At LogiMAT in Stuttgart, BEUMER Group presented its newly developed BG Sorter from the sortation and distribution technology segment. The high-capacity system enables precise and controlled processing of a wide variety of packages. The system integrator also has an efficient warehouse control system in its range for optimum flow of goods. In an interview, Thomas Wiesmann explains how users can benefit from this comprehensive competence and what trends they can expect. He is Director Sales Logistic Systems at BEUMER Group.

Mr. Wiesmann, at LogiMAT you showed the newly developed BG Sorter, which BEUMER Group first presented in 2018. How was the high-speed sortation system received in the market?

Wiesmann: Very well. We have already been able to implement some exciting projects since the market launch. This includes, for example, the new distribution centre of Austrian Post in Wernberg in Carinthia. Up to 30,000 parcels are handled on a daily basis. Our BG Sorter is at the heart of the centre. Availability, reliability and, above all, speed are valuable assets in this industry and are of paramount importance to our customers. With our system, Austrian Post will be the only parcel service provider in Austria to deliver parcels six days a week, from Monday to Saturday. The BG Sorter is powerful, energy-efficient and extremely quiet – much to the benefit of the employees.

What makes this high-capacity sorter so special and how do users benefit from it?

 Wiesmann: With our BG sorter, operators benefit from very precise and controlled sorting with maximum flexibility. This means that both tilt tray and cross-belt sorters can be used in customer systems. The new sorter family provides the ideal variant for any type of items. The BG Sorter CB (“cross belt”) is a reliable solution for sorting a wide variety of articles such as parcels and bags. The so-called “full cross belt design” means that the maximum belt width is ensured. The actual benefit for the customer: More usable belt area is available with the same sorter size. The risk that products remain lying between the belts is reduced. The tilt tray design also offers some advantages. We have designed the tilt trays so as to prevent items from getting stuck between the trays. The so-called “closed deck” closes the gap between them. This function reduces downtimes and avoids possible damage to the sorter or the goods. Users can handle items of different sizes with more flexibility. The tilt tray version can transport items weighing up to 60 kilograms. Furthermore, the construction series is available either with the proven OptiDrive, which is based on servo drives, or the contactless linear synchronous motor as the drive system. Both reduce energy demand and CO2 emissions compared to products offered by our competitors.

With this development, you have combined the best of Crisplant technology with the best of BEUMER technology. Can you give us more information?

 Wiesmann: Both Crisplant, which today operates under the name of BEUMER Group A/S, and we have acquired extensive know-how in the development of high-quality sortation systems over decades. Since the acquisition in 2009, we have been able to expand our portfolio, exploit synergies and further expand our strengths in technology. The BG Sorter combines future-oriented features, which set new standards in sorting as large a product range as possible. Providing our customers with this scalable system, we facilitate their future growth and enable them to respond to changes in the market.

What demands do online retailers make on sortation technology today and how have they changed over the years?

Wiesmann: The competitive pressure on postal and CEP companies continues to increase. They must not only save costs, but also adopt a more environmentally conscious approach and follow market trends. Basically, material distribution technology is becoming more complex, and the systems must be able to perform increasingly specific tasks or adapt to changing conditions. Highly efficient processes are necessary to ensure quick delivery of parcels to the customer. Mail order companies are offering more and more products whose dimensions previously made it difficult to transport them automatically. In order to meet the increased performance requirements, more automation is required. In addition, the number of the required sortation and distribution systems is increasing, as more small-scale distribution centres are being built close to customers in order to be able to supply them even faster.

As a system integrator, you offer a flexible and modular warehouse control system (WCS) to control complete material flows in distribution centres from goods receipt to goods issue in real time. What are the features of this solution?

 Wiesmann: Our WCS centrally connects and controls material flows from quality assurance, picking of goods and order picking to goods issue, always in accordance with the actual occupancy rate. How effective this system is can be seen, for example, in the new European logistics centre of the Polish automotive spare parts supplier Inter Cars near Warsaw. There it controls the packing and goods issue sorter as well as the put-to-light system in the goods receipt department, coordinates the automatic provision and application of the labels required for shipping the goods, and handles the routing of the individual items on the conveyor lines. This route planning optimises the performance of the system and controls the distribution of the various spare part types.

As an additional module we also offer our BG Fusion system to operators. This visual display system provides the operator with a web-enabled user interface for configuration, monitoring and reporting. It displays system data as alarms in a uniform and centralised way and shows status messages, fault messages and all relevant data. The entire system status can be monitored via the interface to the machine control. BG Fusion combines machine and order data so that the responsible employee can track the current order status in real time.

Why are such software systems becoming more and more important, and what are the concrete benefits for the user?

Wiesmann: The software systems serve as link between the customer’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) or warehouse management system (WMS) and the entire material flow equipment. They ensure that the products reach the right place in the desired time within the distribution centre. Operators can perfectly coordinate their processes, increase throughput and reduce costs. With our know-how in sortation technology, we know exactly how to use these systems so that the user gets the most value out of it.

When developing the WCS software, what did you focus on?

Wiesmann: Unlike many competitors, our focus is not on adapting the customer’s processes to the WCS. We rather adapt the system with its modular design to the respective needs of the customer on a project-by-project basis.

