PLANS COMING TOGETHER

NEUHAUS NEOTEC PREVIEWS MANY NEW DEVELOPMENTS FOR THE COFFEE INDUSTRY IN 2022, INCLUDING THE RELEASE OF THE GERMAN MANUFACTURER’S NEW DRUM ROASTER, THE MAESTRO.

Neuhaus Neotec is launching the drum roaster Maestro 3000.

Siemens TIA control generation is being rolled out across the RG series.

COVID-19 has provided much uncertainty and volatility for the global coffee industry over the past two years, but for Germanic manufacturer Neuhaus Neotec, the pandemic provided a chance to prepare for the future.

“We delivered many plans last year, and this year is the year of commissionings,” says Lars Henkel, Sales Manager for Neuhaus Neotec. “The virus is still out there, in very high numbers, but most people are vaccinated and feeling more comfortable. At the start, nobody knew how to manage the situation and we had to fi nd new solutions how to manage communication and meeting each other. Now, everybody knows what and how to do business.”

Neuhaus Neotec is seeing increasing demand around the world, but particularly in Asia and the United States, where large companies are embracing the unique hot air roasting technology the manufacturer has to offer.

“As part of our successful international business, we sold many roasters to Vietnam within the last two years and have become the number one supporter for the Vietnamese industry,” Henkel says. “This year, we take into operation a large instant coffee roasting plant and are talking with other customers about the extension of existing plants, so this market is still growing and we hold very good relationships with our customers.”

Another focus for Neuhaus Neotec in 2022 will be launching several new developments to the wider coffee industry, starting with the Maestro drum roaster in March.

“Neuhaus Neotec is synonymous with hot air roasting technology, but our CTR range of drum roasters has been quite successful with certain customers. There is still a strong demand for drum roasters, so with the Maestro we have strengthened our efforts in that market,” Henkel says.

“We see Maestro as an opportunity to take our knowledge and expertise from hot air roasting and apply it in the drum roasting space. But RFB is understood as an advanced technology, where the customer can see the advantages and value of the system. For drum roasting technology, which has been established for more than 100 years, the price point is set on a lower level, so we had to fi nd a balance in how much technology we could offer while still being accessible to roasting customers.”

The Maestro is based on the successful CTR series, however, Neuhaus Neotec has implemented a modular design into the new system. This simplifi es the technology and its production while maintaining its quality levels, keeping the model at an attractive price point.

While Neuhaus Neotec offers a range of equipment targeted towards larger coffee companies, Henkel sees the three-tonne-perhour capacity Maestro as the perfect investment for smaller companies that want one roasting unit they can rely on for their operation.

“The Maestro is a good fi t for the type of customer for who the roaster is not ‘just another’ investment into their production plant, but an investment for life,” Henkel says.

“This machine is for a family-owned business growing or expanding their market and looking for a larger capacity roaster that will be there for a long time.”

Neuhaus Neotec has also used the pandemic to refi ne its RFB-based RG series, in particular introducing a new control system to the hot air roasters.

The Siemens Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) control generation, combined with IoLink sensors, will better enable Neuhaus Neotec to adapt its software solutions for individual customers or introduce modifi cations and updates. Henkel says this also allows for much better monitoring of the sensor condition and roaster functions.

“The RG series is one of our top sellers and the new system means it will receive a completely new control design, new software interface, and a new visualisation of the roasting process. TIA is the next generation of control and RG is just be the fi rst step, which we will follow up with our other roaster series in the future,” Henkel says. “This technology has already been implemented for our fi rst customer in Germany, one of the country’s most established specialty roasters with a high reputation in the worldwide specialty coffee scene. We’re quite proud, because the business decided not only to use hot air roasting for the fi rst time, but to do it with this next level control.”

While many developments come from anticipating customer needs and demands, Henkel says the new control system was driven by Neuhaus Neotec’s desire to introduce new technologies and process to the coffee industry.

“These technologies are used in many other industries already, so while our customers were happy with the software so far, we knew we could improve the experience,” he says.

“With Io-Link technology, we have a new system to manage sensors and receive feedback in plain text, which means we can clearly understand the position and condition of the sensors, so via remote control we can offer support with a much clearer picture. There is also less cabling in the roastery, which is benefi cial to the customer too.”

Other developments Neuhaus Neotec have planned for 2022 include a new UV-C exhaust treatment system, updated Colortest III colour measurement unit, and the Leak Test Chamber – a larger version of its popular Leak Test 1 unit.

Henkel says he believes 2022 will be a good year for Neuhaus Neotec and the wider coffee industry.

“We’re excited to start a lot of the project we’ve been planning for the last few years and we see more good business opportunities already emerging for 2022. We have a positive outlook for the new year,” he says. GCR

For more information www.neuhaus-neotec.com

(Left to right): Enrico Barbesino (Director of Technical Services, A. Kahl USA), Mitch Gorski (President, A. Kahl USA), Ralf Torenz (Director Coffee Division, Neuhaus Neotec & President, NN USA), Uwe Wehrmann (CEO, Kahl Holding), Scott McQuiston (Director of Technical Services, Neuhaus Neotec USA), and Sebastian Mertens (Head of Fulfi llment, A. Kahl).

NEUHAUS NEOTEC STRENGTHENS PRESENCE IN USA

Neuhaus Neotec, as well as the corporate sisters Amandus Kahl, Heinen Freezing, and Schule within the Kahl Group, have successfully expanded their US business in recent years, so that today the Kahl Group is an established contact for machine technology in a wide range of the American industries. In order to continue this pleasing trend and to offer customers the best possible local service, the holding will continue to invest in the expansion of its US locations and increase its staff in the coming months. In addition to its US headquarters in Roswell, the holding company already offers its customers a refurbish centre in Richmond and, in cooperation with Dupuy, a pilot plant for coffee roasting trials in Jacksonville. In the meantime, another refurbish centre is planned in the south of the country, in order to be closer to the customer and to be able to offer services even faster and more effi ciently. Despite the diffi culties caused by COVID-19, the Kahl Group is looking to the future with full confi dence and is facing it with further expansion.