Why DE-VAU-GE upgraded 44 adhesive melters with Robatech

DE-VAU-GE primarily produces bars, breakfast cereals, and plant-based drinks—especially for private label—at its German locations in Lüneburg and Tangermünde. The packaging lines run around the clock five to six days a week.

“Before the modernization in 2026, one of our melters malfunctioned almost every day,” explains Vitali Loktew, Head of the Breakdown Maintenance Team at DE-VAU-GE Lüneburg. “Not always on the same machine, but constantly somewhere across our 13 lines.” The existing Concept melters from Robatech have already been in service for ten years.

At the same time, the full-leasing contract with Robatech was up for renewal. “The timing was ideal for switching to the new Alpha generation,” explains Marco Willems, Sales Director at Robatech Germany. The goal was to future-proof the adhesive application process and standardize the various adhesive melter models.

While previous melters were equipped with two, four, six, or eight heating hose connections depending on the application, DE-VAU-GE now exclusively uses the Alpha S Pro melting unit with six connections. This allows backup units to be flexibly deployed on any packaging line. Maintenance, replacement, and spare parts management have been significantly simplified.

Why DE-VAU-GE chose Robatech

DE-VAU-GE evaluated various suppliers and modernization solutions in advance. In addition to the technology, the long-standing partnership and reliable service were the decisive factors in choosing Robatech. “Robatech is Robatech,” emphasizes Vitali Loktew of DE-VAU-GE. “By that I mean: The service is top-notch. And for us, that’s the be-all and end-all.”

Alpha also won them over quickly. Some of the packaging lines at DE-VAU-GE are 15 to 20 years old—so space within the facilities is correspondingly limited. “The fact that Alpha is more compact than Concept was a major advantage,” explains Rainer Nielandt, Area Sales Manager for Northern Germany at Robatech. Additional advantages were shorter heat-up times, easy operation via tablet or smartphone and quick troubleshooting in case of malfunctions.

No easy task: Upgrade during ongoing operations

About four hours were scheduled for the modernization of an adhesive application system—including replacement of the melting unit, the heating hoses, and the application heads, as well as parts of the automatic filling system and system integration into the existing packaging lines. “We met every deadline,” recalls Vitali Loktew. “And when things got tight, even Mr. Nielandt from Robatech Sales pitched in. He actively supported us. I found that impressive.”

From daily malfunctions to virtually zero downtime

During commissioning, the Robatech service technician gave a half-hour intensive training session on Alpha’s Wi-Fi, operation and troubleshooting. Martin Saße, an electrical engineer of the Breakdown Maintenance Team at DE-VAU-GE recalls: “After that, I was able to resolve many issues on my own right away. Our technicians are thrilled. You just grab a tablet, log in, and immediately see where the problem is. Those were very minor issues that don’t occur at all anymore.”

Since the upgrade, the biggest difference has become apparent during ongoing operations: malfunctions in the adhesive melters have dropped to nearly zero. “You really see a huge improvement,” says Vitali Loktew. “The Alpha units have significantly more positive features than the old ones. And if someone were to ask me which gluing machine they should use—I’d go with Robatech again.”

This content was sponsored by Robatech.