CHEP Australia has launched new technology for the fresh produce industry that is said to deliver an 80 per cent dryer crate, wit the claim that it makes the reusable plastic crates the driest on the market.
The state-of-the-art centrifugal dryer technology has been installed at CHEP's Scoresby service centre in Victoria.
Fresh produce distributor Moraitis was among the first to experience the dryer crates.
Moraitis national equipment controller Ashley Lockett said: "In our business, moisture levels are critical to quality. We are very happy with the results from the new centrifugal crate dryer – it has already improved our ability to transport fresh produce to market in peak condition."
Complementing CHEP's HACCP crate wash system, the centrifugal dryer is said to offer a new level in product protection and quality.
CHEP's senior director supply chain David Hansen said: "With the new dryer we can now supply crates with less than 3 grams of water. This will be ideal for fruit and vegetables that require very low moisture environments such as onions, and will widen the opportunity for growers to benefit from CHEP's reusable plastic crates."
CHEP's Scoresby service centre in Victoria was first to install the new dryer technology, which uses centrifugal force to remove 98 per cent of the excess water from each crate.
"The centrifugal dryer is also an environmentally sustainable piece of technology," Mr Hansen said.
"We catch the clean water spun from the crates in a water collection tank before pumping it back into the washer for reuse, and by doing this save around 180,000 litres of water a year. The dryer also uses up to 80 per cent less energy compared to the existing blow dryer technology, and it self-generates power which brings the total reduction in energy use to 90 per cent.
During the rotor's deceleration phase, the machine uses the spinning motion to generate power which is then used for the next spin cycle. Tunnel dryers use approximately 150kW of power, whilst equivalent operation with centrifugal drying technology reduces it to 9kW. This equates to a 90 per cent reduction in power consumption.
"By bringing this world's best practice system for reusable plastic crate drying to the Australian market, CHEP is reaffirming its commitment to providing the very best quality and service in pooled equipment."
The introduction of the dryers coincides with the launch of CHEP's new industry standard crate, the Gen 3, which is claimed to feature the lowest fold-down height in the world.
Victoria is the first of three states to install the high-tech dryer, with New South Wales and Queensland to follow in early 2014.
