GN Thermoforming Equipment, a leading manufacturer of servo-driven, roll-fed thermoforming machines for the production of plastic packaging, has come up with a novel way to install new equipment and train operators at its customers’ sites.
Faced with new business challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has made extensive utilization of the WhatsApp Messenger web platform to install new thermoforming machines for customers in Eastern Europe and the U.S.
GN faced a critical challenge at the beginning of the pandemic when Georg Polymer, the largest Russian producer of rigid meat trays, needed its new GN760 machine installed quickly so it could meet the burgeoning demand for meat trays in Eastern Europe.
With the prospect of having to postpone the installation due to travel restrictions, one of GN’s qualified technicians remotely guided its Russian customer through the installation of the new GN760, an in-mold cut thermoforming machine. The installation in April, which normally would take three to four days onsite, took about a week to complete using the WhatsApp platform.
The company also has two other GN760s and three GN1914DM machines within its portfolio and produced more than 350 million meat trays last year.
Previously, GN had used its broad remote capabilities to perform various support tasks including troubleshooting.
Since April, two more machine installations have been successfully conducted using the WhatsApp platform - one in the Central U.S. and another for Pro-Form kft in Hungary. Both customers installed GN800s, adding to their existing GN machine lineup.
If travel restrictions continue, Phillips said GN would continue to install remotely through the WhatsApp platform so its customers wouldn’t face production delays.
