| In 2006 HANSA-HEEMANN AG, one of Germany's leading mineral water and soft drink suppliers, purchased a new facility in Bruchsal, 20 kms North of Karlsruhe. Sidel handled the new plant’s lines design and equipment supply providing a customized, highly innovative proposal that met the customer’s high standards for quality, efficiency and flexibility. |
Solution oriented engineering
Originally, this new production plant for mineral water (still and carbonated) and CSDs issued a request for quotation for two high-speed lines. Sidel’s proposal met the company’s production need in the same space with an innovative solution consisting of three lines. “Sidel’s configuration featured several advantages. It offered greater production flexibility with far fewer changeovers and longer dedicated production runs. Furthermore, the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) calculation confirmed the profitability of three lines compared to two high efficiency lines,” comments HANSA-HEEMANN. In addition, HANSA-HEEMANN was impressed by Sidel’s comprehensive equipment package. Sidel delivered the three complete lines with Eurotronica fillers, Rollquattro labelers, air conveyors, cap feeders, Flat Tops, palletizers and pallet-wrappers. Sidel also delivered three blow molding machines that are run in-house by plastics packaging company Alpla.
Designing the bottling line of the future
HANSA-HEEMANN plants are among the most modern in Europe’s spring water industry, and the Bruchsal plant is no exception. The layout makes it possible for just one team per shift to run all three lines without requiring advanced technical expertise. The plant space has been fully optimized to best protect the filling zone. Bottle blow molding is done remotely, and bottles are transferred by suspended air conveyor. A Flat Top air conveyor makes remote cap feeding possible.
The new plant started production in spring 2007 with final commissioning last September. The process engineered by Tetra Pak Processing completes this project. Sidel supports HANSA-HEEMANN through a 24-month maintenance program to guarantee maximum output. As a result of the good relationship Sidel has developed with HANSA-HEEMANN and Alpla, HANSA-HEEMANN decided to invest in another blow molding machine for its Lehnin facility, 30 kms southwest of Berlin.
