Automated bouquet assembly taken to the next level

In the US a good many have already been sold, but in Europe it’s still pretty new: Mecaflor’s new bouquet machine. With this state-of-the-art machine bouquet makers can quickly and simply create bouquets of different size and length (15 to 40 steals, 32 to 60 cm in length).

Companies specializing in bouquet making that supply retail and florist, but also mail order companies, among others, benefit from more efficient, faster and cheaper production. According to the French company’s representative Dominique Kooij, this flower and plant processing machine makes this possible. No skilled personnel is required. Instruction through the intelligent software and screens suffices and, in addition to the number of stems and the varying length, the speed can also be adjusted. "This machine offers a solution, especially with Christmas or Valentine's Day, when the demand for certain types of floral arrangements can suddenly peak."

At the IFTF, Mecaflor will be presenting the machine in the Netherlands for the first time. Outside Europe it is already a success, particularly in North and South America: "We sell more than we can keep up with in production. There’s even a waiting list," says Dominique.

Binding and cutting units can optionally be added to the bouquet machine. Hereby the conveyor belt holding the cup-bearing bouquets passes through a cabin where the steals are cut. Then they’re fitted with a rubber band and potentially a sleeve.

The bouquet machine has already won a prize in France. It was awarded the silver medal in the innovation competition at the Salon du Végétal 2016. Now it needs to prove itself in the Benelux and the presentation at the IFTF in Vijfhuizen next week (booth B4.32) could be a good start.