Extruplast Makes Its Production Equipment More Flexible

Interview

runo Vigneron: Production Manager, responsible for Production / Maintenance / Methods / Manufacturing / Industrial Development at Extruplast

Could you introduce Extruplast?
Extruplast is a contract packer for liquid products, covering all non-food liquids. The company provides an end-to-end service including container design, manufacturing, filling/packaging and delivery to customers.
We have several container-manufacturing systems using extrusion blow moulding or PET blow moulding. Four fully automated lines cover the complete process from manufacturing jerrycans or pouches through to palletising the packaged products.
Our customers include specialist professional markets such as paints and fuels, as well as mass retail. We are ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified.

What is the project, and how does this new robotic cell built with JYGA fit into it?
As part of our continued development, we are looking to make our production equipment more flexible. This robotic cell gives us greater versatility for future developments.
We are constantly looking for new packaging formats such as PET and stand-up pouches so that we can innovate and differentiate ourselves from competitors.
The robotic solution saves time during tooling changeovers, with automatic end-of-arm tool changes on the robot and centralised guide adjustments.

How did you hear about JYGA?
Through a long-standing relationship with the sales representative.

Why did you choose JYGA?
We were won over by the expertise and by simple, innovative technical solutions offered within a reasonable budget.

What do you see as the main strengths of this solution?
Its simplicity combined with an evolutive robotic solution.

Did you have any concerns about implementing the project?
A few. We were concerned about installing the cell at our site because our order volume was very high during the busy end-of-year period in 2014. We had very little time for commissioning and needed to return to production as quickly as possible. However, we were confident it would start up quickly because the factory acceptance test had gone well.