One-stop shop
By integrating third-party equipment into KHS’ service business, the supply of spare parts, overhauls and conversions are now all available from a single source. This speeds up and simplifies the process for bottling plants and at the same time reduces the time and effort they need for coordination.
As is usual in our branch of industry, as a supplier of turnkey systems KHS also integrates a considerable amount of third-party equipment into its lines,” says Frank Maevus, who heads the Large Machine, Labeler, Conveyor and Third-party Equipment Product Division in Service. “This is chiefly because certain applications on a filling line are managed by specialists whom KHS works with as partners. What’s more, machines for specific tasks especially are usually not required in a quantity that would justify running a separate organizational unit just for them.” As a line supplier, it’s thus important to provide all the technology as a one-stop shop. This applies to service in particular. “When our customers want spare parts, a general overhaul or a conversion, they shouldn’t have to deal with ten or more companies but instead with just one. KHS has taken on this role.” On the one hand, third-party equipment refers to integrated products that are a composite part of a KHS machine, such as glue pumps on labelers. On the other, this can include autonomous components such as can seamers, pallet wrappers, all kinds of closure conveyor, printers or dosing stations for nitrogen, to name but a few examples. This is the category Frank Maevus’ team works with. To this end, a process has been implemented that, by establishing a dedicated organizational unit and adapting various structures, has clearly boosted efficiency and shortened lead times.
Swiss mechanical engineering company Ferrum is the preferred supplier of can seamers on KHS lines.
Fair and marketable
The desired result was achieved by setting up a section for third-party equipment spare parts in the KHS Connect online shop where the prices charged by KHS’ main business partners are also shown. With them, KHS has agreed terms and conditions that enable fair and marketable prices to be further allocated. Beverage producers who operate KHS lines proactively receive an offer for suitable spare and wear part packages that also include the relevant components for the third-party equipment built into their lines. The same applies to the range of available conversions that encompasses not just machines and parts supplied by KHS but also by all third-party manufacturers. The appropriate documentation for all non-KHS components is of course also provided by the KHS team. Furthermore, in the future third-party equipment will also be incorporated into KHS’ system of discontinuation management in order to inform customers of pending discontinued components or controllers along the entire line in good time.
»With its single-source philosophy, KHS’ integrated third-party equipment service helps to save precious time.«
Head of the Large Machine, Labeler, Conveyor and Third-party Equipment Product Division in Service, KHS
If we take a look at the statistics, we can see how complex this topic was to date and how great the benefits for beverage producers now are. All told, Maevus estimates that KHS procures third-party equipment for its plant engineering from around 180 different suppliers. About 80% of this volume is covered by 30 top companies, with the number of preferred suppliers including Ferrum for can seamers, Gassner for closure infeed systems and H.F. Meyer for can turners and rinsers.
About the person: Saeed Bawazier
Saeed Bawazier is operations director at MenaBev in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. One of the biggest Pepsi bottling plants in the world covering 300,000 square meters is operated here. It recently made use of KHS’ third-party equipment service.
Three questions for... Saeed Bawazier
01 Why was your conversion necessary and what was changed exactly?
Our aim was to increase our degree of flexibility. On one of our three KHS canning lines we wanted to be able to not just fill our standard 330-milliliter cans but also 250-milliliter slim cans in the future. These are important for our export business and promise major growth. For this purpose, every machine on the entire line had to be converted – from the depalletizer through the air conveyor, can turner, filler and seamer to the packer and palletizer.
02 What do you consider to be the main advantage of KHS’ integrated third-party equipment service?
From our own experience in another case, we know how complicated and risky it can be to carry out projects like these with a number of different contacts. Being able to procure everything from a single source is a huge benefit: I’ve never experienced a project that’s run as smoothly as this one has.
03 What do you particularly like about the KHS service?
On the one hand, you can feel that KHS and Ferrum, for instance, are real partners who work together perfectly. On the other, I’m delighted that KHS has set up a service network in our region whose engineers are literally just a phone call away. This not only saves time and money; we also have far fewer and much shorter production downtimes.
At MenaBev in Saudi Arabia two container formats are now filled and packaged on its converted canning line.
Third-party equipment on a KHS filling line: spare parts are also supplied for can turner.
Worldwide integration
Now that all third-party equipment has been successfully integrated into the service processes at KHS headquarters in Dortmund, Germany, attention will be turned to its various subsidiaries worldwide. Thanks to the successive international SAP rollout (see the article on strategy), it’s now possible for everyone involved to work together in a uniform system landscape. With standardized workflows in place, inquiries can also be processed more quickly and more easily. From now on, maintenance or a general overhaul of a KHS line can be managed through just one contact from the initial offer to actual implementation.
KHS’ integrated third-party equipment service from a single source is particularly appreciated by beverage producers outside Europe especially. “In many cases, the suppliers of the third-party equipment we use are companies who don’t always have a global infrastructure like ours,” Maevus explains. “Just imagine: bottlers not only have to communicate with a number of different contacts but also coordinate with suppliers overseas. KHS’ integrated third-party equipment one-stop-shop service with its single-source philosophy therefore helps our customers to save precious time.”