Outlook for the future: What challenges do you see for the logistics industry, and how must providers develop their IT skills?

 Wiesmann: E-commerce is picking up speed and we are expecting double-digit growth per year in this area. In order to hold their own against competitors, the future success of mail order companies and logistics service providers will depend even more on the performance of their distribution centres. To increase performance, digitisation is inevitable.

What does that mean in concrete terms for us as suppliers? To position us for the future, we must complement our expertise in machines and systems, including the necessary software and controls, with digital innovation. We have competence in mechanical engineering. Here in Germany, there are many hidden champions who are global leaders with their products and systems. In my opinion, it is more convenient to adapt digital technologies for the required digital competence. For this purpose, we founded the BEAM GmbH in Berlin. With this autonomous company builder, we want to solve B2B challenges that are unique to the logistics industry in cooperation with start-up teams. For this we are planning on founding three start-ups per year and transfer them, consolidated under BEAM, into a separate company. Our goal is to open up new, but also disruptive business areas in logistics.

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Dear Sir or Madam,

At POWTECH 2019, we will be demonstrating our expertise as a system supplier for high-performance packaging lines. To ensure high throughput at the lines for (petro)chemical products or construction materials, we configure the performance of the individual machines and
components as well as that of the higher-level control system to meet the application-specific requirements. In this way, customers always receive the optimum solution.

We provide the right components for efficient material flows to complement our efficient filling, palletizing and packaging machines. The customer therefore gets everything from a single source – including software and comprehensive customer support.

We are delighted to invite you to our press breakfast at POWTECH 2019 in Nuremberg. You will find us in Booth 627 in Hall 1. The event will take place at 10 a.m. on April 10 and last about one hour.

P.S.: On April 9, we will be at the bauma in Munich where we will be holding a press event at 10 a.m. at our Booth 413 in Hall B2.

We would be delighted to welcome you to our trade fair booth at one or both of the two events.

We look forward to seeing you on this interesting occasion.

Best regards,

Director of Communications and Public Relations
BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG

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BEUMER Group supplies packaging lines and complementing intralogistics solutions customised to its users and their requirements from one single source. Serving the cement, construction and chemical industries, consumer goods market and logistics sector, the extensive product range features modular designs. One of its customers is the German retail store dm-drogerie markt GmbH & Co. KG, with its logistics centre in Weilerswist near Cologne.

When BEUMER Group installs packaging lines in the (petro)chemical industry, the process may resemble this: bulk materials from the chemical industry are transported from the silo via a conveyor line to the form fill seal system BEUMER fillpac FFS. This highly efficient filling machine forms a ready-made PE tubular film into a bag and fills it with the customer’s engineering plastics such as PE, PP, PA or PS granules. Reliable, gentle and sustainable filling is also possible for salts or fertilisers. The bags are then weighed before the filling process. For this, the BEUMER fillpac FSS is equipped with an electronic calibration-capable weighing unit. It ensures that the system fills the bags with a constant quantity of material within the specified tolerances. Then the system seals the bags with a weight of up to 25 kg. It can process 2,600 bags per hour.

For the efficient filling of paper bags with bulk material, particularly cement and construction materials, the system provider offers the BEUMER fillpac R. These systems function reliably, carefully and sustainably while meeting the required throughput. The construction series is equipped with a special weighing unit as well. Depending on the requirements and on the material characteristics such as bulk density, grain size, material density or flow behaviour, BEUMER Group can offer both air and impeller filling machines from the construction series BEUMER fillpac R. The air filling machines are suitable for bagging pourable and coarse-grained products with particle sizes up to ten millimetres, whereas the impeller technology is suited for free flowing and fine-grained products like cement or gypsum. Adding the BEUMER bag placer and a ream magazine to the system makes the filling even more efficient.

Proper and stable stacks on pallets

The filled bags, which are made of different materials like paper, PE or PP and have different sizes, weights and designs (flat valve bags or valve bottom bags), have to be stacked on pallets in a stable and precise way. For this, BEUMER Group offers the BEUMER paletpac. It can be quickly assembled thanks to its modular design, is easily accessible for maintenance, can be operated intuitively and flexibly adapted to different packing patterns. Depending on the product requirements, the BEUMER paletpac can be equipped with a clamp-type or twin-belt turning device which positions the bags smoothly, quickly and exactly. For palletising cartons, boxes, canisters or trays, BEUMER Group offers the BEUMER robotpac^. This space-saving, fully automatic articulated robot solves complex palletising and de-palletising challenges reliably and efficiently. The user receives gripping systems suitable for all types of packaged goods, which can be easily exchanged.

Reliable packaging of dm drugstore products

The BEUMER stretch hood high capacity packaging system is at the heart of the packaging lines. It covers the mixed pallet of merchandise with a highly elastic film hood. This can be filled and palletised bags, boxes of detergent, buckets of paint or storage jars. During transshipment and outside storage, the merchandise is protected reliably against environmental influences such as sunlight, dirt and humidity. This is important for the operators who need their products to be transported reliably and in perfect condition to the customers, products like those from dm-drogerie markt GmbH & Co. KG.

