Protecting high-value exports.
DoubleEco has supplied Fonterra’s Kapuni (Taranaki) manufacturing plant since 2011. The Kapuni factory fine grinds the milk powder down to a very precise size and it’s used as a carrier for inhaler sprays, like those for asthma relief.
If the carrier particle varies in size, the amount of drug varies, therefore this capability of getting a constant size is their big point of difference.
We first came on board when Fonterra was losing several bags per year due to nail damage from wooden pallets. Plus the bags were slippery and would slide off the pallet in transit. The bags squished out between the pallet slats and got damaged by forklifts - once damaged the product had to be thrown out.
To solve this issue, we invented a pallet that had a ‘gripper’ on the top.
The bag was placed on it and the powder would settle around the gripper, which 100% solved the problem, and totally eliminated nail damage. Because these bags are extremely high value, DoubleEco was able to save Fonterra upwards of $3m in lost product each year.
