Bulk shipments get colorful

A little splash of color never hurts. Not even when it's on the warehouse floor or a brightly painted filling machine. That's why Huntsman Polyurethanes' Geismar, LA, plant ships two-part liquid polyurethanes and other chemicals in the 275-gal Mamor® cage-style, color-coded intermediate bulk container from Hoover Materials Handling. Easy to identify, the durable color-coded IBCs provide efficient handling and storage as well as easy-to-recognize product identification. Dealing with hundreds of chemicals, Huntsman was glad to find bulk storage containers that offer something more than a plain brown wrapper.

Known for polyurethanes, polymers, base chemicals, intermediate chemicals and tioxides, Huntsman uses the new IBCs at its PU production facility in Geismar, which produces methylene diphyenyl isocyanate (MDI)/toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and polyols chemicals mainly used in two-part product systems. The isocyanates are reacted with polyols to make wood building materials and urethane used as binders in plywood and other building materials, as well as automotive foams used in auto parts such as seats and fenders.

Located 20 miles south of Baton Rouge, the 90-acre plant in Geismar resides along the Mississippi River and produces MDI, TDI, polyols and intermediates. Hunstman acquired a share of the plant, a Rubicon, Inc. joint venture facility, following its purchase of the PU business of Imperial Chemical Industries in '99. Working with Hoover soon thereafter, Huntsman updated its bulk shipping containers for the two-part chemicals with the new European-designed 275-gal Mamor.

Color-blind
Finding color-coded IBCs ended a potential product identification dilemma. For years, Hunstman shipped its products around the world in IBCs. But before color-coded containers, the chemical manufacturer says customers and end users of the two-part PU products faced the possibility of accidentally mixing chemicals improperly during production. Because both chemical parts were packed in identical containers, production crews had to take great care to avoid uncertainty and mistakes.

Personnel would have to stop and take a little more time to spot the right chemical container needed, especially from a forklift's distance away. Though many of the chemicals don't mix, even with ingredients designed to be combined, timing is crucial. Production at the plant could be slowed down because of this, as all of the earlier bulk containers–between 12,000 and 14,000 IBCs shipped annually–tended to look alike. It could be confusing and often difficult to distinguish between different two-part PUs in the exact same IBCs. At the chemical manufacturing level, confusion over which containers held which chemicals meant the possibility of production delays or, worse, bad product results.

Color coding eliminates the plant's worries over IBCs, says Todd Jones, then a logistics supervisor and packaging coordinator at the time of the project (Jones has since become a sales and marketing manager for hydrochloric acids). The color-coded Mamor containers help eliminate confusion, eradicate occasional bad batches and keep production lines humming, allowing personnel to quickly identify a container's ingredients on-the-spot, which saves time in a fast-paced production environment.

A colored panel is applied to the container's corner pieces, and bottom fitments and a tamper-evident 6-in. port hole on the top of the container are color-matched to the panels. In order to meet the rigors of shipping, including overseas transport, Hoover subjects the containers to vigorous vibration, drop and leakage tests, producing all materials to meet chemical-resistance requirements.

The MDI products are contained in red-paneled Mamor IBCs; polyols are contained in identical blue-paneled IBCs.

"The Mamor is as good or better than any [intermediate bulk] container on the market," Jones says. "It's up to the same high standards of Hoover's other IBCs, and is competitively priced. Our customers are very pleased with it. It's easy for them to identify and to dispose of."

Huntsman's IBC program is currently limited to North America, though the company expects to extend the program worldwide soon, Jones says.

However, the 40348-in., pallet-sized containers are designed with international standards for Huntsman's shipments, which are currently routed across North America and soon, overseas. Reusable, recyclable and manufactured according to ISO 9002-certified (international) standards, each container combines a blow-molded, high-density polyethylene bottle, with a sloped base to improve gravity discharge, and a protective outer steel cage made of galvanized tubing. A locking collar and 2-in. butterfly valve located at the bottom of the bottle has a National Pipe Thread (NPT) with dust cap for maximum product drainage, and the 6-in.-dia port hole on top enables filling ease.

With four-way entry and enclosed fork pockets, the container is accessible by pallet jack and forklift. Easy to stack, the filled bulk containers are typically stacked two- and three-high in Huntsman's warehouse and two-high during transport. There is nothing for the customer to set up, which saves labor and minimizes handling.

Preassembled on a steel pallet and UN-labeled, the container is designed for holding resins, coatings, adhesives, paints, food, chemicals and detergents, among other products. The steel tubing resists bulging and affords sturdy column strength for stacking. The standardized Mamor meets UN requirements for Packing Group II (the UN marking certifies it as a UN32HA1 design).

Handling and identifying contents isn't a problem for Huntsman or its customers.

"We used metal totes and other steel-cage totes in the past," Jones adds, "but the color coded IBCs really improve production."

The move to IBCs has also improved filling and container setup. After the chemicals are produced, they're transferred off-site in large tank trucks to a contract filling facility near New Orleans for filling into the IBCs. The filled containers are then transported back to Geismar for storage. Jones tells PD the containers are filled to approximately a 2,500-lb capacity or 250 gal on several types of filling machines, depending on the chemical. Huntsman ships the bulk totes by trailer and also in long shipping containers for export to Latin America. "The IBCs have to be durable, because they can really take some punishment during shipping and handling. The steel cage helps," Jones says.

Free container pickup
Hoover is one of few packaging suppliers to offer such color-coded bulk containers, but there's another reason that Huntsman relies on the Mamor.

Huntsman also provides customers with Hoover's Free-Cycle™ program, a free collection/recycling service after container use in which Hoover either collects the empty containers at the customer's site (transport charges may apply in remote locations) or the customer returns the empty containers to a Hoover facility. The supplier's container service department handles return logistics and provides reports on return rates using its electronic MSDS storage and retrieval system. Hoover collects the used containers, regardless of location, Jones tells PD, saving time, expense and space associated with warehouse storage. Hoover's closed-loop program's electronic MSDS management database ensures safe handling and disposal of any chemical residue.

"About 70 percent of our customers use Free-Cycle, and the numbers are growing," Jones continues. "It gives customers an extra benefit that helps eliminate any production confusion and provides total service for one price." According to Jones, the program ensures that customers dispose of the IBCs in the proper manner.

"Hoover provides us with a customer brochure that explains how the program works. Then it is as easy as one-two-three. The customer calls or faxes in a collection request or can go online to the Internet, to request an IBC pickup. They proved their commitment to Free-Cycle and customer service when we had a customer in a remote location in Canada, and got there; it was no problem whatsoever. "

The 275-gal IBC has become popular with customers and suppliers, Jones concludes. "Customers are happy with it, since they also benefit from no longer having the headaches of container disposal," he says. "If you need a tote, Hoover will get one, no matter what. That's important to us. Quality containers and reliable customer service are what counts."

More information is available:

IBCs: Hoover Materials Handling Group, Inc., 770/664-4047. Circle No. 207.