Sidel helps Almarai with two complete PET lines

To guarantee greater energy savings and up to 10% TCO reduction, the shrink-wrapping systems are combined with two Gebo Cermex EvoFlex palletisers, offering unparalleled flexibility and efficiency even with high-speed applications. The only palletising system with a low-level infeed capable of running at up to 12 layers per minute, EvoFlex offers significant advantages in terms of ergonomics, energy consumption, and safety. The solution is equipped with AxoSmart, the layer preparation system designed by Gebo Cermex to meet the need for more eco-friendly packaging (lightweight bottles and less secondary packaging) and a wide product portfolio. With a modular design allowing for smooth adaptation to various line speed requirements, AxoSmart offers the possibility to handle a high number of pack types in the same cycle; all of that, without compromising on optimal stability and reliability.

Operational intelligence to support continuous improvement

The two PET complete lines installed at the Al Kharj plant are featuring Sidel Group's EIT (Efficiency Improvement Tool), a market-leading data acquisition and plant intelligence system. It automatically records 24/7 raw production data, calculates a wide array of KPIs to help measure performance, analyses production issues, detects efficiency loss sources, and performs root cause analyses. Currently installed in more than 70 countries, it is designed to ultimately decrease unplanned downtime, reduce waste and costs, and increase the plant’s output as it gives employees at all levels of the organisation real-time access to relevant and actionable information on production-related issues. As an additional bonus feature, the EIT version leveraged by Almarai comes with the ECO module, monitoring and measuring energy and utilities consumption at equipment and line level. On top of providing energy cost per produced unit, the system establishes correlations between consumptions trends (including power, water, steam or compressed air) and line events or production phases for improving performance over time.

The two lines started to work in the last quarter of 2017, both beyond 98% of efficiency, with products available in the market as of the same period. Given the remote location where the Al Kharj plant is based, Almarai benefitted from Sidel's fast reaction time and expertise, key for replacing spare parts and solving technical issues. Based on this positive experience, Almarai recently established monthly technical visits to properly control and monitor the line's performance.

Source: Sidel