Toll Processing as a Customer Service

An activity that has gained significance at Hosokawa Micron is Toll Processing. This means that they offer a service in which they process raw materials or (semi-) finished products for their customers, using the process equipment in Hosokawa Micron's Toll Processing facilities. It usually involves relatively small quantities, for fixed periods of time.

The importance of Toll Processing is not so much the contribution to sales, but to nurture customer loyalty based on the technological knowledge that Hosokawa Micron can offer them. "It's not our goal to be the biggest in the contract manufacturing business, but we do want to offer the best technology", says Menno Logmans, Area Sales Manager Netherlands at Hosokawa Micron. The company is part of the Hosokawa Micron Group and with nearly 100 years of experience is specialist in the design and manufacture of machines and complete systems for the bulk processing industry.

Excellent solution

Contract manufacturing is an excellent solution for companies that, for example, have developed a new product, but have too little or no production capacity to put the product on the market in sufficient quantities. However, a quick introduction of a new product is often necessary to develop a market, while success is not guaranteed.

"The reaction of the market must show whether a new product is successful and larger volumes can be produced, and then an early investment in process equipment is sometimes too risky," explains Logmans. "In those cases, we can produce the new product on our equipment, so that the manufacturer can achieve a responsible market introduction. It gives us the opportunity to demonstrate our process technology know-how and the quality of our process equipment to the customer and to acquire specialist, process-technological knowledge and experience with such a manufacturer, which in turn can lead to optimization or fine-tuning of the process for this customer before the machines are actually purchased."

Another reason for companies to use the Toll Processing facilities of Hosokawa Micron is a temporary decline in their own production capacity as a result of, for example, a maintenance shutdown or calamity. In other cases, it involves bridging a period up to the commissioning of new machines and installations. In all these cases Toll Processing can offer a tailor-made solution. Contract manufacturing is therefore an important customer loyalty service. Manufacturers thus become acquainted with Hosokawa Micron as a valuable partner in the development of a production process.

Toll Processing facilities

The Toll Processing facilities of Hosokawa Micron differ per country. There are facilities in the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands. In Doetinchem, where one of the European test centers for powder technology is located, one can turn to for mixing (conical mixers, ribbon / paddle mixers and high shear mixers), drying (flash dryers, fluid bed dryers, vacuum dryers and freeze dryers) and continuous agglomeration.

There are also possibilities for packaging and storage of product, albeit to a limited extent because of the available space. "Of course the geographical distance to the manufacturer plays a role in Toll Processing", says Logmans. "Toll Processing can be interesting up to a distance of around 200 kilometers. At longer distances, logistics will play a bigger part in the consideration."

Markets that Hosokawa Micron generally focuses on with Toll Processing are chemicals and minerals. Applications in food-related industries are assessed for each specific situation.

Hosokawa Micron Powders fully dedicated to Toll Processing

Hosokawa Micron Powders GmbH in Cologne, Germany, is fully focused on Toll Processing and is mainly specialized in milling and classifying. Mixers, jet mills, classifiers and cryogenic milling plants are available. With over 100 customers and more than 250 products, they achieve an annual processing volume of 12,000 tons in three shifts. With special know-how, modern production facilities and comprehensive services, they offer you the best conditions for the success of your products. In doing so, they integrate their production processes seamlessly into your processes and thus become part of your value added chain. So they are able to meet all customer requirements exactly.