The company prides itself on the presentation of its products and with its right-first-time productivity as a key performance measure, investing in Graham Technology helped them to meet these objectives.

Germán Tormo-Garrido of Clesa - Parmalat says, “After careful research we decided to purchase a Graham VF650 sleeving machine through Graham’s Barcelona based agent, STE Packaging Engineering SL. We chose the VF650 based upon our criteria of quality, delivery, reference list, service in Spain and not least, price”

Project Build

After the initial commercial discussions and finalization of pricing and contract, an important issue was discovered. The products were to be cold filled then foil sealed and capped but sleeved at an ambient factory temperature.
Grahams were concerned that when the chilled product entered ambient conditions a condensate would form on the product, which could then lead to difficulties in the sleeve application process.

It was agreed with Groupo Clesa that Grahams would supply a turnkey solution, which would include bottle dryers on line, to combat the condensation problems caused by the high humidity and thus ensure perfect sleeve application onto the product. In addition coding systems were also integrated into the project specification.

A site visit was set-up to review the integration of the Graham system into the existing packaging line and highlight the key technical aspects of the project.

Following this, a plan was made outlining all the key milestones for the project. As part of Graham’s commitment to their clients, a Project Manager was designated to assume responsibility, post sale through to final acceptance machine trials on site.

As part of this process, line layout drawings were produced to include all dimensions of the Graham line and the integration into the client’s packaging line.

Project Results

Following the acceptance tests at the Graham plant, the system was installed and commissioned in Spain. Working closely with the local line installation company, all mechanical and electronic specifications for the project were adhered to, ensuring a seamless installation. Additional personnel training led to the speedy acceptance of the Graham Sleeving System by the client. This process resulted in the Sleeve application line running continuously at 220ppm as specified. With the attractive design of the sleeve and a highly satisfactory shrink result, the client achieved their desired visual impact.

Client Satisfaction

Germán Tormo-Garrido goes on to say, “After the commissioning, which was on time and without problems, the VF650 is working perfectly. Currently, the production line is running continuously and produces at the rate of 12,000 bottles per hour. We are quite satisfied with the performance and service and we will certainly look to STE and Graham when we decide to install another sleeving applicator”.

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