The Challenge: Automating Trim Removal Across Eight Production Lines
This French manufacturer produces approximately 20,000 children’s car seats per day. Their existing mechanical conveying system for plastic wrap removal had become a production bottleneck, requiring manual handling and frequent cleaning stops. With eight conveyor lines processing 2,500 seats daily, every interruption resulted in significant productivity loss.
Key issues included:
- Manual removal of trim under and around conveyor belts
- Safety risks from operators reaching beneath moving equipment
- Dust generation affecting air quality and increasing maintenance demands
- Lower recycling recovery rates due to material contamination
- A production area that appeared less presentable during customer visits
The manufacturer needed a fully automated waste extraction solution capable of removing plastic trim at the source, eliminating manual handling, reducing downtime, and creating a cleaner, safer working environment.
The Facts: Material, System Requirements & Production Parameters
The new system needed to extract lightweight PE film efficiently from all eight production lines without interfering with throughput or requiring manual intervention. Conveying distances, pick-up point count, and waste characteristics called for a stable, high-efficiency pneumatic conveying setup capable of eliminating dust and removing material directly at the source.
Material specifications:
- Material: PE packaging film
- Thickness: 15 microns
- Maximum waste size: 1,000 mm x 150 mm
System specifications:
- Production speed: 7 rounds/min (approximately 400 rounds/hour)
- Number of machines: 8, each with two pick-up points
- Maximum transport distance: 60 m
- Maximum vertical lift: 6 m
- Number of elbows: 5
The Solution: Automated Pneumatic Trim Extraction System
Kongskilde implemented a pneumatic conveying solution designed to automate the removal of plastic wrap from all eight conveying lines. The system combines the MultiAir 1075T blower with the ITF 160 inline Venturi system, supported by FK 80 and FK 120 piping and OK 160 piping for efficient material pick-up and transport.
How the System Works
- MultiAir 1075T provides stable airflow for continuous extraction
- ITF 160 Venturi enables long-distance conveying of plastic trim from each machine
- FK and OK piping routes trim waste directly to the collection point
- Fully enclosed conveying system eliminates dust accumulation in the factory
- System connects seamlessly to the existing production layout
This configuration enables fast, automated removal of PE film waste, eliminating manual handling, reducing downtime, and improving overall cleanliness around the production lines.
Advantages & Benefits: Improved Safety, Cleaner Air, Higher Material Recovery
Together, these benefits deliver a safer workplace, higher productivity, and lower operating costs, while freeing up space around the machines to create a more efficient and organized production environment.
Improved Workplace Safety
The pneumatic conveying solution significantly improved safety by removing the need for operators to collect trim waste around or underneath machinery. With automated extraction from every line, the customer no longer requires labor to transport plastic waste to the outdoor container, directly increasing available workforce capacity.
Greater Production Stability
Continuous operation across all eight conveying lines improved production stability by removing dust and preventing the accumulation of plastic waste or trim beneath the mechanical belts.
Cleaner Air and a More Presentable Facility
The enclosed pneumatic system eliminated dust emissions, improving working conditions and making the production area more presentable to visiting customers.
Higher-Quality Material Recovery
Material recovery is now more efficient and protected from external contamination, as the closed system delivers plastic waste directly to the compactor, improving recycling outcomes and reducing disposal-related losses.
More space around the machines improves safety and productivity contributing to better working conditions.
Plastic trim accumulating beneath the production line created safety risks, manual handling, and frequent downtime before the pneumatic solution was installed.
The pneumatic solution secures efficient handling of the plastic trim from all eight conveying lines.
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Explore Kongskilde Solutions for Automotive Safety Products Manufacturing
Kongskilde provides complete systems for plastic trim and film waste extraction, conveying, and collection, helping automotive component manufacturers remove production waste automatically, reduce downtime and dust, and keep production lines running efficiently.
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