Industrial Packaging
July/August 2019
Cleancert IBC for clear coatings and primers as
these products are particularly sensitive to surface
defects,” says Benno Beuter, application engineer
at Wörwag. The coatings specialist orders empty
IBCs which are delivered and stored in-house as a
further safety and hygiene measure.
At Wörwag’s customer, SMP, the fi lled containers
are also delivered to a covered area and stored
under roof. The Cleancert IBCs score yet again at
the automotive supplier’s central warehouse,
particularly in comparison to the steel containers
that were often previously used. Up to four IBCs
can be stacked on top of each other – instead of
only two steel containers, meaning that the
Cleancert models also ensure that the available
space is used more effi ciently. The downtime of
empty containers is also reduced to a maximum of
seven days thanks to collection by the Schütz Ticket
Service. Empty steel containers remained in the
plant for up to one month, which occasionally
caused bottlenecks in the company’s warehouse. change their position depending on the centrifugal
force. The speed can be individually adjusted to the
fi lling level.
The result of the comparative test: with external
steel stirrers, 140 to 200 revolutions per minute
were required for homogenisation. This high speed
led to increased microfoam formation due to air
intake into the product. When stirring with the
Schütz impeller, however, 80 to 110 revolutions
were suffi cient. The lower speed ensured gentle
stirring with optimum results.
Anton Krojer, the SMP application engineer in
charge of the test series, says: “Thanks to the
effi cient stirring processes, we no longer need
preparatory homogenisation measures prior to a
container change.”
Since the IBC including the impeller and traverse
drive can be transported fl exibly and considerably
less time is required for homogenisation, it was
possible to connect the container directly to the
production line after the drive had been installed
and feed the paint in directly. This eliminates the
need for a previously required preparatory step at
an additional station. The company uses the S56x4
bung to take samples for viscosity measurement
and/or to add setting or correction agents, if
necessary, during the stirring process.
“The use of the Impeller as a disposable system
completely rules out the risk of contamination due
to residual product adhering to the stirrer. This
greatly increases process reliability,” explains
Manfred Guttmann, head of the paint shop at SMP.
“This eliminates the complex and time-consuming
cleaning process for the agitator, as well as other
risks. Employees no longer have to handle solvent-
based cleaning agents, which greatly improves
workplace safety.”
The multiple-week test phase in the production of
components for bumpers using Cleancert IBCs and
Impellers confi rmed all theoretical aspects of the
optimisation and revealed business management
advantages. For example, SMP was able to reduce
dramatically the amount of work spent on
corrections.
Gentle stirring Just-in-time
During processing in the air-conditioned paint
mixing room, clear coats, primers and base coats
are continuously stirred to ensure a homogeneous
consistency. In order to determine the advantages
of the Cleancert IBC + impeller closed packaging
system in practice, SMP conducted a series of tests,
each lasting several weeks. The disposable stirrer is
connected to the screw cap of the IBC and is fi tted
at the Schütz factory. A conventional drive system
can be connected without requiring major
modifi cations or conversions.
In the SMP test series a model by agitator
manufacturer Planetroll was used. If required, as
part of its services, Schütz will arrange contact with
Planetroll, which is very familiar with the system,
and the company’s portfolio includes complete
drive solutions with all the necessary components
such as transverses, couplings and steel shafts.
The drive is placed above the screw cap and fi xed
to the steel grid with a frame. The drive shaft is
inserted into the hollow shaft of the Impeller and
fi ts in the hub; the rotation of the shaft is passed
on to the Impeller inside the container. The three
movable blades of the impeller’s bucket agitator Schütz manufactures the Cleancert packaging just-
in-time on the basis of specifi c customer orders:
the IBC inner bottles are transferred to the fi nal
assembly stage and installed immediately after the
blowing process. Each production step and each
component can be clearly assigned to the
corresponding packaging. Identifi cation via a
barcode system enables complete traceability, right
down to the batch and process level. On request,
Schütz can also assign individual identifi cation
numbers for articles or packaging materials.
Finished Cleancert IBCs are loaded indoors and
shipped directly without intermediate storage. Pre-
produced components such as screw caps, outlet
valves or bung plugs are also hygienically packed in
small quantities and stored separately. If dispatch is
to take place at a later date, the containers are
stored in special closed rooms. Optional plastic
covers offer additional protection. Combined, all of
these precautions make a considerable contribution
to maintaining the quality of the subsequent fi lling
product.
The Schütz IBC with the Impeller and agitator drive is directly
connected to the production line with a 2ins camlock
www.schuetz.net
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Perfect results: bumpers in the coating line at SMP
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