The Customer
For more than 135 years, Schülke & Mayr has stood for innovation, quality, and safety in infection prevention. The company develops and manufactures disinfectants, antiseptics, and medical skin care products for industries with high standards for hygiene and product safety. The facility described in this case study was designed for the main site in Norderstedt (Schleswig-Holstein).
The Initial Situation
The site had a drum filling system with a conveyor system for loading and unloading, which could no longer be operated economically due to low utilization. At the same time, demand for IBC filling rose significantly. An existing IBC filling system with a floor scale was no longer sufficient to handle the production volumes. The goal was therefore to integrate an additional IBC solution into the existing infrastructure.
The Requirement
As part of a concept review, two options were compared: a more highly automated solution with conveyor belts and a semi-automated solution with two floor scales. The analysis showed that the manual effort required was comparable for both options. Due to less structural intervention, simpler integration, and lower installation costs, the decision was made in favor of the more streamlined solution with two floor scales.
In addition, Schülke & Mayr specified the following requirements for the system:
- ATEX-compliant design for media containing alcohol
- high weighing accuracy and traceable documentation
- Flexible filling of IBCs and drums
- High throughput
- Fault-tolerant, safety-focused system design
The Solution
GREIF-VELOX implemented a custom-designed R-DOS filling system in an ATEX-compliant design, which ensures the safe handling of flammable, alcohol-based products. Filling takes place in alternating operation via two floor scales recessed into the floor: While one IBC is being filled, the next container is prepared. Once the target volume is reached, the operator manually swivels the filling system to the second scale within a few seconds. This results in a nearly continuous filling process with minimal changeover times.
The system is designed for flexibility and enables both IBC and drum filling without time-consuming retooling, as the filling parameters can be saved and retrieved on a product-specific basis. Another component of the solution is direct batch documentation with integrated printing—without the need for additional interfaces. Alcohol-based disinfectants are filled into IBCs and drums on pallets.
Process Reliability and Fault Tolerance
The system design deliberately accounts for potential operator errors and is monitored accordingly. Despite the reduced use of measurement technology, the system features redundant safety mechanisms. Overfill protection is provided in two ways—via weight measurement by the floor scale and via an integrated dynamic pressure sensor in the filling valve. The dynamic pressure sensor also performs functions related to double-fill detection and supports weight-based control. This redundant design was particularly well received by the customer during the acceptance testing.
The result: higher filling capacity with consistent ATEX protection
The new system achieves a throughput of up to 12 IBCs or up to 45 drums per hour. Compared to an existing third-party system, the filling time per IBC has been reduced from seven minutes to four and a half minutes.
With the new system, Schülke & Mayr efficiently meets the growing demand for IBCs, significantly increases filling capacity, and simultaneously complies with ATEX safety requirements. Integration into the existing infrastructure was accomplished with minimal installation effort. The combination of high performance, flexibility, and a streamlined system design resulted in a technically robust and economically sound solution.