Nørager Mejeri – Food Packaging

How automated waste handling improved productivity for NØRAGER MEJERI

Founded in 1984, NØRAGER MEJERI (part of NORDEX FOOD) produces and sells white cheese and other cheese and dairy products to customers around the world through three strategically located production sites.

Packaging forms an important part of the cheese production process. When the business first started operations with only one machine, the waste it produced was easy to manage by hand. However, as the business grew, now with four packaging machines in its Denmark facilities, the amount of waste created has also increased significantly.

“As production grew, we started wondering how much more money the business could make if operators weren’t spending time taking out the waste!” says Karsten Præstiin Nielsen, Technical Manager.

As production grew, so did waste

This increase in waste started to cause NØRAGER MEJERI several challenges.

Firstly, the waste went everywhere, which not only looked messy but littered the floor and became slippery. More importantly, it also meant there was slight chance of plastic pieces coming closer to the production area. With hygiene and product quality an absolute priority for NØRAGER MEJERI, this was something that simply could not be allowed to happen.

However, the most significant issue was the time it took to manage the waste manually. The machines had to be stopped constantly to allow workers to carry bags of waste outside. With breaks included, this could take up to half an hour, many times a day. The impact this had on productivity was not sustainable, especially as the business has plans to expand with more packaging machines in the near future.

A seamless process

“We reached out to Lundberg Tech’s experts, who were very helpful and easy to work with. The best automated waste handling solution for our needs was approved, then installed in only one week with minimal interruption to operations,” continued Karsten Præstiin Nielsen.

Connected seamlessly to all NØRAGER MEJERI’s packaging machines, all waste is now automatically taken away from the production area and deposited in a bag that can be easily removed and thrown into a container once a day, taking 5-10 minutes, with zero machine stops.

Everything is clean and tidy, there is no risk of plastic pieces going anywhere near products, and workers’ time can be far better spent on production speed and quality, rather than endlessly handling waste.

“Production has definitely improved with Lundberg Tech’s solution. Our operators can now focus on producing cheese, not removing waste, and we feel confident to move ahead with our expansion plans with no limits to our capacity,” Karsten Præstiin Nielsen concludes.

 

— NØRAGER MEJERI