The drugstore chain has its own distribution centres, one in Waghäusel in the south-western state of Baden-Württemberg, and one in Weilerswist near Cologne in North Rhine-Westphalia. Here, the employees pre-package cardboard goods for the stores. In Weilerswist, there is also the so-called small parts distribution centre. Here, small and individual products that cannot be securely stored on pallets are packaged in containers and cardboard boxes, and then commissioned, palletised and shipped. Both distribution centres have a combined product range of 12,800 items.

Secure pallet protection

Up to 3,000 pallets of goods arrive in Weilerswist daily. They are registered and checked. They are then transported over a conveyor line to two fully automated high-bay storage facilities. Empty pallets move along 42 aisles on overhead tracks and automated guided vehicle systems. A light signal indicates which product, and how many, are to be placed on the pallet. The merchandise must be secured and protected, so that it arrives at the dm stores in perfect condition. Therefore, high demands are placed on the packaging systems. Two high-capacity BEUMER stretch hood machines are in operation. They package 90 pallets each per hour, but are designed for 100 pallets. Lorries bring the shops their goods approximately 72 hours after ordering.

Playing with colours

The systems run perfectly. The smooth surface of the film hood increases the visibility of the palletised merchandise and the BEUMER stretch hood provides considerably higher levels of availability compared to stretch wrappers; another bonus: they have more colours than other packaging systems. At dm’s request, they were painted in several colours. So they fit in the coherent colour scheme of the entire distribution centre: the basic colours yellow, orange, blue and purple run through the entire design. The unique design was created by STOLLSTEINERart&business. The idea behind it is that the colours signal to the employees that all working steps are interlinked.

Like a second skin

Another solution for protecting the bags against environmental factors is the BEUMER bag-in-bag: This system packages one or several filled paper bags quickly and reliably with a weather-resistant plastic film. This ensures that the contents are perfectly protected against moisture, dust or insect infestation when they are transported or stored.
Furthermore, the system provider equips all systems of a line with the same Human Machine Interface (HMI). This operator panel provides users with an easily understandable and intuitive interaction concept, enabling them to define efficient working sequences.

And there is more at the end of this packaging line: With system solutions of BEUMER Group, the full pallets or individual bags can be forwarded to a connected warehouse or directly to the loading space of a truck. The system components are mainly transport technologies such as conveyors or vehicle-based systems. Various solutions for handling and manipulators such as robots, buffer and storage modules are available as well. As BEUMER Group always uses components from a modular system, the solutions can be expanded at any time and can grow with the customer’s needs.

Software based on modular design

For best results and to ensure full material and data tracking, the filling, palletising and packaging components as well as other system components must be perfectly matched. For this, BEUMER Group has developed the modular BG Software Suite as superior data processing system. It can be adapted individually to particular tasks and products from other companies can be easily integrated. Users can extend this solution at any time and optimise their material flows. The cross-program user interface BG Fusion shows process data and reports. All available data can be accessed without having to switch between different applications.

With the BEUMER Group warehouse control system the BG Software Suite can be easily connected to the warehouse management system or the customer’s ERP solution. This way, BEUMER Group ensures the communication between the different control levels for the user. BEUMER can create an intelligent connection between the individual systems, and integrate them into existing process and inventory control systems of the customer.

Online data access at any time

BEUMER Group has developed the new Operation Monitoring app.  With this application for mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets, the user or the management has an overview on all relevant key figures of the complete packaging line or individual systems. The app shows the status quo of availability, performance and quality levels as well as the energy and compressed-air consumption. This ensures efficient operation of all systems. Customers can adopt the program to their specific requirements. For a better organisation and control of their logistics value chain, the task is to integrate all participants, systems, machines, and products in one dynamic system – horizontally and vertically. Thanks to this increasing networking, highly linked system structures are possible, in line with the ideas of Industry 4.0.

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BEUMER Group will exhibit its expertise as a system provider for complete high-capacity packaging lines at POWTECH 2019 in Nuremberg from April 9 – 11, hall 1, booth 627. BEUMER Group optimizes the performance of each machine, its components and the high-level controls to ensure high throughput of the lines for (petro)chemical products and building materials.

 The behaviour of powders and bulk material can change entirely according to operating conditions, handling methods and the intended use, whether it is for (petro)chemical products or building materials. This impacts the flow behaviour, which has a considerable influence on how to optimally design the conveying, filling, palletising and packaging systems. BEUMER Group designs, constructs and installs systems that are tailored in detail to industry-specific requirements.

The BEUMER fillpac R filling machine fills bulk material from the building materials industry and other industrial pulverized goods into different bag sizes and types like valve bottom and flat valve bags in an efficient and gentle way and with the required throughput. The structure of the materials can be very fine to very coarse. The BEUMER bag placer and the ream magazine supply the rotary filling machine with empty bags to ensure the high throughput. The highly efficient form fill seal system BEUMER fillpac FFS is used in the chemical and petrochemical industries. It forms bags from a prefabricated tubular PE film and fills them with the product. The customers can select the optimal machine performance class from this product family depending on their requirements.

BEUMER Group offers different palletising solutions, depending on the packaged items. The BEUMER paletpac is suited best for bulk material. It is incorporated into high-performance packaging lines to process even sensitive and valuable products as well as products with special flow characteristics in a gentle and efficient manner. Depending on the product requirements, these palletisers can be equipped with a clamp-type or twin-belt turning device which turns the filled bags quickly into the required position for stacking, ensuring their dimensional stability without any deformations.

