For many years there has been close co-operation between Associated British Foods, owner of Allinson Flour, and DAN-Palletiser. So when DAN-Palletiser’s simple solution based on renting a MK1 palletiser outperformed a robot solution when presented, it was a clear choice for Allinson Flour. Flexible solution It is more expensive to have one employee on two shifts. The rental solution means production costs are minimized by saving on monthly wages.

The rental fee is an operational cost, so the balance sheet is not affected. Another advantage is a better working environment.

“It is a very flexible solution and there is no risk for us. There’s no investment up front, and we can buy the palletiser later or rent another machine” , says site manager, Michael Dalton.

Allinson Flour produces three kinds of bags – 0.5 kilo, 1 kilo and 3 kilo. These are shrink wrapped in parcels. The MK1 machine palletises 10 parcels (80 bags) per minute. This equates to 4.5 tonnes per hour (36 tonnes per shift).

The advantage of a palletiser is a much better working environment cutting down heavy manual lifts and one-sided, repeated work routines. “We are very satisfied with the rental solution from DAN-Palletiser. The rental fee is an operational cost, so it doesn’t go on the balance sheet. Another advantage is a better working environment”, says site manager, Michael Dalton.

The rental package includes: costs of freight, installation and commissioning, 8 hours training, one annual service overhaul, cover for all breakdowns and online/remote support service