JBT Marel adds Flip & Wash bin washer demos at Lakeland Customer Innovation Center

The addition builds on JBT Marel’s recent investment in the renovated Lakeland facility, which was unveiled as a premier customer destination for sustainable food tech across fresh fruit and vegetables, ready meals, beverages, dairy, and more.

Read more about the Customer Innovation Center renovation.

At the Lakeland Customer Innovation Center, customers can work side by side with JBT Marel experts, run products through equipment, and explore solutions in a real food processing factory environment. The new Flip & Wash demo capability expands that hands-on experience, giving processors a closer look at how automation can support bin cleaning operations.

A practical look at automated bin washing

Reusable produce bins play an important role in many fruit and vegetable operations. Cleaning those bins consistently can require significant time, labor, and attention, especially when teams rely on manual washing with pressure washers.

That challenge is familiar for many processors. Denham Plastics, a provider of agricultural containers and pallets, has shared how its team previously washed containers by hand with pressure washers before moving to a JBT wash system. At the time, about 10 employees were involved in hand washing, and the company was washing about 2,000 to 3,000 containers a day across its facilities.

With the JBT wash system, Denham Plastics described the process as “much more consistent,” noting that the bins are washed by a machine and that the Flip & Wash approach helps clean the inside of the bin before it reaches the customer.

“Many processors are looking for more consistent, repeatable ways to clean reusable bins, especially when manual pressure washing requires significant labor and time. By adding Flip & Wash to the Lakeland Customer Innovation Center, we’re giving customers the opportunity to see automated bin washing in action and evaluate how it could support their own operations.” - Fernando Edagi, Director, FPT Site & FPT Product Line, JBT Marel

See the Flip & Wash process in action

During demonstrations at Lakeland, visitors can follow the complete bin washing process from loading to unloading. One bin at a time is placed onto the chain conveyor, which moves the bin into the Flip & Wash module. Inside the enclosed washing area, the bin is sprayed with high-flow, low-pressure water, inverted 180 degrees, washed across interior and exterior surfaces, returned upright, and moved out of the system for unloading.

The system installed for demonstrations in Lakeland is designed to clean Macro 34FV produce bins and is capable of visibly cleaning up to 120 bins per hour. Wash time can also be adjusted as needed, helping customers explore how different cycle settings may support their operating requirements.

This live demonstration gives customers a practical way to evaluate automated bin washing technology. Visitors can see how the equipment handles bin movement, inversion, surface coverage, and cleaning consistency, then discuss application-specific needs with JBT Marel experts.

Expanding customer collaboration in Lakeland

The Lakeland Customer Innovation Center gives customers a place to test, validate, and better understand technologies before making decisions for their own operations. The renovated facility includes spaces for live equipment demonstrations, product testing, training, and collaboration with JBT Marel specialists.

With the addition of Flip & Wash, customers interested in automated bin washing, produce bin cleaning, or fresh produce processing equipment can now experience the technology firsthand in Lakeland. The demo capability helps connect equipment performance with real operational challenges, from manual cleaning demands to the need for more repeatable results.

At JBT Marel, innovation moves forward through collaboration. By continuing to expand demonstration capabilities at the Lakeland Customer Innovation Center, we’re helping customers explore practical solutions, ask better questions, and prepare for what comes next in food processing.

Schedule a Flip & Wash demonstration

The Flip & Wash bin washer is now available for customer demonstrations at JBT Marel’s Lakeland Customer Innovation Center. Customers interested in seeing the system in action can connect with their JBT Marel representative to schedule a visit or by filling out the form below.