Fernholz and Piovan Fdm: sustainable innovation in PP and PS sheet production

The plastics industry is a sector that requires constant innovation and adaptation. In this dynamic environment, W. u. H. Fernholz GMBH & Co. KG, based in Meinerzhagen and Schkopau - Germany, is at the forefront of sustainable innovation: in recent years, it has significantly reduced packaging weights and sheet thicknesses, working closely with its customers to develop eco-friendly plastic packaging. Fernholz is a leading manufacturer of multilayer PP, PS and PET sheets as well as decorated and printed PS sheets for the dairy and food industry. It processes around 2,000 tonnes of polymers per month. This equates to approximately 2.5 billion packaging units per year.

In March 2022, Fernholz started the expansion of the Schkopau plant, which is dedicated to the production of PP and PS sheets mainly for the dairy industry, by adding a co-extrusion line. The complete system was designed, manufactured and commissioned by Piovan Fdm.
Since Fernholz produces thermoforming sheets that are later processed into packaging for the dairy industry, it is essential that the sheet specifications remain constant over time without any variations in colour and composition. The customer therefore requested to be able to track production batches and check the history of the recipes used at any time. Moreover, given the non-negligible amount of side trimmings produced, it was imperative that they were fed back into the process to maximise production efficiency. Primary objectives were also to minimise energy consumption and noise emissions of the entire plant.
To achieve the objectives, Piovan Fdm designed together with Fernholz a Siemens PLC-controlled material handling system with two GDS7 loss-in-weight (LIW) gravimetric dosing units: this enabled both the precise dosing of each system component and the control of the extruder. Furthermore, with the construction of the plant in a new building adjacent to the factory, it was possible to use the existing silos for raw material supply. Looking ahead, as a second extrusion line will also be added to the new building, a centralised vacuum unit has been installed that can serve multiple receivers simultaneously and be expanded to increase productivity. To reduce noise and minimise footprint in the extrusion area, the centralised vacuum pumps were installed in a special room located 50 meters from the line and work areas.

It is this kind of synergy and collaboration that companies need in today's competitive industrial landscape. The partnership between Fernholz and Piovan Fdm is a prime example of how technical expertise and industry knowledge can be combined to achieve outstanding results.

Piovan Fdm's goal has always been to understand the needs of the customer and provide a customised solution. With more than 30 years of experience in the extrusion industry, Piovan Fdm can share an extremely thorough knowledge of loss-in-weight dosing technologies for all types of bulk materials, pellets, regrind and powders belonging to the polymer industry. In addition to dosing systems, Piovan Fdm designs and manufactures complex systems for materials handling, including storage silos, pressure and vacuum feeding systems, as well as dehumidification and crystallization systems. One of Piovan Fdm's greatest strengths is the in-house development of its control systems based on Siemens technology, thus adapting them to any customer's needs, which is essential if there is a need for communication with machinery or data logging systems. 

For any information, please visit our website https://www.piovan.com/ or contact us: https://www.piovan.com/network/

PiovanGroup
Piovan Fdm, based in Troisdorf, Germany, is part of the PiovanGroup. PiovanGroup is a global leader in the development and manufacturing of automation systems for the storage, conveying and processing of polymers, bio-resins, recycled plastic, food fluids, food and non-food powders. Over recent years, the Group has been particularly engaged in developing and producing automation systems for production processes for the bio-economies and circular economies for recycling and reusing plastic and for the production of plastics which are naturally compostable, tapping into crosselling opportunities. Since October 2018, Piovan S.p.A. has been listed on the Italian Stock Exchange in the STAR segment. 
Since October 2018, Piovan S.p.A. has been listed on the Italian Stock Exchange in the STAR segment. With 90 years of experience, more than 2,000 employees in 14 production facilities and 40+ service and sales branches/offices worldwide, the Group is close to its customers on a global basis, also through the continuous innovation of the solutions developed and the constant support that, starting from the design phase of the systems, extends to their installation and start-up as well as their operation. LTM revenues as at December 2023 reached EUR 571 million.