Krones

Krones AG
Aktiengesellschaft
Traded as FWB: KRN
Industry Manufacturing, systems engineering
Founded 1951 (1951)
Founder Herman Kronseder
Headquarters Neutraubling, Germany
Key people
 Christoph Klenk (CEO and chairman of the executive board), Volker Kronseder (Chairman of the supervisory board)
Products Machinery and production lines for bottling, canning and other packaging
Revenue € 3.69 billion (2017)[1]
Number of employees
 15,299 (2017)[1]
Website www.krones.com

Krones AG is a German packaging and bottling machine manufacturer. It is the world's leading manufacturer of lines for filling beverages in plastic and glass bottles or beverage cans.[2] The company manufactures stretch blow-moulding machines for producing polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, plus fillers, labellers, bottle washers, pasteurisers, inspectors, packers and palletisers. This product portfolio is complemented by material flow systems and process technology for producing beverages, plus syrup kitchens, for clients like breweries, dairies and soft-drink companies.

The company is devoting particular attention to PET economies in the production process for PET bottles. With what is so far the lightest-ever PET bottle for still water, weighing 6.6 g, Krones won the German Packaging Prize for 2008 in the sales package category.[3] The sustainability program, "enviro" is the group's own standard for designing machines and systems. With this program the user of the machinery gets a certified documentation of consumption data by the German Technical Control Board (TÜV) based on a best-in-class rating.[4]

History

Krones' corporate evolution is closely connected to the socioeconomic conditions prevalent in Germany following World War II.[5] Hermann Kronseder, the father of the present-day chairman of the supervisory board, used his own designs to manufacture semi-automatic labellers starting with 1951. The continuous success of his machines meant that as from the 1960s, the firm's range of machinery was extended to include packers and filling systems. In 1980, the company was converted into a stock corporation as Krones AG. Acquisitions of other companies were the building blocks for the present-day complete range of machines for the beverage industry:

  • 1983: Anton Steinecker Maschinenfabrik (brewhouse manufacture), Freising, Germany
  • 1988: Zierk Maschinenbau GmbH (bottle washers), Flensburg, Germany
  • 1998: Max Kettner GmbH (packaging machines), Rosenheim, Germany
  • 2000: Sander Hansen A/S (pasteurising systems), Brøndby, Denmark
  • 2015: Gernep Group (labellers), Barbing, Germany[6]
  • 2016: System Logistics S.p.A. (60% of shares), Fiorano Modenese, Italy

Corporate data

The headquarters of the group is situated in Neutraubling near Regensburg, Germany. In Germany in total 10,366 people are employed.[1] New machines and systems are all manufactured at the German production facilities (Neutraubling, Nittenau, Flensburg, Freising and Rosenheim). The internationally focused company achieves more than 80% of its total turnover abroad and is represented worldwide through 40 subsidiaries. The intralogistics business of Krones is handled by Syskron Holding GmbH since 2014.

Krones AG company premises in Neutraubling

Subsidiaries

  • KIC Krones GmbH (high-tech adhesives for labels and carton packages, plus processing and operating materials), Neutraubling, Germany
  • KOSME S.R.L. (filling and packaging machines for mid-tier companies), Roverbella, Italy

cover additional market segments in beverage filling.

In the year 2017 the enterprise increased the number of its patents and utility models to 5,484.[1]

Corporate structure

Plastics engineering

Top priority is given to stretch blow-moulding machines for the production of PET bottles of up to a volume of 3 liters, with an output of 12,800 to 90,000 bottles/hour. The PET recycling system is based on a PET Flakes cleaning process equipped with progressive temperature controls and decontamination.

Filling and packing technology

PET bottle filling line
A stretch blow machine (right) and a filling machine (left) in block alignment without intermediary conveyor belts

Attention goes to rinse, filling and capping lines with a rotary concept. This is where the enterprise distinguishes itself from inline construction, since only rotary lines are suitable for high-speed tasks of up to 72.000 bottles/hour or approximately 120,000 cans/hour, including aseptic filling systems for beverages with a high pH value (> 4,5). For the disinfection of containers and closures, PES or H2O2 is used. Further steps in beverage production as bottle-washing machines, inspection and control systems for bottles and bundles, as well as labelling machines for cold and hot glue or self-adhesive labelling complete the product range. Packaging machines for bundles either one-way or returnable, sorting and grouping stations, as well as palletisation systems supplement the spectrum.

