drinktec 2009 - Krones confidently confirms: we do more

drinktec 2009 lived up to its high reputation. The number of visitors was in fact down a little, but the number of high-ranking decision-makers was all the more gratifying. The geographical distribution, too, surprised the exhibitors. There were numerous visitors from the United States, Africa and Asia; China was particularly well represented.

Krones’ stand, designed to encapsulate Krones’ motto of “We do more”, was well received by the firm’s customers. They were able to see for themselves, in a conveniently compact venue, Krones AG’s comprehensive capabilities, dependability and innovative vigour. Krones was able to finalise some ongoing acquisition projects at the fair, and do plenty of spadework for future success.
The results from the drinktec, which triggered a lot of euphoria with its unexpectedly encouraging feedback, can be summarised in Volker Kronseder’s own verdict: “There’s light at the end of the tunnel, but we aren’t out of the tunnel yet. The upcoming weeks and months will show whether the input from the drinktec will be reflected in an actual upturn.”

Customers enthused by Krones’ strategy
Krones’ strategy of pursuing a holistic approach was right in line with its customers’ needs. Less stainless steel, more people: this stand concept was very well received. As a complete-system vendor, Krones has long since supplemented its filling and packaging capabilities to cover life-cycle service, process engineering, information technology, intralogistics, factory planning and not least sustainability. “We do more”, in fact. This was also reflected unequivocally at the fair, which emphatically validated the chosen approach of developing systems and machines that enable customers to achieve substantial and lasting cuts in their operating costs and their total cost of ownership. Interest in the energy/media-efficient “enviro” products also significantly exceeded expectations. Issues like sustainability and PET recycling were being accorded increasing priority, so with its “enviro” sustainability programme Krones is indubitably attuned to current concerns.

Krones turns vision into reality: a complete BLOC-synchronised  bottling line
Reducing operating costs, saving space, upgrading line efficiency levels, implementing state-of-the-art technologies, meeting ultra-stringent hygiene and safety stipulations, in a word - creating fit-for-purpose solutions: one excellent option for meeting these requirements is to BLOC-synchronise the machines concerned. Krones has done this with innovative imagination, and has, so to speak, designed one machine with four different functions for the entire wet end.

The Ergobloc L premiered by Krones at the drinktec enables PET containers to be produced, labelled, filled and capped in a single process. The intelligent control concept upgrades the efficiency of the entire BLOC-synchronised system. The newly developed visualisation feature , designed as a centralised information and control interface, has been responsively configured to the operator’s actual needs. And the new, harmonised servo-drive concept enables all the modules of the Ergobloc L to be operated individually as well at need (maintenance, change-over). In the event of a malfunction, the module concerned is decoupled under electronic control – and can be re-engaged even when the system is running at full speed.

For the first time, there’s a BLOC-synchronised solution for the dry end. This, too, was showcased by Krones AG within the framework of drinktec 2009. The Ergobloc D combines field-proven standard machines to form a coherently harmonised system for end-of-the-line packaging and palletising. In conjunction with the Ergobloc L, this means a complete PET bottling line can now be configured from just two BLOC-synchronised units.

Another premiere at the drinktec was Krones’ Varioline packaging system. This is an ultra-versatile packaging solution that enables a multi-stage packaging process to be handled. Depending on the machine version involved, for example, primary and secondary packaging can be combined.

Automated order-picking
When it comes to intralogistics, Krones also showcased a revolutionary innovation: an automated order-picking solution – the Krones EOP System A. This new product from Krones automates the process of order-picking that used to be handled manually, and has been developed specifically for the needs of the food and beverage industries, and leads to improved efficacy, process reliability and delivery quality. It is available round the clock, handles a multiplicity of different packages and pallet types, and assembles them to form error-free mixed pallets. Increasing article diversity, shorter ordering cycles, smaller order quantities per article (these are the ongoing market trends) mean that order-picking and warehousing processes are becoming ever more costly and laborious. With EOP-A, Krones’ customers can use the market’s trends for their own competitive advantage.