Implementation of a new packaging technology for cement powder products Packaged cleanly and safely The change of a packaging form,

What is the safest way to fill cement and plaster-based powder products without

in particular when it comes

ignoring the cost-effectiveness factor? This is the question that the project team at

to a properly launched brand

Schönox GmbH at the Rosendahl site tried to answer. “We sell almost exclusively

product, is always connected

to professional users,” is how Rolf Fraune, International Marketing Manager for Con-

with a risk. That is why a building

structional Adhesives, explains the yardstick. “With the Casco brand, we do also serve

material company included its

end consumers in the northern and Baltic markets to some extent, but here, too, the

customers, i.e. the processors

quality and service requirements are in line with those of professionals.“

of the material, in the decision regarding a new packaging form

Product quality and constant innovations are vitally important for the company, which

at an early stage. The vote was

was only recently sold by the Dutch company AkzoNobel to Sika AG in Switzerland.

surprisingly one-sided: A paper

Around 560 employees manufacture, among other things, levelling compounds,

valve sack that securely protects

tile adhesives, grout, flooring adhesives and special floorings that are sold under

the product and can be opened

the brand names Schönox, Casco and Cégécol. “Proximity to the customer is

easily was the clear choice.

immensely important to us,” Fraune continues. “The processor and the personal connection to him is what we focus on. We support our partners as best as we can, especially on the construction site.”

The path to the decision The closeness to the customers can also be recognized in the selection of the packaging material. Until recently, there were three production facilities at the Rosendahl site to fill cement and plaster-based chemical products into open block bottom bags. The bags were sealed with sewn seams and then placed on Euro pallets, for example in groups of 7. “Our customers expect solutions to problems and sophisticated technology at an acceptable price,” Fraune sums up the requirements. “The focus on pricing is more pronounced than it used to be, but attractive prices can still be attained for added value or real solutions to problems.” The level of training among the processors has deteriorated, however. “This is primarily due to the Master Craftsman’s Certificate no longer being required, as well as the high share of guest workers, for example from Eastern Europe. This is where the industry needs to compensate somewhat with its application technology,” Fraune adds.

1 dy-pack Verpackungen • Gustav Dyckerhoff GmbH • Im Ruttenberge 1 • 57482 Wenden-Gerlingen • Germany • Tel.: +49 (0) 2762 920 0 • Fax: +49 (0) 2762 920 118 • Email: [email protected]

In general, the filling equipment at the Rosendahl site has deteriorated with age and was increasingly subject to operational failures. At the same time, neither the filling performance nor the pallet pattern of the block bottom bags corresponded to current industry standards. An additional problem: “Filling machines for block bottom bags with cement and plaster-based products practically no longer existed, and even on the packaging side, there was hardly any competition left. There was a lack of innovations,” Fraune describes the starting situation. Schönox no longer wanted to accept this situation. “Our products are leaders in the field, and this should of course also be reflected in the packaging.” Thanks to the close contact to the processors, the decision-making process was left to the customers. The users were surveyed in a study to find out what packaging material they preferred. Aside from the paper sacks, polyethylene sacks were also provided as an option. The printed image must correspond to the high quality requirements, so that usage instructions or contents are clearly recognisable for customers.

Easy handling and cleanness Surprisingly, the vote was quite clear. In the consumer business, the packaging has long been the decisive sales argument, and in the construction chemicals sector, this argument is just as strong. This included, among other things, the easy, clean opening of the packaging as well as resealability. Easy transport, for example using carrying belts, was also a requirement. For retail trade, the pallet appearance and storage density and stability were of great significance. “Added to that were our requirements from the perspective of filling technology. We wanted a filling technology with high performance, which means good filling capacity with corresponding filling volumes,” Fraune adds. After all, both the powder packaging sites at Rosendahl and in Damville, France, fill almost 10 million sacks per year. And despite controversial discussions and data, Schönox considers paper bag packaging to make better environmental sense than the polyethylene bag.

In the construction chemicals sector, packaging also becomes a sales argument. This includes, among other things, the easy, clean opening of the packaging as well as resealability.

For Schönox, dy-pack proposed a paper valve sack that was partly equipped with carrying straps (up to 20 kg), the LEOS-opening system and an overlapping foil concept.

