Heineken has installed a complete can line solution at Heineken’s brewery in Tien Gang, Vietnam, significantly increasing its production output.
Heineken is the second largest brewer in Vietnam, and employs approximately 3000 people in six breweries around the country. It focuses on high-output, high-efficiency single-format lines, and recently needed to boost its output quickly, said Paul Bleijs, supply chain director at Heineken Vietnam.
“We wanted to buy a new complete can line, doubling the capacity of the existing ones. However, a typical challenge is that you have to install the equipment while the brewery is in operation,” said Bleijs. “This is why you have to look at the layout very well but – thanks to the experienced line design team from Gebo Cermex – we overcame this obstacle.”
Gebo Cermex’s solution was a complete turnkey can line incorporating the new Sidel Evofill can filler, and the equipment was up and running seven days ahead of schedule, according to Gianmatteo Bigoli, strategic account director for Heineken at Gebo Cermex.
“We ensure that a stable expert team is supporting the customer on all their projects in Vietnam to capitalise on customer proximity, to easily grab their requirements, and to quickly implement the right solution for them,” he said. “What cemented our cooperation through the past 13 years is also our continuous focus on innovations: this is key for a global leader like Heineken.”
Bleijs says the results speak for themselves. “If you can run four weeks after starting the first canning, in three shifts, at a good OPI (Operational Performance Indicators) level, that means the job was well done,” he said.
