TOMRA equips its Belgian test and demo center with a new cold room
The equipment producer TOMRA Sorting Solutions is now able to test the performance of its sorting machines for all individually quick frozen (IQF) products in a true-to-life environment thanks to its new facility in Belgium. The company was honored at the 2014/15 European Business Awards, sponsored by RSM, at an exclusive awards ceremony in London, in the category “The Business of the Year Award”.
The conditioned room can accommodate two sorting machines at the same time, enabling parallel testing and comparisons. It features an indirect cooling system, fully controlled automatic access doors and LED lighting.
“It’s a fact that sorting performance and results are affected greatly by the external environment. Defrosting, sticking of the product and changing defect conditions are known issues when testing IQF products. Normal operating temperature in IQF production facilities is around five degrees, but we can set our cold room as low as minus two degrees,” says Wim Van Doren, Sales Application Manager at TOMRA Sorting Solutions.
He adds: “Our investment in this cold room allows our customers to see the sorting line in realistic circumstances and they can see first-hand the capabilities of our machines operating in these severe conditions.”
Should TOMRA need to test its machines in a hot climate, special heaters can warm the room from its standard minus two degrees to sixty degrees.
The room is attached to the company’s existing test and demonstration hall by glass windows. The entrance is provided along the current demo center and the back of the room has a large roll up gate that enables large sorting machines to be moved in and out easily.
TOMRA’s new cold room will be managed by Wim Van Doren’s demo team, but it will also be used by other departments, such as research and development (R&D).
“The cold room can be implemented as well for long-term validations/trials of sorting machines for R&D purposes, to serve our customers even better,” adds Van Doren.
In June 2014 TOMRA Sorting Solutions installed the first cold room in its state-of-the-art facility in Sacramento, United States of America. TOMRA Sorting Solutions runs fifteen test and demonstration centers worldwide providing services for the development of sensor-based sorting projects for the food, mining, recycling, tobacco and virgin plastics industry to provide their customers with the best possible service. Six of their fifteen sorting solution centers are solely focused on food with each providing different food testing possibilities.
For the North American market TOMRA can invite customers to one of their two test and demonstrations centres in the USA, located in Denver, Colorado, and Sacramento, California. In Asia TOMRA also has two test and demonstration centres available, located in Saitama, Japan and Xiamen, China.
Europe’s best business
Europe’s best businesses are celebrating after being named winners in the 2014/15 European Business Awards, sponsored by RSM, at an exclusive awards ceremony in London attended by leading business leaders, politicians, ambassadors and academics from across Europe.
The winning businesses have achieved their success after 16 months in the largest, and one of the toughest, business competitions in Europe, which this year attracted over 24,000 businesses and generated over 170,000 votes from the public.
Business VIPs presented trophies to the 11 category winners of the competition, as well as the ‘European Public Champion’, and the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Adrian Tripp, CEO of the European Business Awards, added: “These brilliant businesses are the best of the best. They are adapting, innovating, achieving financial success and creating strong growth opportunities. Together they are forging a stronger business community in Europe and creating a better future for us all.”
Jean Stephens, CEO of RSM, the 7th largest network of independent audit, tax and advisory firms, said: “The calibre of this year’s competition finalists is outstanding. The extraordinary entrepreneurialism, innovation and business success demonstrated by the Ruban D’Honneurs and the overall category winners shows how much can be achieved in challenging market conditions. At RSM, we believe it is important to champion business excellence as successful and thriving companies are an integral force in driving growth and stimulating economies. All those involved are a credit to their country and we wish them every success for the future.”
Tomra Systems ASA Norway won the in “The Business of the Year Award” (turnover EUR 150 million+).
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