2 dy-pack Verpackungen • Gustav Dyckerhoff GmbH • Im Ruttenberge 1 • 57482 Wenden-Gerlingen • Germany • Tel.: +49 (0) 2762 920 0 • Fax: +49 (0) 2762 920 118 • Email: [email protected]

It all starts with the analysis dy-pack is one of the global technology leaders in the manufacture of paper bags for sophisticated applications in chemicals, construction chemicals, foodstuffs as well as the cement industry. For the company, cost-effectiveness is the decisive factor in the development of innovative packaging concepts – no matter what industry. That is why, in the beginning, dy-pack always invests a lot of effort in on-site analysis, including the entire process chain and logistics, from the filling machine to the customer. Other factors, such as the printed image, so that usage instructions or contents are clearly recognisable for the customers, also flow into the proposals. For Schönox, the company proposed a paper valve sack that was partly equipped with carrying straps (up to 20 kg), the LEOS-opening system

The fast extraction of air during filling increases the filling performance and increases the accuracy of determining the filling volume.The perfectly filled, dimensionally stable sacks also make an ideal product presentation on pallets possible.

and an overlapping foil concept. Both the requirements with regard to cost-effectiveness and high filling performance are met, as are aspects like product protection and easy handling. After that, everything happened very quickly: The results of the acquisition analysis as well as the customer survey were presented to the Schönox management in 2011. The preparation for the conversion at the Rosendahl site started soon after the decision for the packaging solution by dy-pack was made in January. This included not only the change of the packaging form, but fundamental investments in a new filling technology were made. This was followed by construction based on the pallet dimensions, dry bulk solid weights, sacks per position etc. Extensive volume trials were necessary before the production with the first new system and the valve sack technology started in summer 2011.

Easy handling at the construction site

Before the development of a new packaging form, dy-pack analyses the entire process chain and logistics, from the filling machine to the customer, so that not only the exterior, but also the filling process function flawlessly.

For the processor, the safe handling at the construction site is the most important criterion. Spilled products and sacks that are difficult to open or to empty make the work unnecessarily difficult. Thanks to the LEOS-system, the dy-pack sacks can be opened easily without tools, without spilling the product or making the printing on the sack illegible. The complete emptying of the sack – meaning that there is minimal content left in the corners – convinced the end users. In addition, the practical handle provides maximum comfort when carrying up to 20 kg per sack.

3 dy-pack Verpackungen • Gustav Dyckerhoff GmbH • Im Ruttenberge 1 • 57482 Wenden-Gerlingen • Germany • Tel.: +49 (0) 2762 920 0 • Fax: +49 (0) 2762 920 118 • Email: [email protected]

Clever layering The faster the valve sacks are ventilated, the higher the filling performance usually is. However cement construction materials are very sensitive to humidity, which is why they require airtight packaging, which in turn is accordingly difficult to ventilate. That is why product protection stands in the way of quick ventilation. A consistent de-aeration process also significantly influences the weight accuracy of the finished containers. dy-pack manages to satisfy these apparent contradictions, such that moisture protective paper valve sacks can also be filled on high performance machines. Thanks to the V-LS system developed by dy-pack, the ventilation property of the sack is also guaranteed without perforation. With the double foil overlap, the overpressure in the sack is reduced during the filling. The production facilities remain clean, as do the palleted sacks. The fast extraction of air during filling improves filling performance and increases the accuracy of filling weights. The perfectly filled, dimensionally stable sacks also make an ideal product presentation on pallets possible. The valve sacks consist of three layers: The inner layer, a water moisture barrier consisting of an HDPE layer with a thickness of 20 μm, which offers protection against humidity, as well as an outer layer with nano-perforation. This outer layer offers a solution to yet another contradiction – the fast extraction of air without degrading the tearing characteristics of the paper. Under the name Nano Perforation 4, the entire outer surface is covered evenly in fine perforation. This achieves the desired fast aeration effect, and the use of low-grammage papers is possible. The tools developed by dy-pack also make it possible to a nano-perforate closely defined areas of the sack for the first time. The objective is to offer moisture as little surface area as possible by having these perforated areas covered by other sacks when the product is palletised. Unprotected zones at top and bottom remain unperforated. This variable technology clearly reduces the absorption of moisture; this is particularly beneficial for Schönox’s sensitive products. A clean pallet appearance – an argument that keeps gaining in significance in the construction chemicals sector more and more.

