Application 021: Temperament meets technology,
La Selva, Spain
Spain’s exquisite cuisine is well and truly on the map. But although paella and escabeche, rosbif asado and ensalada de arroz are gourmet favourites all over the world, when it comes to ham and bacon, products from Girona are the choice for Spanish palates. The Northern Spanish town, with its population of 70,000, is proud of its culinary contribution.
 | Mediterranean delicatessen for those in-between times
The true embodiment of this passion is to be found at La Selva, a food company in Girona, whose meat delicatessen products account for up to 40 per cent of the Spanish snack
market. Not to mention other European as well as Central and South American countries, which can enjoy delicacies ranging from "jamon cocido" to sophisticated sauces
with a dash of Iberian temperament.
Neighbours lend a helping hand
La Selva is a highly successful food company that has been combining tradition and progress since 1917. The latest milestone in this philosophy, pursued by its dedicated team of
165 employees, is the company's modernised production premises, in which layout and technical equipment combine to create a coherent, logistically optimised unit using
automated material flow. What's more, this highly sophisticated concept was developed by one of La Selva's "neighbours": the Tavil Group from Garrotxa.
Throughput: 130,000 snacks per day
Tavil has an excellent reputation as a specialist in process automation for the food industry. The core competences of the company, which has 80 employees, include customised
multi-format systems combined with automated supply lines. Which is exactly what is needed at La Selva. The total installation now includes nine conveyor lines, transporting
crates of different formats 16 hours a day. No matter what length, width or height - the system has the capacity to convey, forward, pick up, sort and distribute up to 30
containers every minute. Other key functions in the system include the integrated packaging, weighing, labelling and palletising of La Selva's delicacies, which are presented
in a stylish bag. This adds up to about 130,000 snack units - each weighing 200 grams - that are passed through the system every day.
The main ingredient: food-grade quality
As well as designing a highly flexible conveyor system, Tavil was also scrupulous in its use of key components that were compatible with foodstuff applications and that could be
successfully incorporated into the automated process. Interroll's extensive range of conveyor rollers, RollerDrives and Belt Drives offered the Northern Spanish company just
what was needed. Which means that La Selva's new production premises are filled to the brim with expertise supplied by Interroll as an integral part of the logistics
chain.
The Interroll menu
As an entrée, 15 brushless BL RollerDrives for continuous operation, with an integrated motor which can be easily controlled for dynamic braking or speed regulation. This
is followed by 500 Series-3800 Accumulating Conveyor Rollers, made from high-impact-grade special PVC, with an external diameter of 50 mm, as well as 500 Series-1100 gravity
rollers (diameter: 30 mm). The special ball-bearings, as well as the rounded roller ends, which facilitate lateral loading of cartons and containers, have proved their worth in
millions of passes - and also make for smoother operation with the 200 PVC universal conveyor rollers (diameter 50 mm). In addition to a further 300 Series-3500
fixed-drive rollers (diameter: 50 mm), La Selva can also exploit the advantages offered by the - now almost legendary - Interroll 138E Belt Drives.
What our customer say
There were several reasons - immensely important in the food sector - why we chose Interroll components: these key modules are safe, reliable, produce little noise, and
are compatible with food hygiene requirements.
Lluis Vilanova
Production Manager, Tavil Group
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