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High output filling of stucco products for JOTUN

Introduction

In the paints and coatings sector, efficiency in manufacturing and packaging processes is key to ensuring competitiveness and maintaining high quality standards. In this context, JOTUN, one of the most renowned paint and coatings manufacturers worldwide, entrusted Oliver + Batlle to carry out a strategic project to automate its high-cadence packaging lines.

Company overview

Jotun is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of paints and coatings, with almost a century of expertise in protecting and beautifying surfaces across all industries. From iconic architectural landmarks to residential projects, Jotun has established itself as a trusted partner thanks to its commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainability.

The company operates across a wide range of market segments:

  • Decorative paints for interior and exterior applications.
  • Architectural and design coatings providing both performance and aesthetics.
  • Infrastructure protection for industrial and large-scale projects.
  • Light industry with advanced powder coatings.
  • Shipping with marine coatings.

  • Energy sector with protective and powder solutions.

Jotun’s continuous investment in research and development reflects its focus on delivering environmentally friendly technologies and high-performance products.

Product to be processed

The project focused on stucco and wall putties for interior use, products that require precise and reliable handling due to their physical properties:

  • Specific gravity: up to 2.2 kg/dm³
  • Viscosity: medium range, up to 6000 cP

These formulations are specifically designed to provide excellent surface preparation, offering a smooth and uniform base layer for subsequent paint or coating applications.

Project objective

The customer’s objective was the supply of two complete high-speed filling lines for stucco and putty products, designed to deliver:

  • Packaging flexibility: from 0.9 L to 20 L (both pails and cans).
  • Universal configuration: each filling line capable of handling the entire range of formats.
  • Integrated discharge and pumping systems: dedicated tanks and pumping units for optimal feeding of the filling machines.

The ultimate goal was to achieve high output, reliable performance, and automated changeovers, ensuring consistent productivity and minimal downtime.

Oliver + Batlle solution

Oliver + Batlle supplied a fully integrated solution, combining precision filling technology with robust automation and handling systems.

Key components of the project included:

  • Pumping system: progressing cavity pumps installed beneath the product tanks, connected directly to the dosing heads for smooth and efficient product transfer.
  • Container handling:
    • Pail denester PAILMANAGER for conical stackable buckets.
    • Infeed table DB-SQ and conveyor for cylindrical cans.
  • Labelling: automatic labelling unit integrated into the line.
  • Filling and closing: FLASH-25-T filling line, including automatic lid placing, lid closing, and integrated checkweigher.
  • Automation: complete line with automatic format changeover for each machine.

Performance achieved:

  • Up to 20 containers/minute for 10 L buckets.
  • Up to 17 containers/minute for 20 L buckets.

Results achieved

The implementation of this solution has successfully met — and even exceeded — the customer’s expectations. The lines delivered:

  • High-speed performance: achieving the specified outputs with maximum accuracy.
  • Robust and reliable operation: guaranteeing long-term consistency without unplanned downtime.
  • Sustainable performance: aligned with Jotun’s strict quality and sustainability standards.

This project highlights Oliver + Batlle’s ability to design and implement turnkey filling solutions for high-viscosity stucco and putty products, ensuring efficiency, flexibility, and operational excellence.

Customer testimonial

“We are very satisfied with the project delivered by Oliver + Batlle. The installed filling lines have not only met but exceeded our expectations, achieving the desired filling rate and significantly improving operational efficiency. The solution is highly reliable and robust, with consistent performance and no failures.”

 

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Revolution in paint dispensing: Oliver + Batlle relies on 3D nozzles

In an increasingly efficiency-oriented industrial world, innovation is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. This became more than clear in the recent webinar we organized, where an ingenious and promising solution was presented: the use of 3D printed nozzles to optimize paint dosing.

The session, led by our Commercial Director Carlos Pacha and starring Sergi Dunjó (product manager of the filling line) and Sila Ataman (plant chemical engineer at Azko Nobel), brought together an audience interested in advances in additive manufacturing applied to packaging equipment. And the premise was clear from the start: 3D technology is not the future, it’s the present.