Products for the (petro)chemical industries are filled in special bags, barrels, canisters, cartons or buckets. To palletise them, BEUMER Group offers its space-saving articulated robot, the BEUMER robotpac. Depending on the packaged items, BEUMER Group equips the robot with the appropriate gripping tools which can be easily and automatically changed, if the packaged items change. The fork gripper for example was designed specifically for palletising cardboard boxes, the finger gripper for bagged goods. For maximum performance, BEUMER Group offers a double gripper for both types. They also offer parallel grippers for dimensionally stable packed items, suction grippers for items with a smooth surface and many other special grippers and combination tools.

Packaged items stacked accurately on pallets can then be transported successfully to the downstream packaging system – for example, the BEUMER stretch hood. It covers the palletised goods with a highly stretchable film. During transshipment and outside storage, the merchandise is protected reliably against environmental influences such as sunlight, dirt and humidity.

Visit BEUMER at the POWTECH 2019, hall 1, booth 627

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The Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container Association (FIBCA) hosted its 34^th conference in California, USA, from October 11-13, 2017. Among the attendees was Austria-based manufacturer Starlinger & Co. GmbH, who specializes in machinery and process technology for woven plastic packaging production and PET recycling and refinement. Jointly with its US headquarters American Starlinger-Sahm, Starlinger presented a golden FIBC made from 100 % PET bottle flakes.

More than 100 participants from over 25 countries attended the 34^th semi-annual conference of FIBCA in Hollywood. Starlinger seized this opportunity to present a golden FIBC made from 100 % rPET bottle flakes during the event; the company’s “bottle-to-bag” technology had already been introduced with great success at Interpack in Europe early in 2017. Building on its vast know-how in the area of PET recycling and refinement, Starlinger spent years developing and refining the process technology for the production of fabric from PET flakes. Initial trials were performed with virgin material; the next step involved the use of recycled PET (rPET pellets). After successful trials, Starlinger moved on to produce tapes, and consequently fabric, from PET bottle flakes. The fabric used for the golden FIBC (the golden color results from the use of beer bottles) is manufactured on a tape extrusion line type starEX 1600 PF with twinTAPE precision cross winders and circular weaving looms type FX.

The use of PET has many advantages. Heavy-duty fabrics benefit from the extreme resistance and shape stability of PET (the material maintains its modulus and strength at temperatures up to 80°C / 176°F and has excellent creep resistance). But bags made from PET are not only durable, they are also recyclable: After their use, PET bags may be recycled and reused in packaging production.
“The use of PET in bag production is no substitution for PP, but it will open new markets to our customers due to the environmentally-friendly nature and low carbon footprint of bags produced with our technology,” says Reinhard Lechner, Product Manager PET Applications at Starlinger. “Especially brand owners and blue chip companies recognize the need to include recycled material in their packaging.” This trend is clearly visible in the United States. In 2015, the collection rate of PET bottles was at 31.1 % (US National Postconsumer Plastic Bottle Recycling Report); organizations such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation support businesses and governments in their transition to a circular economy. Starlinger aims to contribute to these efforts: By the end of 2018, rPET fabric will be commercially available on the market in Europe and America.

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Cement is the most commonly used building material worldwide and is continuously growing. Cement manufacturers are however faced with challenges: complying with ever stricter environmental regulations, in an industry with some of the highest carbon dioxide emissions. They are also faced with permanently increasing cost pressures due to excess capacities, especially from China. Many countries therefore import the material, instead of producing it. BEUMER Group supports cement manufacturers with systems and machines that are adapted to the market, increasing the efficiency of their systems and their competitiveness.

As the saying goes in the building industry: “Somewhere someone is always building something”. Whether it is in North America, Asia or Africa: large infrastructure projects require more and more material for buildings, streets, airports, bridges or dams. Since 1990, global cement production has almost quadrupled. About 4.17 million tons were produced worldwide in 2016. This growth is mainly coming from the development of the Asian markets, especially China. Despite growing cement sales, cement manufacturers worldwide face production overcapacities that have been built up during recent years especially in China. This decreases global cement and clinker prices. Due to these overcapacities, some countries focused more on the export of cement and clinker, an intermediate product when producing cement. At the same time, an increasing number of countries decide to import cement or clinker, instead of producing it domestically. In 2016, more than 150 countries imported cement and clinker.

One of these countries is Australia. Brisbane for example, the metropolis on the Pacific coast, is one of the fastest growing cities on the continent. Its population of about 2 million inhabitants is expected to double by 2056. Construction sites all over the city centre are witness to this progress. Skyscrapers are springing like mushrooms. Due to their strict environmental regulations and price pressures, Australia imports an increasing part of their demand for cement and especially clinker. The clinker is imported and then ground down to cement in Australia. The imported materials are coming from multiple countries including Indonesia, China and Vietnam. The cement and clinker imports are increasingly replacing the local production. In 2016, the utilisation of the domestic cement production capacities was only at around 57 percent.

