Increased efficiency in business operations and superior added value for waste cardboard recycling

Project facts

Project promoter:
Vrancart S.A. Adjud
Project Number:
RO17-0049
Target groups
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Status:
Completed
Initial project cost:
€3,000,000
Final project cost:
€3,620,905
From Norway Grants:
€ 997,386
The project is carried out in:
Sud-Est

Description

The general project objective is to significantly increase the added value of the company’s own operations, by upgrading its capacity for cardboard boxes production by acquiring new equipment that will be integrated in the present process chain. The project will increase the degree of converting of corrugated cardboard into packaging (boxes); Vrancart will manufacture products that will address the end customer, manufactured with a higher economic profitability than the cardboard delivered to customers in the form of sheets (improvement of the added value chain). Vrancart’s strategy regarding the products offered is represented by the orientation towards products with high added value, detrimental to the deliveries of semi-finished products to converters. This strategy is in accordance with the company’s medium and long term investment policy, that aims to increase the quantity of waste paper through the establishment of the collection centres, that will provided the raw materials for the paperboards mill and then to increase the capacity of conversion of corrugated cardboard into packaging. The cooperation on this project will open the door to new oportunities in the future as well, on both sides. The Norwegian partner in this project will have the possibility to capitalize its know-how and expertise on the Romanian market, and at the same time, Vrancart can identify new opportunities on the Norwegian market.

Summary of project results

The project increased the collection of waste paper through extending the collection network, in order to secure a higher volume of raw materials for the paperboards mill and then to increase the capacity of conversion of corrugated cardboard into packaging. - Reaching the maximum level of productivity of each technological line by removing the existing limitations of the flow and reaching the maximum possible working speeds; - Diversifying the production according to the market requirements, renouncing on certain grades, approaching new markets; - Reducing costs, especially energy costs and costs related to raw materials (both due to the share in the total costs, and due to the impact onto the environment); - Increasing the quality of products; - Reducing the impact onto the environment. Furthermore, the company developed and implemented a lean approach on this activity segment – corrugated cardboard boxes production -, and, in this consent, a collaboration with a Norwegian partner – InErgeo – was realised for a long period of time.

Summary of bilateral results

The project team allocated by InErgeo for the implementation of the activities comprised: - 1 Senior consultant - 1 International expert in Lean management with extensive experience in production planning from InErgeo’s international partner; Swiss based LEANMAP. The detailed activities that were performed by InErgeo during the project implementation included: - Providing a Lean factory setup plan for the Vrancart cardboard production - Work shop with Vrancart’s team focusing on the Lean principles that must be applied in operations - One Lean Audit of the production line after start-up. The Programme’s bilateral funds defined the key of the sustainable partnership between Vrancart and InErgeo. The know-how obtained from the bilateral partnership conducted to a successfully implementation of the project, in accordance with the Lean objectives targeted by Vrancart.