Customer experience
Customer Story: Steinweg
Customer Story: Steinweg
Dinnissen Bag Emptying System saves two FTEs per truck
Steinweg is an international player in the logistics world, with more than 5,500 employees across over 50 countries. The organization handles storage, transshipment, freight forwarding, chartering, and other logistics services for the global commodity trade. Founded in Rotterdam in 1847 as a shipping agent, Steinweg expanded its services to include warehousing services in 1895. Over the years, Steinweg has significantly increased its number of locations, including a new facility at the Port of Amsterdam. This location is dedicated entirely to the storage and handling of one product: cocoa.
Extensive cocoa storage facilities
Cocoa from locations all around the world ends up at Steinweg. The organization provides storage for cocoa purchased by customers until they need it delivered. The cocoa is stored in spaces with the right temperature and humidity to maintain product quality and deter pests. Cocoa arrives in containers, either in bulk or already packed in bags. All bags arriving at Steinweg are stored using four pallet machines. A full pallet weighs as much as 1.5 tons and can be stored until the client needs the cocoa. Some customers prefer their cocoa delivered in bulk rather than in bags. For these customers, the bags of cocoa are emptied using Dinnissen’s DIMA® Fully-Automatic Bag Emptying System.
A pallet full of cocoa bags arrives at the conveyor belt leading to the DIMA® 1200 Bag Emptying System.
"Dinnissen is the first company we've worked with that delivers a total package. Because Dinnissen supplied the entire installation, including platforms and safety installations, the entire line is CE-certified."
Michel Kliphuis, manager AT Steinweg Amsterdam
The DIMA® 1200 Bag Emptying System at Steinweg.
Automated transition from bag to bulk
With its multiple storage locations, loading and unloading spots, and all the necessary facilities for storing jute bags, Big Bags, and bulk, Steinweg Amsterdam is fully equipped to accommodate tons of cocoa. Depending on customer preference, Steinweg can additionally perform a pre-cleaning. This makes an initial separation between the cocoa and contaminants such as twigs, metal-containing materials, clusters, flakes, and dust. In 2007, Steinweg approached Dinnissen for a bag emptying system to be used prior to this pre-cleaning process. Dinnissen then supplied a DIMA® 1200 Bag Emptying System.
The DIMA® 1200 Bag Empting System provides automatic feeding, cutting, and emptying of bags, after which the product and bag are separated and exit the system independently. A few years later, Steinweg again enlisted Dinnissen for an expansion. A second automatic bag emptier was installed, to convert bagged goods to bulk as efficiently as possible, ready to be sent to the customer. This project was completed a little less than a year ago.
Dinnissen as the sole provider for a safe line
Michel Kliphuis, manager at Steinweg in Amsterdam, shares: “We had a clear vision of what we wanted, and now it's a reality. Previously, all bags were manually cut open and emptied. This was not only labor-intensive but also an unsafe work situation. With Dinnissen, we have one provider that ensures we meet all safety requirements. We were looking for a company with experience in mechanical engineering and knowledge of machine safety. This ensured that safety considerations were included in the development of the installation. Dinnissen is the first company we've worked with that delivers a total package. Normally you buy various components that are individually certified, but not as a whole. Because Dinnissen supplied the entire installation, including platforms and safety installations, the entire line is CE-certified.”
Video: The DIMA® Bag Emptying System at Steinweg
"Now, the opening and emptying of the bags is fully automated, and the driver can operate everything himself. This saves two FTEs per truck."
Michel Kliphuis, manager AT Steinweg Amsterdam
The DIMA® Bag Emptying System at Steinweg
The DIMA® Bag Empting System consists of two automatic height-adjustable lifting tables, with a robotic arm in between. Using a forklift, pallets of bags are placed on the double pallet feeding system. This setup results in the fastest possible unloading of pallets, allowing the forklift driver to continuously supply new pallets. The robotic arm lifts the bags one by one and places them on a set of ascending conveyor belts. The bags are transported upward in a constant flow, ensuring they are delivered to the cutting compartment in a single row.
As the bags are transported upwards by the conveyor belts, they enter the cutting compartment of the DIMA® Bag Empting System one by one. This is an enclosed compartment with multiple rotating blades, tailored to the material being cut (jute). The installation ensures that each bag is optimally emptied with as few cuts as possible, minimizing the mixing of jute fibers with the cocoa and reducing the risk of product damage.
The bags are automatically cut open and then slide into a rotating drum, where product and packaging are separated. The empty bags are collected in a container at the back of the machine. The cocoa falls from the rotating drum onto a conveyor belt, which transports the loose cocoa upwards toward a chute on the exterior of the building. There, under a canopy, a truck is ready to be filled. This method allows the vehicle to be filled efficiently and dryly. When the truck is full, the belt stops running, and the truck can go to the customer.
The belt conveyors transport the bags to the DIMA® Bag Emptying System.
"We did not encounter any surprises. What we agreed on beforehand is exactly what we got. The machine operates smoothly, and the system is safer and more efficient than how we did it before."
Michel Kliphuis, manager AT Steinweg Amsterdam
The bags are automatically cut open by the DIMA® Bag Emptying System.
Less manpower required per truck
Before Dinnissen installed the new DIMA® 1200 Bag Emptying System at Steinweg, it required three men to manually cut the bags and fill one truck. Michel states, “Besides the driver, two employees were present who manually cut open and emptied all the bags. Now, the opening and emptying of the bags are fully automated, and the driver can operate everything himself. This saves two FTEs per truck. This is a significant saving in manpower that can be redirected elsewhere in the organization.”
With the DIMA® 1200 Bag Emptying System combined with the robotic arm, up to 600 jute bags per hour can be processed. The introduction of this automated system has elevated safety standards and reduced the risk of cutting incidents to zero. Additional benefits for employees include no longer having to manually lift the bags and the DIMA® 1200 being equipped with inspection hatches for maximum accessibility for maintenance.
Collaboration between Steinweg and Dinnissen
Steinweg is pleased with the collaboration. Michel indicates, “We did not encounter any surprises. What we agreed on beforehand is exactly what we got. The machine operates smoothly, and the system is safer and more efficient than how we did it before.” When asked what Dinnissen could do better, Michel replies, “Actually, nothing, I would be selling Dinnissen short. Everything went well and we are very satisfied.” Dinnissen also speaks highly of the project with Steinweg and reflects on pleasant and direct communication with successful outcomes.