From Bulk to Bag - Versatile Packaging Line Brings Rewards for Peacock Salt
11 October 2006
Bad weather mustn't stop the salt from getting through
Peacock have traded in salt for more than 125 years, offering rock, sea and manufactured salt from around the world. Established in 1874,and entering the winter maintenance market in 1948, Peacock Salt is one of the UK's longest established suppliers of de-icing salt. Of paramount importance is the reliability of their supply chain - ensuring that local authorities and maintenance contactors can keep the roads open and safe during the harsh Scottish winters. Gregory Marshall, Assistant Managing Director, comments that the summers can be quiet but as the days get shorter and the temperature drops, Peacock receive over 200 calls per day - taking orders for anything from 100t to a single 5kg bag.
Peacock are committed to serving their customers' needs. They have built a robust logistics network, which has proven to be a match for the worst of the British winters. They also believe that their survival is based on being able to deliver the salt to the customer in the quantity or package specified - bulk tanker, big bag or sacks weighing between 1.5kg and 2.5kg.
Peacock pack different grades of salt into 5kg and 10kg bags with handles, or 15kg and 25kg bags. The line packs at a rate of 900 bags per hour for two shifts per day during the winter months, and one shift per day in the spring and summer.
The line is overseen by Jim Laird, the forklift truck driver who, twice a day, loads a 600kg roll of plastic film onto the bagging machine and keeps the empty pallet magazine stocked with pallets. The old semi-automatic line at Peacock Salt's Glasgow depot required three, sometimes four operators. Jim received training from David Shell, Webster Griffins Project Commissioning Engineer. David Shell was responsible for the factory testing, on site installation, setting up and fine tuning of the line. Jim enjoys the responsibility and in turn has been able to train other operators.
Versatility, combined with a high packing rate, means that it is now cost-effective for Peacock Salt to pack small, specialised batch runs as well as long production runs.
On a conventional automatic bagging line, changing from one bag size to the other could take one or two hours. With the Webster line, switching to a different product is instantaneous and changing from a 5kg bag to a 25kg bag takes a mere 20 minutes - enabling Peacock to meet changes in customer demands swiftly.
Another benefit is that without the new robot bagging line, Peacock Salt would need to double or quadruple the amount of pre-packed salt held in stock in order to be able to satisfy customers' orders promptly.
