Keep your equipment in good shape

The replacement of even small subassemblies can produce significant gains in efficiency. Hauni’s “Technical Improvement Program” (TIP) and moderniza-tions/upgrades for existing equipment offer a plethora of ways to make critical improvements in quality and productivity in both Primary and Secondary. The solutions are based on the customer’s individual requirements and are a worthwhile investment that usually pays for itself very quickly.

Unlike a partial or full rebuild, the improvement program targets specific aspects of the machinery or equipment for refinement. Many of the innovations from Hauni’s latest generation of machines are already included in the program. “In certain cases a technical upgrade can even make sense after just a few years,” says Torsten Struve, Product Consultant for TIPs and conversions. Taking advantage of these upgrades also helps to avoid the risks posed by the discontinuation of older subassemblies. And as the improved components are usually installed during scheduled maintenance, the machine is only taken out of the production process for a little longer than it would have beenin any case.

Hauni offers more than 300 TIPs for Secondary machines in the area of cigarettes, filters and logistics. Based upon individual consultations with customers Hauni can tailor solutions adjusted to specific customer aims, such as improving efficiency, achieving higher quality, saving material, adding functionality or cutting the time required for cleaning and maintenance.

By converting to an improved suction rod conveyor, for example, the standard deviation for the tobacco rod can be improved and the number of loose ends reduced on all PROTOS 70/80/90. Installing components optimized for heavy wear also significantly extends the service life of these parts while reducing production costs. Conversion of the suction roller, on which the tipping patches are cut in PROTOS cigarette makers, also yields a measurable benefit for customers. As the exchangeable cutter blades are reusable, the operating life of the suction roller can be extended by four times. The conversion therefore generates significant cost savings and also reduces machinery standstill times. Installing a short tobacco recovery can yield tobacco savings of approx. 1% and consequently reduce material costs substantially. These are just three examples of the many advantages offered by the improvement program.

But Hauni not only offers modernizations and upgrades for Secondary products, it also has much to offer in the area of Primary. From upgrades for the KT 2 to current series standard, dust extraction units for processing lamina, increased knife advance, an upgrade with new winnover expansion unit for the HDT or a lifting device for the KLK/KLD rotary dryer – there is an extraordinary range of opportunities for achieving cost savings. Ralf Kohlhardt, Head of Technical Services at Hauni Primary, highlights the installation of an energy-saving mode in the HDT superheated flash tower dryer. Instead of running the dryer continuously or switching it off completely during production breaks, the HDT can be put into an energy-saving mode with reduced fan speed and minimum use of the burner. “This saves a considerable amount of energy,” says Kohlhardt explaining the advantage of the new function. He also sees important advantages in upgrading automation technology. For example, Siemens has already announced that it will be discontinuing the production of its S5 series control unit. The upgrade from Hauni envisages the step-by-step replacement of the S5 control units with the more modern S7 units. The program begins by replacing 5 – 10 control units before extending the upgrade to the complete Primary or production line. Old S5 units, which are still in working order, can be stored for spare parts.

Hauni sees it as a duty to continuously extend its range of TIPs and modernizations/upgrades to benefitits customers, respond to their wishes even more effectively and maintain or increase still further the performance of its machines. Improvement workshops with customers in order to discuss and identify factory specific improvement topics are part of Hauni’s activities and can be a key element for keeping customers’ equipment sustainable up to date. Also proposals for improvements or partnerships with customers for developing such improvements are always welcome. You can find more information about TIPs and modernizations/upgrades at: