Anybus Diagnostics: A Key Element in Hoek Group’s Logistics Chain

Selling and exporting cut flowers requires an extremely efficient logistics system. Based in Rijnsburg, the Netherlands, Hoek Group relies on Anybus Diagnostics to monitor the industrial Ethernet network that drives its entire operation. The result: increased uptime and greater reliability.

The Challenge

What could be more delicate than a cut flower? As a fragile product, cut flowers require careful handling and transportation at the Floraholland Rijnsburg site. The sale and export of these products therefore depend on a fully automated logistics system.

However, the high level of automation also places heavy demands on the IT infrastructure. With the large volumes processed each day and the short lifespan of flowers, a single process failure can immediately disrupt everything downstream — leading to costly losses.

The Solution

To ensure maximum network availability and avoid expensive downtime, Hoek Group has integrated Anybus Diagnostics into its automated order-processing lines. The RGVs (Rail Guided Vehicles), robots, inspection systems, and conveyors are all automatically controlled via an industrial Ethernet network, and Anybus Diagnostics delivers detailed, real-time insights into network performance, helping to maintain smooth and reliable operations.

The Result

“With HMS Networks’ deep diagnostic expertise built into the solution, we can monitor the network at any time and use long-term data to analyze processes and identify optimization opportunities. In the event of a malfunction, the system immediately pinpoints the cause, allowing us to resume operations quickly. With a 24/7 online store, maintaining a high delivery speed is crucial — and Anybus Diagnostics plays a major role in making that possible.”

Marcel van Hegmond - ICT Manager at Hoek Group

More About Hoek Group

Hoek Group, headquartered in Rijnsburg in the western Netherlands, specializes in exporting cut flowers to 53 countries. The company operates several large facilities designed to rapidly process flowers arriving from growers and auctions and to efficiently prepare outgoing shipments for customers around the world.

Images source: https://industrialautomation.nl/en/control-network/to-automate-is-to-monitor/