The 3,000m² Tetra Pak Technical Training Centre Rayong features three packaging lines: Tetra Pak A3/Speed, Tetra Pak A3/CompactFlex and Tetra Pak A3/Flex and microbiological and package evaluation labs.
Dairy Plus Thailand
Classes will be kept to a maximum of 10 students with instructors who work as engineers in Tetra Pak's Asia region with support from the firm’s global training organisation in Lund, Sweden.
Guilherme Goinhas, global technical training services director, Tetra Pak, told FoodProductionDaily the centre has been established to support the increasing demand for packaging-line technical training from food and beverage producers across Asia.
“Plant efficiency is critical to long-term viability for food manufacturers. The need for manufactures to improve plant efficiency is increasing now more than ever,” he said.
“Exactly how a packaging line is operated has a significant impact on a range of outcomes from the quality of products, to food safety and the total operating cost of running an entire line.
“Our main clients are customers serving the Thai market, and across South East Asia. Current courses are conducted for Dairy Plus Co., one of the biggest dairy producers in Thailand, Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co., a beverage producer in South Korea, and Hitejinro Co. a producer of Soju in South Korea.
“Upcoming classes are scheduled for customers from Australia, Malaysia, and South Africa.”
Dairy Farming Promotion Organization
Goinhas said Tetra Pak entered the Thai market in 1975, with its first machine installed at the Dairy Farming Promotion Organization of Thailand (DPO) in Saraburi Province to produce a range of milk products and in 1981, it set up Tetra Pak Thailand.
The centre held its first course on January 5 with the official inauguration ceremony on January 16.
“Our previous Technical Training Centre in the region opened in 2009. It operated from Tetra Pak Thailand’s Bangkok office. Customer demand and feedback was so positive that we were operating at full capacity, for example 650 students took part in 2013, with nearly 3,600 participant days of training delivered,” added Goinhas.
“Our training services cover Tetra Pak filling machines, distribution equipment and target all levels of customer operations. The majority of the courses we offer are divided into two categories: equipment-related training courses and production-related.
“Equipment-related training courses are designed to equip our customers’ staff with the skills and expertise to safely and cost-efficiently maintain processing, filling and distribution equipment.
“Production-related training courses offer tailored skill development for senior and middle management and operational staff. This includes the development of capabilities around quality assurance and the skills required to develop specialist quality control personnel.”