Machinefabriek J.M. van den Munckhof
"Munckhof Fruit Tech Innovators wereldwijd voorop in de fruitteelt"
Dutch family firm founded in 1884 building Pluk-O-Trak harvest platforms and orchard sprayers, co-developing an apple-picking robot with Riwo and WUR.
Machinefabriek J.M. van den Munckhof, trading as Munckhof Fruit Tech Innovators, is a family-owned machinery manufacturer in Horst, the Netherlands. Founded in 1884 as a maker of tools for agriculture and horticulture, it now specializes in harvesting, spraying and bin-filling equipment for fruit growing, viticulture and olive harvesting, and it develops, tests and manufactures its machines in-house.
The product range includes the Pluk-O-Trak harvest-assist platforms (Junior, Electric, XL and Senior), fully and semi-automatic tree shakers for cherries, orchard sprayers (VariMAS, Triple Fan and a trailed sprayer), single and double bin fillers, and a used-machine program. The VariMAS 3 sprays three rows at once, is offered with 1,000, 2,000 or 3,000 L tanks, requires 65 hp PTO power and weighs 720-1,760 kg; Wageningen University & Research (WUR) has measured 99% drift reduction for it. VariMAS can follow digital task maps built from drone imagery, GPS and sensor data, which the company says can save up to 90% of pesticide for pear psyllid control.
Munckhof's links to robotics and automation come from its R&D. Since 2020 it has developed an apple-picking robot with Riwo Engineering, with image processing and route planning from WUR, Fontys and Saxion universities of applied sciences. The arm uses a two-chamber suction nozzle applying about 6 kg of force, is mounted on a Pluk-O-Trak and works alongside human pickers; it was tested at the Proeftuin Randwijk research orchard in 2024 and again in 2025 under the NXTGEN Hightech Agrifood program funded through the Dutch National Growth Fund. Evaluation reports say picking speed is improving but the robot needs several more years of development. Munckhof also fits LiDAR sensors to its sprayers to open nozzles only where foliage is detected, offers a Vision Spray system that adjusts dose per tree segment, and in autumn 2025 piloted LiDAR-based variable dosing with WUR. Its M-connect harvest registration system records harvest data.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Pluk-O-Trak
Harvest-assist platform for apple and pear orchards, also the base for the picking robot trial
VariMAS Orchard Sprayer
Three-row orchard sprayer with task-map control and 99% drift reduction measured by WUR
Apple-picking robot (prototype)
Suction-nozzle picking arm on a Pluk-O-Trak, co-developed with Riwo and WUR; in field testing
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Contact Machinefabriek J.M. van den Munckhof
WEBSITE
https://www.munckhof.org/PHONE
+31 77 398 1001HEADQUARTERS
Netherlands
Company Facts
Founded
1884
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
Europe
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
-
Funding Total
-
