Layout engineering, machinery upgrades and supply of conveyor to infeed new packaging machines for the innovative packaging system introduced by Coca Cola HBC’s Nogara plant
Coca Cola sought the expertise of our technicians to achieve the implementation of can line at Nogara’s plant.
Coca Cola HBC is the largest producer and distributor of The Coca-Cola Company branded products in Italy. The Nogara plant (Verona), with 700 million litres and over one billion packages produced on annual basis, is the first in Europe for production capacity and one of the main reference points in terms of sustainable production.
The interest in sustainability has been the driving force behind the recent investment to implement the innovative carton packaging system, called KeelClip, on their production line, thus reducing the use of plastic from multiple packaging and halving their annual CO2 emissions.
Coca Cola sought a technical partner who could take care of the engeenering layout process of the conveyor belts for the implementation of the new packaging machines, and to adapt the shrinkwrappers to the new format. Thanks to our project and technical knowledge we were able to win the tender.
During the preliminary technical visit, Coca-Cola HBC Italia explained the new cluster system to us, highlighting the technical and marketing requirements of the project, then surveys were carried out in the plant in order to take note of the volumes and spaces already present on the line. Our technical department worked on the project, proposing a layout to the customer that would allow the new solution to be integrated in the best possible way, optimising the work areas on the line. Then we met with the supplier of the two cluster machines to define every detail in the best possible way. In a second step, we removed the old machinery, supplied the software for managing the line and mechanically assembled the new conveyors, creating a system that included accumulation benches and dispensing benches so that the cans could be conveyed in a uniform way to the infeed of the cluster machines. We also overhauled and upgraded the two packaging machines, optimising and adapting them to the new carton cluster, saving the customer time and money. We have successfully met the HBC Group’s deadlines, always offering maximum availability and providing prompt responses and immediate solutions to the needs that arose on site.
«We have established a relationship of maximum cooperation and transparency with BBM Service and we consider them to be excellent partners. Ours is a long-standing collaboration, which began following the installation of some packaging machines for which BBM took care of the annual maintenance; over time, upgrades were necessary for new formats and new types of bundle, for which we have always relied on BBM company, including a re-layout of the packaging department with its rationalisation. All the technological choices related to our packaging systems are aimed at expanding our technical capabilities and ensuring productivity, cost optimisation and resource savings, from energy to water. If I think of this last project, we have benefited from the maximum support of BBM, especially in the delicate phase of plant start-up, during which we faced some inevitable difficulties, also considering the complexity of a type of cluster that is unique on the market.»
Dario Soriano, plant manager of Nogara’s Coca Cola HBC Italy
«For the realisation of a project of this type, the planning step is very important, in order to evaluate all the solutions in the best possible way and not waste resources and time during the implementation, thus avoiding problems and additional costs later on. Such a study project requires about three months of work, during which all the details are examined and there is a continuous exchange of information with the customer. Once this phase has been completed, the supply and testing is much easier: it takes approximately two months to build the transport systems and one month to test and put the various formats into production. It was an ambitious project, but one that was fully successful thanks to our expertise and technical skills.»
Daniele Milesi, Operations & After Sale Service Manager at BBM Service
