Choose your country

Pulldown 2
Pulldown 2
Pulldown 2
Pulldown 2
Pulldown 2
Pulldown 2
Pulldown 2
Pulldown 2
Pulldown 2

Forbo Websites

Select a division
Forbo Group
Forbo Flooring Systems
Forbo Movement Systems
ABOUT US CONTACT NEWSLETTER

How to support sustainable innovation with precision belts for SmartBreed

SmartBreed
Switzerland

The customer

Three brothers , Christoph, Adrian and Patrik Bertschi founded Swiss startup SmartBreed in Zufikon, Switzerland, to produce automatic grasshopper breeding boxes. The first boxes have now been produced and the invention is already patented.

Christoph Bertschi (CEO of the Aargau -based company and responsible for strategy and sales) decided to breed grasshoppers because these insects provide protein and require much less water and space than cattle. What’s more, they don’t emit methane. The founders’ original idea was to provide some of the protein required in Swiss diets with grasshoppers instead of meat.

SmartBreed Startup

However, it transpired that the Swiss weren’t so keen on grasshopper protein. As a result, the brothers decided to switch their focus from the food industry and restaurants as their target groups to farmers and zoos. These customers would be able to replace some of the soy used in animal feed with the automatic boxes.

Bertschi comments that less soy in animal feed due to the grasshopper breeding box does mean that fewer rainforests are cut down at least.

SmartBreed Breeding Box

Application

Movement Systems is all ears

Patrik Bertschi, in charge of marketing and finance, contacted Movement Systems about the belts in March 2020. These rotate once a day and are fitted to the automatic SmartBreed breeding boxes. The belts are required to remove leftover food and insect droppings, control the temperature and water supply, as well as operate the boxes automatically.

Our solution

Due to our customer focus, quick response and ability to embrace new ideas, Movement Systems became a SmartBreed partner. In 2021, we started supplying SmartBreed with Transilon 900201 belts. This is an exceptionally thin, two-ply belt for small roller diameters with a high-quality splice. Excellent value plus FDA compliance made the solution perfect.

The Result

In July 2021, 60 belts were delivered with 600 more already planned for 2022. The belts’ destination is the production facility in Bremgarten.

Forbo Transilon Belt

Our products in operation