At Induser, 2022 is being a year in which we want to strenghten relationships. All relationships that help us continue to evolve towards a better version of ourselves as a whole. The media in the sector are great allies to publicize our innovations and give us the guidelines to talk about current actions and future plans. Below is the full interview between Mercados Magazine and our Director of Innovation and Development, Juan Martos.

Mercados Magazine: Saving costs is imposed as the main need for any fruit and vegetable sector today. What advances have you developed to optimize the operation of the warehouse in the face of this great challenge?

Juan Martos: First of all, the development of new engineering solutions such as the Seal Label that seals in cold packaging. This is a cheaper alternative compared to a heat sealing maching. The cost savings come from the time we grain in making production continuous and from the agility that the machine has to adapt to other formats. On the other hand, our premise is to develop quality, durable and long-term machines. We want the producers in the sector to know that they have invested in a reliable product, that will adapt to multi-format, and that will respond to the dynamic changes in our industry. 

Mercados Magazine: Engineering companies like you can also develop their innovations taking into account sustainability, seeking the circular economy, waste reduction, material reuse, etc. How do you carry it out?

Juan Martos: With perseverance, attention and active listening. There is a lot of talk about sustainability, but it must be understood as a cultural transformation that will take time, example and ingenuity. We have to take sustainability into account, our businesses will not have a future if we do not take care of the environment in its broadest sense. To give you an example, we try to use the same parts for most of our machines. In this way we focus on making a simple design with as few pieces as possible. It is a simple job but it requires awareness and ingenuity. 

Mercados Magazine: Adapting to new packaging formats is one of the constant challenges for warehouse automation. What is your latest innovation in this field?

Juan Martos: The latest versions that we are making of our packaging machines. We seek to optimize energy, to be durable, to adapt to new cardboard formats, for structures or chassis to come with the minimum number of possible parts, to use technology for the production and elaboration of accesories through 3D printing, and using materials that comply with food regulations. 

Mercados Magazine: Being able to guarantee the maximum internal quality of the fruit is an objective in the blueberry sector. What technology do you implement to achieve this goal?

Juan Martos: The protection of all our surfaces through a system that we call "shock absorber", as well as the materials we use for the blueberry's journey through the packaging line. 

Mercados Magazine: Given the lack of labor, new processes are being automated. Tell us some examples of it from your end.

Juan Martos: The cardboard tub buffer that automatically feeds the tub dispenser. In this way we ensure that production does not stop, that the packaging flow is constant. We also have the labeling modules with different positions: bottom, side, top; this also reduces the need to have a person for this task and avoids human errors. 

Mercados Magazine: What is your latest innovation for the berries sector? 

Juan Martos: We have talked about it, but we say it again because we want it to be very present in the minds of our current and future clients: The Seal Label. A solution that uses the sealing of the cold pack and that has been done in synergy with the company CartonPack. An alternative designed for blueberries but also practical for strawberries, cherries, cherry tomatoes and products with similar characteristics.