trendgineering
Reduced waste - higher efficiency
| Ana Laura Vera, Petra Rehmet
How Pladesan Solutions revolutionized its modular conveyor belt production
Pladesan Solutions is a key player in Colombia's manufacturing landscape, providing modular belts and conveyor chains to industries as diverse as food, pharmaceutical, and logistics. The partnership with KraussMaffei has not only improved their production quality but also led to significant reductions in waste, energy consumption, and operational costs—all while ensuring product consistency and boosting operational growth.
Pladesan Solutions is a trusted name in the design and manufacture of precision parts made from high-performance thermoplastics and composite materials.
Founded in 1962, this family-owned company is based in Bucaramanga, Colombia. Its core strength lies in producing modular belts known for their exceptional durability, dimensional accuracy, and strength.
These qualities are essential for demanding industrial applications, where even the slightest deviation can lead to inefficiency or downtime.
However, maintaining these stringent quality standards in mass production is no easy feat - it requires the right combination of technology, expertise, innovation and human capital.
The challenge: precision and consistency
At Pladesan, precision is non-negotiable. Every product must meet strict functional specifications, including precise dimensional parameters.
In a highly competitive market, ensuring excellent material homogenization during production and high process repeatability is key to maintaining the reputation for consistency and quality.
With an expanding client base and increasingly complex orders, Pladesan faced the challenge to improve production efficiency while maintaining their exacting standards.
The question was: how could they meet these rising demands without sacrificing quality or sustainability?
KraussMaffei: technology partner of choice
To address these challenges, Pladesan turned to KraussMaffei. Today, the company operates five KraussMaffei injection molding machines with clamping forces ranging from 65 tons to 300 tons and injection units from SP 180 to SP 2000.
The adoption of KraussMaffei’s advanced injection molding machines proved to be a turning point for Pladesan. According to the company, these machines are more accurate and stable than previous models, enabling them to produce high-quality products with consistent performance.
For a business where process stability and product uniformity are critical, this consistency was a game-changer.
Producing our modular conveyor belts with KraussMaffei machines has generated key benefits that have been instrumental in growing our business.Alberly Quintero Manzano
Development Director Pladesan
The Impact: reduced waste, higher efficiency
One of the most significant benefits Pladesan has experienced since integrating KraussMaffei machines into their production line is the reduction of waste.
Thanks to the precision of KraussMaffei’s equipment, Pladesan has been able to minimize production errors, leading to fewer rejected batches and less material waste.
But it’s not just about waste reduction. The machines have also contributed to significant improvements in overall process efficiency.
Digital products: a new era of innovation
Beyond the physical machinery, Pladesan has embraced KraussMaffei’s digital products to further enhance their operations.
The company currently uses APCplus and the BluePower servo drive on all their machines, which have proven indispensable in improving process stability and reducing energy consumption.
The patented machine function APCplus automatically adjusts injection parameters in real-time. By continuously monitoring the production process, APCplus ensures that each batch is produced with optimal settings, minimizing variations and ensuring product consistency.
Additionally, BluePower has significantly contributed to the sustainability of Pladesan’s operations. The tool allows the company to optimize energy usage, leading to reduced operational costs and a smaller environmental footprint.
In a world where sustainability is becoming increasingly important to both businesses and consumers, this reduction in energy consumption has been a major competitive advantage.
Currently, Pladesan is also evaluating the implementation of socialProduction, another digital product offered by KraussMaffei. This product promises to provide even more precise control over the production process, further improving efficiency and product quality.
A strong partnership for future growth
Pladesan’s experience with KraussMaffei has been overwhelmingly positive, not only in terms of the technology itself but also in the support they have received.
KraussMaffei’s technical personnel have been available to assist with any issues, and we’ve also had the opportunity to participate in training courses, both in-person and virtually, which has strengthened our internal capabilities.Alberly Quintero Manzano
Development Director Pladesan
Looking ahead, Pladesan plans to continue its partnership with KraussMaffei as they explore future commercial expansion opportunities. "We are very pleased with our decision to work with KraussMaffei", they say.
"Their technology and focus on innovation have been key to the growth and success of our material handling line, and we will certainly continue to rely on them as we grow."