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Total Processing & Packaging:
Schütz Strives for Top Position in
England with Plastic Drums, too
IBC world market leader installs new production line in Worksop / Pushing ahead with innovative technology
Selters / Birmingham. Schütz GmbH & Co. KGaA from Selters in Germany is nailing its colours to the mast in England. Along with its subsidiary Schütz UK, the IBC world market leader is presenting the most important products, proven and new, of its Industrial Packaging Division at Total Processing & Packaging, which is taking place in Birmingham from 15 to 18 May. The company will underscore its position as the leader in its field when it exhibits at the major UK trade fair devoted to the packaging industry (Hall 3, Stand 3041). The company’s prime objective, here, is to step up its activities in the plastic drum sector. A new production line has now been installed at the Schütz UK site in Worksop.
“We can use the Schütz-developed Security Layer Technology in Worksop now, too,” says Bob Banks, general manager of Schütz UK, pointing out a key advantage. This multilayer, extrusion blow-moulding process makes it possible to plasticise three to six functional layers simultaneously, thus opening up some interesting new prospects both for IBCs and for drums.
Thanks to its successful Ecobulk line, Schütz is already the undisputed market leader among the producers of transport containers (IBCs) in England. The company now plans to outstrip its competitors in the plastic drum sector by intensifying its activities there, too. The new production line in Worksop is capable of turning out several hundreds of thousands of drums a year. To make way for the new line, Schütz UK acquired extra land and extended the existing production area.
“A very promising new generation of drums has been developed on the basis of our revolutionary multilayer extrusion process,” says Mr Banks. “This applies particularly to the substitution of conventional steel drums. Given the prevailing market requirements, we will in future be concentrating on the three-layer, F1 tight-head drum in addition to our standard products.”
The F1 tight-head drum from Schütz was developed in close collaboration with Basell and is an excellent all-round performer. Its success is due to the new multimodal polyethylene, Histif 5431Z, used in its manufacture, which is produced using Basell’s innovative Advanced Cascade Process technology.
Thanks to its material profile, this drum is superior in every respect to conventionally used products. All in all, it is a convincing option thanks to its great cold-temperature impact strength, considerably improved stacking-pressure resistance and its tremendous resistance to stress cracking. Schütz has also successfully carried out cold drop tests of up to three metres on the drum, a sensational height for drums. The drum’s optimised top-plate geometry additionally ensures greater protection for both outlet nozzles. Last but not least, the Schütz product makes it possible for the drums to be completely drained (<100ml), in accordance with VPA 4, via both outlet nozzles.
The electrostatically equipped, three-layer model, type F1-EX, now also offers the opportunity to transport filling products with a flashpoint of < 60° Celsius. Until now, this could only be done in steel drums. Thanks to Security Layer Technology, the drum now has an outer layer made of conductive material (black) and the filling product is earthed via a contact strip. The drum passed the electrostatic safety test to qualify for use in hazardous areas 1 and 2.
The IBC world market leader is naturally also showing the latest innovations from its popular Ecobulk line at the trade fair in Birmingham. Schütz sees great market potential in the three-layer MX-EX IBC, of which an array of functional variants is available. One model, for example, comes equipped with an antistatic and translucent inner bottle and optionally with UV protection (white). According to customer specification, the same model is also obtainable with a conductive, black inner bottle that protects not only against UV radiation but also against visible light. The containers are suitable for the transport of filling goods with a low flashpoint of 60°C or for hazardous substances class 2A and 2A/B.
First and foremost, the six-layer Ecobulk model makes an ideal substitute for the stainless steel containers traditionally used in the food industry. The MX-EV-FDA has an EVOH oxygen and permeation barrier as well as a choice of white or black UV protection. The MX-EX-EV should prove an interesting proposition both for the chemical industry and also for the paint and varnish industry. Equipped with electrostatic properties and also an EVOH barrier, the MX-EX-EV opens up some entirely new applications.
“The outstanding advantage of our new product generation is that, thanks to the Schütz Security Layer Technology, our customers can tailor their IBCs and drums far more precisely to their individual needs than ever before. Against this background, we are confident that we will succeed in achieving our goals – now also for tight-head drums – in the short to medium term,” says Mr. Banks, looking confidently ahead.
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