English - SIG Combibloc

In 1997 SIG Combibloc became the first
manufacturer to launch a filling machine that
could fill 10,000 aseptic carton packs an hour
in volumes from 500 to 1,000 ml. In 2006,
by using servo drives on the filling line,
the company increased the output of the
filling machines for combiblocSlimline and
combiblocStandard by 20 per cent, to 12,000
cartons per hour. Now by doubling the output
of the aseptic filling machines from 12,000 to
24,000 carton packs per hour for the small size
packages combiblocSmall and combiblocMini,
SIG Combibloc has set the bar high with an
unbeatable top speed.
But speed is not everything. Speed alone
is not a reliable indicator of the efficiency of
a filling line. So operating efficiency is the
credo that SIG Combibloc is following in the
design of its new high-performance filling
machines.
Fast and flexible
With the development of its new highspeed
machines, SIG Combibloc is responding
to market demands. The growing movements
towards internationalisation and consolidation
are leading to increasingly fierce competition
among food and drinks manufacturers,
and this in turn makes it more vital than ever
that production be as efficient as possible.
Two clear trends have emerged. One is
‘differentiation’, where flexibility plays a key
role, and the other is ‘efficiency’.
Firstly, manufacturers want to move
away from standard products, and increasingly
are offering products with added value,
to reach new target groups and to make their
products stand out from the competition. One
example of this is the UHT yoghurt drink
with pieces of real fruit offered by Mengniu
Dairy Industry (we reported on this in issue
02/2007). However, this ‘added value’ ethic
applies not only for the products themselves
but also for the packaging. The format and
volume flexibility of the SIG Combibloc
system makes it possible to create added
value by enabling manufacturers to respond
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quickly and flexibly to changing market
needs and differentiate their products appropriately.
Efficiency is what counts
But the products still need to be manufactured
efficiently, and high standards of
quality must be maintained throughout the
manufacturing process. Another factor to be
considered is that it is not the speed of the
filling machines alone that determines the
cost effectiveness of the complete filling line.
In fact, the key factors are keeping wastage
as low as possible and maintaining continuous,
smooth production without long periods
of machine downtime. To do this, the filling
line needs to be viewed as a total integrated
system. The filling machine is not a standalone
unit but part of a system of interdependent
components that must be precisely
harmonised with one another in order to
work efficiently. Finally, the overall operating
costs of the system must be factored into the
calculation, so that its cost-effectiveness can
be worked out. And as markets become more
competitive, this is becoming increasingly
important.
sig.biz/combibloc 01/ 08