Wolds smells secrets of success with peristaltic pumps 16 July 2014

Fragrances producer Wolds Manufacturing says that installing a Flexicon PF6 peristaltic filling machine has enabled capacity and sales growth, thanks to its rapid changeover capability.

Wayne Baker, director of the Lincolnshire-based processor, which specialises in low-to-medium volume product runs, says it was all about avoiding hand filling bottles.

"I previously worked at a company that operated nine Flexicon PF6 machines, filling water and oil-based liquids into bottles, so I knew the advantages they could bring," says Baker.

"We have found the machine to be extremely flexible," he continues. "We fill everything from 1ml tester vials up to 200ml pump-type spray bottles.

"We can change the fluid path in under a minute, which makes it ideal for the volumes we handle. On average we change product around three times a day."

The PF6 dispenser, from Watson-Marlow Pumps, provides Wolds with accuracy (±0.5%) and repeatability, as well as zero cross contamination and easy cleaning.

Contamination between fragrances is avoided by changing the AccusilTM platinum-cured silicone tubing for each fragrance or by rinsing the tube. Batch sizes at Wolds range from 1,000 to 3,000.

"The business would not be viable without our two PF6 machines as we would have to pour the products by hand," confirms Baker, who is now looking to introduce further levels of automation into the manufacturing process.

"At present, we produce around 50—60 products, but orders are growing week-on-week. I anticipate that it will not be long before we need to look at automated filling capability, and the PF6 filler gives us the platform we need to achieve this."

Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Watson Marlow Pumps Group

This material is protected by MA Business copyright
See Terms and Conditions.
One-off usage is permitted but bulk copying is not.
For multiple copies contact the sales team.