Fujian Minzhong Organic Food Co., Ltd., located in Putian, known as the “Lychee Capital” and famous historical and cultural city, is a Singapore-invested enterprise with over 30 years of professional development history in processed vegetable (edible fungus) products. The company mainly produces preserved, frozen, freeze-dried, rice flour, loquat dried, pickled vegetables (edible fungi), canned vegetables (edible fungi), fruit and vegetable juices, Xinghua convenient cakes, loquat and haw paste. Its products are mainly sold to Europe, South America, Chile, Russia and other countries and regions, while also developing the domestic market. The company has been awarded the titles of Key Leading Enterprise of Agricultural Industrialization in Fujian Province and China.
In 2003 and 2008 respectively, Minzhong invested in two 7,000 bph hot filling beverage production lines, trying to produce loquat beverages by leveraging local agricultural advantages, gaining initial recognition and popularity from consumers, and winning the Famous Trademark in Fujian Province.
The achievements further strengthened Minzhong’s confidence in investing and developing in the beverage industry. In the next five years, Minzhong will write a new chapter in the beverage industry: Phase I of the Minzhong Food Industrial Park project with a total investment of USD 200 million will be completed and put into operation in 2011. Minzhong plans to achieve RMB 5 billion in sales in the next five years, striving to rank among the top three in Fujian’s beverage industry.
“Those who wish to do their work well must first sharpen their tools.” To achieve this goal, Minzhong decided to purchase the most advanced equipment for production and operation. Thus, at the end of 2010, it signed cooperation agreements with Newamstar in one go for the delivery of a 24,000 bph hot filling production line and a 24,000 bph aseptic cold filling production line turnkey projects.
On May 6, 2011, the 24,000 bph hot filling beverage production line built by Newamstar for Fujian Minzhong Organic Food Co., Ltd. was delivered on schedule. The production line consists of material sterilization system, rotary blow molding machine, filler, air conveying sterilization chain, spray sterilization cooling machine, disinfectant blending system, shrink sleeve labeling system, inkjet coder, automatic case unpacker, robotic case packer, automatic case packer, robotic palletizer and other equipment. Featuring high automation, advanced process and technology, it is at the forefront of the domestic industry, laying a solid foundation for Minzhong’s growth and expansion.
To ensure smooth installation of the production line and early operation, coordinated by the company, dozens of capable technicians with strong sense of responsibility were organized into project implementation groups to arrive on site in batches. The first batch of personnel arrived in Putian in late April to carry out preliminary onsite preparation work. Because the peak sales season for beverages was imminent, the customer required production readiness within 35 days. With tight schedule and heavy tasks, the project team carefully inspected the site conditions, solved logistical support issues, made work plans and arrangements for communication, seized time and progressed, and well implemented preparatory work before project implementation.
On the delivery date, the second batch of project team members arrived on site and started installation the next day. However, there were problems from the start: the roads in Minzhong’s new plant area were not completely paved, it was rainy season locally, and the muddy roads were inaccessible for trucks to enter the workshop. Under coordination between the project team and Minzhong, equipment was moved from large trucks to small trucks, then transported by small trucks into the workshop. Pipelines and valves that were inconvenient to unload and reload were unloaded at the square and manually moved into the workshop by our personnel. After two full days of joint efforts, all equipment was successfully transported to the workshop, and installation commenced immediately.
According to past experience, at least 50 days would be needed to complete installation and production of this production line when all supporting facilities were in place. But the customer’s requirements were orders, and all the pressure fell on each member of the onsite project team. With the work hours set, approach was taken from the aspects of work methods and efficiency. On the basis of everyone fulfilling their responsibilities, the original work boundaries were broken, and the various functional groups helped each other to ensure uninterrupted installation for the whole project. At the same time, instead of requiring overtime hours daily from team members, workload was allocated so that finishing early meant resting early. To some extent this accelerated the installation speed of the production line.
Minzhong’s new plant area is located at the foot of a mountain, far from the urban area with inconvenient transportation. For the convenience of work, the project team rented several local houses nearby. The simple facilities and monotonous life further inspired the morale of all members. Everything was for the sake of the responsibilities in their hearts and the customer’s interests. Everyone worked hard to overcome difficulties together.
Installing air conveyors, forklifts couldn’t enter, so manual lifting…
For the spray cooler positioning, no forklift, so manual pushing…
Bitterness, yet happiness…
Perseverance, hard work, the pace of chasing time never stopped…
By June 15, after a month of efforts by the project team, onsite installation was basically completed, meeting the established goals. The whole installation process was also approved by Minzhong. Our commissioning personnel then arrived on site successively to commence commissioning. As Minzhong’s peripheral energy equipment was also new requiring commissioning, under the situation of peripheral energy not yet fully ready, the commissioning personnel adjusted their thinking, followed the commissioning progress of the counterpart, arranged work hours accordingly, ensured standby status anytime, and greatly improved work efficiency.
Through the project team’s unremitting efforts, with the customer’s peripheral facilities in place, the blow molder completed successful commissioning in just one week, and other downstream equipment was also smoothly commissioned in a very short time. When the 24,000 bph hot filling production line ran continuously and was victoriously delivered to the customer for use, everyone’s faces beamed with joy. The customer’s affirmation was our greatest reward.
In the harsh environment with optimistic spirit, working conscientiously and professionally, Minzhong’s leaders and employees took notice and were deeply moved. With such a capable team achieving such astonishing speed, they unanimously praised again and again. Wherever help could be offered, convenience was opened wide. “Cooperating with Newamstar, we are 100% assured.”
Through the joint efforts of both parties, Newamstar Engineering Center created an unprecedented installation miracle, witnessing the miracle, experiencing the splendor, looking forward to the future and infinite hope.
