They cannot afford to delay the shipment because the movers have received their wages and do not go to work for a week.
- It is often said about palletizers that the only drawback of this machine is the price. How fast is the return on investment?
- An automated palletizer of the simplest model costs about 150 thousand euros, a well-equipped machine - about 270 thousand euros. But if we calculate the costs of the enterprise for the payment of the work of the personnel who are involved in stacking pallets (moreover, take the salary in the outback, and not in the suburbs as a basis), then it turns out that all investments in automation are paid off in a period of 3 years or more.
- The Agrotrade company is a dealer of one of the largest manufacturers of such equipment - the company SYMACH... What are the advantages of this brand's palletizers?
- SYMACH has a rule that any machine, regardless of its cost, performance and configuration, must meet the general requirement: to provide high quality paving. If we take the simplest model SYMACH MACH 2 or the most advanced SYMACH MACH 8, all pallets on the way out will look equally good and strong.
But in general, these are very reliable and high-quality machines.
- How do different palletizer models differ?
- Productivity, degree of automation. The main difference, in my opinion, is the presence / absence of a wrapper. The machine can simply stack the goods on pallets or also do the wrapping (stretch film or netting). The presence of the wrapper eliminates unnecessary manual work.
- And if you compare the models of the last decade and modern ones? In what direction is the design thought moving?
- At first glance, cars, say, released in 2013, and modern models are similar, but there are certainly differences. For example, the actuators have changed: hydraulics have been replaced by electric drives - simpler, more compact and reliable.
I would say that all other changes are related to the desire to make machines more reliable and more productive. SYMACH has a vast experience of work, it is constantly working to improve its technology, based on feedback from users, dealers, including ours.
- A palletizer is a complex machine, do you need to learn to correctly manage its work?
- Of course, it is necessary to explain how the machine works. But the learning process won't take long. Modern technology is designed in such a way that the cars are controlled practically in the game mode. So palletizers are equipped with touch displays, on which everything is intuitive: to create a new stacking scheme, for example, you do not need to enter coordinates, any complex numbers, you just need to move the icon with the image of the bag on the screen to the desired field.
- Does the palletizer have a long warranty? And how is the service carried out when this period ends?
- The warranty period is set by the manufacturer, the SYMACH plant has a 1 year warranty for products. During this period, the employees of the dealer company control the operation of the machine without additional payment for these services.
Further, the buyer can already conclude a contract with them for paid service.
Based on experience, I can say right away that with proper operation, nothing happens to this technique for a year or five. As a rule, it does not even need to replace the bearings within this period. And in the future, the machines work very stably: we delivered the first palletizer in 2013, and it still performs its functions perfectly.
But if any problems are still noted, we do not refuse to help anyone. Sometimes our specialists can advise by phone (we do not charge money for such a service). In more difficult situations, employees go to the installation site. By the way, our customer service works almost 24/7.
- How long does it take to deliver a new palletizer to the customer under current quarantine and post-quarantine conditions?
- The production time for a palletizer at SYMACH BV takes 5-7 months (taking into account the queue for this equipment). Delivery - about two more weeks.
In general, if a farm is thinking about reaching a new level by the time of harvesting the next harvest, you need to order equipment now.
Contacts
Agrotrade Company
Direction "Packaging equipment"
Mikhail Afarinov
(831) 461 91 58, 8 - 910 899 62 93, afarinovma@agrotradesystem.ru
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