Efficient fiber packaging: From handling to valve bags

GREIF-VELOX is one of the most tradition-rich companies in the field of industrial bagging, filling and palletising technology. Its roots date back to the year 1100, when monks founded the Greifenmühle mill in Klützow, Pomerania – an origin from which centuries of practical expertise in handling bulk materials and efficient packaging processes have developed. Building on this experience, Ernst Mahlkuch, whose family had owned the Greifenmühle since 1734, founded GREIF-WERKE in 1938. Since then, the company has been developing and implementing high-performance bagging machines and filling systems for industrial applications. After 1945, GREIF-VELOX emerged from this foundation in Lübeck, Germany – today with more than 150 experts and a clear focus on innovative, efficient and reliable packaging solutions. GREIF-VELOX stands for customised system concepts that are precisely tailored to the product, process and production environment. These individual solutions not only increase production quality and system performance, but also create measurable competitive advantages. On request, GREIF-VELOX supplies complete full-line systems from a single source, including bagging, filling, conveying technology, robotic palletising and load securing. In addition to its customised Custom Line solutions, GREIF-VELOX offers the Essential Line: standardised, field-proven machine concepts for typical applications in bulk solids and liquid filling. The Essential Line reduces engineering effort, shortens delivery times and provides an economical entry point into proven GREIF-VELOX technology – without compromising on quality, reliability or industrial practicality.

Compaction of Ultra-Lightweight Powders as a Logistics Efficiency Factor Ultra-lightweight powders such as pigments, carbon black, silica, cellulose fibres or specialty additives present a fundamental challenge: During filling, the material contains a high proportion of air. If this air is not specifically removed, it significantly reduces the effective product quantity per bag and per transport unit. The Influence of Bulk Density on Container Utilization A standard 20-foot container typically holds approximately: 10,080 kg per container when pigments are packed using conventional filling methods. By applying vacuum-assisted compaction during the filling process, container loads of up to 27,600 kg per container can be achieved. This corresponds to an increase of: +17,520 kg of product per container. The product, container size and mode of transport remain unchanged. The difference lies solely in the reduction of the air content within the bag. Economic Considerations Assuming a product value of €200 per kilogram, the calculation is as follows: 17,520 kg × €200/kg = €3,504,000 additional product value per container. This example illustrates the significant impact…

Why standardized systems are often the better choice in bulk material handling. In industrial bulk material processing, custom-built solutions are often seen as the gold standard. Complex products, demanding processes and high requirements for efficiency and safety frequently lead to highly individualized machine concepts. However, in practice, one thing becomes clear: a large share of applications follows recurring, well-defined patterns. This is exactly where standardized filling and bagging systems come into play. Standard applications dominate the market Whether powders, granules or free-flowing bulk materials – around 80% of industrial filling tasks operate within clearly defined parameters. Conveying systems, dosing principles and bag or container types are often very similar. For these applications, a fully customized system is usually not required – and often not the most economical choice. Instead, preconfigured and proven systems are gaining importance. All systems follow the same principle: clear configurations, reduced variant…

Greif-Velox awarded for its ultrasonic sealing innovation, enabling clean and secure closure of valve bags in powder processing industries. Ultrasonic sealing solution Greif-Velox Maschinenfabrik GmbH has been recognized as a Top 3 finalist at the Best of Industry Award 2025 for its patented innovation ValvoSeal Safe, competing in the category “Process Industry – Process Engineering”. The award ceremony took place on January 22 in Würzburg, Germany. The ultrasonic sealing solution from Greif-Velox impresses in the category “Process Industry – Process Engineering” Clean, secure sealing for demanding powder applications ValvoSeal Safe is an ultrasonic sealing solution for the automated, dust-free, and secure closure of valve bags—a crucial innovation for industries handling fine, reactive, or hazardous powders. The technology enables tool-free, reproducible, and 100% tight sealing of valve bags, offering: - Zero dust leakage - Improved safety and hygiene - Elimination of manual post-sealing - Fewer downtimes and optimized throughput Broad industry relevance ValvoSeal Safe integrates…

The requirements for modern bagging solutions in the food and animal feed industry continue to increase. With the BVP Pneumatic Packer Full-Line, Greif-Velox offers a fully automated solution specifically designed to meet these demands. In addition to high hygiene standards, flexibility with changing bag formats, reproducible dosing accuracy, and high system availability are key factors. At the heart of the line is the pneumatic BVP packer, which is particularly suitable for fine, dusty, or poorly flowing products. By pneumatically conveying and compacting the product inside the bag, a uniform fill level is achieved while ensuring low-dust filling – a decisive advantage for sensitive food and feed applications. The pneumatic packer is complemented by a range of automated functions that ensure a stable and efficient overall process: Integrated Full-Line with Intelligent Automation - Low-dust filling for clean production environments - Automatic filling spout dedusting for product-clean changeovers - Precise weighing for consistent quality of every bag - Fully automatic bag centering for changing bag formats - Automatic height adjustment for a uniform pallet pattern - Pneumatic turbo gripper…

According to a recent study by Deutsche Messe Technology Academy and Moxa, unplanned downtime is one of the biggest challenges facing industry. Downtime as a major cost factor in industry A recent study by the Deutsche Messe Technology Academy in cooperation with automation specialist Moxa provides insights into the reality of industrial production in Germany: 94 percent of the companies surveyed report at least one unplanned shutdown per month, with an average downtime of 3.3 hours. The effects are serious: according to the study, even one hour of production downtime can cause costs in the millions—especially in highly automated processes. The economic consequences range from missed delivery dates and increased personnel deployment to damage to the company’s reputation among customers. The study cites the following causes of unplanned downtime as particularly common: Main causes of production downtime * Failure of machine components or IT systems * Lack of transparency regarding the condition of the equipment * Difficulties and delays in procuring spare parts The consequences are well known: inefficiency,…