Precision under pressure: How AGROPHOENIX meets the demands of Greece’s peach season with FAM STUMABO
Operating in one of the world’s leading canned peach exporting nations, AGROPHOENIX relies on FAM STUMABO’s Tridis 240 dicers to achieve high-capacity peach processing with precise cutting performance, reduced trim loss, and reliable operation during Greece’s demanding harvest season.
Global demand for processed fruit is growing. The market is projected to expand at a CAGR of nearly 8% in the coming years, driven by rising demand for convenient, ready-to-use, and industrial applications. For processors, that growth brings both opportunity and operational pressure: maximizing raw material utilization, maintaining consistent product quality, and achieving high throughput have become critical priorities — particularly during short and intensive production seasons when every hour of operation counts.
This is especially true in peach processing, where the fruit’s soft and delicate nature makes cutting performance particularly important. Clean cuts, limited trim loss, and reduced juice loss all play a key role in preserving product quality and maximizing yield. At the same time, processors must maintain continuous production at a very high capacity to meet customer demand.
Greece is one of the world’s leading exporters of canned peaches, and the processors who supply those markets operate under intense seasonal pressure. During the harvest period, plants run almost continuously – in some cases around the clock – leaving little margin for downtime, inconsistent output, or avoidable material loss.
AGROPHOENIX, established in 2019 in the Macedonian heartland of northern Greece, is such a processor. The company operates modern facilities in Imathia, with two specialized processing plants that produce a range of peach products, including canned peach halves, diced and sliced, aseptic fruit dice, and aseptic purees and concentrates. It supplies both industrial and retail markets across multiple export destinations, where product quality, texture, and dimensional consistency, as well as full traceability from orchard to delivery, are non-negotiable.
To meet those requirements at scale, AGROPHOENIX needed a cutting solution that could combine high precision with high throughput — and perform reliably throughout one of the food industry's most unforgiving production windows.
The challenge: precision, yield, and throughput under seasonal pressure
When AGROPHOENIX developed its new fruit processing plant in 2019 to support its growth and production objectives, cutting performance was identified as a critical variable from the outset. The company's requirements were specific and non-negotiable.
"Our main challenge was to achieve high-precision cutting with minimal trim loss, so we could maximize utilization of the raw material," explains Konstantinos Ineglis of AGROPHOENIX. "Our customers are among the most demanding internationally, with strict specifications for both the quality and the dimensions of the final product."
Clean cuts and minimal by-products were equally important. Peaches are a delicate raw material, and cutting quality directly affects the amount of small pieces generated and the level of juice lost during processing — both of which influence end-product quality and yield. "It was critical to ensure clean cuts, with as few small pieces as possible ending up as by-product," says Ineglis. "It was equally important to reduce juice loss during cutting, so the fruit's natural sugars are retained, and the quality of the end product is improved."
Underpinning all of this was a capacity requirement that left no room for compromise: each machine needed to process more than 6–7 tonnes of peaches per hour.
FAM STUMABO Tridis 240 dicers: Meeting the challenges of high-capacity peach processing
AGROPHOENIX began collaborating with FAM STUMABO during the development of its new processing facility. The plant manager's prior familiarity with FAM STUMABO equipment influenced the decision, along with several operational priorities: ease of use, dedicated cutting tools, proven industry experience, and reduced cleaning workload. A particular emphasis was placed on combining throughput, product quality, and operational reliability from the very beginning.
"As this was a new project, they started immediately with the most advanced equipment available: the Tridis 240," explains Sven Boen, Senior Sales Manager Europe at FAM STUMABO. "For peach processors, achieving the right balance between cutting quality, throughput, and operational efficiency is essential, particularly during the short and intensive production season."
Tridis 240: Versatility and performance for demanding processing environments
AGROPHOENIX installed two FAM STUMABO Tridis 240 dicers at the facility. Designed for high volumes and continuous product flow, Tridis 240 accepts products up to 240 mm in any dimension and enables processors to produce a wide range of cut sizes and formats, including dice, strips and slices. Its flexibility allows cutting tools and cut sizes to be adjusted to the peak season — an important capability given the natural variability in peach size, growth, and condition from one harvest to the next. Beyond peaches, the machine is also used successfully for mango, apples, pears, and strawberries, as well as harder vegetables, including carrots, onions, potatoes, and beetroot.
Operational reliability during an intensive season
FAM STUMABO and its Greek partner, SIVVAS S.A., support AGROPHOENIX with operator and maintenance training, preventive inspections, start-up assistance for the season, and local availability of key spare parts and consumables. During the campaign, technical support is available within 24 hours. "Fast local service support through our partner Sivvas is extremely important in an industry that depends on a very short production season, where nothing can be allowed to disrupt production," says Boen.
Ineglis echoes this directly: "Throughout the year — and especially during the production season — there is an immediate response to every need, whether it concerns spare parts or technical support. This gives us confidence and minimizes downtime."
Proven performance in daily operation
Today, two Tridis 240 dicers operate at maximum capacity and have become a core part of AGROPHOENIX's production process.
"Tridis 240 has made a substantial contribution to improving the quality of our products," says Ineglis. "Cutting accuracy, combined with reduced trim loss, leads to better utilization of the raw material. In addition, the high throughput and stable operation of the machine contribute to the overall efficiency of the line." Notably, actual production performance has matched the figures presented prior to installation — a direct confirmation of the solution’s reliability and of the confidence that informed the original investment decision.
The machine's operational characteristics have also proved their worth under daily production conditions. "We are truly happy with our decision. For us, the key benefits of Tridis 240 are the consistent production of high-quality dice combined with high productivity," says Ineglis. "The machine is user-friendly and flexible, enabling fast changeovers of knives and cutting sizes. Its reliability is also extremely important, as maintenance and repairs can be carried out quickly when needed, which is critical to the plant's uninterrupted operation. The machine's design ensures stable performance without issues, even under demanding production conditions."
Discussions are already underway regarding a further expansion of the plant.
Beyond equipment: a partnership that supports continuous operation
"We would recommend FAM STUMABO to other fruit processors," says Ineglis. "We are very satisfied both with the equipment's performance and operation, as well as with the fast support for spare parts and after-sales service."
The broader partnership — between AGROPHOENIX, FAM STUMABO, and SIVVAS — extends well beyond the initial installation. "In an environment where every minute counts, equipment reliability and immediate technical support are crucial. FAM STUMABO, in cooperation with SIVVAS S.A., demonstrates in practice that they can meet these requirements, contributing substantially to the smooth and efficient operation of AGROPHOENIX."
*All images courtesy of AGROPHOENIX.
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