To even better serve its customer base in Europe, MAUSER strengthens its product portfolio for plastic tight head and plastic open head drums by focusing on product quality, supply security and cost efficiency. The new European MAUSER plastic drum portfolio builds on a two product line strategy – a fit for purpose standard and high performance range of plastic drums. While not compromising on quality and supply security both product lines differ in UN-homologation level and packaging weight. In total the new MAUSER plastic drum portfolio reflects an increased diversification of packaging requirements by multiple industries that use plastic drums.
As the European market leader in plastic drums, MAUSER today is producing the well-known one piece blow moulded plastic tight head drum – MAUSER L-Ring Drum PLUS® design – out of more than fifteen cavities being installed in six locations across Europe. For the production of plastics open head drums – MAUSER O-Top® Drum design – in the complete volume range from 20 – 220 l the company operates more than 30 cavities in six European countries.
“Not only in terms of installed capacity, but especially towards production flexibility we consider our operational setup for production of plastic drums in Europe unique,” says Frank Schillinger, Head of Operations Europe at MAUSER Group. “As we are not depending on a limited number of high output machinery only, we are prepared to switch volumes to multiple backup units. Supported by a central logistics department and based on a unified quality management system in all our manufacturing locations, we produce our packaging at highest quality and most reliable supply security. With overall seven locations across Europe we always are close to our customers. This not only helps to optimize transport costs but it also reduces the environmental impact coming from the transport of empty packaging to our customers.”
Not compromising on product quality the MAUSER plastic drum portfolio comes with a unified UN-homologation certificate per drum type. Issued by the German competent authority, BAM (Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung), the certificates cover multiple production locations under the same reference number. “As a long time player in industrial packaging designed for the transport of dangerous goods we know about the difficulties and risks involved,” states Michael Schieck, Regulatory Affairs Packaging Europe, MAUSER Group. “We are one hundred percent aware of our responsibility as a manufacturer and that our products have to be in conformity with the latest regulations all the time. Even for long term standard products we continuously update relevant certification and try to improve wherever possible. UN-homologation certificates for our new plastics drum portfolio in Europe therefore not only come with a unified reference number but also cover multiple high quality HMW-HDPE materials. We and our clients do not want to be at any supply risk in case of potential raw material shortage for a specific HDPE grade.”
With its new plastic drum portfolio approach MAUSER addresses its customers’ unchanged interest in highest possible standardization while at the same time reflecting varying performance requirements by different applications. “To reduce complexity in their packaging portfolio our customers ask to have standardized high quality packaging across the region,” remarks Marc Loeffler, Head of Technical Service Europe at MAUSER. “But at the same time they more and more see the need to carefully reflecting what packaging requirement is needed for which specific application. It is not only the commercial aspects that make them look into fit for purpose packaging but also the growing awareness, that the UN-marking on a drum only tells part of the story when it comes to packaging performance and quality. Facing no problems in daily transport to our customers is much more important than seeing their goods being packed into packaging with the potentially highest UN-rating marked on it. Based on our extensive experience we estimate that 95% of all market applications for our plastic tight head drums are to be covered by our standard tight head drum at Y1.9/200 UN-rating. Quite similar situation applies to our open head drum range. We see our standard being rated for transportation of solids up to packaging group I, maximum density at 1.3 g/cm3, covering 85% of all market needs.”
Besides the comprehensive portfolio of standard and high performance drums MAUSER continues to supply its clients with multiple special and customized plastic packaging. “The implementation of the new portfolio for our European plastic drums comes with the clear intention to further optimize our product and service portfolio,” summarizes Juergen Scherer, General Manager SBU Europe, MAUSER Group. “During the last years we did a lot to enlarge and optimize our European footprint for the production of plastic drums. As the market leader we do not compromise on supply security, product quality and technical support coming with our plastic drums while at the same time we have to face a highly competitive market surrounding. Our new portfolio structure will help to even better address the European customers’ needs and sets the basis for more initiatives in this important product segment of ours to come. It highlights the strength of our company and is in line with our intention to be the most sustainable choice when it comes to industrial packaging.”