How Turkey’s Leading Paper Packaging Expert Achieved Manufacturing Excellence

author

Jane Doe

April 12, 2024

How Turkey’s Leading Paper Packaging Expert Achieved Manufacturing Excellence
Hi-Con-Pulping-Loop-3D

Olcan Kagit, established in 2022 and headquartered in Gaziantep, Turkey, is a company that strives to manufacture high-quality egg trays for its consumers. A dedication that is clearly visible through its sizable investments in securing a state-of-the-art manufacturing infrastructure, including a distributed architecture, centralized process control, process visualization systems, process control algorithms, safety systems, and integrated ERP systems. 

Facing Obstacles: The Unique Predicament of Olcan Kagit

With an aim to become a key player in the egg tray manufacturing industry, they wanted a fool-proof DCS (Distributed Control System) plant setup which would help them achieve their goal. And with their automation and manufacturing control systems highlighting their operational efficiency, they needed a solution that enabled them to produce the quality and strength they hoped for in their egg trays.

During their initial attempts, they found that their pulp output needed to be stronger to retain the desired shape and to handle the weight of the eggs it was meant to hold. The company wanted to make egg trays from cupstock as the raw material. But that was a challenge in itself, as the raw materials like cupstock contain thin layers of plastics which are very difficult to separate from fiber. In addition, the presence of debris, non-cellulosic fibers, chemical additives, foreign materials, and other contaminants in the raw material would mean low quality pulp yield.  Moreover, inconsistencies in the pulp fiber length would lead to additional weakening of egg trays.

A much higher quality pulp yield was required for them to create solid and durable trays that could protect eggs and absorb the shocks and vibrations that happen during transportation and storage. To fix their problem, they needed a solution that could improve the strength, quality, and uniformity of their pulp slurry and ultimately streamline the drying process to decrease the moisture content of the pulp yield.

Charting a Course to Success: Parason's Approach to the Challenge

Shortly after Olcan Kagit noted what challenges they needed to be addressed, they contacted Parason Machinery, a globally renowned equipment provider specializing in creating innovative machinery that can greatly increase the performance and quality of manufacturing processes with minimal maintenance costs.

Right from the initial assessments, Parason's team understood their mission. They had to enable the egg tray manufacturer to turn their cupstock into food-grade egg trays with enhanced moisture resistance, structural integrity, heat resistance, barrier coating, and printability.

Parason knew the best way to achieve this would be through their pulp mill system, which could efficiently separate the plastic from the cup stock. After their discussions, Parason and Olcan Kagit decided to install Parason’s complete machinery setup for coarse screening, cleaning, fine screening, and refining the pulp to achieve the best results.

Ultimately, the Turkish egg tray manufacturer, realizing the value of Parason's equipment, decided to install a combination of equipment that would perpetually transform their manufacturing process and its outcomes. The equipment list included Parason’s-

Turning Strategy into Reality: Parason Machinery's Solution in Action

Parason Machinery wasted no time in dispatching a team of professionals to deliver and install the equipment Olcan Kagit required for complete stock preparation. After the installation, Parason sent its supervisors to Olcan Kagit’s plant in Turkey to assess if the installation was performed optimally and as per the plan. After completing meticulous checks, they moved on to installing, aligning and quality-checking the piping work. 

"We had to ensure that our equipment was delivered, installed and commissioned correctly and on time. Our process engineers and automation experts visited Olcan Kagit's factory to perform the necessary functional testing, safety checks, performance verification, quality control, integration testing, reliability testing, and software testing. No stones were left unturned to ensure our client's new systems passed FAT requirements before being commissioned." - Parason Machinery Engineering Team

The entire process of installation, inspection, and commissioning of the equipment was successfully completed in a short span of only 150 days. 

Estimating Progress: Olcan Kagit's Outstanding Transformation

Once Parason's process engineers and automation experts completed their FAT assessments and commissioned the equipment, Olcan Kagit witnessed tremendous improvements in their manufacturing process and the pulp quality they produced. They could now consistently generate a strong and clean yield of pulp free of plastic, spelling instant triumph for both companies, Parason and Olcan. 

The high-consistency pulping system and its unique rotor design helped Olcan Kagit significantly improve their vat circulation, thereby improving operational consistency by up to 15-16%. It also eliminated the problems they were facing due to the high volume of coarse contaminants.

Parason knew that by connecting their dilution pulper to the high-consistency pulping system, they could remove plastic and other persistent foreign materials to produce a highly consistent stock transfer and fiber recovery. Parason's pulper also allowed Olcan Kagit to process a rapid succession of batches in significantly less time than they could with their previous systems. 

Any remaining traces of contaminants, such as sand, glass, chips, and pins, were quickly removed using the Parason's high-density cleaner. The reject sorter improved fiber recovery and debris removal, resulting in significant cost savings by cutting down fiber loss. 

Thanks to the contribution of Parason Machinery, Olcan Kagit’s egg trays now meet all regulatory and quality standards required for creating packaging for food products. Today, Olcan Kagit has become a leading manufacturer of molded fiber products ranging from egg cartons to cup carriers, corner protectors, industrial packaging, box separators, and medical trays. This strategic partnership shows that the right manufacturing equipment can help you fix any hurdle obstructing your success.