From design to implementation: the technical path

Sergi Dunjó was in charge of explaining the most technical part of the project. He explained how the Oliver + Batlle team has integrated 3D printing in the redesign of nozzles for filling products of different viscosity. The focus, as he detailed, is on reducing filling cycles, improving accuracy and allowing greater adaptability in the process.

One of the most interesting aspects was the versatility of these nozzles: the same part can be used both with clamp clamping systems and with the new 3D-printed fasteners, which allows retrofits without the need to modify the entire machine.

From the lab to the plant: Sila’s testimony

For her part, Sila Ataman shared her first-hand experience in the plant during trials with these nozzles. Previously, several products were impossible to fill successfully, even after trying different types of conventional nozzles. “With this new nozzle, filling was smooth and successful,” he said. In addition, he noted that component cleanliness – one of the most uncertain points – was satisfactorily performed using the usual solvents. Although they have not yet tested color changes between cycles, Sila is confident that nozzle cleaning will not be a problem.

In conclusion, his recommendation was clear: “If you have products that are difficult to fill, give this nozzle a try”.

Concrete results and vision for the future

Among the most notable improvements, Sergi mentioned an increase of up to 20% in filling capacity, simply by integrating the printed nozzles into existing equipment. This not only means an increase in productivity, but also potential savings in operating costs.

When asked about the scope of 3D printing in other areas of filling equipment, he was blunt: “It’s not a technology of the future, it’s of the present. We are already using printed parts in other parts of the equipment with excellent results”.

As for commercial availability, it is still in the R&D phase, but a market launch is expected early next year.

Beyond the prototype

The event closed with an invitation to collaboration and open dialogue. Oliver + Batlle made it clear that its commitment to innovation does not stop at the prototype, but is designed to transform the coatings industry from its operational core.

A 3D printed nozzle may seem like a small change, but in the hands of a company that thinks big, it becomes a revolution.

 

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Bentone gel manufacturing in ATEX environment: A tailored project for COBELSA (L’ORÉAL Group)

A high-precision project in the heart of the cosmetics industry

COBELSA Cosméticos S.A., located in Alcalá de Henares (Spain), is part of the L’ORÉAL Group and specializes in the production of nail polish for international brands such as Maybelline and Color Riche. All production is destined for markets in Europe, Brazil, and the United States.

As part of its continuous improvement strategy, COBELSA turned to Oliver + Batlle to develop a new manufacturing unit for bentone gel, a key ingredient in nail polish formulas, acting as a rheological agent that ensures the suspension and stability of pigments and resins.

The challenge: safety, precision and automation in a confined ATEX zone

The project came with several critical technical challenges:

  • Extremely limited installation space
  • Location in a classified ATEX II GD zone, due to the presence of solvent vapors and bentonite dust
  • Vacuum powder feeding of explosive bentonite into a flammable medium (butyl acetate + nitrocellulose)
  • Manufacturing process requiring a permanently inert atmosphere (O? < 6%) to prevent premature drying
  • A fully automated and traceable control system

O+B was tasked with delivering a compact, safe and high-performance solution tailored to these conditions.

O+B’s solution: compact engineering in a skid-mounted system

O+B’s technical team designed a complete and autonomous skid, optimized for integration into the ATEX environment and adapted to the space constraints of the plant, consisting of:

Working platform

1. POLIMIX DPS-1200-OR Disperser

  • ATEX Zone 0 certified (internal)
  • Weighing system via load cells
  • Half-coil cooling jacket, product temperature probe and minimum level sensor
  • CIP cleaning system with automatic motorized lance
  • Liquid input via multi-way feed collector

2. Bentonite powder hopper

  • Stainless steel AISI 304, capacity 150 L
  • Vacuum suction lance for 25 kg bags
  • Vacuum monitoring via manovacuum gauge
  • Percussion hammer for complete discharge

3. Vacuum powder feeding system

  • Flameproof filter above the disperser
  • Flame arrestor + modulated vacuum valve
  • Side channel vacuum blower
  • Acid dispersion input by vacuum

4. ATEX safety & inert gas control

  • Grounding verification system for all components

 

  • Nitrogen inerting system (N2)

