Visualization and control of the ripening process at the Dutch company De Groot International BV in the town of Hedel

Since the early 1930s, De Groot has been supplying a wide range of fruits and vegetables to a steadily increasing and loyal customer base, covering all sectors of the fresh produce industry. In the Netherlands and Belgium, the company has four climate-controlled locations at its disposal, totaling 40,000 square meters of floor space.

Source: degrootfreshgroup.com

A picture of the ripening plant

The ripening plant in Hedel is one of the biggest in Europe – it consists of 81 banana ripening rooms (4 Grasso ammonia compressors). An innovation in this project is the direct ammonia pump system in the rooms – all rooms are directly cooled with ammonia (liquid). In the plant, each room's CO₂, O₂, and NH₃ PPMs are measured.

Control system

To control and visualize the process of banana ripening, the Reliance SCADA/HMI system is used (Reliance Control Server). In addition, the process is monitored on iPads and iPhones via Reliance's thin clients. There is also an extra PC equipped with Reliance View that allows display on a big flat screen mounted in the conference room.

Examples of visualization windows

The overview window

Visualization of the banana ripening process

Temperature settings for a ripening room

Detailed settings for a ripening room

The overview window

Visualization of the banana ripening process

Temperature settings for a ripening room

Detailed settings for a ripening room