For the transportation and storage of particularly exquisite oils, now a comparatively small IBC (Intermediate Bulk Container) with 300 litre capacity is being used. The IBC COMPACTline developed by WERIT is, compare with the steel barrels and canisters previously used, the better alternative for many reasons.
Replacement for barrels and canisters
Ölmühle Oberschwaben produces diverse food oils for delivery to the industry for further processing. Being a transport packaging for the organic products, the food producer uses a range of conventional containers from canisters to tank vehicles. However, there was a need for optimisation in the packaging of certain speciality oils. In the past, Ölmühle had to fill smaller amounts of these products in barrels and canisters which resulted in high handling efforts and costs. For environmentally protection reasons, the disposable packagings were also not an adequate solution for the company that specialises highly in sustainability.
Stacking saves storage space
The Ölmühle Oberschwaben was given a remedy with the new development of WERIT Kunststoffwerke: the IBC COMPACTline with UN and FDA approval with a capacity of only 300 litres closes the gap in the market. With the compact dimensions of 800 mm x 600 mm x 996 mm, the packaging saves loads of space in the warehouse and on the HGV. Their solid design and the high stability also permits a positive-lock stowage. Due to the integrated nestable pallet, the IBC can be transported using pallet trucks and fork lifts, and can also be stacked. In particular, Berthold Dreher, Managing Director and owner considered the stacking ability as great benefit: "In the past we had to load canisters and barrels on pallets. These loading units could not be stacked and took up a lot of storage space." Moreover, today the extensive stretching of the pallets with film is omitted as the IBC does not require any additional load securing. The packaging solution therefore reduces our warehouse and process costs over the entire supply chain.
Convenient and dosed emptying
The new IBC COMPACTline also scores when filling and emptying. Filling of the food oils is carried out conveniently via a lid opening of 150 mm. A re-sealable and very robust piston valve serves for withdrawal. "The valve and the fill level indicator on the transparent inner container enables a very good dosing", said Berthold Dreher. The special shape of the IBC allows an almost complete emptying. Compare to that, emptying the heavy and gurgling canisters was an unpleasant task which had risks for occupational safety. The barrels do not have any drain at the bottom and had to be tipped for emptying, where the drain support required had to be procured separately.
The Loop-System – a ticket for all IBCs
The factor environmentally friendly also played a significant role in the decision for the new packaging solution. The steel barrels and canisters previously used had to be disposed of after being used once. The Ölmühle Oberschwaben wanted to stop such a waste of resources at all costs. The IBC COMPACTline is a multiway system and the containers can be reused.. "We were especially convinced of the highly sustainable, ecological and convenient Loop-System from WERIT", explained Berthold Dreher. Independent of the manufacturer and design, the used IBCs were collected free of charge by integrating a regional reconditioning company. After cleaning and rebottling, the same packagings are either sent back (Closed Loop) or WERIT supplies new IBCs at reduced prices (Open Loop).
Cooperation should be extended
The Ölmühle Oberschwaben can now also fill speciality oils in industry-related packagings and magnitudes. Berthold Dreher sums up "Thanks to the COMPACTline IBCs the logistics processes have become more efficient and we are protecting the environment." Because of the positive experiences, the food manufacturer is planning to extend the cooperation with WERIT in the future.
The Ölmühle Oberschwaben GmbH with head office in Wangen, Allgäu region of Bavaria, has been producing high-quality organic food oils. Using state-of-the-art presses, the multiply certified company (amongst others, EU-Bio, Demeter, Bioland, Naturland, Biokreis and Bio Suisse Organic) processes sunflowers linoleic and higholeic, rapeseed, sesame and other fine seeds, all from controlled organic farming. The oils are available in different quality features such as native and cold pressed, deoderised or fully refined (RDBW), and the pressing cakes created during the manufacturing are marketed as organic animal feed. (www.oelmo.de)
The WERIT Kunststoffwerke W. Schneider GmbH & Co. KG with headquarters in Altenkirchen (Germany) stand for innovative products since 1949 – primarily made of plastic. The company employs more than 600 employees at six production facilities and four sales locations throughout Europe. The business fields are divided into industrial packagings, domestic engineering and special products.