NEWS
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
Inside look at GEA’s manufacturing
– here and abroad
By Ilana Koegelenberg
Some of the large components used for building the bigger
compressors.
L
ast year, I visited the GEA Grasso
piston compressor factory in the
Netherlands, as well as their new
Den Bosch factory – view from the top.
In 1868, Grasso built a new factory,
and set about manufacturing the
steam hammer, an ingenious machine
office and factory in Cape Town, he had designed himself. Business
exploring the (surprisingly) interesting slowed down in 1870 because of the
world of compressor manufacturing. war between France and Prussia, but
The Grasso factory in Hertogenbosch
Grasso managed to stay in business
(referred to just as ‘Den Bosch’), in the by constructing machines for the
province of North Brabrant, has been newly invented margarine industry. This
around since 1913. Now a heritage became his main business, resulting in
site, it even still has war damage from the manufacturing of an endless series
the Second World War decorating of churning, kneading, rolling, mixing,
its exterior from when the German and moulding machines. His company
forces used it as a kind of fortress. quickly expanded.
Inside though, it boasts a state-of-the-
Demand for margarine was steadily
art factory, upgraded a century later increasing globally and the factories
in 2013, complete with many robotic had to build up stocks. But these stocks
machines. had to be refrigerated to prevent it
Locally, GEA also got an ‘upgrade’
from going off. Willem Grasso’s son,
last year – a new custom-built office Henri, was sent to study and learn more
in Cape Town with a manufacturing about the latest inventions in the field of
space included. Although they have refrigeration.
been manufacturing compressor sets
the Netherlands, and from 1902 Grasso
a bigger space and room for expansion. became an important supplier of
We take a look at the manufacturing
where South Africa fits into the story…
THE BIRTH OF THE PISTON
COMPRESSOR
equipment for this fast-growing national
industry.
At the beginning of the 20th century,
Grasso sold compressors under licence
from Muntell. Henri Grasso then set out
designing a refrigeration compressor
Grasso (now part of GEA Refrigeration) of his own, making Grasso the first
has been manufacturing compressors company in the Netherlands to do so.
for more than 160 years. The company’s
The company outgrew its premises
colourful history dates back as far as 1858 and a new factory was constructed in
when Willem Grasso began a blacksmith’s Den Bosch in 1913 – and the first Grasso
shop in the small town of Hertogenbosch. compressors hit the market.
He started off constructing and repairing
Unfortunately, less than a year later,
tools, also designing and building small in 1914, the First World War broke out,
steam engines. stifling the factory as they couldn’t
COLD LINK AFRICA •
OCTOBER 2019
The Den Bosch factory is heavily automated and only requires a small number of workers.
The dairy industry quickly grew in
locally since 1986, the new office offers
side of GEA to see where it all began and
Tom Eelen from GEA was a great ‘tour-guide’.
Ilana Koegelenberg, posing with the 1920 compressor at the entrance of the factory.
www.coldlinkafrica.co.za
7