  • Oxygen monitoring sensors in both disperser and powder hopper

5. Fully automated control system

  • ATEX-rated HMI touchscreen in classified area
  • SCADA system in a safe zone with integrated recipe manager

 

Results: enhanced quality and safe, controlled production

The solution developed by O+B enabled COBELSA to:

  •  Comply with the most demanding ATEX safety standards
  •  Eliminate manual handling of explosive powders
  •  Maintain a stable inert atmosphere (O? < 6%) during the process
  •  Achieve higher gel quality compared to previous systems
  •  Fully automate and digitize the gel manufacturing process

This project demonstrates how modular engineering and technical expertise allow O+B to overcome complex challenges in sensitive environments. With this solution, O+B strengthens its position as a trusted technology partner in the cosmetic industry, where process control, product consistency, and safety are non-negotiable.

 

 

accessories for the automation

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HIGH-PERFORMANCE DECORATIVE PAINT MANUFACTURING AND PACKAGING

A new O+B Success story for Nippon Paint

A global client with a long-term vision

Founded in 1881, Nippon Paint is one of the world’s leading companies in the manufacturing of paints and coatings. With over 140 years of history, the Japanese company operates in more than 30 countries, offering innovative solutions for sectors as diverse as decorative, industrial, automotive, and marine paints.

In China, Nippon Paint has built a robust industrial ecosystem with plants specializing in the production of water-based decorative paint. These facilities are designed to meet the demands of a dynamic and highly competitive market, where production efficiency, automation, and environmental respect are key factors.

More information: nipponpaint-holdings.com/en/

 

The challenge: 30 tons of decorative paint per hour

The project’s objective was clear and ambitious: to design and install an automated line capable of manufacturing and packaging 30,000 kg of white decorative paint (water-based) per hour, with maximum reliability and precision. This was the third consecutive project that O+B carried out for Nippon Paint in China, following two similar installations in Xianning (Hubei) and Zhengzhou (Henan). This continuity reflects the client’s confidence in our ability to deliver high-performance turnkey industrial solutions

 

O+B’s technical solution: Comprehensive process automation

The project was developed based on a modular, highly automated solution that encompasses everything from raw material handling to final product packagingEach stage of the process was designed to maximize performance and ensure complete traceability

1. Raw material storage eight 300 m³ silos were installed to store powdered raw materials such as calcium carbonate, kaolin, talc, and titanium dioxide

2. Automatic transport and dosing of solids

A pneumatic transport system with a capacity of between 15 and 30 tons per hour feeds two waiting hoppers. Each hopper is dedicated to a group of raw materials: one for carbonate, kaolin, and talc, and another exclusively for TiO?, allowing for separate and precise management.

3. Automatic liquid dosing

The automated system manages the dosing of 18 emulsions and 40 liquid additives, ensuring precision, repeatability, and reduction of human errors.

4. Solid dispersion and mill base manufacturing

The critical mixing stage is carried out with a POLIMIX DPS-15000-OR coaxial disperser, capable of simultaneously incorporating solids from both hoppers. Its dispersion capacity of up to 50 tons per hour ensures very short cycle times and perfect product homogeneity.

 

 

5. Discharge and final homogenization

The mill base is discharged by gravity into two TA-22000 finishing tanks, designed to receive large volumes with continuous agitation, ensuring uniform mixing before packaging.

 

6. Performance validation

The analysis of the actual weight in the DPS-15000-OR and the two solid hoppers throughout a workday demonstrates that the system is capable of producing 30,000 kg of paint in less than 60 minutes, thus meeting the set objective.

 

7. High-speed automatic packaging

The finished paint is packaged using two automatic FLASH-25-TX lines, each equipped with PAILMANAGER-VX systems for feeding and handling 18-liter containers. This system allows a packaging rate of 14 containers per minute per line, with quick format change and minimal manual intervention.

 

 

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JOTUN: High-speed packaging lines for water-based decorative paints

JOTUN is a global manufacturer of decorative, industrial, marine and protective paints and coatings.