Reduce environmental impacts, increase energy efficiency

When producing cement large quantities of carbon dioxide is emitted worldwide. These emissions occur during various processes, but the majority comes from emitting the CO₂ from the limestone used to produce cement clinker.

Depending on the processes used, the carbon dioxide emissions from producing cement are at 0.6 – 0.99 t of CO₂ per ton of cement. The CO₂ emissions from producing cement are estimated to account for seven to eight percent of the overall global carbon dioxide emissions. Manufacturers can reduce these large quantities for example by partially substituting the cement clinker with alternative materials such as fly ash, clay or granulated blast-furnace slag.

Another approach to sustainably reduce greenhouse gas emissions and production costs is to increase the use of alternative fuels for the cement production. The alternative fuels are used as sources of energy instead of fossil fuels like coal and gas. Besides liquid materials like waste oil or solvents, the majority of the solid alternative fuels are composed of municipal and industrial waste, such as plastic, paper, composite material or textile mixes. Whole or shredded waste tyres are also used and made up 6 % of the alternative fuels used in Germany for the production of cement in 2016. The calorific value of the rubber from waste tyres is comparable to that from hard coal, and the iron from the reinforcement can be incorporated mineralogically into the cement. This minimises the addition of ferrous corrective substances.

Systems adapted to the production

As a system supplier, BEUMER Group develops tailor-made solutions perfectly adapted to meet cement plant requirements: conveying systems such as troughed belt conveyors and pipe conveyors, different bucket elevator types and clinker transport systems, loading systems and complete packaging lines. BEUMER Group provides these solutions throughout the entire material flow chain from unloading the delivery vehicle to storing, taking samples, conveying and control feeding solid alternative fuels. BEUMER Group also provides fully automated systems that can control feed, singulate and convey large and heavy tyres to the inlet of the rotary kiln. BEUMER Group provides innovative intralogistic solutions to international cement companies who are looking for sustainable and cost-efficient ways to modernise their plants.

Aalborg Portland A/S relies on these solutions for example. BEUMER Group provided a complete solution so the cement manufacturer can recover energy from different types of waste at its plant in Denmark. Different types of alternative fuels are used in the calciner and in the main burner. These fuels are made of varying compositions and are efficiently stored, conveyed and fed. The customer received all equipment from one source, thus having only one contact.

The oven-ready alternative fuels are delivered in moving-floor trailers. They are unloaded and then temporarily stored at the receiving station. Both lines receive the transported material from the storehouse via the moving floors that have been modernised by BEUMER Group. To enable the transport of the pre-processed fuels from the storehouse to the calciner and to the main burner, BEUMER Group supplied and installed one Pipe Conveyor as the heart of this system. Using the Pipe Conveyor to transport the fuels is quiet and low-maintenance; and the enclosed system is also emission-free and energy-efficient. The enclosed construction prevents material from falling and dust and odours from escaping into the environment. With an ability to navigate curves, the Pipe Conveyor requires considerably less transfer points compared to other belt conveyors. This allows for substantial capital cost savings for the customer and BEUMER Group can customise the system to the individual routing.

Transport – low on energy and environmentally friendly

The BEUMER Group belt conveyors, Pipe Conveyors and open troughed belt conveyors, are particularly suited for transporting bulk material through rough terrain. The overland conveyors come with horizontal and vertical curves, depending on the topography, and can be over 10 kilometres long. Angles of inclination of up to 15 degrees are possible, depending on the characteristics of the material to be transported. The throughput capacity of BEUMER Group conveying systems can be up to 10,000 tons per hour.

Trucks are still frequently used for greater distances. Depending on the nature of the terrain, however, they can rapidly reach their limits as they require well-developed roads and fuel, for example. The costs arising for construction, maintenance and possible extension of these roads are not insignificant. In addition, all of this implies serious landscape changes. The emissions caused by truck traffic are high, both with regard to toxic substances and to noise and dust.

The BEUMER Group belt conveyors are provided with environmentally safe electric drives and low-energy belts. Therefore, especially in times of climate change and increasing greenhouse gas emissions they are considered a ‘preferred option’. The motors – which, depending on the topography are run in motor-driven and regeneration mode – are mostly adjustable. This permits an optimum load distribution on the drive unit in different operating conditions. If the belt conveying system conveys downhill, the system works in generative operation. The generated electric energy is fed back into the public network by a regenerative feedback unit. This way the operating costs of the complete system can be further reduced.

Straight up

BEUMER Group provides different types of bucket elevators with low investment costs, a long service life and easy maintenance to ensure a cost-efficient production. The buckets are mounted either to a belt or a central chain, depending on the application. Thanks to consistent developments in the field of vertical conveying technology, BEUMER Group can provide each customer with the perfect solution, whether with belt or chain bucket elevators.

Until recently, the use of belt bucket elevators was generally limited to transporting fine bulk material, because there was a risk on the older models that coarse-grained bulk material could get stuck between the bucket and the belt and damage the belt. Through the consistent advancement of their belt bucket elevators, BEUMER Group developed the innovative high-capacity belt bucket elevator type HD (heavy duty), that makes it now possible to also efficiently transport coarse-grained material such as clinker. This bucket elevator designed to eliminate the space between the individual buckets and the belt. This prevents coarse material from getting stuck during the scooping and filling process and from damaging the belt. At the same time, it holds the same proven advantages of belt-based bucket elevators for the customer, such as the very high conveying capacity, prolonged service life of the belt and less noise generation. BEUMER is also well-positioned in the field of chain-based bucket elevators and its central chain bucket elevators offer highly-efficient technology for the vertical transport of coarse, hot or abrasive bulk material.

