Displaying items by tag: packaging

Canada: Screen suppliers to the cement industry Haver & Boecker Niagara and Major have jointly presented an online seminar aimed to “give operations the tools to maximize production, improve performance and increase revenues” through a discussion of “best practices, insights and real-world examples.”

Major president Bernard Betts said, “Major and Haver & Boecker Niagara are leaders in the screening industry, so joining forces gives us the ability to provide customers with a one-stop shop for improvements in every aspect of screening. This webinar complements our customer service efforts to support mineral processing operations. We are dedicated to helping producers improve efficiency and performance.”

Vietnam: Siam Cement Group (SCG) subsidiary SCG Packaging has launched Doozypack, a Kraft paper cement bag made using recycled paper. The company “applied the circular economy principle to the product’s development, enabling consumers to live sustainably,” according to general director Ekarach Sinnarong. Viet Nam News has reported that SCG Packaging partner Vina Kraft Paper is able to recycle Doozypack bags, along with all other SCG paper cement bags, thereby “extending the circular economic principle into the next cycle of use.”

Russia: Eurocement subsidiary Mordovcement has begun packaging its CEM-I Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) in 50kg bags made of polypropylene. The company said that the plastic has strength advantages over paper and makes its products harder to counterfeit. It advised customers to reuse the bags for collection and disposal of waste, or to recycle them.

Germany: Haver & Boecker and BillerudKorsnäs have published ten Sack Packaging Norms to provide a “common language” to correct “repeated, unnecessary errors which to lead to waste and loss of product performance.” BillerudKorsnäs Technical Service Director Mikael Peterson said, “If producers and users of paper bag packaging follow the recommendations and guidelines, and implement these norms in their supply chain - efficient and effective packaging manufacturing, filling, handling, storage and transport of the finished goods will be secured. As an industry we will reduce waste significantly, making a major contribution to saving our planet.”

Thailand: Siam Cement Group’s (SCG) planned sale of up to 30% of shares in its subsidiary SCG Packaging has received the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission. SCG is awaiting better market conditions for the sale, after it postponed the initial public offering (IPO) in mid-March 2020 following the coronavirus outbreak. The company said, “Once the overall situation becomes clearer and more conducive, SCG will proceed with its IPO and the listing of its shares on the Stock Exchange of Thailand.”

SCG said that it is selling the shares to raise funds for ‘international and domestic business expansion.’

Russia: Eurocement subsidiary Belgorodsky Cement has dispatched the first batch of bagged cement from the new packing and palletising line at its 3.8Mt/yr integrated plant in Belgorod West, Belgorod Oblast. The 70t/hr-capacity line produces 50kg cement bags on pallets of 1.7t (34 bags).

Eurocement has also announced the first delivery of cement from its Belgorodsky Cement plant to Yaroslavl, Tolyatti and Nizhny Novgorod by river in 2020. Eurocement senior vice president Alexander Sapronov said, “The delivery of products by river transport is one of the most cost-effective methods of transportation. High-quality loading and reliable packaging guarantee consumers complete cargo safety.”

Eurocement has continued production throughout the coronavirus outbreak, but has restricted meetings, conferences and training sessions since 23 March 2020. The Group said, “Eurocement products are strategically important to the nation's economy. In order to ensure smooth operation of production facilities and of the group as a whole, measures have been taken to minimise the risk of spreading the coronavirus.” These include: ‘regular health check-ups and temperature measurements for employees and subcontractors, air disinfection, antiseptic treatment of operational surfaces, provision of skin antiseptics in toilets and informing employees about safety recommendations.’

Belarus: Belarus Cement Company (BCC) has begun selling its cement in 15kg bags in addition to its usual 25kg. BCC general director Alexsandr Dovgalo has said the company intends the move to increase the ability of its product to meet consumer demand.

Nepal: The Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology has imposed a range of quality control and certification measures upon the local cement sector. The changes are intended to improve the quality local products, according to the Kathmandu Post newspaper. The new rules include making it mandatory to include expiry dates on cement packaging. This should not be more than three months after the date of manufacture. A date for the implementation of the new rule has not been set yet.

The standards bureau has set up changes to allow domestic cement to be labelled under 33, 43 and 53 grades under government-set criteria. Previously, cement producers were free to label their own products. It has also requested that manufacturers laminate cement sacks according to new regulations.

Ethiopia: A new bag-packing unit at Dangote Cement Ethiopia’s Mugher plant in Oromia is unable to start operation due to a lack of raw materials. The US$20m polypropylene bag plant was completed in April 2018 but it is restricted by government controls on foreign currency that are limiting its import of input materials, according to the Reporter newspaper. The unit can produce up to 120 million bags per year.

The cement producer has also suspended plans to build a second 2.5Mt/yr production line at the plant. An agreement was signed with China’s Sinoma International for the project but it has since been abandoned due to a shortage of foreign currency, a lack of electrical power and general security issues. Deep Kamara, the country manager of Dangote Cement Ethiopia, was killed in an gun attack in mid-2018. No one has been arrested in relation to the murder.

Russia: Eurocement has resumed the packaging line at its Oskolcement plant. It sells products in 50kg bags. The packaging line uses equipment from Germany’s Haver & Boecker and Beumer.