A new outfit for Rapunzel Turkey

Remodeling and renovation for best product and work quality

Turkey Project

Impressions from the Turkey Project

Rapunzel Turkey with a new outfit

Rapunzel guarantees ...

Partners and products

Die Aprikosen werden zunächst gründlich von Hand sortiert

[Nov/Dec 12] Just in time before the harvest 2012 was brought to the Ören plant for further processing, the renovation of the production plant was completed. The renovation started with the total overhaul of the roof in the fall of 2010. In March 2011, parts of the production plant as well as the office building were remodeled.

The renovation was necessary in order to modernize the structure of the building. The remodeling had the purpose to improve and optimize the following:

Energy consumption
Production efficiency
Hygiene standards
Product quality
Work space quality
Social quality
Safety at work
Fire safety

Renovating the heating plant all the way up to the roof

The roof was insulated in compliance with EU standards and the climatic conditions in Turkey. This resulted in a significant decrease in energy consumption for the cold storage rooms and the air conditioning system in the office tract.

The old heating plant as well as the drying plant used for dried fruit overnight drying was removed and replaced with a new, powerful and yet energy efficient system. The new drying plant features a chamber dryer that meets highest hygienic standards and an air circulation unit, the so-called AIRGENEX plant.

The drying plant is innovative and energy efficient and is based on the following technical principle: in the chamber dryer, warm, dry air is directed over the washed fruit, for example apricots, and picks up moisture. The moist air is transported into the AIRGENEX plant where it is cooled down. When the air reaches the dew point, the moistures condenses and is discharged as water. The air is heated once again, the relative humidity is reduced and the dry air is led back into the chamber dryer for a perfect closed loop operation.

The new, state-of-the-art AIRGENEX drying plant

The plant compressors are operated as heat pumps that either cool or heat the circulating air. A regenerative heat recovery system is integrated. Unavoidable surplus heat is used for warm water heating. The drying plant works as a zero-emission system. This innovative technology of a closed-loop system makes both economic and environmental sense and ensures process stability at the same time. The drying plant also has positive effects on the quality of the dried fruits as it allows for a gentle, controlled drying process at low temperatures.

The old, natural gas central heating plant and the air conditioning equipment were replaced by a heat pump system feeding into warm and cold water reservoirs. The water reservoirs are used to heat and/or cool offices, laboratories, meeting rooms and the staff cafeteria guaranteeing comfortable ambient temperatures all year round.

During the main season, the cafeteria prepares warm meals for nearly 300 employees

Ecology all the way

Seats and good illumination facilitate the work for the female employees who sort the sultanas by hand

The entire plant is powered as much as possible with green electricity. Fossil fuels are no longer used. The quality of the work space in the production plant was improved – now the workers have more natural light and more fresh air. Special importance was attached to the lighting system in the production and especially the sorting rooms with respect to both luminous color and light intensity. Since the EU workplace guideline could not be implemented with the lamps that were available in Turkey, Rapunzel imported all needed lamp equipment from Germany.

All recreation rooms (toilets, locker rooms, washrooms, cafeteria, prayer room) were remodeled. During high season, up to 300 employees receive a free, warm lunch in the remodeled cafeteria. With the implementation of all these measures Rapunzel Turkey wants to stay atop with respect to organic and product quality. Moreover, we also wanted to set an example for workplace quality, because content and motivated employees are the best way of ensuring best Rapunzel product quality over the long term.