Rockit Global, the award-winning New Zealand snack-sized apple company, has chosen Wyma Solutions as their principal partner to develop one of the most advanced apple packing facilities in the world.

Award-winning New Zealand snack-sized apple company Rockit Global has selected Wyma Solutions as its principal partner to design and supply one of the most advanced and innovative apple packing facilities in the world.

Rapidly increasing global demand and a strong growth trajectory have led Rockit to seek technology partners for efficient apple washing, grading, sorting, and packing solutions. This search led them to Wyma, chosen to lead the development of their packhouse over the coming years.

Wyma will utilize our project expertise and packhouse technology to upgrade Rockit’s Te Ipu packing facility in Hastings, New Zealand. Rockit’s investment in advanced robotic technology, state-of-the-art optical grading, and smart automation will increase system flexibility, provide gentle product treatment, and improve machine and labor utilization.

The partnership between Rockit and Wyma will complement Rockit’s existing relationship with MHM Automation, Wyma’s parent company, which has developed a specialized robotic packing machine for Rockit’s iconic apple-in-tube format.

“We have been looking for a company that can offer us solutions to our unique challenges. Wyma’s ability to provide a tailored solution and to design for both our present and future needs set them apart from the competition,” says Scott Griffin of Rockit. “Wyma has become a trusted partner, and their experience designing packing lines across various industries has resulted in a highly successful collaborative design relationship.”

“In selecting our lead supplier, we had a number of key criteria,” says Mr. Griffin. “These included their ability to offer a flexible solution, the quality of their machinery, gentle apple handling, and the use of smart automation. Wyma demonstrated these key criteria.”

“It is fantastic to partner with a company as innovative and forward-thinking as Rockit,” says Peter Molloy, Sales Manager at Wyma. “The shared passion between Rockit and Wyma for high-quality solutions has made it very easy for our teams to work well together.”

Over the past three years, Wyma and Rockit have created a long-term development plan to progressively expand Rockit’s packhouse as bin volumes increase. The first stage of the project involves supplying a new robotic bin tip and apple washing line with advanced Wyma water filtration technology. This project will lay the groundwork for the next stage, a major upgrade to a unique pre-sort system featuring ultra-gentle hydro-bin filling technology, short water buffer channels, and high-speed bin robots, with an eventual line capacity of over 300,000 apples per hour.

“Our solution is unlike any other globally and will provide Rockit with the flexibility and functionality they are looking for,” adds Peter. The first stage of the new line will go into operation at the beginning of 2025.