Founded in 1926 in Norway, Jotun operates in more than 100 countries and is recognized for innovation and sustainability. Its products include:

  1. Pinturas decorativas
  2. Industrial coatings
  3. Marine coatings
  4. Protective coatings

Jotun stands out for its focus on research and development, prioritizing sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions.

 

 

PRODUCT AND OBJECTIVE

The customer requested three complete lines for high-speed packaging, with the following requirements:

  • The product is water-based decorative paint, with density of 1.51 kg/dm³ and standard viscosity, designed for uniform application and optimum adhesion. Ideal for durable and resistant interior and exterior finishes. Batches from large capacity finishing tanks and packaged in 1L, 2.5L, 3.5L, 18L and 20L cans.
  • Two lines to process all formats, especially the larger ones.
  • One line only for 2.5L and 3.5L formats.
  • Cadences (containers per minute):
    • 1L (21-23 )
    • 2,5L (20-22)
    • 3,5L (19-21)
    • 18L (16-18)
    • 20L (15-17)
  • Control system integrated in the customer’s MONTH.

 

SOLUTION O+B

To achieve the objectives and requirements set by the client, O+B implemented the following solution:

  • Two packaging lines focused on large formats, consisting of the following equipment:
    •  PAILMANAGER container dispenser for conical (stackable) containers.
    •  DB-350-SQ feeding table for cylindrical containers (non-stackable).
    • KETAN EUROPE labeling machine for jars and cans.
    • FLASH-25 T volumetric filler for cans and jars from 1 to 20L.
  • A third packaging line focused on 2.5 and 3.5 liter formats, consisting of the following equipment:
    •  PAILMANAGER container dispenser for conical (stackable) containers.
    • FLASH-55 T volumetric filler for jars and cans from 1 to 5 L.
    • KETAN EUROPE labeling machine for jars and cans.

In the first two lines, the small formats of 1L, 2.5L and 3.5L are cylindrical and not stackable, so a DB-350-SQ feeding table is included, which allows feeding at the required rates with a single operator.

The 18- and 20-liter formats are conical, allowing them to be stacked and, therefore, managed automatically by PAILMANAGER, which unstacks them and delivers them to the labeling machine and then to the packaging machine.

On line three, the 2.5L and 3.5L cans are conical and stackable, and are therefore unstacked automatically by PAILMANAGER. In this case, the labeling machine is located downstream of the filler to ensure a better labeling process.

Both FLASH-25 T and FLASH-55 T packers work with a single hopper that feeds two heads, which dose 50% of the product into each pack in order to increase throughput.

All the packaging machines were equipped with a cleaning water heating system to reduce the cleaning cycle of the hopper and dosers, minimizing downtime between different production batches.

All elements of the packaging system communicate in real time with the customer’s MES.

The packaging machines are connected to the Emerson DCS system. The different systems are connected via Profinet protocol.

The packers send the following information to the system:

  • Recipe number of the product / Name of the selected product.
  • Machine speed.
  • Count of good products.
  • Count of rejected products.
  • Warning and alarm messages.
  • Status of the machine when running / stopped.
  • Machine status ready / not ready.

Jotun MES sends to the packers:

  • Order number.
  • Data for label printing.

 

 

 

RESULTS

The project was able to fully meet the customer’s needs, achieving the required packaging rate with precision and efficiency. The implemented solution stands out for its reliability and robustness, guaranteeing consistent performance.

The systems supplied by O+B provide a sustainable operation aligned with Jotun’s quality standards.

 

ROI

The system was installed on new lines in a newly constructed plant, so there is no direct comparison with a previous system. However, these packaging lines are managed by a single qualified operator and perform the equivalent work of five operators in a manual process. Taking into account labor costs and considering three shifts per day, the investment is recovered in less than two years.

In addition to a rapid return on investment, automatic packaging offers a much higher level of precision and accuracy than manual packaging, optimizing operational efficiency and minimizing waste.

 

CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL

“We are very satisfied with the project delivered by Oliver + Batlle. The three packaging lines installed have exceeded our expectations, achieving the desired packaging rate and significantly improving operational efficiency. The solution is highly reliable and robust, with consistent and faultless performance.”

Guruh Susanto (Project Manager – Jotun)

 

 

accessories for the automation