4 dy-pack Verpackungen • Gustav Dyckerhoff GmbH • Im Ruttenberge 1 • 57482 Wenden-Gerlingen • Germany • Tel.: +49 (0) 2762 920 0 • Fax: +49 (0) 2762 920 118 • Email: [email protected]

Safe sealing With dy-pack’s thermo-elite valve, the efficiency of the filling operation is increased, since the time-intensive cooling of the welding seam is reduced. In addition, it is impossible for product to leak either during the filling process or during storage. The absorption of humidity is significantly lower when compared to conventional valves. The construction advantage and the comprehensively consistent material thickness ensure reliability with regard to the valve seal and application rate. Good collaboration To provide a smooth transition from open sacks to valve sacks in the context of this project, the sack construction and design had to be coordinated with the machine supplier Haver & Boecker. “The coordination and collaboration between the three partners was excellent,” Fraune reports. “We experienced extremely good support from both suppliers, and in case of problems, all parties provided a quick solution with their know-how.” Machine manufacturer Haver & Boecker also only has positive things to say about the collaboration. “Only if the parties involved in the packaging process,

Only if the parties involved in the packaging process, the customer, the sack manufacturer and the machine supplier, work together well can an optimal packaging form be developed.

the customer, the sack manufacturer and the machine supplier, work together well can an optimal result be achieved,” says Engelbert Köß, Sales Manager of the Construction Materials and Minerals Business Division at Haver & Boecker. Since this is a completely new technology for Schönox, many details had to be clarified in advance. All trials that took place in the technical school of Haver & Boecker were always evaluated by all three parties. A testament to the extraordinarily good collaboration is the fact that the three representatives of the packaging triangle also remain in contact after the conclusion of the project. Possible optimisations are to be discussed in a regular quality circle. The ROTOSEAL-PACKER rotating packaging machine by Haver & Boecker with ultrasound sealing technology achieves extremely clean product filling and an optimal sealing result by avoiding product residue in the valve area.

5 dy-pack Verpackungen • Gustav Dyckerhoff GmbH • Im Ruttenberge 1 • 57482 Wenden-Gerlingen • Germany • Tel.: +49 (0) 2762 920 0 • Fax: +49 (0) 2762 920 118 • Email: [email protected]

At the beginning of 2014, the third and, for now, last ROTOSEAL-PACKER was placed in operation.The rotating packaging machines with ultrasound sealing technology achieve extremely clean product filling and an optimal sealing result by avoiding product residue in the valve area. A special feature aside from weight monitoring is the subsequent leak monitoring. This is where every individual filled sack is subjected to vibrations and a highly sensitive scale is used to check whether any product leaked out. Sacks that do not fulfil the quality specifications are removed. In addition, the final installed Rotoseal Packer has a larger frame with two free spaces so that it is possible to expand the capacity by 33 percent without much effort. Aside from high performance, the filling system also boasts high flexibility, but that is not all, Köß explains. “When we talk about performance, we don’t just mean high filling speed, but primarily a high level of availability. This has increased significantly. The system has a fully automated conversion and automatic cleaning programs. This makes it possible to change products very quickly; contaminations are also avoided.” The system has a fully automated conversion and automatic cleaning programs.This now makes a very quick product change possible.

Outlook The end users were also impressed. “To be able to win over the customers, we prepared a video that highlighted the advantages of the packaging. That is why there were no further problems on the customer side,” Fraune explains. “ Both the machine technology as well as the sack packaging are seen as an important step in the sense of modern, sophisticated technology by the participating employees.” The step in the direction of innovative packaging is also supported by supplementary investments in downstream technology, such as fully automated transport, high-performance palletisers and transport safety (stretching). With the last commissioning of the new Rotopacker in January 2014, the conversion to dy-pack-valve sacks is completed. This means that products are filled into valve sacks by dy-pack on all three packing lines – clean, safe and well-protected until they are used at the construction site.

6 dy-pack Verpackungen • Gustav Dyckerhoff GmbH • Im Ruttenberge 1 • 57482 Wenden-Gerlingen • Germany • Tel.: +49 (0) 2762 920 0 • Fax: +49 (0) 2762 920 118 • Email: [email protected]