User report – Möbelwerke A. Decker GmbH in Borgentreich
A building block of the true power package
Just recently you could read an exciting report about "A true Kraft package". A high-end solution in the field of flat parts packaging for the furniture industry. Read here for a no less informative report about the packaging of solid wood furniture.
Our Earth - What would Galileo's famous saying be today? Probably, "and it's still moving!" © Martin Gerhard Reisenberg (*1949)
That sounds rather ominous, but not inevitable. There are also companies that are positive examples of how we can all make a significant contribution to environmental and climate protection. Möbel-werke A. Decker and G. Kraft Maschinenbau implement these goals in an exemplary manner and have also found a sustainable solution taking into account economic aspects.
As a traditional family business, Möbelwerke A. Decker is a manufacturer of individual, high-quality furnishings made of solid wood. All products meet the highest quality standards in their function and appearance. The longevity of the products and the preservation of the environment are top priorities for the Decker company. That is why all products are climate-neutral and 100% manufactured in Germany. Only wood from sustainable forestry is used to manufacture the furniture. The product portfolio consists of timeless, modern collections for dining rooms, living rooms and bedrooms as well as for kitchens and offices.
Decker has extended the sustainability aspect of its furniture to its manufacturing and packaging processes. At Decker, packaging is done with corrugated cardboard and this corrugated cardboard is precisely sized through accurate creasing and cutting with the VPS 100 from G. Kraft Maschinenbau.
Initial situation at Möbelwerke A. Decker
Decker has also used cardboard packaging in the past. A large number of cardboard boxes of varying quality and quantity were kept in stock. This procedure required large loading capacities, a considerable internal logistical effort and constant purchasing activities to procure the many premade cardboard boxes. With batch size 1, the packaging result, in terms of product protection and appearance, was dependent to a large extent on the experience of the employee, since the processing was done by hand. The time required was great and the product protection was not consistently perfect.
The furniture was finally wrapped in film and the film shrunk in a shrink tunnel. This solution was not sustainable and created high costs.
The sum of all these facts contradicted the sustainability concept to which the company was committed, so a specification was formulated from the findings and requirements. Decker then began a search to find a suitable supplier in the market.
What spoke in favor of G. Kraft Maschinenbau was the fundamentally high value of its mechanical engineering, which is based on years of proven experience and innovative strength. In detail, it is the unique technology of the patented tools, which shine with precision and functionality, and its intuitive operation requiring very little training. Finally, it is the Kraft Box Designer that rounds off the package of advantages. The software tool enables customers to create new packaging designs on their own.
Mr. Nils Leinker, (Technical Manager at Möbelwerke A. Decker), sums it up aptly: "The technology convinced me" and adds to the usability: "Relatively simple to operate".
Apart from the purely technical features, Kraft offers everything from a single source and stands for cooperation based on partnership.
Kraft offers its customers a spacious technical center. Here, customized workshops are held with the customer to develop the optimum packaging solution. Located in an area of approx. 450 m², various machines with different feeding systems are available and are supplemented by typical packaging peripherals such as strapping and taping machines.
During the workshop with Decker, a packaging concept was developed based on the requirements of product protection, reduction of the variety of cardboard boxes and ease of handling by the employees.
Analysis of the product data led to a reduction in the variety of cartons to just two carton widths. The VPS100/2500 automatic cardboard cutter with infeed rotor, equipped with six longitudinal tools, one transverse tool and a tool configuration tailored to the project, was recommended. To facilitate handling at Decker, it was also recommended that the VPS be supplemented with a belt conveyor and that the shrink tunnel be replaced by a stretch film winder. This comprehensive concept was then implemented.
Conclusion
The goals set for the project were achieved. A precisely fitting packaging for batch size 1, as high value as the furniture it protects. Product protection is now consistently perfect because it is no longer dependent on the subjectivity of an employee. The corrugated package is now environmentally friendly, sustainable and has led to a reduction in packaging costs. A solution was found that met the requirements of sustainability just as well as fulfilling the principle of cost-effectiveness.