IN CONVERSATION Vera Maiß | Projektmanagerin bei PROBAT · Project manager PROBAT 9 "Organics with love" - Following the corporate mission statement, the German natural food manufacturer Rapunzel is now making the topic of organic tangible for visitors: In autumn this year, the com-pany, which is considered one of the lea-ding European manufacturers of certified organic, natural and vegetarian foods, will open the Rapunzel World – a 7,560 m² visi-tor center, housing a bakery, a bistro, a store, an exhibition, a wine cellar and a pop-up shop, as well as its own roastery on a total of four floors. In the future, approximately 50 employees will bring the Rapunzel brand to life here.The eye-catcher of the show roastery in the Rapunzel visitor center is a Px 120, indivdually designed in the corporate colors of the organic manufacturer. The drum roaster, which even in its standard version represents a unique fusion of state-of-the-art technology and classic design, with its individual conception exactly meets the customer's require-ment of combining industrial production capacities and sustainable roasting tech-nology with an artisanal character.With an extended roasting time and batch size range, the Px 120 also guarantees maximum flexibility for all flavor pro-files - from light to intense - that will be produced in the future in the Rapunzel show roastery under the in-house, bio-fair label "Heldenkaffee". Equipped with high-performance cyclones, a recircu-lation system, and frequency converters for each drive, the Px 120 also highlights the importance of energy-efficient and environmental-friendly processes. As is the case with the customer from southern Germany, who is particularly concerned about sustainability."There are several reasons why we cho-se PROBAT. PROBAT is extremely well-known among roaster manufacturers and enjoys a very high reputation. We felt very well taken care of with our ideas. On site in Emmerich, the Px 120 convinced us directly because, on the one hand, it has a high energy-saving potential and, on the other hand, it can roast both small and large quantities of coffee - so we still have room for improvement," Alexander Karst, Head of Production at Rapunzel, explains the reasons why they decided to coopera-te with PROBAT on this project. "Further-more, the cooperation was highly profes-sional from the very beginning. PROBAT responded to all our wishes and always found solutions, e.g. for our request, that visitors should be able to follow a large part of the coffee roasting process. For this purpose, the machine was equipped with additional viewing windows without further ado," adds Karst. The responsible PROBAT project manager Vera Maiß adds: "In fact, the complete roasting plant is a tailor-made solution for Rapunzel, which does not exist a second time in the world. All component sizes were explicitly adap-ted to the planned roasting quantities. The positioning of the plant components and the roaster have been precisely fitted into the special building structure. In addi-tion, many energy-saving solutions were implemented, such as partial recircula-tion for the roasting exhaust air, which reduces energy consumption by about 40%. Compared to a non-recirculating machine, there are also around 70% fewer exhaust air emissions here."A manual green coffee reception and manual roasted coffee discharge with sto-rage silo, grinder, and packing machine as a stand-alone solution complete the plant in the show roastery.And also the Rapunzel master roasters, after extensive training including reci-pe development – accompanied by the PROBAT trainers – are well prepared for the opening of the visitor center and the first enthusiastic coffee lovers.Here you can find more information about the Rapunzel World.