Sustainability is a significant priority for the agriculture sector, with organisations seeking out solutions that enable a reduction in water usage and waste disposal.
New Zealand-based manufacturer of post-harvest vegetable and fruit handling equipment, Wyma Solutions has saved some of its customers over 1 million litres of fresh water per day with its water recycling solutions. These have significantly reduced waste disposal costs and have allowed larger washlines to be implemented in regions bound by maximum water use consents.
Mud towers are a key part of Wyma’s water recycling solutions, efficiently separating fine solids from dirty water so it can be reused. Notably, the company relies on partner, Bonfiglioli, to power these mud drives. “We partner with Bonfiglioli because their innovative, high-quality gear motors enhance the reliability and efficiency of our mud towers, ensuring our customers get consistent performance in challenging conditions,” explains Jeremy Barnett, Mechanical Design Manager, Wyma Solutions. “Their commitment to excellence and support aligns with our mission to deliver high quality, sustainable solutions to the post-harvest industry”.
Supporting a global market
Wyma Solutions mud towers are installed globally into post-harvest vegetable processing facilities from North America to Europe and Australia. Used for crops like potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables, these mud towers serve large-scale agricultural producers, food processing companies and packhouses that prioritise water reuse and waste management.
These fully automated gravity settlers separate fine solids from dirty water with minimal energy consumption, returning clarified water for reuse.
Gravity settling tends to work best when the suspended solids are of small, consistent particle size. The mud tower is best paired with a fine filtration system such as the Wyma Micron Filter. “As a pair, they can remove up to 85% of total suspended solids (TSS) from washline water,” notes Jeremy.
Produce and soil type can vary significantly around the world, but with site-specific analysis, Wyma Solutions can tailor water recycling systems to specific soil conditions and water usage requirements to give customers the most optimal solution. “This process not only reduces the demand for fresh water but also enables the efficient return of soils to the fields from which they originated,” adds Jeremy.
Overcoming complex challenges
Mud towers require specialised and robust gearmotor solutions that can handle harsh environmental conditions, high loads and high torque demands. “This equipment has to perform in muddy, humid and possibly corrosive environments,” explains Bonfiglioli New Zealand Manager, Paul Savage.
“Vibration, corrosion and overheating are all potential issues that could result in motor failure and unplanned downtime. Bonfiglioli solutions are developed to address these challenges and are equipped with special features that make them rugged, ensuring reliability and a long service life.”
Bonfiglioli gearmotor ticks the boxes
Bonfiglioli supplied Wyma Solutions with a 4-stage planetary drive from their 300 series range, which was selected as the mud tower application required a high ratio, over 500:1. “The planetary reducer was the ideal solution, offering the most compact selection considering the low speed and high output torque required. The 4-stage planetary drive utilises an electroless coated WOA coupling flange allowing easy connection and removal to the mud tower extraction system. The selection was analysed by Bonfiglioli Customer Application Engineering (CAE) team to ensure the specified design life was achieved,” says Paul.
The 300 series feature a planetary drive train that makes it the ideal choice for heavy-duty applications where shock loads and impacts are expected. “This is a versatile solution, offering several options for mounting, gear layout, output shaft and motor interface,” adds Paul.
“We needed a low speed, high torque solution for the mud tower’s extraction system, and Bonfiglioli’s four-stage planetary gearmotor was perfect for the job,” elaborates Jeremy. “Due to the large number of extractions per day we required a high duty cycle from the geared motor. These units enable automated discharge of solid waste from the bottom of the tower, providing the durability and precision critical to our separation process”.
Looking ahead, Wyma Solutions is exploring enhancements to increase solids extraction rates and integrating smart monitoring systems that use sensors to track water quality and system performance in real time, giving operators greater control. “Our goal is to further improve the mud tower’s efficiency and adaptability for global markets,” says Jeremy.
Bonfiglioli has been a key supplier to Wyma Solutions for nearly 20 years and is looking forward to its continued collaboration with the company. “We understand the nature of their business, which requires a high service level due to short lead times. The Bonfiglioli stock model that we have implemented for Wyma allows us to achieve the quick turnaround times required,” says Paul. “We’re excited for the next 20 years of our partnership”.
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