The GWP packaging specialists attach great importance to innovation, cost efficiency and environmental compatibility in their products and processes. An old baling press, which pressed recyclable punching waste produced during production, no longer met this requirement and was replaced by the fully automatic HSM VK 4208 channel baling press.
GWP Packaging is part of GWP Group Ltd, one of the UK's leading and most versatile suppliers of packaging solutions. This division develops and manufactures customised product and transport packaging made from corrugated cardboard. The work of the packaging specialists is characterised by innovation. Investments in the future include the VK 4208 channel baling press from HSM GmbH + Co. Punching waste is processed fully automatically for recycling become.
Recycling punching waste
GWP Packaging supplies customers from the food and beverage, medical, automotive, IT and electronics industries with corrugated board packaging that is customised to the product and application in terms of design and properties. James Pedley, Operations Manager of the division, explains: „Our task is to design packaging solutions that present the packaged goods in the best possible way at the PoS or protect them from damage during transport. The key premises here are Cost efficiency and Environmental compatibility.“ A claim that is reflected in the well thought-out company processes at GWP Packaging.
Example production: Die-cutting machines play a central role in the automated production process. They bring the corrugated cardboard, which is processed in sheets or webs, into the desired shape by cutting, punching and creasing. „We plan the cutting dies to save as much material as possible so that only small amounts of cutting waste, such as edge trimmings, are produced. We then return these to the recycling cycle,“ explains the expert. Since delivery, this has been done with Fully automatic support the VK 4208 channel baling press from HSM.
Economic efficiency from production to disposal
The new HSM VK 4208 is integrated into the production process and works via air feeding. The waste produced by several die-cutting machines is extracted during production and conveyed directly into the channel baling press via an air duct system equipped with knife fans for shredding the corrugated board waste. The reliability of the press influences the efficiency of the entire process, according to the plant manager. „If it were to fail, our production would come to a standstill. So we can't afford to compromise on technical quality.“
The farm manager sees another plus in the fully automatic operation of the channel baling press. Whereas with the old baler he had to employ a man full-time to operate it, the new technology works independently. Once it is full, a light barrier triggers the horizontal baling process. The collected material is compacted into bales with a specific pressing force of 75 newtons per square centimetre and then automatically strapped with wire. The bales weigh up to 420 kilograms. At GWP Packaging, they are on average twice as heavy as those from the old machine. The Bale quality The recycling company is also convinced: It pays more for the recyclable punching waste (around 450 tonnes per year) than before.
Professionalism from advice to maintenance
GWP Packaging did not make an ad hoc decision in favour of HSM. James Pedley took three years to familiarise himself with various suppliers across Europe and compare technical options. From the outset, he was impressed by the quality of HSM's advice and its flexibility in dealing with customer requirements. Ultimately, he was won over by the performance and workmanship of the machines. They fulfil all the requirements of the European Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.
„By integrating the HSM VK 4208 channel baling press, we were able to significantly increase the efficiency of our production process. Fault-related downtimes are a thing of the past,“ emphasises James Pedley, Operations Manager at GWP Packaging, Cricklade (Wiltshire/UK).
The delivery of the channel baling press confirmed his positive judgement: There was only the narrow time window of a weekend available for dismantling the old machine and commissioning the new one in an area that was difficult to access. But thanks to the excellent co-operation of all those involved, this went off without a hitch. Plant operations were able to continue without interruption.
„I give HSM a lot of credit for that,“ says James Pedley, „as well as the willingness to allow our internal maintenance team to carry out preventive maintenance work on the press itself. This is not a matter of course and only works because the HSM team provided exemplary instruction in the technology.“
[infotext icon]GWP was originally founded in 1990 as The Great Western Packaging Company was founded. The company has since grown to become a well-known player in the UK packaging market and combines the five divisions of Packaging, Protective, Correx, Conductive and Coatings under the umbrella of GWP Group Ltd. The company is based in Cricklade (Wiltshire/UK) and employs around 100 people[/infotext].
