Sutton's performance goes from strength to strength

Last year Suttons Performance Packaging, Chatteris decided that they needed to upgrade their existing short – medium run heavy duty box making and gluing departments. As a specialist bespoke packaging manufacturer offering customers a range of multi-faceted,” just-in-time services” the issue to overcome was that quantities and sizes varied drastically of different converting machines: boxmakers, printer slotter and diecutters.

John Little, Operations Director, said: “we offer specialised integrated packaging solutions. Everything we do is bespoke using a range of manufacturing processes, so all our machinery needs to be versatile, robust and efficient. 

Suttons approached Kolbus AutoBox with a view to replacing their old heavy-duty box maker. The initial brief was for a machine to produce brown boxes varying from B flute to triple wall. On closer evaluation Suttons realised that they were also putting a significant amount of short run printed work through their high speed printer slotter. They also held a large range of stock board sizes which then needed to be cut to size. The AutoBox AB with its option for different modules was seen as an ideal solution.

The AutoBox AB is a new generation of heavy duty boxmaker with in line print capability in sizes up to 1000mm x 1000mm. Modern manufacturing techniques have led to fewer moving parts which in turn makes for greater reliability. It makes the AutoBox AB exceptionally easy to operate and achieves set up times of typically 60 seconds.

John Little continued: “Since we installed the AutoBox AB with Flexo and Multicut modules we are running up to 15 jobs per day in run lengths from one to 500 boxes. They vary from B flute to CAA, hand holes, printed boxes and 0401 Maltese cross boxes. Sizes have ranged from 600mm x 600mm up to 4m x 2m and with a semi-automatic feed stand and floor mounted stacker one operator manages the machine most of the time.

The AutoBox project was off the back of the success we had installing an AutoBox MultiNova gluer early last year. This tripled our output compared to the old Able gluer for specialist diecut designs and complex straight-line boxes. The manual collection and squaring device enables us to run difficult jobs at good speed and make-ready, making sure that we achieve the best quality products for our customers.”

Arran Sethi, Sales Manager, Kolbus UK, comments: “Suttons Performance Packaging are extremely efficient producers of bespoke packaging solutions. They could see the benefits of the rapid set up times, good run speeds and huge variety of designs that the AutoBox machines could achieve for them. A key factor in their purchasing decision was that with local manufacturing plants in Tamworth and Dunstable AutoBox are able to provide them with seamless support and back-up.”