KHS modernises existing returnable glass lines

A reliable returnable glass line shapes production for many years. With a broad portfolio of services that cover the entire system, KHS helps its customers react flexibly to various challenges and changes in market conditions. The programme ranges from line audits through conversions and overhauls to digital services for existing setups. When beverage producers decide on the future of their returnable glass line, space, operating costs and market development play a central role. With alcohol consumption on the decline and established products losing market share, more and more new beverages are appearing on the market. This diversity of products is also increasing the diversity of design, and it is very hard to predict which beverage varieties and container styles will be in demand in a few years' time.

Instead of investing in new plant engineering, bottlers are therefore increasingly turning to the modernisation of their existing lines. A targeted upgrade can extend the service life of the machinery and delay the need for cost-intensive investment in new equipment. On machines with high consumption, specific modernisation measures can also help to lower energy costs.

Confined production areas and the risk of downtime also considerably hamper the replacement of individual system components. "Some machines are so heavily integrated into the line that the shop roof would have to be opened for replacement, calling for several weeks of production downtime and a huge amount of logistical effort," reports Torben Brill, service product manager at KHS. "Conversion, on the other hand, can usually be carried out in situ, bringing the machine back up to date in a much shorter period of time."

Service based on individual requirements

The specific requirements of the customer determine which measures make sense. While regular overhauls, such as the replacement of worn components, primarily serve to maintain operation, a line audit shows where a targeted upgrade would be useful. In the audit, the Dortmund-based company examines the entire filling line and analyses the machines and their adjacent processes to identify losses in productivity, shortfalls and causes of downtime. Together with the operator, KHS derives concrete optimisation measures from the audit and supports their implementation.

One key lever is the modernisation of energy-intensive processes. This applies in particular to bottle washers, which heat several cubic metres of liquid to up to 80°C for the cleaning process. Retrofits such as the KHS Innoclean ECO carrier reduce the carryover of heat and liquid between the process zones. The LESS (Liquid Efficiency Spraying System) option addresses the electricity requirement: frequency converters automatically regulate the spray pumps down to low power consumption at each line or machine stop, while the bottles continue to be kept damp. Compared to operation without LESS, this retrofit option cuts spray pump energy consumption by up to 40%, with the same cleaning performance.

In the subsequent filling process, the focus is on the KHS Innofill Glass filler. Here, the aim is to keep downtime during necessary overhauls as short as possible. "During rolling maintenance, we replace an individually specified number of filling valves with a spare set at plannable intervals instead of removing them all at once," Brill explains. "This significantly lowers downtime to around ten hours, with this number reducible to almost zero when scheduled maintenance windows are used to this end."

The KHS Innopas SX tunnel pasteuriser also offers retrofit potential: flexible speed control keeps the product flow constant, reducing the number of machine stops. This means fewer heating and cooling processes, which in turn can lower heat and cold consumption; cooling is frequently provided in the form of fresh water. Installing a cooling tower can also reduce the amount of fresh water needed.

Besides energy consumption and downtime, flexibility is becoming more important as the variety of products grows. Where bottle shapes and sizes are changed more frequently, standard conveying stars must be laboriously converted and readjusted during format changeovers. This procedure is simplified by the Tyrolon Star, which can be retrofitted during modernisation of the KHS Innoket Neo labeller and the KHS Innofill Glass filler. The universal conveying star from KHS partner Tyrolon-Schulnig handles various bottle diameters and geometries without the need to exchange star wheels when formats are changed. This shortens setup and conversion times and keeps line downtime low. In addition, outdated cold glue aggregate stations currently in use can be replaced by overhauled units with minimal downtime.

Digital services for operation and maintenance

The classic modernisation measures are supplemented by a range of digital services that can be applied depending on the age and technical configuration of the control unit. The digital task management application KHS ConnectApp Guide assists operating personnel with their daily routines. As a cloud solution, it can be used directly at the machine without any additional requirements, also on older equipment.

The app proactively guides employees through the required tasks, replacing the paper lists used in the past. Moreover, the KHS Connect customer portal supplies spare parts packages, and the KHS Augmented Reality Service (ARS) provides visual remote support in the event of a disruption. The options become more extensive after conversion of the controller, which brings the system up to the state of the art and can increase line availability. Upgraded data interfaces permit the use of KHS ConnectApp Access. In conjunction with KHS ConnectApp Guide, maintenance tasks can be triggered dynamically according to the actual number of operating hours instead of following a rigid schedule. "Maintenance work can be carried out more effectively based on the number of system operating hours, for operating personnel only have to become active when a task actually needs performing," says Brill.

According to Brill, plant equipment engineered by KHS is well suited for modernisation. "Our machine frames are robust. It's the control units and software that usually reach their limits as the years go by. This is precisely where our services come in to breathe new life into the line."

Right where it's needed: KHS ConnectApp Guide prompts personnel through all necessary maintenance tasks