CASE STUDY: International PaperBox selects BOBST to Boost Productivity and Precision

International PaperBox, a folding carton converter that helps combine aesthetics and functionality, operates in a wide range of markets, predominantly serving mid-size clients. The company provides services that include structural design and prepress work, 7-color UV offset, litho-laminating, window patching, folding and gluing, die cutting with inline embossing.

The business has used BOBST equipment in its operations for more than 20 years. As the business looked to enhance its folding, gluing and die-cutting capacity, International PaperBox added a BOBST EXPERTCUT and EXPERTFOLD to its machine park, with a second EXPERTFOLD machine on order. With the addition of its new equipment, International PaperBox aims to continually improve its quality and productivity.

“We have a strong company culture of kindness, respect and continuous improvement,” explains Wade Holbrook, Owner or International PaperBox. “Naturally, the experience of our customers is paramount, and we believe that every aspect of our carton production process can be improved in areas such as quality, delivery and cost.

“When choosing the right machine to supercharge our carton production, we took many different factors into account. These included the ability to deliver consistent production quality, boost run speeds, and provide access to technical support and services. With the needs of our business, BOBST stood out as the clear choice.”

The BOBST EXPERTCUT 106 Autoplaten® is a premium die-cutting machine that offers unrivalled versatility for carton packaging converters. Fast, flexible and high-performance, the machine is easy to operate and offers supreme product quality on designs, no matter how complex.

With EXPERTCUT, cutting, stripping and blanking can be achieved in a single pass at speeds of up to 9,000 sheets per hour, as well as synchronized feeder and register systems, and continuous throughput on runs of any length. These BOBST technologies enable carton converters such as International PaperBox to operate at a higher speeds without sacrificing quality or precision.

EXPERTCUT is ideal for converters that look to reach a wider range of market segments, by making customization, versioning and personalization simple. The machine comes with BOBST SMART FEEDER 2 technology to unlock continuous production while changing piles, and BOBST POWER REGISTER 3 which reduces feed-related stops and brings each sheet into perfect cut-to-print register.

BOBST EXPERTFOLD is a series of flexible folder-gluers that can produce an impressive number of box styles in a wide range of materials at speeds of up to 450m per minute. Designed with ease of operation in mind, EXPERTFOLD combines exemplary product quality with impressive productivity.

With volume remaining so crucial to competing in today’s carton packaging market, EXPERTFOLD can produce up to 28,000 boxes per hour for 4 and 6-corner boxes, with short make-ready and changeover times for maximum uptime.

Ensuring businesses such as International PaperBox can always improve precision, EXPERTFOLD is equipped with ACCUBRAILLE and ACCUCHECK modules to combine quality and conformity in braille and raised characters, and sheet feeding respectively.

“We are extremely pleased with the results from our new BOBST machines,” added Holbrook. “We are seeing real-time benefits in shorter make-ready times, faster run speeds and ultimately a higher quality product being produced. For instance, we are seeing speed improvements of 50% in our processes, which is an enormous benefit to us.

“As we look to enhance our offering and explore new markets, our investment means we can provide better registration, more precise glue application, cleaner folding and fewer rejected cartons, alongside simpler cost control and higher speeds all around. The technology is designed to be intuitive; our operators enjoy using the new machines, which are equipped with many smart features that make their jobs easier. We would not hesitate in recommending BOBST machines to other carton converters looking to drive greater efficiency and accuracy.”

To find out more about the BOBST range for folding carton converters, including EXPERTFOLD and EXPERTCUT, please visit www.Bobst.com.