Six-Colour B1 Press Added To Carton Firm's Komoris

Medica Packaging has installed a six-colour B1 Komori press as the latest addition to its carton production systems.

A supplier of folding cartons and leaflets to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries in the UK and internationally, Medica's carton work is printed on Komori presses.

Those machine include a four-colour Lithrone 428, a six-colour Lithrone 628 and two six-colour Lithrone S640s.

The newest of those systems, a B1 LS40s press, was installed in September and has already generated a production increase of 30 per cent.

Commenting about trends affecting the business, Medica Packaging's managing director Peter Brassington, said: "We are finding that customers are becoming much more knowledgeable about print specifications and there is increased demand for security with such things as covert features in the artwork and specialist labels to go in to supermarkets.

We have had to reduce lead times and continually work to the leanest costs as it's not unusual for customers to hold reverse auctions to lower the price." And he explained: "We looked for the press with the shortest make-ready speeds and the Komori is the best on the market.

The LS40 has reduced change-over times drastically with its pre-set functions, wash ups and top running speed of 16,000 sheets per hour.

Our main requirement was compatibility and a highly competitive commercially viable machine." Brassington said that his company considered three press manufacturers but made the decision to order a fourth Lithrone because Medica Packaging's minders are familiar with the machines and Komori offers good service levels, good value and a commercial price.

According to Komori, Medica is constantly implementing new technology and is currently working on standards to make brail more cost-effective for customers.

The company plans to widen its current market with an increase in exporting because UK companies are moving to Europe making it necessary to follow the business abroad.

And Brassington added that the increased cost of raw materials has led Medica to look at ways of becoming more efficient to grow and the company has purchased technology for applying security labels and a pick and place system for inserting plastic windows.

It has also invested in new pre-press equipment, a gluing machine and a fleet of distribution vehicles.

Steve Turner, Komori's general sales manager for the north of the UK, commented: "Medica Packaging is just one of the successful Komori houses operating within the Benson Box group.

Komori has enjoyed a good working relationship with Medica for a number of years and we are thrilled that it has installed its second LS40 to meet increased demand from its major pharmaceutical clients." Formed in the 1920s, Medica became part of Glaxosmithkline in 1966 but remained an autonomous business.

In 1993 the business was taken in to private ownership through a management buy out and two years later Benson Box bought the company.

Today Peter Brassington is managing director of the operation, which employs a staff of 220 people.

Medica's profit margins are claimed to have grown by 15 per cent over the past year, generating turnover of GBP17 million.

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