Modesta and Wiskerke Onions celebrate first filter replacement after 15 years

After fifteen years of continuous operation, Modesta replaced the filters in a dust collector at Wiskerke Onions for the first time in early June. Throughout that period, neither replacement nor manual cleaning was required. The two companies jointly decided that a preventive filter replacement was a sensible step.

Modesta and Wiskerke Onions have been working together for around fifteen years on the active cleaning of onions throughout the production process, from sorting to packing. Over the years, Modesta has supplied multiple dust extraction systems, ductwork, and custom-designed extraction hoods tailored to the specific requirements of each processing stage.

To mark the milestone, Sjoerd van Diepen, Technical Sales Advisor for the agro sector at Modesta, presented Wiskerke Onions with an elongated cake last week—a playful reference to the distinctive filter bags used in the company’s dust extraction systems.

“In dust extraction, purchasing costs often receive the most attention, while the total cost of ownership is just as important,” says Van Diepen. “This project demonstrates how a system designed for longevity can deliver high production availability and minimal maintenance costs for many years.”

Bob Salm, Head of Technical Services at Wiskerke Onions, shares that view. “After fifteen years, replacing the filter bags as a preventive measure simply made sense,” he says. “But throughout that entire period, we never experienced a noticeable drop in performance. There was virtually no maintenance required—it simply kept doing its job.”

Modesta is a family-owned company based in Putten, the Netherlands, with more than 75 years of experience in developing, manufacturing, and servicing systems for the active cleaning of agricultural products such as onions and potatoes. The company also designs and builds dust extraction systems and residual stream solutions for the woodworking and recycling industries. Modesta’s installations are used worldwide and are engineered for long service life, operational reliability, and minimal maintenance.