When handling about 650,000 eggs every day, even small inefficiencies can create big problems. That's exactly what Zeagold Foods, one of New Zealand's leading egg producers, discovered in their Otago packing facility. Staff were crammed into a congested workspace, constantly twisting and lifting heavy boxes in ways that raised health and safety concerns.
“By putting in the Dyno conveyor system, we've been able to take that pressure away,” explains Paul Askey from Zeagold. What began as a staff welfare challenge became an opportunity for transformation when Dyno Conveyors stepped in with a custom solution that created a safer and more productive workplace.
The challenge
Zeagold Foods faced significant congestion in their packing area.
“The main challenge in our packing and grading room was the staff welfare,” explains Paul. “We had an area that was just very congested with staff and packing where they were having to lift a product from the packing area, twist 180 degrees, and place it on pallets.”
The operational inefficiencies were also a major driver for change. The restricted space, the repetitive and twisting motions were not only a health and safety concern, but also impacted the speed and accuracy of the packing process.
With 600,000-700,000 eggs processed daily, Zeagold needed a solution that would improve their working environment while increasing throughput.
The solution
Dyno Conveyors implemented an U-shaped conveyor configuration to bring the products from the packing stations to the palletisation area. This 30-m long conveyor system includes:
This system provided built-in accumulation capabilities, full safety features and a modular design adaptable to Zeagold's evolving needs.
“When we started dealing with Dyno we discovered straight away that they were easy to work with,” notes Paul. “We were still toying with the design even through the installation process, so Dyno had to come up with a clever solution for putting a box shipper onto the conveyor whilst making it easy for staff to manoeuvre.”
The entire installation was completed within a tight two-day window, minimising disruption to operations.
The result
The new conveyor system delivered immediate benefits:
The accumulation capability of the system allowed products to stop automatically when reaching a physical stop, preventing congestion and reducing the risk of damage for the products.
“The product we got from Dyno was exactly what we're after,” states Paul. “We've got a happier workforce, a more spread-out working environment, and our productivity has improved because our packaging has become a lot faster and we have a lot less mess.”
By working closely with Zeagold Foods and understanding their unique needs, Dyno delivered a system that has significantly improved their packing operations and created a more positive working environment.
“We're very happy with the Dyno product and I could recommend them to anybody that needed to move a large amount of product accurately and with limited downtime,” concludes Paul. “We've had a good result from the automation we've put in and it has made it a much easier working environment to be involved in.”
“When we started dealing with Dyno we discovered straight away that they were easy to work with. We were still toying with the design even through the installation process, so Dyno had to come up with a clever solution for putting a box shipper onto the conveyor whilst making it easy for staff to manoeuvre.
The product we got from Dyno was exactly what we're after. We've got a happier workforce, a more spread out working environment, and our productivity has improved because our packaging has become a lot faster and we have a lot less mess. We're very happy with the Dyno product and I could recommend them to anybody that needed to move a large amount of product accurately and with limited downtime.”
- Paul Asken, Zeagold Foods New Zealand
