Cost-effectiveness of bagged cement packaging in view of bag sizes changes

摘要

In the 1990s European cement factories changed over from 50-kg cement bags to the 25-kg bag. The reason for this was a EU directive for workers' health protection, which set weight carrying limits. However, this regulation was often circumvented at construction sites by shouldering two bags at once. The EU now intends to combat this nullification of the health protection intention of the directive by increasing the bag weight by 10 kg. A cost-effectiveness comparison of the various bag load carriers and transport securing devices is of interest, also with regard to the new 35-kg bag. Disregarding stacking containers such as boxes, and slip sheets, the alternative to the conventional transportation pallet is the palletless shrink-wrapped package. In the Asland plant at Villaluenga, the biggest Lafarge works in Spain, a palletless shrink-wrap packaging facility for 25-kg bags has been in operation for five years now. At the Toral plant of Cementos Cosmos, a packing facility installed at the beginning of the 1980s is currently being converted to handle the 35-kg bag and extended by a further line.