SubscribeHydraChem, the West Sussex manufacturer of chlorine-based tablets and powders for disinfection purposes, has installed a Romaco packaging line as a cornerstone of its ambitious expansion plans.
Comprising a Siebler HM1/160 four-side seal machine and a Promatic P91 cartoner, the line is being used to pack the sterilisation tablets produced by HydraChem for a wide variety of well-known retail outlets.
Tony Willer, production manager at HydraChem, comments, "Before the installation of the line, we were packing product on three old heatseal machines and cartoning by hand. However, our expansion plans require a higher throughput, which can only be achieved by increasing automation."
The new line is effectively replacing all three previous machines; since its installation we have increased efficiency both in terms of manpower utilisation and the numbers of finished packs we can produce each day, which has effectively trebled. In addition, the high accuracy of the Siebler has resulted in a 50% reduction in tablet wastage.
He adds, "The substantial investments we have made over the past 18 months have enabled us to capitalise on the many new business opportunities opening up throughout Europe. I am confident that the Romaco line will remain a key element in our future plans, and so far it has not disappointed, proving extremely reliable and meeting all our objectives in terms of profitability and efficiency."
HydraChem not only packages sterilisation tablets, but also manufactures them for many different applications, including water purification, hospital and baby product sterilisation. Investment in the high quality Siebler packing machine provided the incentive to further increase the quality of the tablets being manufactured.
Tony Willer: "When we were looking to upgrade our facilities, we investigated a number of options, but Romaco's system was simply the obvious choice due to the fact that it is driven not mechanically but electronically a far more modern and reliable solution. Combine this with our high quality tablets, and it is rare that any processing problems are experienced at the front end."
He continues, "Our products are extremely dusty and their high chlorine content means that they are very aggressive, however, our 25-year-old Siebler machine has stood up to the challenge admirably, proving that these are machines that are built to last. We have every faith that the new system will deliver cost savings for many years to come."
"We are also very pleased with the training and support that has been provided by Romaco, and following their advice we are keeping to a standard carton width to minimise the adjustments needed at batch changeover and further improve productivity," he concludes.
The Siebler HM 1/160 is a vertical heatsealing machine which produces four-side sealed strippacks which can contain compressed products or capsules, predominantly used within the pharmaceutical or chemical industries.
Tablets are supplied through a hopper into a feeding system which drops directly into the sealing area, where product is tightly sealed into strips.
At HydraChem this is then connected via a transfer system to the Promatic P91 cartoner, which is an intermittent motion, horizontal cartoning machine.
Here the product strips are automatically fed into cartons ready for despatch. Both machines are easily operated via touchscreen panels.
Established 21 years ago, HydraChem is a family-owned business operating from two units in Billingshurst. Its principal markets are large retail outlets and hospitals in the UK and, increasingly, throughout Europe.
Romaco provides specialist expertise in processing, filling, dosing and packaging solutions for the global Pharmaceutical and Cosmetics Industries. With a culture of innovation that has produced many of the most exciting new technological concepts of the past two decades, Romaco consistently sets the pace in the markets it serves.