“Better is only possible with the best”
Thanks to technology from GEA, specialist wet-wipe manufacturer Sapro uses 90 percent less water and chemicals in its cleaning processes.
With demand for hygiene and disinfection products booming due to the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturers are producing at full capacity. One of the world’s leading wet-wipe specialists, Sapro, is likewise investing in boosting production. As part of that drive, Sapro awarded GEA a recordbreaking order for 60 GEA Typhoon orbital tank washers. They have not only cut cleaning time by 90 percent but also minimized water and detergent consumption.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for hygiene and disinfection products has skyrocketed and manufacturers have been producing at full capacity ever since. Sapro is also working flat out to increase capacity at its plant. Currently produced at a rate of about 140 packets per minute or roughly 120 million wet wipes per day, the towelettes are destined for use as cosmetics, healthcare, household and car cleaning products.
Among the world’s three biggest wet-wipe makers, Sapro manufactures over 100 different items at its production plant in Silivri, Istanbul. Most of its output is exported to the European Union for retail as private labels as well as under independent brands. At home in Turkey, Sapro is also highly successful, boasting a market share of 41 percent. What’s more, Sapro Temizlik produces its own raw material – nonwoven spunlace – at its facilities.
With 45 hygienic production lines and best-equipped product test laboratories Sapro, Turkey, is one the leading producer of wet wipes and cosmetic articles in the world. Image: Sapro
At Sapro, quality and environmental awareness drive innovation
The Istanbul-based company attributes its achievements primarily to its strict management approach: “Quality, continuity, flexibility and speed are the four pillars essential to success in manufacturing private label products,” says Atila Kalemci, who is responsible for automation at Sapro. Encompassing environmental awareness and social responsibility, sustainability is the foundation on which these pillars are systematically built. Its dedication in this regard has earned Sapro Turkey’s people-centric award in the human resources category every year since 2011. In 2018, Sapro also became the first Turkish company to receive the Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) certificate. As an American Chemistry Council (ACC) and Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) initiative, OCS aims to promote proper containment in the plastics industry so that no pellets, flakes or powders from production processes enter waterways and end up in the oceans.
Time and again, the Istanbul-based company drives innovations that increase the level of sophistication required to manufacture its product range spanning consumer-friendly individual packaging to Sapro Cleaning’s innovative interfolding and inline wetting systems that were a first in Turkey.
Cleaning during full-capacity production
In light of its sustainability drive coupled with the boom in demand, Sapro is investing in boosting production in ways that are as highly efficient as they are environmentally conscious. In tandem with the company’s recent announcement that it would be building a new production line for biodegradable wet wipes in Bulgaria, existing lines are also being upgraded to enhance productivity. Tank cleaning, for instance, was one area where there was a lot of room for improvement. So far, Sapro had relied on conventional rotary cleaners. Yet performance and hygiene deficiencies had come to light because these cleaners failed to reach some areas of the tank. If left uncleansed, these threatened to contaminate the product – something Sapro would not let happen. So the wet wipes specialist set about exploring new tank cleaning systems that promise greater efficiency and meet its demanding hygiene standards.
There was no time to waste, as Kalemci explains, “Our 24/7 operations produce wet wipes for about 1,000 suppliers. We offer not only wet wipes but hundreds of types of sanitary wipes, such as exfoliating and anti-wrinkle wipes, as well as detergents for lenses and medical use, food manufacturing, agriculture and other industries. Maximizing hygiene during manufacturing in order to ensure product safety is the be-all and end-all for our business.”
Atila Kalemci emphasizes that seamless tank operation is critical to the entire production process: “We have 40 solution tanks and operate 45 production plants. Product quality and, of course, output depend on being able to clean quickly and manufacture sterilized solutions. Prior to this, we would allow 25 minutes for cleaning the solution tanks and still not be satisfied with the results. This had to change, as we have no room for inefficient cleaning in our high-performance production processes.”
Hygiene requirements in wet-wipe production
Given the challenges involved in tank cleaning at a company like Sapro that processes spunlace, GEA’s experts rated the company as having the highest soiling classification, which is IV. Cellulose residues, paper pulp as well as waste water must all be flushed out to eliminate the threat of blocked installations, corrosion and even foul gases.
The best options for this level of soiling are either orbital cleaners – which is what Sapro chose – or index cleaners. The latter produce targeted, high-impact flows whose cleaning power and spray jet projection can be optimized to the vessel’s shape.
Sapro is producing about three billion wet wipes per month, sold as commercial and own label brands Image: Sapro
Product safety and reputation
Whenever tanks, silos or, for instance, IBCs (intermediate bulk containers) are used for storage and processing, insufficiently removed deposits can put product safety into question. The risk of contamination is magnified by the serious consequences of even a single bad batch.
A cleaning powerhouse – the GEA orbital system
Following in-depth consultation and on-site trials, Sapro opted for the GEA Typhoon orbital washer. With its compact, hygienic design and high-performance nozzles, the washer is the prime choice for a wide range of vessel sizes and equipment where hygiene is a top priority. The washer unit typically lends itself to applications in the brewing, beverage, dairy, food, coating, transportation and chemicals industries.
Based on two evenly rotating axes, this orbital washer works by firing focused round jets that clean along a defined path to create a dense 3D matrix. A special nozzle design produces high-impact water jets that clean very effectively. Thanks to the 360-degree cleaning system, there are no dead spaces in the tank – areas out of the jets’ reach – as was the case with Sapro’s previous units.
The orbital tank washer Typhoon is liquid driven and can be used for mobile or stationary applications. The round jet nozzles rotate in two planes and produce focused high impact jets generating a highly efficient 3D wash pattern. Image: GEA
Ninety percent more efficient cleaning with GEA Typhoon systems
The practical trial won Sapro over completely. And GEA ultimately received a record order of 60 Typhoon orbital washers – the largest cleaner retrofit the company has ever overseen. From 2020/2021, the orbital cleaners at the Istanbul plant have been a testimony to how the right cleaning technology delivers improved quality and saves time on Sapro’s production process.
A single GEA Typhoon cleaning head has replaced the three standard rotary cleaners in each tank. Küçükkaraca adds that “Sapro consumes much less electricity and gas to generate the steam for the new cleaning process. Overall, we have managed to significantly reduce Sapro’s carbon footprint on the production side.
Thanks to the GEA Typhoons, we’ve cut cleaning time by 90 percent while also consuming 90 percent less water and detergent. Instead of 25 minutes, we now only need two minutes for cleaning.”
Atila Kalemci
Automation & Project Manager (Sapro)
“Getting better is only possible with the best”
As Kalemci explains, Sapro chose the GEA orbital cleaners knowing full well that changing the cleaning routine could have been achieved at a lower cost. Yet for Sapro, that ostensible shortcut would be a dead end because it’s at odds with the company’s mission. “Our status as a model company in Turkey rests on our commitment to product quality and sustainability. This is not negotiable. We won’t settle for anything less than being top-flight. And getting better is only possible if we work with the best. GEA not only meets the hygiene industry’s high standards but at the same time speeds up our production tremendously. As a partner, GEA is a perfect fit for us.”
About Sapro
Hidden champions for safety
