DUYNIE TURNS RESIDUAL STREAMS INTO FOOD FOR HUMANS AND ANIMALS

FOODEQ’S BELT STEAMER HAS BEEN RUNNING NON-STOP SINCE 2018!

When Duynie’s factory in Cuijk was built in 2018, FoodeQ Engineering was selected to supply the belt steamer. Project Engineer Kiran Pritipalsingh had just joined FoodeQ and contributed to the design and delivery. “It was a prestigious project for us. This was one of the first major ones fully developed in-house.” Over seven years later, the belt steamer is still running flawlessly.

Jos Pluk, Duynie’s Head of Technical Services since mid-2024, is very pleased with the steamer’s performance: “It is the beating heart of our production line where we continuously process carrots.”
Twice a year, FoodeQ specialists conduct a thorough inspection. Service Manager Oskar Baldyga notes: “Preventive maintenance helps us act before issues arise. That is important, as for Duynie avoiding downtime is absolutely critical.”

FoodeQ delivers state-of-the-art equipment and handles maintenance

Duynie’s own team performs regular maintenance and minor modifications. Jos Pluk recalls:“We recently had a misaligned shaker. We could have called in a technician, but in this case a video call was sufficient to make an accurate diagnosis. We received the needed part and installed it ourselves, saving time and money. FoodeQ truly understands our business and machinery.” Duynie also makes use of FoodeQ equipment upstream; for slicing, sorting and conveying. “Without FoodeQ, our line doesn’t run,” Jos says with a smile. “They used to just do the inspections and give us a checklist. Now they also carry out the maintenance, not only on the belt steamer but all our FoodeQ equipment because vibratory technology is a specialist field.”

Duynie is the European market leader in sustainable co-product processing

Bulk carrot co-products arrive at Duynie’s Cuijk site, are diced, then enter the 2,700 mm wide belt steamer. “We process 4 tons of carrots per hour, 24/7,” says Jos. After steaming the carrots are dried and delivered in the desired form to major food and feed manufacturers. Duynie supports the shift to a circular agri-industry by maximising resource use and minimising environmental impact. Active in 20 countries, they process over 6.5 million tons of residual flows annually. Suzanne Benders, Brand Communications Specialist: “We convert co-products from the food, beverage and biofuel industries into premium ingredients for food, animal feed, pet food, technical applications and energy markets. Misshapen carrots that don’t meet supermarket standards are still perfectly usable. We make sure they don’t go to waste.”

Adding extra inspection hatches to the belt steamer

Piet Oostdijk from FoodeQ is the dedicated account manager for Duynie, and he states: “We are currently working behind the screens on an upgrade. Jos and his team want to add more inspection hatches. Every Monday they deep clean the steamer. These extra hatches will improve accessibility and allow them to resume production faster and that’s a win.” Why invest in a 7-year-old machine? Isn’t it nearing end of life? “On the contrary,” Jos responds. “The original design was ahead of its time. I’d rather say it is 7 years young!”

Partnering with experts

The idea for the additional hatches came from Jos Pluk’s team. “An idea alone isn’t enough. FoodeQ knows how to turn that into a practical solution that meets CE and food safety regulations. FoodeQ is a partner we can truly rely on.” Recently Duynie optimised a line with equipment from various suppliers. Jos Pluk asked FoodeQ to take the lead. “FoodeQ helped us define the best layout, made all the drawings and P&IDs, prepared the work and kept the schedule on track. FoodeQ is an excellent sparring partner for Duynie.”

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