Growing Can Market: Coca-Cola European Partners Invests in Two KHS Lines

Since 1989, Wakefield, together with Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield, constitutes one of the most densely populated areas in the United Kingdom, has been home to the largest soft drink factory in Europe.

The Wakefield factory has a total of eight filling lines; five of these process cans with volumes of 330 and 500 milliliters, the remaining three PET bottles holding 500 milliliters and 1.0 to 2.25 liters, producing around 300 stock keeping units or SKUs.

Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) cooperates with KHS as its technological partner: the Dortmund machine and systems manufacturer is responsible for four of the five can fillers and two turnkey canning lines. After Line 4 had proved a total success from the first day forth regarding availability and efficiency, the bottler then commissioned KHS to supply a second canning line.

The prime focus was therefore on cardboard multipacks that are produced in a wide variety holding between four and 30 containers. During the corona crisis, where people are spending more time at home, this type of pack is currently experiencing a growth in sales that runs into two figures. The Innopack Kisters wrap-around shrink packers integrated on these two lines are thus extremely powerful and reliable.

CCEP is also making a record attempt to be more sustainable, setting standards in recycling, the prevention of waste and the consumption of energy and other resources. Like all of the manufacturing sites in Britain, Wakefield also goes by the motto of “zero waste”, with no refuse being sent to waste disposal sites.

As with each project in the Coca-Cola system, KHS had to take part in the usual bidding procedure. The group has an extremely sophisticated bidding platform that includes a detailed scorecard of commercial, quantitative and qualitative technical parameters. KHS reportedly achieved the best result on this scorecard, thus proving that its machines also reach the set productivity targets under the given technical and financial prerequisites for Line 5.

The line was installed and commissioned without any problems or delay. From day one the new line proved supremely efficient and surpassed even the highest expectations.

For more information, visit https://www.khs.com.