The COSTRAL 2020 project:
An important turning point for COSTRAL and our customers
Costral is renowned for its high-performance, reliable and innovative bottling solutions.
Ever since 1975, we have been placing innovation at the heart of our research & development:
- To best meet our customers' requirements
- To constantly enhance the performance of our equipment and in doing so, increase our customers' productivity
- To stay ahead of our competition
With this in mind, we have launched the COSTRAL 2020 project going above and beyond investment in Research and Development.
We have carried out a major review and action plan in order to become one of the first digitally networked industrial companies in Alsace and in the Grand Est region.
This choice has involved significant investment, spread over several years, aimed at giving COSTRAL a new organisational dimension.
This extensive development plan translates into a reduction in our costs combined with shorter lead times, while further enhancing the quality of our products and services.
Two ambitious Research & Development projects
Updating our traditional product range
Every day, we strive to enhance our existing machines by reviewing their functionality (mechanical, electronic etc.), as well as their global design and ergonomics.
For example, we offer upgrades for "simple" gravity filling valves (gravity filling) to assisted gravity valves with gentle vacuum.
From 2020, our bottling lines, have been designed with an entirely new architecture, making them more up to date and more modular.
A new product currently being developed
At the same time, we have decided to expand our range of bottling lines: Our design office, which includes our prototype department, is working on a new technology dedicated to bottling for sparkling beverages.
This move towards isobarometric filling requires a lot of research and investment. However, we will soon be able to offer a patented product, capable of bottling gaseous and/or pearl liquids under pressure.
These significant new developments are an opportunity for us to rethink our entire product range to reach a new milestone combining the excellence of our cutting-edge technology and modular capabilities that sets out systems apart.
New management solutions to support your development
The COSTRAL 2020 project includes the acquisition and deployment of a new ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). We have chosen the ABAS ERP solution, a system that is supporting us
throughout our important transition into the digital age.
What's more, the management solutions that we have been using so far are reaching their full capacity, given the growth that COSTRAL has experienced in recent years.
Purchasing processes, production, sales, inventory, administration and human resources... will all be managed using the same software system. The benefits for us are clear as well as those for our customers and distributors.
The implementation of such a solution of course involves a gradual review of our internal operations. However, we are certain that this step is essential in securing our future.
Up to 97% of machine components produced in-house
Since joining the family business, Frédéric Kuhlmann wanted to bring production processes in house, as much as possible.
Thanks to our team based in our machining centre, we can now produce up to 97% of a bottling line's components in-house.
And to support the growth of our business, we have just completed our manufacturing centre with a new 5-axis machining centre, in order to reduce component part machining times (mainly in stainless steel and PE).
And finally, we recently equipped ourselves with an automated depalletizing robot, capable of powering our CNC machines in order to continue production, outside working hours.
These substantial investments are part of a global Industry for the Future project which is involved in reducing our lead times and improving the quality control of our bottling lines.
