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Full speed ahead with 8 work cycles

From 60 to 120 drums: a colossal task
Full speed ahead with 8 work cycles

Large tasks sometimes require a large solution. Like the extension of a drum filler at logistics provider De Rijke in Rotterdam: what old pipes, a special crane and the German engineering manufacturer Feige Filling had to do with this, you can read here.

Time is money – today, this maxim of Benjamin Franklin is more appropriate than ever. That is why the Dutch logistics provider De Rijke is always looking for new ways to design processes even more effectively. The company offers its customers end-to-end solutions: from collection via filling and packaging right through to storage and onward transport of all kinds of substances at different pan-European locations. The filling module at the company’s home in Rotterdam, where not only chemical, toxic and combustible substances but also foodstuffs are filled, was at the focus of its efforts to increase efficiency.

Trusted partnership
An efficient solution was sought in discussions with Feige Filling, a partner of many years’ standing. Headquartered in Bad Oldesloe in Northern Germany, Feige is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of machines and systems for filling liquid and pasty products. The company’s customer base unites well-known corporate names from around the globe, from medium-sized companies to large corporations, for example in the food, chemical, petrochemical or paints and varnishes industries as well as the logistics and forwarding sectors.
The first machine was installed at De Rijke back in 1995 and six more have followed since. “We were looking for a machine that is capable of filling the various products – whether alcohol for the food industry or highly toxic TDI – with great efficiency”, Theo Nolde, Head of Engineering at De Rijke, says when prompted to describe the objectives. “We opted for Feige based on our successful cooperation of many years’ standing.“ Innovative, customised solutions are Feige‘s speciality – and the engineers have come up with something special in this case, too.
A weighty undertaking
The idea was simple but its implementation quite a challenge: “An extension of the existing equipment could clearly accelerate the filling process, if not double its speed“, explains Thorsten Diedrich, Head of the Chemicals Division at Feige Filling. “However, to do this, it was first of all necessary to dismantle old machines and take out pipes. And how could the new XXL automatic filling machine be moved into the production shop at De Rijke without interrupting operations? This has certainly placed great demands on us.“
A plan for extending the equipment was drawn up in close cooperation with the Dutch partner: the fully automatic Feige Integra 88 would not operate with six cycles as usual, but with eight. Diedrich outlines the scope of the machine: “On account of the nitrogen pre-charge, two additional workstations were necessary, because otherwise the output would have dropped“. Two drums could be filled simultaneously in this manner in each of four work cycles. Three old machines were to be replaced with one new maschine in the process.
The new machine was built at the Feige headquarters in Bad Oldesloe; just six months after the order was received and following a preliminary trial run, it was ready to be shipped as heavy freight – a truly adventurous undertaking, Diedrich recalls: “The drum filler is one and a half metres wide and three metres tall, and it weighs six tons. We constructed a chassis on rollers especially to move it out of the production shop – then a truck-mounted crane had to take over in order to manoeuvre this giant of a machine carefully onto a lorry. That was real precision work and something that even we do not experience everyday!“
Goal achieved
Within the space of a week, the new machine had been transported from Northern Germany to Rotterdam and installed at De Rijke – without disrupting ongoing operations. All in all, the equipment now achieves an output of up to 120 drums per hour and is able to fill both plastic and steel drums. These aren’t the only advantages the Feige Integra 88 has to offer, though: The equipment is completely enclosed, so that no gases can escape. Valves and hoses can be exchanged for cleaning in a fast and uncomplicated manner, thus ensuring an uninterrupted filling process.
To guarantee smooth running and avoid downtime, Feige additionally offers De Rijke 24/7 telephone consulting and prompt intervention, if necessary with personal service in the vicinity. Once more, the German company has fully satisfied the trust the Dutch partner placed in it. “But then, we ourselves are also very happy with the result”, reports Diedrich proudly. “Projects like this are not standard, run of the mill ventures and we put a lot of passion and our entire know-how into it to get the best possible results. It’s nice to know that we have been successful yet again.“
Little brother at Interpack 2017
Feige will take advantage of the Interpack trade fair in Dusseldorf to show the Feige Integra 84, the “little brother“ of the drum filler installed in Rotterdam. This machine also incorporates several innovations: an SAP connection makes it easier to integratethe machine into company-specific processes. Furthermore, remote control with a handheld facilitates mobile operation, troubleshooting and much more besides. The condition monitoring concept allows states to be queried accurately at any time. The torque check during the drum closing process is another new feature.
Hall 12, Booth B100

Gaby Scheib
Free journalist
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