Demand for disinfectant has skyrocketed, reaching unprecedented heights. According to packaging and bottling machinery manufacturer Krones, many institutions are receiving this much-needed disinfectant in large containers, which, in practice are difficult to handle.
So, Krones is supporting hospitals, government agencies, police stations and fire brigades with its expertise, and is providing PET containers and the appropriate filling options.
In mid-March, Krones was already supplying Regensburg University Clinic (UKR) in Germany with 5000 half-litre PET containers for transferring disinfectants from large containers into these.
Since manual filling is not only very time-consuming but also labour-intensive, Krones designed what is so far the smallest filler in the firm’s history. The UKR’s in-house pharmacy can now use this filler for transferring the resupply of disinfectants faster, thus reducing the workload of its own staff and the clinic.
Because the demand for containers for antiseptic liquids of this kind was high in many other institutions, Krones produced more 500-millilitre PET bottles at its plant in Neutraubling. By the beginning of May, 400,000 containers with closures had already been made available to hospitals, police stations, and fire brigades all over Germany at cost. A second batch of 500,000 bottles is currently being produced.
However, not only institutions from the surrounding region, but also the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs got in touch with Krones, requesting support.
Krones and its clients do not produce and bottle disinfectants themselves. So Krones’ subsidiary KIC Krones was commissioned to bottle and package the disinfectants.
The disinfectants bottled and packaged on behalf of KIC Krones are then distributed by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs to institutions in the state.
Stephan Maschke, MD of KIC Krones said since disinfectant is based on high-strength alcohol, it is classified as a hazardous substance.
“For this reason, special safety measures apply during transport and storage and in bottling and transfer operations but KIC Krones, as the Group’s consumables expert, is thoroughly familiar with these,” Maschke said.
“In the current situation, particularly, we are benefiting from our broad network and our corporate knowledge of how to handle hazardous substances. What’s more, we were able to establish the requisite contacts for supporting the medical institutions concerned swiftly and unbureaucratically.”
Support initiatives on the part of Krones have not been confined to Germany. The Austrian subsidiary Kosme, for example, has produced PET bottles for the local fire brigade while Krones Inc. in the US has supplied a local paediatric hospital.
Krones is a member of the Australian Packaging & Processing Machinery Association (APPMA)
