Folder-Gluer Lines Boosts Box Production

Edited by the Printingtalk editorial team Sep 7, 2006

Print Design and Graphics (PDG) has ordered two Bobst Alpina folder-gluer lines to maximise capacity at its Newcastle (UK) plant.

Print Design and Graphics (PDG) has ordered two Bobst Alpina folder-gluer lines to maximise capacity at its Newcastle (UK) plant.

The order is in response to a review of the company's activities following its takeover by Benson Box in May.

Benson Box managing director, Mark Kerridge, said: "One of the first things we've undertaken is to look at the capacity in the plant.

Gluing is definitely creating an unnecessary bottleneck so it's clear that the time has come to update the equipment." All the print and die-cutting machines at PDG were replaced with new, high performance lines following a serious fire at the plant in 2004.

The folder-gluer lines, operating in a separate building, were not affected by the fire and so were not replaced.

Mark Kerridge explained: "It's a case of balancing the capacity of the plant.

That way we can release the latent production within print and die-cutting and we can push forward our plans for organic growth.

We have a long relationship with Bobst and we know that their gluers will give us the high productivity, low downtime and low cost of production we need." The two Alpina II models have been chosen to serve differing purposes at PDG.

The first is a 75cm wide A1 variant, for the high speed production of straight-line boxes.

The line will include a new Easyfeeder GT automatic feeder, which is said to allow operating staff to keep up with the speed of the machine, reduces manual handling and ensures consistent feeding at very high speeds.

Bobst added that the line will take advantage of an existing Bobst Cartonpack II automatic packer already in use at the plant to further improve productivity.

The second line is an Alpina II 110cm wide A3 variant.

It is a multi-purpose machine for straight-line, crashlock and 4/6 corner boxes and is claimed to produce four-corner boxes at speeds of up to 40,000 per hour.