Finishing & Screen Printing

Thimm invests in Eberswalde site and expands palletising centre

Tuesday 03. August 2021 - Thimm, the solution provider for packaging and distribution of goods headquartered in Northeim, is investing in its Eberswalde production plant. The existing palletising centre was expanded with an additional pallet strapping line and the installation of a new pallet inserter.

A new modern control system for the entire finished goods logistics rounds off the investment. Thimm is thus taking another step towards digitalising its manufacturing processes and is counting on further growth in volume at the Eberswalde site.
The conversion measures at the Eberswalde site took about three months and were largely carried out during ongoing production. Now the expanded palletising centre at the Thimm pack’n’display plant covers a total area of 1,400 square metres and has thus grown by around 10 metres in length. A new pallet inserter from the German transport system manufacturer Dücker conveyor systems and a fully automatic pallet strapping system from Mosca have been integrated into the production line.
Michael Weber, Head of Corporate Strategy + Marketing of the Thimm Group: “By integrating the new systems, we are not only automating and simplifying the transport processes in logistics. With the expansion of the palletising centre, we have created the prerequisite to increase production capacities by around 30 percent and to relieve the processing lines of internal logistics processes. Growing order volumes, such as the increased demand for double-wall corrugated board, have led to an increased pallet volume in the past, and further processing can now be handled more efficiently in the plant.”
The installed pallet inserter system ensures increased throughput and the ability to process stacks up to 1600 x 2400 mm. Up to two stacks can be inserted simultaneously, centred laterally and then placed on the inserted pallet. With a capacity of up to a maximum of 1,500 pallets per day, the throughput time of the transport products can be shortened. Different pallet patterns can be used. “Through the installation, the entire in-house logistics as well as processes for further processing could be automated and accelerated. In addition, the new dimension of the inserter means that from now on larger formats can be stacked automatically on several pallets in the factory,” explains Weber about further advantages of the investment.
The fully automatic strapping system from the manufacturer Mosca has also accelerated the processes since its commissioning in the Eberswalde plant: a high-speed drive of the lifting carriage and a strap welding device enable a pallet throughput of up to 145 pallets/hour. At the same time, the strapping programmes can be configured and thus specifically adapted to each product. “With the investment and the expansion of the palletising centre, we have been able to create reliable throughput times, avoid malfunctions such as downtimes and increase the output of the machines. There is another advantage in logistics: the stacks can be packed higher with the renewed equipment – this benefits sustainability, as valuable space was previously unused during transport by truck,” Weber summarises. In total, the company invested around 1.5 million euros at the site.