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George Utz UK, one of the world’s
leading manufacturers of multi-use
plastic containers to the supply chain,
has taken delivery of a giant plastic
injection moulding machine (pictured)
-the final piece of its multi-million
pound investment jigsaw which will see
a launch into the lucrative pallet market
as early as January 2016.
The new Krauss Maffei Injection
moulding machine - capable of applying
a massive 2700 tonnes of pressure and
complete with state-of-the-art robotic
handling technology – underwent a
600 mile sea and road trip from Munich
to Derbyshire and was delivered into
the Swiss-owned company’s Alfreton
manufacturing facility on five heavy-duty
lorries. It took two days to install the
machine in Hall 2 of the newly-extended
manufacturing plant because of the
logistical challenges of manoeuvring the
200 tonne machine into position.
This machine will be used for
the manufacture of the brand
new
iPal
plastic pallet which is set to
revolutionise the pallet market because
of its additional durability, adaptability
and green credentials - it is not only
recyclable, but is manufactured largely
The future is
stacking up
George Utz finalises its investment plan ahead of launch into
lucrative plastic pallet market, reports
Logistics
Business
.
using recycled materials. There is also
a capability for tagging and they can
also be manufactured in any colour a
client requires which helps traceability
and ‘repatriation’. It is set to start
production in the first quarter of 2016
and the main target markets will be the
automotive and retail markets.
Garry Archer, production director at
George Utz said: “This is a complete
step change for the pallet market and
we are already sitting down with our
existing end user customers to design
and bespoke how they want their iPal
pallets. Working in tough environments
such as the automotive supply chain,
the new pallets also have the ability to
be reinforced with steel to make them
even more durable.”
The Krauss Maffei Injection moulding
machine is not the first traffic-stopping
equipment delivered to the Alfreton
facility. In April four 20-metre giant
aluminium raw material silos each
weighing six tonnes, were put in place
alongside the other 12 existing silos,
again after undertaking a 600-mile,
five day journey by river, sea and road
from their place of manufacture in
Germany.
It is part of a broader investment plan
which has already seen the recent
opening of George Utz UK’s £3.5
million extension to its Derbyshire
facility and the recent spending of
more than £3 million on two other
1000-tonne robotic injection machines
as part of its commitment to long-term
UK growth by 2020 that will create a
further 50 jobs in the next five years.
Managing Director at George Utz
UK, Carsten Diekmann told us:
“The Krauss Maffei Injection moulding
machine will produce the levels of
pressure we need to develop the
exciting new iPal which in turn will
bring pressure to bear in the pallet
market which has remained static and
relatively low-tech for many years.
Most modern supply chains are built
around the dimensions of the humble
pallet, and this development brings
21st century thinking to what is a very
familiar product.”
ABOUT GEORGE UTZ
George Utz Ltd is the UK subsidiary of the Utz Group, a
worldwide provider of multi-use container solutions to
a variety of vertical sectors including the automotive,
retail and supply-chain markets where global demand
for greater inventory accuracy and cost-effective and
more sustainable ways of moving products provide
real competitive advantage. Founded in Switzerland in
1947, the family-owned company Utz is also increasing
its profile in the food processing, waste management
and pharmaceutical markets that have the specific
and demanding requirements the new factory will
comfortably be able to accommodate. Utz plans to use
LED lighting and recycle the heating from its own chiller
unit in the new development.
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Logistics Business Magazine | November 2015
PLASTIC PALLETS