Rexam, Coca-Cola bottling, Coke, can coating, Nordson

Customer

Rexam produces more than 50 billion cans each year using plants throughout the world. At the Wakefield, UK, factory, Rexam produces 5,000 cans per minute using three lines and delivers to its main customer, Coca-Cola bottling through a hole-in-the-wall link.

Challenge
To meet Coke's lean manufacturing requirements, improved quality and higher throughputs were required. "We needed to spray the can the same every single time and with our existing unmonitored A20A guns, this wasn't always easy to do," said Nigel Curless, Rexam's quality manager at Wakefield.

Solution
The Wakefield factory upgraded their line to the new MEG® II spray guns and added the Spray Pressure Control System to monitor the pressure of each spray gun. Rexam also added a spray monitor system to immediately identify spray malfunctions that occur during spray operation, including variations in spray pressures and worn or clogged nozzles.

Finally, Rexam added the CleanSpray® system to keep the spray nozzle tips clean and wet during label changes or if the line was down.

Results
The inside spray performance improved in three ways.
1. Response time of the MEG II spray guns is almost twice as fast as standard guns. "The fast response time of the MEG means it has less variation and more consistency shot-to-shot, which helps when trying to spray at lower pressures," said Curless. This also means faster production rates and higher throughput.
2. Consistent pressure of the Spray Pressure Control systems gave Rexam a cleaner, more efficient operation, reducing downtime and maintenance.
3. The early diagnostics of the spray monitor system can save Rexam from coating hundreds or thousands of cans improperly.

"The objectives in upgrading our spray line were to improve quality, reduce variation, and to reduce costs," says Curless. "With this upgrade, we have achieved all three."