Heineken Vietnam boosts production

When Heineken Vietnam raised its production output at its Tien Giang site, south of the country, the company worked with Gebo Cermex, an expert in turnkey solutions, for the installation of a complete line that included the new Sidel filler, EvoFILL Can.

A subsidiary of the Heineken Group, Heineken Vietnam is the second largest brewer in the country, with an employment of 3,000 and six operating breweries. With a focus on high-output and high-efficiency lines, they produce the most famous international and local brands through dedicated ‘single-format’ lines.

Complete can line project

To increase its production output, the Tien Giang site needed a new complete can line. Paul Bleijs, Supply Chain Director at HEINEKEN Vietnam Brewery, explains, “We wanted to buy a new complete can line, doubling the capacity of the existing ones. However, a typical challenge is that you have to install the equipment while the brewery is in operation. This is why you have to look at the layout very well but – thanks to the experienced line design team from Gebo Cermex – we overcame this obstacle.”

Gianmatteo Bigoli, Strategic Account Director for Heineken at Gebo Cermex, comments, “We ensure that a stable expert team is supporting the customer on all their projects in Vietnam to capitalise on customer proximity, to easily grab their requirements, and to quickly implement the right solution for them. What cemented our cooperation through the past 13 years is also our continuous focus on innovations: this is key for a global leader like Heineken.”

Mr Bleijs added, “From line design through installation up to the commissioning phase, the Gebo Cermex team helped us take each step very quickly.” This was instrumental in starting production seven days ahead of schedule. Gebo Cermex’s vertical start-up programme, including a dedicated training that was specifically developed for the Heineken team, reduces time-to-market by 40%, while securing ongoing efficiency of line operations.

Leader in sustainability

In 2017, the Vietnam brewery was recognised as the most sustainable manufacturing company in Vietnam by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), based on the annual Corporate Sustainability Index. Paul comments: “Besides good productivity levels, this line is consuming less energy and water, thus contributing to a very good return on investment for us.”

Ha Minh Thanh, Packaging Manager at HEINEKEN Vietnam, values the design of the can filler, “The ergonomics and safety architecture of the solution are great: it is very easy to operate, to maintain, and to clean.”

Sustainability, coupled with performance, was also high on the agenda when Gebo Cermex engineered SWING®. Top-quality treatment in an equipment that is simple-to-operate and maintain, makes SWING the ideal solution for pasteurising, heating or cooling cycles for cans of all formats and sizes. Moreover, it allows significant resource savings.

Increased output paired with consistently high product quality and optimal resource savings are now all achievable for Heineken Vietnam thanks to the new complete canning line. Paul concludes: “Let the result speak for itself: if you can run four weeks after starting the first canning, in three shifts, at a good OPI (Operational Performance Indicators) level, that means the job was well done.”