Intersystem

WRAPPING UP THE PALLE TISING MARKE T

Over thirty years ago, InterSystem’s founder seized an opportunity to build a company based around his revolutionary new palletiser design. Today, the company has evolved into the market leader in northern Europe, boasting tens of millions of Euros in annual turnover and a unique position in the palletising market. Company CEO, Erik Johnsson, chatted with Richard Hagan about the business of palletising Europe’s goods.

InterSystem AB, based in Ängelholm in Sweden, supplies bespoke palletising solutions for consumer products. The company designs, builds and installs systems for palletising worldwide, including self-produced conveyors for light goods and pallet handling.

InterSystem’s automation solutions are based around the company’s signature, uniquely compact palletiser, around which

conveyor solutions, stretch wrappers and marking equipment are integrated. The company’s multi-palletiser is its most popular product, thanks partly to its compact dimensions and its high capacity. The machine allows the customer to palletise products from two separate production lines and produces two different pallets.

A big idea about downsizing

In the 1980s, InterSystem’s founder, Anders Persson, was employed at a company that was providing very similar solutions to those provided by InterSystem today. There, Mr Persson developed relationships with some of the company’s customers, and two of those in particular – one in Norway and one in Germany – requested a very compact palletiser, something which his current employer did not have available at the time.

Developing the design for such a palletiser in his spare time, Mr Persson realised that this could be a nice opportunity to start a business of his own. So, with the above-

Intersystem CEO, Erik Johnsson

INTERSYSTEM AB I PROFILE

mentioned clients in hand, Mr Persson took the plunge and left his employer to establish InterSystem AB in 1989. The company consisted of only himself, an electrician, a mechanic and a programmer who got to work building the first compact palletiser as Mr Persson had envisioned it.

The development of the new compact palletiser was a success, and the first two machines were soon sent to Norway and the third to Germany. On the strength of the high quality and robust performance of its products, InterSystem’s relationship with these export customers rapidly grew, leading to further orders for another ten machines. It was not, in fact until InterSystem’s fourteenth machine delivery that it delivered a system locally in Sweden.

Efficient production

InterSystem has developed a highly efficient production routine that ensures full quality control and optimal use of its own

space. Using a carefully selected roster of subcontractors to handle all of its manufacturing requirements, InterSystem’s facility is primarily responsible for design, assembly, testing, packing and shipping.

The company employs 70 highly skilled employees across all of its departments, with an additional 30 subcontractors on site from time to time, depending on current workflows. “We use expert subcontractors for welding, painting, motors, pneumatics and other requirements,” explained CEO Erik Johnsson. “We assemble and test every system at our facility, and then it has to be disassembled and shipped off to the customer’s facility where it must be reassembled and installed.”

Today, InterSystem builds 40 to 50 pall etisers a year – an impressive achievement.

Mix and match modularity

I nterSystem’s palletiser and other systems are standardised and specifically designed to be modular. This makes every project

quite straightforward, primarily requiring InterSystem’s design team to arrange the customer’s specified modules, into the available space.

“It’s like Lego, because the different solutions and the different modules we have on the shelf all go together in any number of different ways,” said Mr Johnsson. “The modularity of our system makes layouts very easy and allows us to be super flexible for the customer. The build and the installation are easier, too. And if the customer wants to add capacity at a later stage, they can often do that.”

Flexibility and strong relationships are the keys to InterSystem’s success in the market, as Mr Johnsson noted: “Much of our business comes from repeat customers who return to us because of our highly flex ible offering and our commitment to deliver on time.”

In fact, repeat orders account for about 80% of InterSystem’s sales. “We are focused on quality, producing good projects and customer retention,” he added. Those efforts have delivered substantial yearly increases in turnover. Between 2016 and 2022, InterSystem’s turnover grew from €8 million to €20 million.

As it has done for several years now, InterSystem regularly exhibits at Interpack, where the company always looks forward to making new connections.

Sustainability in durable machinery

The durability of InterSystem’s products has been repeatedly proven during the company’s multi-decade lifespan. “We’ve

had customers come to us seeking a new machine, only for us to discover that they still have the same machine, fully operational, that we delivered 30 years ago,” Mr Johnsson recalled. “One particular customer, who I’m meeting soon, is buying their eighth machine from us, with their first machine having been bought in 1993 and which is still active!”

That durability record also helps to drive the company’s sustainability credentials. “Our machines are super sustainable

since they boast long lifespans, partly because of their simple componentry,” the CEO explained. “Added to that, we build our systems using one of the most energy-efficient motors on the market; they’re small and efficient.

“And when a customer replaces a machine, the whole thing easily disassembles into its components and can be recycled. It’s also very easy to tear down because none of the parts are integrated with one another, such as in a car, for instance. Our machines are connected in a simple manner and it’s very easy to separate them into the different materials for recycling.”

In closing, Mr Johnsson mentioned that InterSystem’s team is optimistic about the future and expects to see further growth of the company. “Getting the right people in and engaging them in the company, managing our teams and seeing people develop as we grow is my passion, and along with the customers and their projects, InterSystem is just the most exciting experience.”