DT Dijkstra supplies sorting and reading line for box fillers at K&M Farming in New Zealand

Last year, DT Dijkstra supplied a sorting and reading line with box fillers to K&M Farming in New Zealand. Co-owner Malcolm Cairns explains how this project has led to a big change in his business.

Quality machines that stand the test of time
“My existing screen sorter was 30 years old, so I decided to invest in something completely new to keep me going for another 30 years,” says Malcolm. He explains why he chose DT Dijkstra for this project: “A UK agronomist told me he was particularly impressed with the dimensional accuracy of the RT Sieve Sorter compared to other grading systems. I also spoke to some Dutch producers from Nieuw Zeeland. and they confirmed that DT Dijkstra produces high quality machines that stand the test of time. Searching the internet and consulting other seed potato growers, I found that DT Dijkstra is the best, so it made sense to work with them.

Design expertise and experience
Malcolm is very pleased with the design and implementation process. “DT Dijkstra’s expertise and experience in seed potato grading lines was evident and was very helpful when discussing topics such as product flow, box movements and overall efficiency. I loved that the team put so much effort into the design phase. My existing hangar was quite a challenge, but they presented a number of design options to address this issue. The way their communication throughout the process was impressive; they were very nimble and flexible.”

Performance
“The quality of the package was another big plus,” says Malcolm. He explains: “The installation of the installation was carried out by myself and a company based in Ashburton. They were very positive about the quality of the products we installed and the way everything fit together. configuration was quickly resolved over the phone or email in the evening and I had a response the next morning which was also helpful Probably the biggest challenge of the whole project was the impact of Covid on the lead time delivery, but everything went well.”

Exceed expectations
When asked what the biggest benefit of the new facility is, Malcolm replies: “It’s definitely the increase in productivity. We can easily sort and read 70 tons in an 8 hour day when the product is relatively clean and without a lot of defects. That’s 30 tons more than what we could do with our old line. This increase in productivity has allowed me to take on a little more sorting work.

Malcolm’s advice to companies with a new construction project: “Don’t be afraid of the distance – use the skills available worldwide. And if you work with a quality company like DT Dijkstra, the result will probably exceed your expectations.”

For more information:
DT Dijkstra
agricultural wharf 6
8304 AE Emmeloord
+31 (0)527 30 77 00
[email protected]
www.dtdijkstra.nl