Vezet overhauls packaging line after company fire

Vezet Group

Vezet overhauls packaging line after company fire

Vezet Group, a specialist in overhauling packaging lines, is ending the year with a special order. For a customer in Brabant, a packaging line that had sustained fire and extinguishing damage was overhauled. A first for Vezet. With some regularity, Vezet Group director Niels Claassen in Eersel looks at his cell phone. He waits tensely for a call that is going to make a world of difference for the customer who has been troﬀed by fire damage. “This customer has been shifting its production for a few weeks because its own packaging line was damaged. We are working hard to solve the problem, but cannot take any steps without permission from the insurance company. We are now at another important decision point and are hoping for the desired response from the insurer,” Claassen explained.”

‘Only when we are convinced ourselves that we are delivering a reliable product will we complete a project’

Niels Claassen

Packaging line

The Brabant-based client was already affected by a fire at its premises a few weeks ago. Fortunately for this entrepreneur, the fire was limited to the room where the packaging line was located. And so only the filling and palletising machine were damaged. Vezet provides regular maintenance on the packaging line for this customer, so the entrepreneur knocked on the door for help with the damage repair. ‘Of course we try to serve our customer as quickly as possible in such a situation,’ Claassen says. And so a team from Vezet travelled to the packaging line to take stock of the damage and estimate repair options.

Analysis

“What can and can’t be done in terms of overhaul depends largely on how much hold such a fire, as well as the extinguishing water, had on the equipment.” Damage analysis involves a team consisting of a programmer, an engineer and a mechanic. “Together they look at what kind of damage there is, whether it can be repaired and, if so, how.” Sometimes cleaning and replacing parts is sufficient, but most packaging lines are also equipped with automation and control systems. Damage to these may prompt replacement of wiring and/or hardware and software. Each team member takes stock from their own expertise and together they estimate the work needed. “The insurance company sent a cleaning crew immediately after the fire. This made it more difficult for our experts to see exactly where most damage had been done by fire and extinguishing water. Ideally, you see with your own eyes where exactly the fires were, how soot is positioned. Those are signs that help determine the possible damage.”

Revision

Based on the inventory, Vezet concluded that the packaging line could be overhauled. In doing so, the company noted to the insurance company that the relays in the control box probably no longer work. “You only have certainty when you can connect the controls. For that, you have to repair the mechanical part of the line first.” Based on the damage report, Vezet was allowed to start overhauling the mechanical part. This included replacing the lifting motor of the palletiser. It had been damaged and was no longer available. It was up to Claassen and his team to find such a lift motor, check it completely and install it. To find parts or machines, Vezet relies on an extensive network in the used machinery trade. When appropriate, Vezet staff can also engineer and customize parts to complete a packaging line. “We have all the engineering, programming and assembly knowledge in-house and know the ins and outs of most brands of packaging lines. Because of that interplay, we actually never have to sell no and can always completely relieve our customers when it comes to overhauling and maintaining packaging lines.” This does not include coating and polishing.

PLC

The repair of the mechanical part of the packaging line is just about finished. “And now it turns out that our suspicion is borne out. The PLC doesn’t work.” The insurer has to give permission for its replacement, and that decision-making is not going as fast as Claassen would like. “Automation and control are proportionally more expensive than the machine itself, so if you can avoid those costs, there is something to be said for that,” observes the Vezet director. On the other hand, he believes that both the insurer and Vezet must serve the customer’s interest. “Our customer has been at a standstill for several weeks. The common goal should be to get production back on track as soon as possible. Moreover, both the customer and the insurer benefit from a reliable solution that prevents problems in the future.”

About Vezet Group

Eersel-based Vezet Group optimizes existing packaging lines for the non-food, food and feed sectors.
The company also trades in used machines that they first overhaul.
In addition, the Vezet Group provides various services such as (preventive) maintenance, optimization, automation, guidance in the purchase of used and new packaging lines and machines, certification and calibration.

Replace

Claassen hopes he will get permission to replace the PLC in its entirety. “Then we will know for sure that we are delivering a reliable line. Moreover, we can immediately install a modem. That gives us the ability to monitor the device remotely and perform preventive maintenance if necessary.” The alternative is to use a second-hand controller whose components are no longer available in the future. “This allows for longer downtime in the event of a potential problem in the future,” he said. In addition, the relays will have to be sorted out incrementally to determine what still works and what no longer works. “From there, we then rebuild everything step by step. That can be done, but takes time. That’s really searching for a needle in the haystack. It also means that the customer stands still longer and we need weeks more to deliver the line. Only when we ourselves are convinced that we are delivering a reliable product can we complete this project,” Claassen concludes.

Vezet overhauls packaging line after company fire

Vezet Group