Floriculture and Cut Flower Industry
Wexxar professionals work with numerous floriculture and cut flower operations, from importers and logistics facilities to nurseries and bouquet packaging facilities. They bring a full understanding and appreciation of the ever-expanding demands in the floral industry. Their commitment to provide the best long-term solution and return on investment is paramount.
Floral Logistics Facility Application
Thought-leaders in floriculture management can see how this floral logistics company and importer of fresh cut flowers doubled productivity and reduced product loss.
Project Overview:
The company was experiencing a surge in demand for their fresh-cut flowers, bouquets and consumer bunches. Their project required that they convert a hand pack operation to semi-automatic forming of a tall master shipper for immediate load, seal, and transport to retail chains across the US. Their plant is located near a major Southern airport which means they quickly handle the turn-around and delivery of temperature-sensitive floral products.
The Customer Challenge
Poised to double their supply of fresh-cut flowers to retail chains throughout North America, the company found that they would either need to add manual labor or automate. They needed to put a plastic bucket of water with flowers in a box and seal it on quick turn-around. This sudden increase in demand was exaggerated by seasonal events such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. They were concerned about the manpower it took to get the flowers to customers, and the corresponding display readiness needed for these types of delicate products. In addition to labor and packaging bottlenecks, the flowers were simply not lasting long enough to absorb any production delays. They approached Wexxar's local distributor for methods to increase efficiency and to avoid floral product loss - citing this as their top packaging challenge.
The Wexxar Bel Solution
Wexxar recommended the BEL 505g4/151 case former and bottom sealer and the BEL 252 automatic tape sealer as a solution that would speed up production and prepare their product for shipping using half the labor and half the time.
The Wexxar Bel system immediately alleviated the bottlenecking and excessive manpower. The box was formed with the BEL 505g4 and bottom sealed with a BEL151. The box was then conveyed to where it was packed with flowers and automatically closed and top sealed using the BEL 252 automatic case sealer. Thanks to the increased production and reliability offered by this solution, the logistics company was able to overcome their major problem of floral postharvest and of keeping cold chain deliveries consistent. This process meant they saw a return on their investment inside of 4 months.
The standard features of both the BEL 505g4/151 and BEL 252 systems provided the key combination of operator safety, delicate handling of cases, and a seamless transfer of the product-filled box into the sealer. Tools free adjustments allowed for quick case size changeovers during daily operation.
Both systems come standard with high performance DEKKA brand tape heads which provided a quality sealed case, both top and bottom. Dekka tape heads are interchangeable and can be moved between machines, as needed. A heavy-duty drive system also ensured cases were squarely taped, and all delicate products were packaged and sealed in a protective manner.
Return on Investment with this Application: 4 months
Please contact our Regional Sales Manager for more details on how these systems pay for themselves at: 1-888-565-3219.