Helly Hansen, a global supplier of ski, sailing, outdoor and workwear, has moved from its highly manual packing process, which included multiple manned stations for picking, packing and shipping, to a highly automated process. The company has replaced its old line with an automated end-of-line (EOL) system from Ranpak, which consists of a Formit case erector and a Cutit Evo automatic in-line packing machine that adjusts the height of the cases to the actual fill level, minimizing the volume of empties before shipping. Helly Hansen employs around 1,750 people at all its sites, including around 50 full-time employees and up to 60 temporary workers in the warehouse area, depending on seasonal workloads. The new system configuration has enabled the company to almost triple its throughput of ready-to-ship cartons per hour.

Hans Heijdeman, Operations Manager at Helly Hansen's European Distribution Center, says: "We have gone from manual picking and packing, which allowed us to prepare and ship three to four hundred parcels per hour, to a fully automated system that processes 1,000 boxes per hour in a 16-hour working day. What's more, the new system was implemented during a season of record sales, which is a really great achievement. Ranpak provided us with excellent support during this changeover. We are very pleased with the accuracy and reliability of our new solution. With Cutit Evo, we no longer ship empties as we are now able to reduce the height of the cartons to the actual fill level. We can also put more boxes on the pallet than before, which reduces truck traffic on the road. In addition, the automated system has significantly increased our throughput, which gives us a competitive advantage as we move into the future."

Solution from the neighborhood

Before learning about Ranpak's EOL automation solutions, Helly Hansen had received another proposal from a third-party supplier to partially modernize its packaging process and asked this potential supplier to add a conveyor belt and automation capabilities for the cartons. "Unfortunately," says Heijdeman, "the solution proposed by this company fell short of our expectations."

Then, by chance, carton supplier Heijdeman introduced Helly Hansen to Ranpak, which is only 20 minutes away. "We checked out Ranpak's offer and were immediately impressed by the Formit carton erector. It was so easy to use that the decision was easy for us. We were also particularly impressed by the Cutit Evo packaging machine. We liked the fact that Ranpak was only 20 minutes away in case of any problems. We didn't have to think long to make this decision in favor of Ranpak. It came at just the right moment!"

Heijdeman also mentions that the implementation of the Ranpak Automation system has significantly changed Helly Hansen's packaging process. "It was like a leap from the Stone Age to the year 2022," he says. Heijdeman lists a number of benefits, including the fact that now:

• more precise information, including the exact dimensions and weight of the cartons, can be sent to the carrier immediately,
• the height of the shipping cartons is adjusted to the actual fill level,
• the carrier's invoices can be more easily reconciled with internal data in the accounting department,
• fewer operating hours are required to process the cartons,
• the number of thefts on the way from Helly Hansen to the customer has fallen.

Protection against theft

As the boxes were only sealed with adhesive tape in the previous packaging process, it was very easy for thieves along the supply chain to cut the tape and remove items from the box, according to Heijdeman. The cut tape then simply had to be replaced with transparent tape and the theft usually went unnoticed. "Besides," he says, "anyone who takes delivery of 15 parcels or a whole pallet really doesn't check the bottom of the boxes. Now the Cutit Evo packaging machine sticks tamper-evident lids on the boxes so that tape is no longer needed. Theft is now (almost) a thing of the past."

Heijdeman praises the smooth installation of the system, which Ranpak completed in just three weeks in January of this year. "When we needed help with the implementation, they were there either the same day or the next day at the latest. Our employees were also very satisfied with the training they received on the system, especially as it is now much more pleasant to work with. Last but not least, the packaging process is not only more efficient, but we are also no longer shipping air, which is a great sustainability benefit for us and our customers!"

This article will appear in issue 05-2023