Packaging of thermoplastic for road markings is not a standard job, as glass pearls and friction material in the thermoplastic make the product highly amorphous. Fisker has developed a solution that is used successfully by several manufacturers.
Thermoplastic is the form of white-lining most often used for road markings. The main reason is that the thermoplastic is hard-wearing, which ensures the durability of the markings. Thermoplastic can be used for making stripes on the roads that are highly reflective during the night as well as non-skid pedestrian crossings with high-friction lines. The glass pearls and the friction material in the thermoplastic make the material ‘come alive’ and give it the desired effect in the road markings.
Special challenges
Fisker has many years of experience with the development of these solutions and has delivered packaging lines for thermoplastic manufacturers in Argentina, Ireland, Finland, Sweden and on the island of Langeland in Denmark.
“Designing this type of packaging and palletising solution is a specialised job which requires that we think along new lines,” says Sales Manager Flemming Foldager from Fisker. “The product is very pliable and presents some very special challenges, and as a result the packaging line cannot operate at the usual speed. As an example, it means that two bagging machines delivering material to the palletising robot have to run simultaneously. The thermoplastic is packaged into both small bags and bigbags.”
Ready for safe transport
It is also important that the individual bags do not shift on the pallets during subsequent transportation. This might cause the bags to slide off the pallets. “The fully loaded pallets therefore pass through a pallet wrapping machine or stretch hooder, which wraps the entire pallet,” says Flemming Foldager. “This protects the individual bags during transit.”
More specialised solutions
Fisker is receiving a growing number of enquiries for specialised packaging and palletising solutions. “Fortunately, we have built up considerable know-how in the industry over the years, and we are therefore able to meet our customers’ special requirements,” says Flemming Foldager. “As the architect of a customer’s solution, we always assume full responsibility, which guarantees that it meets the customer’s specific requirements.”