Mammoth power
Blow moulding at the plant in Pfullendorf
Blow moulding is a standard procedure in the plastics processing industry. However, the way in which the technology is used in Pfullendorf is unique worldwide. A great deal of know-how in both mechanical and process engineering is at work here.
UP means concealed, but it is also often used as a synonym for the Geberit cisterns used inside a prewall system. Concealed solutions from Geberit are in great demand – such great demand, in fact, that the production capacities at the Pfullendorf site in the south of Germany have been continually expanded over the years.
A quantum leap
You inevitably reach the limits at some stage when doing this and a quantum leap is needed to continue to optimally meet demand. This quantum leap happened in Pfullendorf when two new blow moulding machines moved into the plant. Their name, “Mammoth”, gives you some idea of the dimensions of these heavyweights. However, installing the machines is only half the battle. Their perfect integration into the existing processes is just as important.
Processes must run synchronously
Ensuring this is the job of the team of Rainer Brehm, the Head of Process Engineering at the second-oldest plant within the Geberit family. “Machine builders generally take the shortest possible cycle times as the yardstick, whereas we contribute our experience in cistern manufacturing and attach importance to the processes as a whole running synchronously.” This means that the concealed cistern blanks have to be checked, conveyed away, processed, checked again, packaged and shipped at least as quickly as they leave the Mammoths. Otherwise, a jam can occur.
Know-How Installed
Since the launch of the first concealed cistern over 50 years ago, Geberit has continually refined the technology. New functions have been added and installation has also been continuously simplified. 2008 saw a milestone with the launch of the UP320 (now called Geberit Sigma concealed cistern 12 cm) – the first cistern that can be installed without any tools.