PACKAGING FOR SAFE TRANSPORT

Until the final completion of cement in the silo, the greatest part of the costs is associated with the transport. Cement is transported in bulk and in bags. The majority of cement worldwide is loaded in bulk via terminals on road and rail vehicles or on ships. Another not insignificant part of the material is transported bagged, palletised and packaged and then transported to the customer, often over large distances. For this BEUMER Group provides entire packaging lines. They consist of the BEUMER fillpac R which operates according to the impeller filling principle. The weighing electronics make it unique. The product is filled according to the gross weight principle, i.e. the bags are weighed during the filling process. The weighing electronics of the system ensure exact filling degrees of the bags. The system is complemented by the BEUMER bag placer and a state-of-the-art ream magazine. The fully automatic BEUMER paletpac layer palletisers then stack the bags reliably with a capacity of 5,500 bags per hour. The systems can be equipped with a twin-belt turning device, so the bags can be turned to the required position fast, gently and without affecting their dimensions. Its intelligent control involves the dimensions and weights of the bags in order to achieve an exact positioning preset by the respective packing pattern. The finished bag stacks are then transported over roller conveyors to the BEUMER stretch hood A packaging system.

Loading and palletising in one

To further reduce the costs, the trend goes towards higher degrees of automation in the fields of packaging and loading, also on emerging markets like India for example. The goal is to reduce personnel, especially in emerging countries, where the transhipment of bagged bulk goods is increasing and labour costs are climbing. In order to fully automatically load the bagged bulk material on trucks, BEUMER Group offers the loading and palletising system BEUMER autopac, that can load up to 3000 bags per hour without any problems. The machine simultaneously loads and stacks bagged goods directly on trucks, pallets are not necessary. This system makes the loading of bags on trucks particularly efficient and cost-effective.  Using the BEUMER autopac can help save labour during the otherwise labour-intensive loading of cement bags. BEUMER products are also suitable for loading waggons and ships. BEUMER Group machines and systems help cement manufacturers worldwide to produce efficiently despite increasing cost pressure and strict environmental regulations.

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Ohorongo Cement (PTY) Ltd., part of Schwenk Zement KG, is the only cement manufacturer in Namibia, Africa. Its mission is to cover the national demand for high-quality cement. Up to now, the company has used two packaging lines to transport the material quickly, and above all, safely on to trucks, enabling delivery to customers up to a thousand kilometres away. This however was no longer sufficient, and in order to increase the throughput of the sometimes very fine cement, BEUMER Group supplied and installed a third line entirely from its own product line – and in a very tight timeframe.

Otavi, the nearest small town, is 20 kilometres away. Tsumeb is north of it. One single road runs through the wide open planes. Schwenk Zement built the in the Namibian region of Otjozondjupa which is rich in limestone. Ohorongo Cement, or simply Ohorongo, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Schwenk Zement. The plant produces five different cements, to which Manfred Pirker, plant manager, emphasises: “Our building material is of particularly high quality.”

Decision for the right partner

After the clinker is produced, it is milled into cement. It is then made available either as loose product delivred into a bulk tanker, or in 2,000 kilogram big bags, or filled into paper bags. “We use 50 kilogram bags in this plant,” explains Mr. Pirker. “After the filling, they are stacked on pallets and covered with a stretch film.” For this process, the plant has used two packaging lines, for which BEUMER Group supplied and installed one BEUMER paletpac high performance layer palletiser per line and packaging systems of the BEUMER stretch hood product lines. “But we could not cover the growing demand for cement anymore,” says Mr. Pirker. “We urgently needed to increase our throughput.”

Ohorongo has had very good experience with the two existing packaging lines. The responsible management therefore knew from the start that only BEUMER Group, the single-source provider for filling, palletising and packaging technologies, was to become its partner for supplying and installing the third packaging line. Mr. Pirker says: “We were convinced by the very good service and support on site over the years.”

A hot issue

Beckum, the headquarters of BEUMER Group in Germany, received the inquiry from Ohorongo at the end of 2014. Both companies quickly agreed on the scope and scheduling, and signed the contract without delay. Unlike the first two packaging lines, this contract also contained a BEUMER fillpac Bag filling system. Hermann Krumkamp, Senior Project Manager at BEUMER Group, remembers: “We immediately started with the project execution  at the beginning of 2015. We had to consider the local climatic conditions, among other things.” In the desert regions, day temperatures can reach 40 degrees Celsius and more. “This may influence the flow charecteristics of the cement as well as the elasticity of the stretch film,” explains Mr. Krumkamp. The machines were designed accordingly. The engineers also had to adapt the system to the newly built extension to the existing building. The containers with the new machines arrived at Ohorongo Cement in August. “We had to wait with installation, however, for the new building for the third packaging line to be completed”, says Mr. Krumkamp. The specialists started with installing the machines in November 2015.

