As a food producer, Nestlé works in an extremely sensitive area, where the production of baby food results in even more stringent requirements for cleanliness and hygiene. The specifications vary depending on the hygiene zone. Dust must not swirl around, there must be absolutely no contamination, the cleaning technology must have the appropriate power and capacity. Not a single

particle may come loose from the surface material of the devices. The search for providers can prove challenging depending on the area of application. Whereas surface cleaning is fairly simple to resolve, the complex cleaning of the belts and conveyor system involves numerous individually developed elements.

Christian Bäckerbauer, Head of Logistics at the Nestlé site in Biessenhofen, is responsible for by far the largest area in the plant. He summarises the importance of smooth logistics concisely, “If things go wrong here, nothing comes in and nothing goes out – that is a huge responsibility”. A huge amount has been invested over the last few years to make the processes even more efficient. In the meantime, order processing is fully automated and TPM (Total Production Management) has been implemented, as known by Toyota, for example. Following the modernisation, the cleaning technology that had previously been used became something of a stumbling block. The problem: the dust that accumulates on the belts and conveyor system has to be vacuumed up, and even the wooden pallets used produce dirt that must be eliminated. “We wanted to update our dust control technology and tailor it to our requirements. We also wanted it to be easier for our employees to use.”

And so the hunt began for a manufacturer with the right solution up their sleeve. Off-the-shelf products are not suitable for Christian Bäckerbauer, as the hose lengths or supply lines of the vacuuming technology must fit perfectly, for example. “It’s fascinating how differently providers respond to an enquiry”, says the logistics expert. “One sends a brochure, another sends a vacuum

cleaner. Kärcher impressed us immediately with a product presentation in which our employees were able to test the entire portfolio. Anything that was not possible was made possible.”

Three vacuum cleaners were initially purchased, which impressed employees during a trial phase in terms of their performance, material properties and quality. These were stationary models with a suction supply line and hoses as well as a mobile solution. Now the company is poised to purchase

further vacuum cleaners, as the feedback from the team has been extremely positive. “When I hear my employees tell me that they finally have a good tool, I know we’ve done something right”.

After the first phase of modernising the cleaning technology at Nestlé in Biessenhofen, employees are extremely satisfied. Delivery was fast, installation by in-house tradesmen was simple and any problems that occurred were eliminated immediately. Looking to the future, however, Christian Bäckerbauer already has new innovations from Kärcher in mind. “We have very long conveyor belts. If there was a flat industrial robotic vacuum cleaner that could automatically clean beneath them, that would make our lives a lot easier. Not only for us in logistics, but for the entire plant.”