A convincing comeback for VIV Asia

Marel’s booth generated an incredible response! During all three days, from the opening hour till after closing time, the Marel stand was crowded with professional visitors. Our sales team members were constantly engaged in conversations with both existing and prospective customers, resulting in every table in the social area being occupied. Attendees were patiently waiting at the side for an opportunity to discuss their questions with their dedicated Marel representative.

The numerous prospects indicate that Marel has ample new opportunities in Southeast Asia and beyond.

Impressive demonstrations

Overall, the ambiance at Marel’s booth was pleasantly engaging and energetic. The ‘inspirational tasting’ offered by our own kitchen at the stand tempted visitors to sample some typical chicken or duck snacks, including karaage kakugiri.

The regularly staged live demonstrations, starring Maria Costa, Astrid Verhoijsen and Hans Voorbij, attracted a crowd every time they presented their show. Central theme of the demo was saving labor with automation. From different perspectives, and supported by strong videos on the giant curved screen, Astrid, Maria and Hans informed the audience how a processing plant can automate various manual operations. Machines and software can replace repetitive human labor in areas such as evisceration, cut-up, and deboning, allowing employees to focus on other tasks and increasing overall productivity.

Launches

At the event, our innovative products received a warm reception from the audience. Particularly, the revolutionary Nuova-i gained a lot of interest, just as it did at VIV Europe. Attendees were intrigued by its intelligence, the integrated SmartBase machine-health monitoring software, the convenient control via the HMI screen, and the self-adjusting settings based on flock characteristics.

The new I-Cut 145, aka the kakugiri machine, was specifically launched for East Asia at this exhibition. Kakugiri, which consists of leg meat cut into uniform cubes with or without skin, is a traditional Japanese delicacy, but appreciated and produced in more and more countries. The I-Cut 145 is exceptional in its ability to execute this type of cut using just one machine.

Additional launches included a prototype setup of a Breast Meat Value Optimization system, which incorporated SystemFlex Distributor belts and IRIS FI visual inspection. The RevoBreader, which is part of Marel’s latest 1000 mm Convenience Food Line, was also introduced, while ATHENA, the new intelligent breast deboning solution was announced at an information wall.

Independency of skilled labor

Manuel van 't Sant, Marel Regional Sales Director, related Marel's presentation at VIV Asia to the poultry market in South East Asia, "After the initial fall in demand at the beginning of the pandemic, the poultry market started recovering in 2021 and 2022. Especially the QSR and online retail segments kept expanding in our region, focusing on both in-restaurant dining and delivery. This requires a certain level of maturity and robustness in the supply chain. As a result, poultry processors have shown an increasing trend toward the independency of skilled labor. In most cases in Asia, the main driving factor behind this is not cost, but rather the lack of availability. That's why Marel promotes here specific automated solutions that will work well in the Southeast Asian situation, such as Nuova-i, I-Cut 145 and the Second Joint Wing Cutter. All of these automated processes will support poultry processors to achieve an efficient, consistent production with highest uptime and less need for experienced manual workers.”