One of the most well-known growers from Italy whose name is Oriano Borghi from Funghi Valentina, was observing the cleaning process of one of his growing rooms one day and realized that people were spending too much physical effort doing such work. Also, they did not always do it properly. He realized that this operation, which is essential to prevent the risk of contamination, requires much time and particular attention to be effective. He then turned to ALPIE, an Italian mushroom machine manufacturer with more than 50 years of experience, to discuss these problems.ALPIE decided to look for a solution to automate the washing of the shelves. The designers immediately got down to work: the first prototype was created, and then the innovation was patented. That is how, starting with the co-creation of a grower with a supplier, E-WASH was born. As ALPIE asserts, that is the first shelf washer in the world.
About ALPIE`s shelf washer E-WASH
Attention: if you are too busy with mushrooms to read long articles, just watch the video 😊
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E-WASH is a machine that washes your shelves automatically. It makes your people’s jobs easier, eliminates much of their manual labor, and, to be fair, often does a better job of washing than a human.
Main advantages of ALPIE`s washing machine:
– cleaning becomes very easy, everybody can do it with no effort compared to manual cleaning. Much better ergonomics;
– the cleaning operator’s safety is greatly improved (there is no need to climb on wet shelves or lorries);
– more precise shelf cleaning: when cleaning manually, the operator may be inattentive and miss some parts. E-WASH cleans the entire shelf, and just a few parts will need manual cleaning, such as the vertical beams. Improved cleaning reduces the possibility of diseases spreading to subsequent cultivation cycles.
– reduced washing time: mushroom farms using E-WASH reduced cleaning time by 50% on average, resulting in a quick return on investment.
– As all growers know, hiring people to work on mushroom farms is getting harder, so making the job easier and more enjoyable helps to lower staff turnover and also makes this job more appealing,” says Giulia Favero, from ALPIE’s Sales and Marketing Department.
E-WASH is suitable for aluminum shelves with base rails or galvanized shelves with grids. The same machine can be used in mushroom farms that have both types, as the washing unit is supplied with wheels suitable for both surfaces.
As ALPIE explains, there is also the possibility to customize E-WASH according to shelf height, shelf width, or other special requirements.
E-WASH is made up of:
– a hydraulic elevator for easily lifting the washing machine to the bed to be cleaned;
– A washing machine with a forward/backward speed of 11 m/min that runs on the bed;
– cleaning nozzles for sideboards and shelf levels;
– a remote control that allows the machine to be easily activated from the ground.
It is notable that just one operator is enough to operate E-WASH.
The machine works with cold water and must be used in combination with a high-pressure cleaner.
But what will be the next development from ALPIE? We are also interested in!
– E-WASH for mushroom farms with very long shelves – even up to 70 m long – will be presented soon, – explains Giulia Favero.
By the way, you can easily contact her to either get an online demo or to agree on visiting Italy to see E-WASH in action.
ALPIE has already supplied those shelf washing machines to mushroom farmers in Italy, Poland, Spain, France, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Australia, and New Zealand. More than 40 machines are already in use and E-WASH is appreciated by both big and small mushroom farms.
– It takes a lot of effort from our employees. If they had to go back to manual washing, they would go crazy. “Honestly, once you’ve tried the E-WASH shelf washer, you would never look back, – shares the farm Funghi Castagna from Italy.
We believe you already know a lot about ALPIE. However, here are some information to recall.
ALPIE is a family-owned Italian company (as are many mushroom farms). It has made history in the manufacturing of mushroom growing equipment.
“We were founded in 1971, in the early days of modern mushroom growing, in one of the most vibrant and innovative mushroom-growing regions, the province of Treviso in north-eastern Italy,” says Giulia Favero, from the Sales and Marketing Department and the company founder’s granddaughter. “From our very first compost block line to the new generation of head filling machines, in 50 years, ALPIE has become a world-renowned player and is now present on all five continents. Our strength is technical innovation, combined with our ability to listen to the needs of every single client.”
This approach allows ALPIE to manufacture highly customizable machines for mushroom farms and compost facilities.
ALPIE`s goal is to continue establishing relationships of mutual trust and satisfaction with its clients.
For any inquiries, please contact:
Officine Alpi S.u.r.l.
Tel. + 39 0423 677134
Email: sales@alpie.it
For any inquiries, please contact:
Officine Alpi S.u.r.l.
Tel. + 39 0423 677134
Email: sales@alpie.it