 Filling process: not too much, not too little

As the produced cement is particularly fine, BEUMER Group installed a BEUMER fillpac R rotary packing machine with eight filling spouts that operates according to the impeller filling principle. Krumkamp explains: “The weighing electronics are unique. This is because the product is filled according to the gross weight principle, i.e. the bags are weighed during the filling process. The BEUMER fillpac R is therefore equipped with a calibration facility integral with the weighing equipment.” The weighing electronics of the machine ensure exact filling of the bags. A special software enables each filling spout to constantly, with every rotation of the packer, compare the weight and make necessary adjustments to maintain consistent and accurate bag weight of the packed product.

The impeller filling sytem is characterised by its speed and maximum material throughput.

BEUMER Group also included a BEUMER bag placer with bundle magazine of the latest technology to further increase the efficiency of the filling system. Servomotors drive the application unit and the suction gripper automatically, precisely and with high levels of energy efficiency. The gripping system and the application unit apply the bag from the bag bundle safely onto the filling spout. 2,400 bags per hour can be applied like this with high precision.

Gentle palletising is ensured

BEUMER Group installed a BEUMER paletpac 3000 layer palletiser for fully automatic, reliable and most of all fast palletizing. This system precisely stacks 50 kilogram bags layer by layer in a 5-bag pattern onto the pallets. Krumkamp explains: “The system includes a twin-belt turning device, so the bags can be turned to the required position quickly, 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. They also move the bags into the required position very gently . The intelligent control of the twin-belt turning device takes into account the dimensions and weights of the bags in order to achieve an exact positioning preset by the respective packing pattern.

Packed fast and safely

Roller conveyors transfer the completed bag stacks to the packaging system BEUMER stretch hood A. Krumkamp explains: “We have completely redesigned this machine from the ground up. It is even more easy and safe for the user to operate than the existing systems. In order to facilitate the work for the maintenance personnel and to ensure high system availability, the system no longer needs a service platform. Maintenance work, such as changing the blades or the sealing bars, is handled at floor level. Additional benefits include the compact design, resulting low machine height and a small footprint. Mr. Pirker says: “This means that the BEUMER stretch hood A fits perfectly into the new hall.”

A film transport system, which is particularly gentle on the material, delivers the previously cut and sealed film hood into the system. On its way to the stretching unit, the sealing seam on the film hood cools down so that it can be stretched without losing time. This allows for the elimination of energy-consuming cooling units and efficiency-reducing cooling times. This means that the pallets can be packed in a shorter cycle time. Hermann Krumkamp is delighted: “We handle 60 pallets per hour. This number can be increased if required.”

But there was something to consider regarding the packaging: “Unlike transportation in Germany, in Africa the material may need to travel by truck not only a few hundred kilometres, but often up to a thousand kilometres,” Mr. Pirker says. In addition, high temperatures soften the material of the film. Pirker explains: “We use film of 80 and 100 micrometers in thickness in order to obtain the required transportation safety.”

Ohorongo put the systems into operation in May 2016. Manfred Pirker, plant manager, is happy: “A packaging line that is customised to our specific requirements has been built.” The tight timeframe could only be held because all people involved in the project collaborated intensively. The cement manufacturer was convinced of BEUMER Group’s sophisticated technical planning, the fast development as well as optimal adaptation of the systems.

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Developments in technology allow the use of PET in new fields where it brings important advantages due to its material characteristics. One such field is heavy-duty fabric for applications such as big bags, geotextiles, carpet backing and tarpaulins. Austrian machinery producer Starlinger & Co. Ges.m.b.H. has developed the process technology for the production of tape fabric made of virgin and recycled PET. The engineering company has already invented a number of packaging solutions made of woven polypropylene tape fabric for dry bulk products. With the PET tape technology, Starlinger has now entered the territory of speciality fabrics for heavy duty applications. The exceptionally high strength and long-lasting form stability of PET tape fabric make it the perfect material for heavy-duty fabrics used e.g. for FIBCs (Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers), geotextiles, carpet backing, or tarpaulins.

With Starlinger also producing technology for PET bottle-to-bottle recycling, the next logical step was to use rPET in the fabric production process. As stated before, PET is fully recyclable; quality losses such as IV decrease can be reversed by solid-state polycondensation, so that rPET achieves the same properties as virgin PET. In addition, customized UV protection can be added (for outdoor applications). Starlinger has successfully tested rPET in the tape and fabric production process and produced FIBCs from this material which show the same performance as FIBCs made from virgin PET. The used rPET tape fabric can be recycled again and reused in the same or different applications, which considerably reduces the carbon footprint. 

PET tape fabric – excellent performance, look, recyclability

The combination of high strength and a high melting point are the two main reasons why PET achieves a better performance and withstands higher working temperatures than other polymers used for fabric production: PET maintains its modulus and strength at temperatures up to 80°C and has excellent creep resistance. Creep is time-dependent strain or deformation due to stress; it occurs as a result of long term exposure to high levels of stress that are below the yield strength of the material.

A very visible feature of PET tape fabric is its high gloss that provides it with outstanding visual appeal. PET tape fabric can be produced transparent and in a wide variety of colours offering new possibilities for package style and design.

