16 BULKDISTRIBUTOR SECTOR FOCUS : POWDERS & GRANULATES September / October 2018
16 BULKDISTRIBUTOR SECTOR FOCUS : POWDERS & GRANULATES September / October 2018
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Beumer supplied a single-source-solution for building materials maker Röfix
Against a mountain backdrop , Sennwald is home to one of Röfix ’ s five branches in Swizterland mountain range , characterised by the summits of the
A Chrüzberg , Stauberen and Hoher Kasten , dominates the panorama of the extensive Rhine plains . Here in Sennwald in the Swiss canton of St Gallen , nature enthusiasts , hikers and bikers enjoy the forests , meadows and winding paths . Austrian building materials manufacturer Röfix , member of the Fixit Gruppe , has one of its five Swiss locations in this picturesque town with its some 5,000 inhabitants . Röfix product range comprises around 200 different building materials , such as masonry mortar , renderings , paints , coatings and unbonded screeds . “ We manufacture our entire product range here ,” says Josef Sennhauser , CEO of Röfix , Switzerland . “ Among the some 200 different building materials are fine plaster , different types of concrete , masonry mortar , screed and adhesives ,” adds plant manager Gerhardt Welte . “ Each of these products has very different flow properties .” This can be a challenge . In order to remain competitive , not only the quality of the building materials is important , but “ manufacturers must also be reliable in getting their products to the customer on time ,” Sennhauser emphasises . “ One of the most decisive factors for customer satisfaction is staying on schedule .” To achieve this , the Swiss subsidiary needed an adaptable packaging line that could quickly bag , palletise and then package the finished stack with a stretch hood . In the past it had repeatedly incurred downtime on individual machines and workers had to do extensive retrofitting on the line when products changed , which caused delays .
The right partner
Röfix ’ s experience has already been positive with solutions from Beumer Group at some of its other plants . Therefore it an easy decision to turn to Beumer as a one-stop shop for filling , palletising and packaging technologies . “ Not only do our customers look for reliability ; we expect the same from our suppliers ,” says Welte . The key requirements for the packaging line , besides adaptability , were mainly economical operation , easy maintenance and extensive customer support . Both companies quickly agreed on the scope and schedule and the project was ready to begin . Due to the wide range of manufactured building materials , Beumer installed a fillpac R filling machine that operates according to the air filling principle . The bags are weighed during the filling process . The fillpac is equipped with an electronic calibrationcapable weighing unit . It ensures that the bags are always filled with the same amount of material . A special software enables filling
… and the new Beumer bag placer . This helps the operator to increase performance spouts and scale to constantly compare weights . By using ultrasound to seal the bags , a very clean and efficient technology , the system can ensure optimal results . It also avoids the accumulation of material around the valve . Due to its modular design , the system can be easily integrated into existing lines . The added bag placer and ream magazine make the filling system even more efficient . Servomotors automatically , precisely and energy-efficiently drive the application unit and the suction gripper . The gripping and placing system takes the bags from the stack and applies them safely on the filling spout . Some 1,200 bags an hour can be applied like this with high precision , and 1,800 bags are possible by adding an extension . “ The Beumer bag placer can be easily adjusted to other bag formats by the user . This increases the system ’ s flexibility ,” explains Denis Sielemann , senior sales manager , building materials , at Beumer Group .
Gentle palletising
For the subsequent fully automatic , reliable and most of all fast palletising , Beumer installed a paletpac layer palletiser . This system precisely stacks the bags layer by layer in a 6-bag pattern onto the
The Beumer fillpac is equipped with a ream magazine pallets . Sielemann explains : “ The system includes a twin-belt turning device , so the bags can be turned to the required position fast , gently and without affecting their dimensions . Regarding the positioning accuracy , this device offers an immense advantage when compared with conventional turning processes .” The system component moves the bags without deforming them from a mechanical viewpoint . Two parallel belt conveyors are used instead . They turn the bags by moving at different speed . The intelligent control of the twin-belt turning device also takes the dimension and weight of the bags into consideration . Exact positioning , specified by the pre-set packing pattern , is achieved . What makes it unique is that the user no longer needs to adjust the system to changing parameters in case of a product change , saving time and money . The finished bag stacks are transported over roller conveyors to the stretch hood packaging system . “ It is particularly easy and safe to use ,” explains Sieleman . In order to facilitate the work for the maintenance personnel and to ensure high system availability , the new packaging system no longer needs a platform . Maintenance work , such as changing the blades or the sealing bars , is handled at floor level . Additional benefits include the compact design and the resulting low height and small footprint . A film transport system , which is particularly gentle on the material , introduces the previously cut and sealed film hood into the system . On its way to the crimping and stretching unit , the sealing seam on the film hood cools down so that it can be crimped without losing time . This allows for the elimination of energyconsuming cooling units and efficiency-reducing cooling times . “ With the Beumer stretch hood A , we can switch quickly between different film types , which increases the flexibility of the entire line ,” says Sielemann . “ We can process 50 to 60 pallets an hour ,” adds Josef Sennhauser : “ And this can be still increased if needed .”
Everything under control
The system supplier equipped this line with the Beumer Human Machine Interface , which makes it easy and simple to operate . The operators are provided with an easily understandable and intuitive interaction concept , enabling them to define the same efficient working sequences for all machines . Displays help visualise how and where to make the settings . The user can for example call up video sequences that show the changing of the film roll and the film knife . For other set-up work like the bag correction on the paletpac , the operator panel includes graphics and step-by-step instructions . At the end of the line , an employee with a fork-lift truck picks up the readily packaged pallets and delivers them to the outgoing goods , where they await pick-up . The biggest challenge for this project : “ The packaging line had to be integrated into already existing buildings , spread over three different levels ,” says Sielemann . Because of Beumer ’ s experience , the group ’ s experts were able to master this challenge . The systems are based on solutions that the engineers can easily adapt to the constructional requirements . The packaging line has been in operation since the second half of 2016 . There has been no downtime since and the employees can easily accommodate product changes , exactly what Röfix wanted . If necessary , Beumer service employees based at the headquarters in Beckum , Germany can quickly and easily access the systems for remote maintenance and provide support . “ We are very satisfied ,” Welte summarises . “ Beumer provided us with a turnkey solution that runs smoothly .” Sennhauser adds : “ Ever since this line has been in operation , we have always been available for our customers . With the new packaging , we can also guarantee added value such as greater load stability and efficient display of the products for an optimal brand presentation .”
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