GERMANY – The KHS Group, one of the world’s leading providers of filling and packaging systems for the beverage industry, has invested €20 million (US$22 million) in modernizing its headquarters on Juchostraße in Dortmund, Germany.
In a bundle of measures underway since 2015, the company has built an approximately 4,300 -square meter production shop and fully renovated another in a move to ensure that it stays competitive in the long term.
KHS said that the last construction machines will disappear in the spring, marking the end of the extensive process optimization and other measures at the KHS production site in Dortmund.
According to plant manager Dr. Joachim Konrad these were absolutely essential to strengthen KHS’ competitiveness. “As a company active worldwide we find ourselves in a competitive situation and want to carry on manufacturing in Germany. We’ve therefore further digitalized and automated our infrastructure and processes in Production.”
As part of the modernization, KHS expanded the site’s production area and renewed the machine park. The company has also erected a completely new production shop.
The systems supplier further revealed that it has now created conditions that enable the relevant technology for container and pack conveyors to be merged and order processing to become more efficient.
KHS has also modernized one of the oldest production buildings on the company premises. In this project alone, the company invested 6 million euros in renewing the shop floor and roof; optimizing its Sheet Metal Manufacturing Department, incorporating new technology that includes a faster, more efficient fiber laser, a combined punching/laser machine and a larger, fully networked sheet metal warehouse.
KHS noted that this yields many benefits for its customers in the beverage industry, among them leading brands from around the globe. “Demands are becoming more complex.
“Like when you configure a new car nowadays, we can customize our filling and packaging systems to suit the precise requirements of the respective customer,” states Konrad.
“We cater for the huge individualism of each customer with our cleverly compiled, standardized product modules that allow systems to be designed and constructed in automated processes.”
Production sequences have again been considerably simplified during the course of numerous optimization measures. For KHS, the modernization is a big commitment to the production facilities on Juchostraße, says Konrad.
“The Dortmund plant is extremely important to the KHS Group, also because of its standing as our international company headquarters. With our investments we’re making it fit for the future. This sends out a strong signal to the regional economy.”
With around 1,200 personnel the company in Dortmund manufactures machines for labeling, pasteurization and bottle washing, among other equipment, plus container conveyor technology for industrial beverage production.