Another important characteristic in favour of PET as a packaging material is its excellent recyclability. As polycondensation is a repeatable reaction, the molecular weight of PET can be rebuilt, allowing converters to use recycled material to replace virgin resin. The possibility to recycle PET tape fabric to 100% and reuse it is an essential aspect for a sustainable future. 

Special material properties of PET:

• Increased stiffness due to higher tensile modulus combined with high surface resistivity
• Higher creep modulus and thus higher creep resistance
• Very good abrasion resistance
• The material of choice for hot fill applications
• Does not become brittle at temperatures below 0°C
• Lower residual shrinkage at high temperatures

A wide field of applications

Be it attractive packaging for consumer goods such as sugar, cereals or pet food, or geotextiles used for soil reinforcement and erosion control – PET tape fabric meets the requirements for various applications. The high working temperature, an eye-catching appearance, low weight and shrinkage combined with high tenacity and creep resistance are qualities that surpass those of other types of plastic fabric currently used for such applications and speak in favour of PET. But not only PET tape fabric offers many advantages; also the plain PET tapes can be employed for a variety of uses: tear tapes, filling yarn, concrete fibre, ropes, belts, to name a few. 

Starlinger comPETence Center

In the Starlinger comPETence Center, a special facility dedicated exclusively to the development of PET tape fabric for heavy-duty packaging applications, the correct equipment setup, the optimum parameter settings for extrusion and weaving have been tried and tested to achieve the desired results. Continuous laboratory analysis of the tape and fabric samples produced on the installed equipment ensures that all relevant criteria are met.

The Starlinger comPETence Center is also available for customer trials on the installed PET tape extrusion line and the circular looms, as well as for testing of customer materials.

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About Starlinger & Co. Ges.m.b.H.:

Starlinger is a Vienna-based engineering company with production sites in Weissenbach and St. Martin, Austria, as well as Taicang, China. As the world’s leading supplier of machinery and complete lines for woven plastic bag production and PET recycling and refinement, Starlinger & Co. Ges.m.b.H. is a synonym for leadership in quality and technology in over 130 countries. Founded in 1835, the family-owned business has been exporting machines worldwide for more than 45 years with an export quota of over 99.5 %. Branches in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa, USA and Uzbekistan ensure quick and professional technical support and service.

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As a complete systems provider for packaging lines, BEUMER Group offers the BEUMER fillpac for the efficient filling of bags with material from the construction materials, cement, mineral and chemical industries. In order to further increase the performance and efficiency of this filling machine, the systems provider has now developed the BEUMER bag placer for valve bottom bags and flat valve bags.

With its standardised modular design, the new BEUMER bag placer from BEUMER Group provides numerous set-up options. The user can set it up at any angle by adding an optional turntable for example. This reduces the required floor space considerably. The system is equipped with an ergonomic control terminal. The improved Human Machine Interface concept makes controlling the BEUMER bag placer easy and intuitive. It can also automatically adjust to different valve bag formats.

BEUMER bag placer for valve bottom bags

The drive unit and the gripping arm are driven automatically by servomotors, ensuring precise positioning and energy efficiency. The gripping system and the application unit apply the bag from the bag ream safely onto the filling spout. The drive technology used in combination with the electric coupling of both servo drives of the gripping arm and the application unit minimises the number of necessary mechanical components. The sophisticated kinematics also reduce the vibration of the machine, increasing its service life significantly. An oil-free vacuum ejector ensures low-maintenance operation. And due to the fact that the gripping arm is supported on both sides, it keeps running very smoothly even at an output rate of 6,000 bags per hour.

The operator can use this version for PP, PE and paper valve bottom bags. Bag lengths of 350 to 650 millimetres and bag widths of 230 and 550 millimetres are possible as well as valve widths of 80 to 160 millimetres. The new system can handle 3,000 bags per hour, the high-capacity version up to 6,000 bags.

The optional turntable is driven pneumatically with a swivelling range of up to 60 degrees or electrically with a range of up to 150 degrees. The modular design of the ream magazine can be adjusted to lengths from two to nine metres. The drive and end stop can be installed on either side. The ream magazine can be filled ergonomically even with varying heights of the filling spouts.

BEUMER bag placer for flat valve bags

With the BEUMER bag placer for flat valve bags the operator can chose between two versions, depending on which side they prefer the placing unit. In order to considerably reduce its footprint, the bag placer can be set up at an angle of up to 60 degree by using the optional turntable. The BEUMER bag placer for flat valve bags is used for woven PP and PE bags with lengths of 600 to 800 millimetres, widths of 400 to 550 millimetres and valve widths of 125 to 150 millimetres. Its capacity is up to 2,400 bags per hour.

The patented opening system in the placing unit opens the bag valve. This ensures that the bags are correctly applied on the filling spouts and avoids standstill during the filling process. The BEUMER bag placer can be easily adjusted to different bag formats.

The BEUMER Group is an international leader in the manufacture of intralogistics systems for conveying, loading, palletising, packaging, sortation, and distribution. With 4,000 employees worldwide, the BEUMER Group has annual sales of about EUR 750 million. The BEUMER Group and its subsidiaries and sales agencies provide their customers with high-quality system solutions and an extensive customer support network around the globe and across a wide range of industries, including bulk materials and piece goods, food/non-food, construction, mail order, post, and airport baggage handling.

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