Schütz is using its platform at interpack, the leading trade fair for the packaging industry, to present numerous innovations and world premieres from the IBC, plastic and steel drum sectors. These include the new Green Layer series of packaging. For the middle layer of the IBC inner bottles, drum bodies and jerrycans of this product line, Schütz uses 30% high-quality, natural-coloured recycled material, which is recovered as part of its worldwide collection programme for emptied packaging.
In keeping with this commitment to sustainability, the company is presenting further product innovations that help to minimise the CO2 footprint of packaging through the use of recycled material. These include a newly developed, eco-friendly full plastic frame pallet, specially designed for the safe and smooth transport of IBCs in modern automated warehouses. Its special geometry makes the pallet suitable for in-house transport on conveyor systems. The full plastic frame pallet is highly durable and is made entirely with recyclate which Schütz collects during the reconditioning of used IBCs in the company’s own recycling centre.
The 3-skid steel pallet with embossed metal skids is a prototype of another Schütz innovation in the pallet sector. Compared to standard steel skid pallets, it has a new additional middle skid, which greatly enlarges the contact area. The solution developed by Schütz offers optimised weight distribution, it is highly robust and has greatly improved handling properties on conveyor systems. Due to the high stability and minimised sagging even under full loads, the pallet is optimised for use in high-rack warehouses and automatic transport systems.
New components for the highest process safety and cleanliness
At interpack, Schütz will be showing how the company continuously advances and improves its containers and components, for example with the new CC / FC Breather. This is a new standard that was specially developed for the Cleancert (CC) and Foodcert (FC) product lines. The system is used to ventilate containers quickly and safely during product discharge. With the Breather, IBCs can be emptied without having to open the screw cap or remove the bung plug. The new component allows users to minimise contamination risks and increase food safety, especially at the beginning of the value chain. Another example for the protection of filling goods is the Automatic Lock bung closure. This solution, already established in the drum sector, will in future also be supplied to all IBC customers who use a screw cap with a bung as standard. The Automatic Lock is a closure system with a tamper-evident seal for heightened hygiene and safety.
An additional innovation that Schütz will be showing at interpack is the Schütz Dip-tube system for the completely closed discharge of highly sensitive and hazardous filling goods from IBCs and PE drums. The solution was specially developed to give liquids a high degree of protection from external contamination during discharge. The Schütz Dip-tube is suitable for use with both Schütz Ecobulk IBCs and Schütz tight-head drums and is compatible with all leading connection systems on the market.
A premiere for the Schütz Laser Drum
As a leading global trade fair, interpack is an important source of ideas for the entire industry and thus the appropriate setting for a world premiere from Schütz: the packaging specialist is presenting the new Schütz Laser Drum for the first time, setting a new standard in the field of steel drums. The global player uses hot-dip galvanised sheet steel directly from the coil to manufacture the steel drums. The raw material is dipped into a molten zinc bath before the coil is wound and galvanised to obtain a high-quality, evenly distributed zinc coating on all sides. The drum body is manufactured in a special laser welding process by butt-welding the sheet metal together. After lid and base assembly, the Schütz Laser Drum is comprehensively protected against corrosion inside and outside. The new type of drum is a high-performance alternative, especially for demanding and sensitive filling products, for which in the past conventionally galvanised or internally coated drums have been used. Another innovation is the Schütz Drumfix load securing system, a new system that allows steel drums to be safely secured during transport. With the Drumfix system, four drums can be securely fixed on a pallet. The system, made of reinforced and recycled plastic, was specially designed to create fast, environmentally friendly and stable load units.
Double safety for flammable hazardous goods with the Ecobulk SX-D
Ensuring maximum safety was a priority in the development of the Ecobulk SX-D. The IBC was designed as a double-walled system specifically for the transport and storage of flammable hazardous liquids. Even under extreme conditions and in critical areas, this new container type offers maximum protection thanks to a closed, fire-resistant outer hull made of steel. In the version with an integrated Dip-tube system for filling product removal from above, the SX-D is the first and only combination IBC so far to have FM Global approval. At interpack, Schütz will be debuting the prototype of a new product variant of the Ecobulk SX-D with access to an outlet fitting integrated into the outer hull, thus enabling discharge from below. With the protective lid closed, full leakage and fire protection are still provided; UL approval is being applied for.
New PE jerrycans for smaller filling quantities
Schütz is celebrating another premiere with the presentation of the SC1 jerrycan series, an extension of the company’s product portfolio of plastic packaging for smaller filling quantities. Based on years of expertise in 3-layer extrusion blow moulding technology, Schütz manufactures the jerrycans in various configurations and sizes for filling quantities ranging from 5 litres to 30 litres. The jerrycans are characterised by a high degree of stability, simple and safe stackability as well as optimised emptying. The new product line, which will also be available in a Green Layer version with 30% recycled material, fits seamlessly into the packaging expert’s successful product portfolio of IBCs and plastic drums.
For even more application flexibility, Schütz has added a new IBC model with 560 litres (150 gallons) filling volume to the Ecobulk series with its many variants. The Ecobulk MX 560 is a compact all-rounder and offers optimum filling volume with a lower container height. The IBC is based on the same base assembly as the larger MX models with 820, 1,000 and 1,250 litre capacities. The proven pallet dimensions of 1,200 x 1,000 millimetres not only ensure full compatibility of the models when stacking, but have also proven ideal for utilising storage and transport space. This is a particular advantage in industries in which large containers are not needed because the product is highly concentrated, e.g. agriculture and agrochemicals; here, the MX 560 is the ideal solution for high-quality, highly concentrated crop protection agents or seed dressings.
Multi-media display – experience the Schütz INFO-ID
With numerous exhibits at the booth, visitors can experience the economic and environmental advantages of Schütz products and services live and at first hand. The company will be welcoming visitors at a multi-storey, elaborately designed exhibition booth with over 650 square metres of exhibition space, and will be illustrating its many innovations using large-scale integrated LED technology and multimedia displays. Visitors can experience a key innovation in the field of digitalisation for themselves at the stand: All IBC exhibits are equipped with the new SCHÜTZ INFO-ID, a QR code that can be scanned to quickly and conveniently obtain detailed product information on a mobile device.
Sustainability in practice with self-generated renewable energy
Apart from optimising its products in terms of raw material and energy consumption, Schütz has also been making huge investments for many years in developing a regenerative and sustainable energy supply with its own wind parks and solar plants. At the largest site of the industrial packaging manufacturer in Selters, Germany, for example, 50 per cent of the electricity demand has been covered by renewable energies since the beginning of the year. A major advantage for customers: both the end products from Selters as well as the plastic components used worldwide and the metal components used throughout Europe are manufactured with 50 per cent self-generated renewable energy.
Further information is available until 10 May at interpack in Düsseldorf at the SCHÜTZ booth D22 | E34 in Hall 10.
