QUALITY
& HYGIENE
I FOOD SAFE LUBRICANTS
Increased Output and Reduced Costs in Soft Drinks Production n increase in machine reliability and the improvement of lubriA cation management practices in order to maximise output in one of their plants was the objective of a globally active soft drink producer when they approached tribology expert Klüber Lubrication. One of the plant's seven bottling lines was chosen for the improvement project. Analysis was undertaken and this devel-
Typical operating cost reductions for a food manufacturing plant can be more than £100,000 per annum. Implementation time for an advanced lubrication program is approximately six months, with payback in nine to twelve months.
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oped a comprehensive lubrication plan. Following implementation mechanical breakdown was reduced, while output increased significantly. Increased Production Output The plant operates on a three-shift system, 24 hours a day. Theoretical filler speed of the bottling line is 24,000 bottles per hour. Prior to consulting Klüber Lubrication, utilisation was 55%: 1,760 cases were bottled per hour, equalling 42,240 cases a day. Klüber Lubrication went ahead with its proven KlüberEfficiencySupport package. Within nine months, production loss due to machine downtime was reduced from 7.4 per cent to 2.5 per cent, resulting in a substantial increase of production output: throughput increased to 72 per cent, equalling 2,304 cases per hour, or 55,296 cases a day - an increase by roughly 13,000
FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, APRIL 2014