Significant changes still reshape the flexographic industry, from corrugated to folding cartons to flexible packaging. Flexographers have to face even shorter run lengths than the usual couple of years back, driven through the proliferation of SKUs while increasing in product delivery frequencies. With inventory reductions, many orders are created on the repeated frequency all year round as well as month.
During the last couple of years, several investments happen to be produced in new printing and diecutting equipment with faster job changeover abilities, reduced startup waste and automation to reply to these shorter run lengths. However, oftentimes, the folder/gluer departments have ongoing to have a problem with considerably older, ineffective equipment and less capital investments.
Oftentimes, an in-depth internal analysis of current folder gluer production reveals surprising and contradictory information of the items was believed or perceived as being the present situation. Comprehending the actual product add the folding and gluing department goes a lengthy means by figuring out the right equipment investment, which isn't only restricted to a number of new folder/gluer(s) but additionally possibly to new ancillaries, pre-feeding and finish-of-line packing equipment.
Begin by breaking lower the proportion from the variations created as well as their connected average job changeover occasions. Similarly info is a figuring out element in understanding where inefficiencies are deciding on the capacity needs from the new folder/gluer.
Find out the deficiencies and limitations of the current equipment:
Are you currently spending additional time altering over jobs on makeready than really running production?
May be the equipment hard to set? Will it require lots of operator resourcefulness and it is it hard to handle using the current insufficient available experienced folder/gluer operators?
May be the existing equipment inside your folding and gluing department well-suited to the present and future product mix-equipment which was probably designed 15 or twenty years ago?
Are duplicate or substitute parts difficult to get, and therefore are electrical and electronic systems obsolete?
Can some existing equipment be repurposed to similar, less complex styles to lessen makeready occasions, combined with a brand new technologically advanced folder/gluer focusing on short runs and sophisticated structures?
Just like printing press technologies, folder/gluers have evolved considerably during the last few years. New, effective, programmable logic controller (PLC) abilities, coupled with precision servo drive technologies, job memory recall functions, tooling and much more, have transformed folder/gluers into more repeatable, capable and reliable machines which are simpler to function and hang up. These new advancements help reduce job changeover downtime, start-up waste, and operator adjustments during speed changes and transitions, therefore growing productivity and throughput.
Oftentimes, a correctly configured new folder/gluer with tooling and automation can replace 2 to 3 existing older lines, using the resulting labor reduction. Just like a number of other technologies, newer and more effective condition-of-the-art folder/gluers are simpler to function and today pack more technologies and abilities in a lower investment cost with lower energy usage.
For folding carton applications, new model folder/gluers include multi-servo drive systems for that belted carriers for precision speed and carton control in the feeder towards the finish from the compression section, with new model corrugated folder/gluers utilizing individual precision servo drive controls for every section, including independent servo drive around the final fold outer belts and walk-in access between your sections to facilitate operator access and job setup.