In 2010, vegetable breeding company Rijk Zwaan opened a new seed cultivation site in San Jose Iturbide, Mexico. In a modern glass greenhouse of 3.5 hectares, Rijk Zwaan ProMex produces top quality tomato, pepper and cucumber seeds. Optimal use of the available light is the key here. That's why Stephan de Bock, Managing Director at Rijk Zwaan ProMex, chose to buy the Top Cleaner. 

Stephan de Bock: “In 18 departments we grow different kinds of plants throughout the year. That is why we want to be able to switch quickly and efficiently in terms of climate control because every crop has a different lighting requirement. As a result, we often have to wash and chalk the deck over and over. This is quite labour-intensive and takes a lot of time. Therefore, we searched for an opportunity to mechanize this process. Ben Sosef of Royal Brinkman Mexico finally came up with the solution: the Top Cleaner.”

The Top Cleaner is an automatic greenhouse deck cleaner which cleans the outside of the greenhouse using various brushes. In accordance with the needs of the grower the Top Cleaner can be equipped with a spray bomb set so that the machine can also apply chalk and diffuse coatings on the greenhouse deck. Stephan de Bock: "We chose this option. This not only allows us to clean the greenhouse deck easily, but we can also apply a new layer of chalk quickly and easily. In this way, the Top Cleaner contributes to the production of high quality seed.”

Another major advantage of the Top Cleaner is its occupational safety. Working at height involves all kinds of dangers.  By using a roof cleaner, it is no longer necessary to have employees carry out dangerous work on the greenhouse deck. The greenhouse deck cleaner can be controlled from the ground and, if necessary, fully automatic. Stephan de Bock: "With the current stricter standards and our internal policy of paying great attention to occupational safety, the Top Cleaner is an extremely suitable investment.

The Top Cleaner is not only a good solution in the field of occupational safety, but also for saving labour. Labour is becoming increasingly scarce in the Mexican horticultural sector. Ben Sosef, Branch Manager of Royal Brinkman Mexico: "In recent years, many car manufacturers and electronics manufacturers from all over the world have established themselves in this country, resulting in an exodus from horticulture. Growers are therefore increasingly being forced to invest in mechanization to compensate for the lack of workers. The Top Cleaner is one of the many solutions in the field of labour saving. Machines such as spray trucks, electric trucks, harvest trucks and leaf extractors can also replace a large part of the work. As Royal Brinkman, we like to advise growers on the possibilities of reducing labour costs.

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