With some trial and error, Woodhaven Gardens has found success with their new rotary table, seeing an increase in productivity.
Looking for a way to keep up with the ever-growing demand, the commercial growing operation based in the South Island’s Horowhenua region sought the help of EQM Industrial to custom-build the table, which captures leeks and other fresh produce at the end of an automated vegetable washing conveyor line.
Having previously built another rotary table for Woodhaven Gardens, EQM Industrial’s sales and purchasing manager Tim Bloxham says that a number of components were changed to optimise the new table.
“We listened to our customer and improved the design to make it work better,” says Bloxham.
Shane Munro, facilities and maintenance manager at Woodhaven Gardens, says that by changing the drive wheel orientation and geardrive location, the new table has a more consistent rotation.
“It’s going really good at the moment. We made a few changes because we built one last year or the year before, but we set it up slightly wrong – it was just a bit of an experiment,” says Munro.
“We did have one wheel straight underneath, but then when it got wet it started skidding. We put an extra one on but that didn’t help, so what we did when we built another one is we had it welded horizontally and it pushes against the side of the lip. That works really well.”
At 2450mm in diameter, the rotary table is larger than EQM Industrial’s standard rotary tables – a feature that has helped Woodhaven Gardens to increase productivity.
“Being a bigger size, it’s more efficient,” says Munro.
“We wanted that size so you can get more workers around the table. Instead of having a smaller one with two ladies, you can have six people around there packing.”
Bloxham says that the table also features a “raised centre piece so that produce doesn’t accumulate in the middle of the table, so that those packing don’t have to reach very far across the table.” It also features small drainage holes towards the centre to assist with the daily washdown.
By experimenting and adjusting different components of the design, Woodhaven Gardens and EQM have developed what they describe as a top-of-the-line stainless steel rotary table that has been made with quality components, ready to deal with any kind of produce that lands in it.
