STiR coffee and tea magazine

14 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 2, 2019 (April / May) Equipment NEWS Photo courtesy Royal Cup Coffee and Tea Automated green coffee loading dock uses Neuhaus telescoping conveyors Colombian Handheld Harvester A new Colombian coffee harvesting machine optimizes selective cherry picking by 50%. The machine was designed by Cenicafé, the scientific research branch of the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC), with help from Brazilian equipment manufac- turing giant Brudden, it is the first selective coffee harvester in the world. The handheld harvester was designed specifically for Colombian coffee farming and has been successfully tested in several coffee regions. Com- bined with Cenicafé's newly developed nets it will increase harvest yield 23-45%. The DSC-18 will reduce harvesting costs by saving time, and, most importantly labor, which is in short supply. The approximate cost is COP1.6 million ($500). It can be ordered through the Agrocafé chain. Learn more: www.agrocafetec.com Rychiger FS 190 Switzerland-based Rychiger's new FS 190 incorporates a rotary indexing table with individual process modules that fill a range of capsules including Dolce Gusto and Nespresso compatibles. The new fill and seal machine fills, weighs, and seals capsules and can be programmed to perform a number of product-specific processes. Features include easy exchange of inserts for quick format changes, individual temperature controls for each seating tool and knee lever sealing with servo drive. A touch screen permits continuous monitoring of all relevant process parameters. Learn more: www.rychiger.ch Sugimoto constructs new matcha tea factory due to growing demand Coffee harvester with net allows for pre- cise selection of ripe cherry Royal Cup Automates Receiving Royal Cup Coffee and Tea was recently recognized for design innovation for a 33,000-square-foot high-tech expansion of its green bean receiving facility in Birmingham, Ala. The installation effectively automates the process of moving beans from the receiving dock into storage. The equip- ment scans incoming product to output a precise inventory as telescopic conveyors, manufactured by Neuhaus Neotec, are extended directly into semi-trailers to unload, eliminating the need for manual unloading with a forklift, saving time, and improving safety. The green coffee system consists of an extendable conveyor with a Strong- arm attached to the front of the 3-stage conveyor. Neotec supplied the weighing system, bag emptying machine, bucket elevator, and cleaning tower with a string catcher, green bean cleaner, and a batch weighing system. Learn more: royalcupcoffee.com Sugimoto's New Tea Factory Demand for high quality and authentic organic Japanese matcha led Sugimoto Tea Company to construct a second factory in Shizuoka, Japan. The factory, which increases production capacity by 50%, opened in February. Since Sugimoto Tea Company president Kyohei Sugimoto moved to the US in 2005 demand for Japanese green tea has grown substantially - espe- cially matcha. Green tea exports to the US climbed from a mere 352 metric tons to 1,758 metric tons, a nearly 500% increase over 13 years. "This is an exciting moment in time for the Sugimoto Tea Company, my family, and the Japanese tea industry," said Sugimoto. "Demand has been so high for Japanese matcha and organic matcha in particular, that the Japanese tea industry has been unable to produce enough. With this new factory we will be capable of being more responsive to the high international consumer demand." Learn more: sugimotojapan.com SCA Sustainability Award Winners Winners of the annual SCA Sustainability Awards include sustainability champion Esperanza Dionisio Castillo; best business model was Agricafe S.A. / Fincas Los Rodriguez (Pedro Rodriguez). Recognition for the best sustainability project goes to Union Hand-Roasted Coffee for their project at Yayu BioSphere Reserve. The awards for project and business model, created in 2004, recognize outstand- ing work in the field of sustainability in the coffee industry. This year there is a third award recognizing the work and impact of an individual, called the sustainability champion award. SCA chief sustainability officer Kim Elena Ionescu said, "The SCA has recognized outstanding work in the field of sustainability since 2004 and with every year we see greater diversity in the approaches that companies, organizations, and individuals take to confronting the challenges facing our industry. This year's awards reflect collaborations that happen across geographies, cultures, and supply- chain roles, and I'm thrilled to be able to celebrate a kind of innovation that benefits all of us."

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