This year marks a significant milestone for Valk Horti Systems: the 10th anniversary of ValkScreenVision 2.0, the company's most advanced and forward-thinking screen system. Over the past decade, ValkScreenVision 2.0 has been continuously developed with a strong focus on optimizing climate control within a greenhouse. As the company looks back on a decade of progress, it also looks forward with the introduction of a new component of the screen, designed to meet the latest needs of modern growers.
"We've been refining the system for ten years now," says Rob Bekkering, Commercial Manager of Valk Horti Systems. "It's exciting to see how far it has come, and also to share the vision we have for the future of screens in horticulture." He explains that they will always be innovating their existing systems, since there are always new questions and needs in greenhouse horticulture as growing techniques evolve.
A celebration of innovation
Since its introduction, ValkScreenVision 2.0 has steadily improved the way growers manage climate, energy, and light in their greenhouses. Its development has been driven by close collaboration with users in the field, ensuring that each improvement responds directly to practical needs.
Looking back on this journey and the early days of the system, one moment in particular stands out: the naming competition that accompanied the system's early introduction. "We thought it would be nice to involve people in the process," Rob explains. "It was a good way to show the world that we're actively working on innovation, so in that sense, it also served as a marketing initiative." The result was ValkScreenVision. "It perfectly reflects how we view screen technology and where we believe the future is headed," he says.
Built on innovation, driven by vision: from Quattro Plus to ValkScreenVision 2.0
But the story didn't start there. In 2011, Valk introduced its first retractable screen system: Quattro Plus. "In this early concept, screen cloths were confected and retracted directly on-site. While groundbreaking at the time, Quattro Plus revealed limitations that sparked a more forward-thinking approach," Rob shares.
Development 1. Quattro Plus
He elaborates that one major insight was clear. "We had to shift more of the work to our factory to save significant time during installation." That idea led to the design of the ValkScreenProfile VSV, a new profile that made it possible to pre-confect screen cloths with precision and retract them quickly and reliably in the greenhouse.
From that foundation, countless refinements followed. "Take cloth attachment, for example. What used to require manual assembly was transformed by integrating a head strip directly into the confection process, reducing on-site attachment to less than a minute. In addition, to avoid tension and prevent folds, the ValkDelta retraction tool was introduced. This red, kite-shaped tool ensures smooth and full-width cloth retraction."
Development 3. ValkDelta retraction tool
Space inside greenhouses posed another challenge. "When growers started using dual screens, there often wasn't enough room for both cloths to retract cleanly," Rob adds. Valk Horti Systems designed a two-chamber profile, allowing dual screens to retract neatly.
Development 8. Profile with two cloth chambers
"For larger greenhouses, a dilatation coupling solved issues with cloth tension and structural expansion, while doubling as an access point for installation." Additionally, to protect materials during cloth removal, a removable profile was introduced. This profile is mounted during installation and easily dismantled after retracting, without causing any damage to the cloth.
"Each of these developments made ValkScreenVision 2.0 an installer- and grower-friendly system. Every time growers encounter new challenges, it opens the door for us to innovate," Rob says. "That mindset has defined the past ten years and it will continue to guide us into the next decade."
Looking forward: new demands, new designs
As part of the 10-year celebration, at this year's GreenTech Amsterdam trade fair, Valk Horti Systems is introducing its latest innovation: the ValkScreenProfile VSV intermediate profile. This new intermediate profile allows two screens to operate independently on a single level. This innovation addresses a growing trend among greenhouse growers to use multiple screens for improved energy efficiency and shading. "There was a question about how to run two screens on the same wire bed, and we didn't have a profile for that. So, we had to develop one," Rob explains.
And so, Valk Horti Systems continues to evolve its solutions based on growers' needs. "It's always the case that when you think you're done, new questions and demands from growers push us to develop further. That's how we innovate: by listening closely to what the industry needs."
For more information:
Valk Horti Systems
Zwartendijk 73
2681 LP, Monster
Tel.: +31 174 21 2223
[email protected]
www.valkhortisystems.com