Cosun Beet and Mourik have jointly developed a revolutionary dozer to empty silos efficiently and safely. Thanks to this radio-controlled robot, employees no longer need to enter the silo as it can be operated completely remotely. The innovation ties in seamlessly with the safety goals of both Cosun Beet and Mourik and sets a new standard in the industry.
Innovation for the sugar-producing industry
Every year, 650,000 tons of sugar are stored in Cosun Beet’s silos. To guarantee quality and carry out inspections, the 35-meter-high silos must be emptied regularly. This was done manually until now, with all the risks this entails. The slogan on our facade reads: ‘We work safely or we do not work at all.’ We take this very seriously’, says production manager Diet Wolfert of Cosun Beet. 'We wanted a solution that would eliminate the need for having people enter our silos.’
The process kicked off with a brainstorming session that yielded 20 ideas. Ultimately, they settled on a modified dozer, developed in collaboration with Mourik. ‘We conducted tests with an existing dozer and then built a completely new dozer, specifically for the sugar industry’, says Mark van der Knaap, Business Unit Manager at Mourik. ‘We made adjustments in terms of food safety, prevention of dust explosions, and weight.’
Setting a new safety standard
The dozer is a hydraulically powered robot that has been specifically designed for dry and dusty environments. Moreover, it has food-grade certified lubricants, so that no contaminants enter the sugar in the event of a leakage.
In the silo, the dozer pushes the sugar towards the exit in a controlled manner. ‘The radio-controlled robot is operated from a control room outside the silo’, says Mark. ‘Thanks to cameras and sensors, operators have a complete overview of the process and can make adjustments where necessary.’
This is completely in line with Cosun Beet's safety and quality goals: ‘In the past, people had to go into the silo with a jackhammer.’ ‘This machine can even pry loose caked sugar edges. While the process is not necessarily faster, it is safer and of higher quality.’
The open collaboration between Cosun Beet and Mourik proved essential. ‘We worked together very closely,’ says Diet. ‘This was not your standard client-supplier relationship; this was a real partnership.’ The innovative robot is now operational and is being used in several silos. A breakthrough in the sugar industry, prioritizing safety.
‘We worked together very closely. ‘This was not your standard client-supplier relationship; this was a real partnership.’
