The plastics industry is a sector that requires constant innovation and adaptation. In this dynamic environment, W. u. H. Fernholz, based in Meinerzhagen and Schkopau, Germany, is at the forefront of sustainable innovation: in recent years, it has significantly reduced packaging weights and sheet thicknesses, working closely with its customers to develop eco-friendly plastic packaging. Fernholz is a leading manufacturer of multilayer PP, PS and PET sheets as well as decorated and printed PS sheets. It processes around 2,000 tons of polymers per month. This equates to approximately 2.5 billion packaging units per year.
In March 2022, Fernholz started the expansion of the Schkopau plant, which is dedicated to the production of PP and PS sheets mainly for the dairy industry, by adding a co-extrusion line. The complete system was designed, manufactured and commissioned by Piovan Fdm.
Since Fernholz produces thermoforming sheets that are later processed into packaging for the dairy industry, it is essential that the sheet specifications remain constant over time without any variations in colour and composition. The customer therefore requested to be able to track production batches and check the history of the recipes used at any time. Moreover, given the non-negligible amount of side trimmings produced, it was imperative that they were fed back into the process to maximise production efficiency. Primary objectives were also to minimise energy consumption and noise emissions of the entire plant.
To achieve the objectives, Piovan Fdm designed, together with Fernholz, a Siemens PLC-controlled material handling system with two GDS7 loss-in-weight (LIW) gravimetric dosing units: this enabled both the precise dosing of each system component and the control of the extruder.
Furthermore, with the construction of the plant in a new building adjacent to the factory, it was possible to use the existing silos for raw material supply. Looking ahead, as a second extrusion line will also be added to the new building, a centralised vacuum unit has been installed that can serve multiple receivers simultaneously and be expanded to increase productivity.
To reduce noise and minimise footprint in the extrusion area, the centralised vacuum pumps were installed in a special room located 50 meters from the line and work areas.
It is this kind of synergy and collaboration that companies need in today's competitive industrial landscape. The partnership between Fernholz and Piovan Fdm is a prime example of how technical expertise and industry knowledge can be combined to achieve outstanding results.
Piovan Fdm's goal has always been to understand the needs of the customer and provide a customised solution. With more than 30 years of experience in the extrusion industry, Piovan Fdm can share an extremely thorough knowledge of dosing technologies for all types of bulk materials, pellets, regrind and powders belonging to the polymer industry. In addition to the design and manufacture of dosing units, Piovan Fdm provides fully customised material handling systems controlled by Siemens PLCs for every extrusion application.
The range of solutions provided by Piovan Fdm includes: storage solutions, long-distance conveying systems, pressure and vacuum feeding systems, and dehumidification and crystallisation units.
One of Piovan Fdm's strong points is the in-house development of PLC control systems based on Siemens technology, which can be adapted to each customer's needs: this is essential when it comes to communicating with machines or data logging systems.
