PACKAGING / PALLETISING PETplanet Insider Vol. 25 No. 03/24 www.petpla.net 41 interview Dave Ritterbush gave in August 2021, but achieving that level required a lot of agility and potentially expensive alternative sourcing, including airfreighting supplies. Automate to accelerate and update The decision was made to invest in two integrated bottle production lines, built around two KHS Blowmax B12 inline blow moulding machines. The bottles themselves were to be redesigned, to make the whole operation effective across KPIs including environmental performance and cost reduction. It was KHS that suggested Califia talk to Delta Engineering. “The project involved installing a high-speed takeout conveyor from the blow moulder and a chain conveyor buffer, to store bottles in case the downstream line goes down, for whatever reason,” said Danny Stevens, Senior Sales Engineer USA with Delta Engineering, based in the USA facility in Norcross, north-east of Atlanta, Georgia. Those two core machines were complemented with blow moulder take-outs, vacuum pumps and line controllers. The lines were also equipped with ionisers, to reduce static electricity, and Star Knobs on the guard rails to reduce changeover times. “They have to have room on the line to be able to store bottles, although it does have some internal capacity. Whenever a holdup occurs and is then cleared, the buffer will empty out and then the whole line will start up again.” Managing bottle blowing flow KHS was in the process of creating the line when Delta Engineering was approached. “We have bottles coming out of the machines at high speed and they need to transition to a table-top conveyor without falling over,” said Tyler. High speed conveying carries the risk of damage during operation, from falling over or jamming because of production interruption. The buffer capability maintains a smooth flow in the event of production stoppage. “Delta’s equipment is responsible for transporting the freshly-blown empty bottles from the blow-moulding machines to the fillers. Its solution uses a vacuum conveyor to help achieve a smooth transition. I was very pleased with the result.” Califia got in touch with Delta in May 2022 and they visited the factory to discuss the specific needs and layout requirements within a matter of days. Tyler specifically mentioned their quick turnaround of drawings and quotes for the equipment. The order was placed in July 2022; in December, just five months later, he flew over to Delta’s head office in Ophasselt, about 30km (19 miles) West of Brussels, in Belgium, for the factory acceptance test. Delta’s professionalism delivers value – fast “I was very impressed with their equipment manufacturing facility and on-site capabilities there,” said Tyler. Delta was so quick it had everything prepared from its side before the rest of the line was ready. Installation was finalised and completed in May 2023, with the new equipment fired up and put into production in June. It has been a major success. “The cost savings and carbon emission reductions have been in line with expectations. Current estimates are that we will save around 838 million tons of CO2 a year,” said Tyler, who is ready to place credit where it is due. “Delta has been responsive, professional and a joy to work with. They worked hard to ensure that everything was right before we installed their equipment. Their equipment is high quality and I attribute a large proportion of the project’s success to them.” www.califi afarms.com www.delta-engineering.be Tyler Crow, Senior Plant Engineer, Califia Farms At a glance: Califia Farms was founded in 2010 and fills over 60 million bottles a year with plant-based alternatives to dairy products, including milks and ready-to-drink coffee. Decision to update and automate cost control and environmental performance were key drivers. New equipment: two KHS Blowmax B12 in-line blow moulding machines. Delta Engineering equipment: ETN250 blow moulder take-out CD083 chain conveyors DBC202 chain conveyor buffer DLC421 line controllers DVP075 vacuum pumps Change/impact: over 830 million tons of CO2 eliminated from the supply chain; greater security of bottle supply; inward truck movements cut 90%; cost objectives met. Danny Stevens, Senior Sales Engineer USA, Delta Engineering David Ritterbush, CEO, Califia Farms
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