Herma invests in new roll wrapping plant

Herma has commissioned a new fully automatic wrapping plant at its headquarters in Filderstadt, Germany. The 10 million euro investment completes the second phase of the modern coating plant II, which opened for production in 2008.

‘Having commissioned the new packing facility, we are now operating two entirely separate coating plants on the same site,’ said Dr Thomas Baumgärtner, Herma’s managing director and head of the self-adhesive materials division.

In recent years Herma has also completely refurbished coating plant I, which includes both slitting and wrapping operations. Dr Baumgärtner continued: ‘These dual systems enable us to offer customers maximum security of supply and punctual deliveries, which together represent a critical advantage in a hotly contested market.’

Fellow managing director Sven Schneller commented: ‘We have demonstrated our serious commitment to doing business in Europe. I am exceptionally pleased that our strategy of reinforcing production in Filderstadt, despite the current climate of global upheaval, is already bearing fruit.’

Depending on capacity utilization, coating plant II, together with the slitting and wrapping operations, is creating up to 70 new jobs.

The building that accommodates the new wrapping plant is 61 meters long, 21 meters wide and 5 meters tall. It is attached to the existing machinery building, which has a prominent curved roof, and was erected within 10 months. Among the highlights of the wrapping plant is the computerized picking facility. This is where the different rolls of adhesive material belonging to an order are automatically assembled in stacks up to two meters tall, which can weigh as much as two metric tons. Sixty individual stacks an hour can be wrapped in shrink film on pallets and forwarded for shipping.

Besides the wrapping facility, the investment for this development phase also encompasses two new slitters, plus a further two that are to be purchased in the next few years.

‘Our available production capacities put us in a very strong position to continue growing faster than the market,’ said Dr Baumgärtner. ‘In particular, we expect the launch of adhesive materials with innovative multi-layer technology, which Herma has been pioneering since 2010, to stimulate fresh growth.’

Pictured: Dr Thomas Baumgärtner, Herma’s managing director and head of the adhesive materials division

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