The engineers at the world’s third-largest innovative agricultural input company, Bayer CropScience, were searching for a flexible connector that could be standardised throughout their global operations. They had to be 100% dust-tight, fast, easy and safe to fit, chemical resistant and most importantly, comply with stringent international Atex explosion standards. After an extensive search, the BFM fitting system has been selected as the standard flexible connector for Bayer CropScience’s global operations.
The Challenge:
As a large global manufacturer, Bayer CropScience had a huge variety of different flexible connectors being used in its plants around the world. They varied greatly in material type, fitting style, quality and safety. There was also such a multitude of different connectors being used in any one facility, that keeping track of replacement stock and batch-tracking in case of product faults was challenging.
In a drive to simplify and improve sustainability in their supply chain, Bayer CropScience needed to find a quality connector that could be supplied globally, and provide significant production and cost efficiencies, whilst also satisfying the varying local product, environmental and workplace safety requirements.
The Solution:
The transparent BFM® fitting was selected for testing in several plants in Asia, and following successful trials, the BFM fitting system has now been introduced throughout Bayer CropScience’s manufacturing facilities worldwide. The number of different connectors in use throughout the supply chain has now been drastically reduced, simplifying documentation, sourcing and warehousing.
Significant production efficiencies have already been achieved, such as at the German plant that each year undertakes more than 300 cleaning cycles (on multiple connectors each cycle): the BFM’s 30-second snap-fit replacement vs a 5-10 minute changeover for their previous connectors saves over 32 hours per year per connector
STANDARDISATION: The variety of connectors has been drastically reduced – fewer materials, and fewer sizes mean easier stock control and supply
DOWNTIME: The simple snap-fit system has created significant time savings in terms of cleaning change-overs
HYGIENE: The 100% dust-tight seal has eliminated dust leakage and provides a much cleaner production environment
INSTALLATION: The simplicity and standardisation of the snap-fit BFM® connector means they are fast and simple for all staff to replace.
HEALTH & SAFETY: No need for tools to remove means it’s much safer for staff to change over, and no dust leakage reduces chemical exposure.
EXPLOSION: The BFM fittings installed throughout the Bayer CropScience facilities have Atex Certification to satisfy H&S requirements.
The engineers at Bayer CropScience searched the world for a dust-tight, Atex certified flexible connector that was both versatile for their many different applications, and easy to install. The BFM® fitting ticks all their requirements and they are now standardising these throughout their plants worldwide. Case Study provided courtesy of BFM. Distributor Walter Cleaning Systems, Germany