The installation of this line, with a comparatively high rating for edible oil of 22,000 containers per hour, was the highlight so far of NT’s corporate thrust for expansion.

Hungary is the world’s eighth-largest producer of sunflowers, and in terms of yield per hectare it even comes top. In the European Union, Hungary has since 2016 ranked first, with a harvest of well above 1.8 million tons. So for the Agrofert Group, acquiring a stake in NT GmbH was a strategic decision. Following the capacity expansion of the refinery, NT together with Agrofert was able to increase sales substantially through various distribution channels. Currently the company is holding a market share of above 50 per cent.

Filling capacity now the bottleneck

NT was running a total of three rather elderly bottling lines:

• A 12,000-bph line for one-litre bottles, featuring a Krones Contiform blow-moulder
• A 6,000-bph line for two-litre bottles
• A line for five- and ten-litre containers

Together, these lines handle 500,000 litres a day – not enough for NT. Which is why under its new management the company decided to double its capacity, and concentrate on a single line the filling operation for the one-litre container, for which demand is highest.

22,000 containers per hour

Installed in its entirety by Krones, the line handles 22,000 containers per hour, and comprises:

• Blow-moulder/filler block, consisting of a Contifeed preform roller sorter, a Contiform 3 Pro blow-moulder, and a Modulfill NWJ weighing filler with 55 filling valves
• Checkmat inspector for verifying the fill level
• Modularised Prontomodul labeller with a Canmatic station for precut paper labels and a Contiroll station for wrap-around labels made of OPP (oriented polypropylene)
• Checkmat inspector for verifying correct label placement
• Variopac Pro WTS for end-of-the-line packaging in trays with film or wrap-around cartons
• Modulpal 2AC palletiser for stacking the packs on europallets or Düsseldorfer half-pallets

Milan Kunciř singles out several points that influenced the choice of Krones: “The crucial factors for us were these

• the good performance of the Contiform technology in the existing line,
• Krones’ high profile, particularly in Czechia’s brewing industry,
• the local expertise provided by Krones’ agency in Hungary,
• producing and bottling 480,000 litres in round-the-clock operation – with all of the kit single-sourced,
• the quality and reliability of German engineering,
• and the acceptable price.”

Weighing cell technology

For bottling edible oils, maximised accuracy in the filling operation is a crucial criterion for decision-making. For the first time, NT is using a weighing filler instead of a volumetric model. “We believe this will give us higher filling accuracy, irrespective of the product’s filling temperature and viscosity,” says Milan Kunciř. The Modulfill NWJ assures these precise fill quantities specified, since its weighing cells monitor the inflowing oil during the entire filling operation. Once the desired weight has been reached, the valve closes and the product can briefly settle. Then the weight is checked again.

The two different filling speeds ensure perfect flow behaviour. Flow straighteners in the valve produce a filling operation with minimised foaming and turbulence. Installation of the new line was a well-nigh perfect job, says Milan Kunciř.

Krones was right on schedule. So far we’ve been extremely satisfied.

Milan Kunciř 

Now that the new high-speed oil line has eliminated the bottleneck in the firm’s filling capacities, NT can tackle some new projects: the tank farm is to be upsized, the output of the oil mill increased yet again, and the processing of the by-products upgraded. So the thrust for expansion is set to continue for quite a while yet.