“There were several key factors which influenced the decision” explains John Garner, Head of Business development at Antalis Packaging. “Increasingly customers demanded a fast turnaround of bespoke packaging, often in short runs. We were conscious of having to order minimum quantities of board from traditional mills, resulting in high levels of wastage. Typically, a minimum order of 100sqm might produce 200 boxes when we only needed 50. We wanted to increase our flexibility and reduce the quantity of product we were having to store”.
John led a project team which spent three months on evaluation and costing. They were searching for a fast, reliable way to produce a wide range of box sizes and quantities, minimising waste and maximising productivity. They were particularly impressed by the Kolbus AutoBox AB. Designed and built in the UK it offered flexibility and short run capability at an affordable price. John commented: “The quality of build is first class – there was a real feeling here that this machine was “bullet proof”.
The decision was made to install a Kolbus AutoBox AB, a heavy-duty machine capable of converting everything up to triple wall corrugated. For higher production it can deliver two boxes side by side from one sheet. The machine is also equipped with Flexo-Print and Multi-Cut modules.
The Kolbus Autobox line can be automatically set within a few minutes. It is incredibly flexible handling all types of corrugated board in blank widths from 100mm to 2,600mm x any length. The Flexo unit prints images up to 1000mm x1000mm, and the Multicut unit provides the possibility to process stock board producing multi out length products, 0401’s, hand holes and pinned references. The Pro-Gluer is a high output, semi-automatic box gluer providing the ultimate in efficiency for all short run box making requirements. It is simple to use and fast to set up to assemble boxes quickly and efficiently.
Arran Sethi, UK sales manager for Kolbus UK, said: “It has been rewarding working alongside a new customer like Antalis. They were experiencing a rise in demand for quick turnaround, bespoke packaging and wanted a solution which was both good for the environment and cost effective. This Autobox installation has facilitated the transition for Antalis from box purchaser to box producer”.
Investing in the Kolbus Autobox line has enabled Antalis to produce exact sized boxes for products without having to “make do” with oversized packaging and using bubble wrap and void fills. It is an investment in the future for them, especially in the growing area of e-commerce.