Process engineering

Brewhouse plant

Breweries can be completely equipped with brewhouses, including fermenting and storage cellar equipment, along with assigned supply installations. Further, the company supplies syrup areas, mixing and carbonising equipment for manufacturing plants of non-alcoholic beverages. Heating systems as UHT- and flash heating systems or pasteurizing systems are available for beverage preservation.

IT solutions and material handling systems

The control of production process and the integration of production data into a comprehensive ERP system. Other IT products complement this product range. Logistics systems take care of the provisions for production and distribution, such as raw, operating and auxiliary materials, as well as finished products, where either block storage or automatic warehouse systems are installed. In addition, commissioning equipment permit the manufacturing of combined product pallets. Corporate planning is improved with forklift guidance and yard management systems during the unloading and loading procedure.

Notable milestones since 1997

  • 1997 Kick-off of the manufacturing of stretch blow-moulding machines for the production of PET bottles
  • 2000 Delivery of the first line for aseptic filling of sensitive soft drinks[7]
  • 2002 Premiere of the first PET recycling line for recovering PET bottles and re-using them as food-grade raw material
  • 2005 Expansion of the firm's aseptic filling technology to include dry sterilisation using H2O2; Krones had already been offering sterilisation with peracetic acid, and is thus the only company to offer both of these technologies.
  • 2010 The new ProShape Process for the production of oval and asymmetrical plastic containers is brought to market
  • 2010 Presentation of the new FlexWave heating system for preforms based on microwave technology for energy saving manufacturing of PET bottles.[8]
  • 2011 LitePac is introduced, a completely new method of packaging beverages: PET bottle formations are provided with strapping tape and a carrying handle only, so that waste from packaging can be reduced by 75% in relation to former shrink film packaging.[9]
  • 2015 With DecoType Select selectively direct printing to grooved and relief structures is possible.[10]

Business figures

Consolidated sales:[11]
  • 1,695 billion euros (2005)
  • 1,911 billion euros (2006)
  • 2,156 billion euros (2007)
  • 2,381 billion euros (2008)
  • 1,865 billion euros (2009)
  • 2,173 billion euros (2010)
  • 2,480 billion euros (2011)
  • 2,664 billion euros (2012)
  • 2,820 billion euros (2013)
  • 2,953 billion euros (2014)
  • 3,173 billion euros (2015)
  • 3,391 billion euros (2016)
  • 3,691 billion euros (2017)

Sales breakdown by sectors in 2016

  • Alcoholic beverages 32.1%
  • Soft drinks 60.3%
  • Food, Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics 7.6%

Executive board

  • Christoph Klenk, Chairman
  • Michael Andersen, CFO
  • Thomas Ricker
  • Markus Tischer
  • Ralf Goldbrunner

Chairman of the supervisory board: Volker Kronseder

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Annual Report 2016". Krones.
  2. ↑ Florian Langenscheidt, Bernd Venohr (Hrsg.): Lexikon der deutschen Weltmarktführer. Die Königsklasse deutscher Unternehmen in Wort und Bild. Deutsche Standards Editionen, Köln 2010, ISBN 978-3-86936-221-2.
  3. ↑ Deutscher Verpackungspreis
  4. ↑ Sustainability Report 2014, p.68-70|publisher=Krones
  5. ↑ Krones – Company history Archived March 3, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ "Krones Acquires Gernep Group - Quick Facts", RTT News, 8 April 2015. Accessed: 8 April 2015
  7. ↑ Brauwelt No. 46/47, 2000, p. 2052
  8. ↑ verpackungspreis.de
  9. ↑ vgl. Huber, Wolfgang, "Gebindekonzept mit Zukunft", in: PackReport June 2011, Pp. 18–19, Frankfurt/Main ISSN 0342-3743
  10. ↑ https://www.printfutures.com/news/2015/april/krones-implements-direct-to-plastic-decotype-digit
  11. ↑ Annual Reports 2005–2016
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