Metzingen. Reefman in Almelo (Netherlands) has always appreciated the fact that packaging chips are a good and reliable form of filling material. It was, however, a cause for concern that the solution was not consistently integrated. Thus, the Dutch manufacturer of sport prizes posed the question: Which form of transportation protection is just as low-priced and fast in processing, but tailor-made to better meet our requirements in use? The answer is “PAPERplus Shooter”. This on-demand system processes paper for the “top and void fill” application.
If a prize is awarded during a sports event in the Netherlands, then the chances are good that the trophy is from Reefman. Whether for leisure sports or the first league: the company offers all kinds of awards, such as cups, statuettes, medals and plaques for a large range of different sports. The sale of sport prizes, which are also well-known under the brand name Remasco in neighbouring countries, is carried out by the specialised retail trade.
400 to 500 packages are sent daily to the trading partners. The sales team collect orders until lunchtime, then the employees in the warehouse process the orders in the afternoon. This means that the equipment used at the packing tables is used only three to four hours a day. But once used things have to go fast.
Fast and practical
Packaging chips satisfied this requirement. Also, protection during transportation was provided and the price was right. Looking more closely at the internal operational sequences, however, then the balance became completely different. The weekly consumption was delivered in 100 individual sacks with a content of 500 litres each and had to be poured manually into the supply silo of the packing station. Management decided to look for an alternative. During the screening process that followed, Storopack was also given an opportunity to present itself and Reefman finally decided to give it the laurels for the best solution.
The name says it all: PAPERplus Shooter is fast. The equipment can produce between 67 and 220 metres of packaging material per minute. The speed can be adjusted in an infinitely variable manner. A multi-layer paper strip is produced, which is cut off automatically to the desired length. In this respect, the packer operates a footswitch to activate an integrated cutting device. The filling material is thus correctly proportioned and manual tearing is unnecessary. The employee has both hands free and loses no time when inserting the article into the cardboard box. The required speed is thus achieved.
On-demand saves space
The fact that PAPERplus Shooter reduces the required storage space is easily explained - because this is an on-demand system. The filling material is only produced at the packing station. For this purpose, the equipment removes single layer 50 gram strengthened paper from a donor cardboard box at the shaft of the apparatus. The cardboard box contains a roll of 850 metres in length. The filling material produced in this way thereby replaces seven 500 litre sacks of loose fill. A cardboard box takes far less space than the refill pack of the packaging chips. The saving in storage space is altogether approximately 15 per cent.
The dispatch department has been equipped with seven machines. They are positioned off-line at tables, to the left of which cardboard boxes containing the respective order are fed on a roller conveyor. The packer checks the contents and adds a delivery note. By activating the foot switch, PAPERplus Shooter is produced at the workplace to produce filling material, in order to fill any remaining cavities in the package. Afterwards, the shipment is put back on the roller conveyor, where it continues and the cardboard box is closed.
Economical but secure
As far as “working comfort” is concerned, the operators give the system good grades. They like the operating friendliness and the ergonomics of their workplaces. The equipment has a small format and is easy to manage despite its capacity. For refilling, the packer places a new donor cardboard box on the shelf and introduces the paper into the supply guides. The output of the padding is directly above the cardboard box.
Loose fill is considered one of the most convenient cavity fillers. The example of Reefman shows that it depends on the individual case - because PAPERplus Shooter has also satisfied all the expectations of the company regarding price. That is, on the one hand, due to economical material consumption, single layer paper is sufficient. On the other hand, the previous costs for handling and storage of polystyrene chips no longer applies.
When looking at costs, the reliability of the system must also be considered because breakdowns in the workflow cost money. For this reason, Storopack uses simple and robust mechanics. A sensor prevents high feed rates leading to jamming of the paper. Finally, a look at the dispatched product itself: PAPERplus Shooter protects the sport prizes just as well as before.
For this reason, Reefman is very satisfied with the result. Managing director Eddy Reefman: “The price level of our new solution is the same, but the whole process is much more convenient. This simplifies the work for us and makes it more effective.”