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A Smart, Efficient Way to Add Value ►►
SMART OPTIONS FOR RETAIL READY PACKAGING ("International Paperboard Industry March 2007) Giving the modern boxmaker ever more opportunities to explore the changing demands of its customers is the Wellpack Taper. Historically, applying any type of tape to corrugated board has been viewed as a necessary evil and one to avoid if at all possible. The Wellpack Taper is changing that philosophy, and its 90 customer’s world wide are applying tape at the corrugator dry-end without disruption to performance and without creating any start-up waste at order change. The machine comes in various formats from a basic unwind stand to a fully automated system. The Wellpack story started 24 years ago when a team of engineers led by Rolf Andersson at the then AssiDoman plant at Brannogard, Sweden, where charged with a project to find an applicator that would apply tape automatically at order change and have zero waste from start to finish of the tape order. They scoured the world but could not find any machine that met their specification. When they delivered their report to the local management team they where then charged with designing and producing a machine themselves that would meet their demands. From that day, the machine has evolved to one that is now considered by many to be the best tape applicator money can buy. There are not many machines that are built by a boxmaker for boxmakers, but the experience that Mr Andersson and his team have gathered over the years are clear to see in the build quality and simplicity of this modular designed tape applicator. The machine sits at the dry-end of the corrugator and would normally fit between the rotary shear and slitter scorer. Access to the applicators and setting is extremely easy from the bridge work that spans the width of the corrugator. The framework of the machine sits on tracks that allows for the movement of the machine during web guidance. Electrical and pneumatic supplies are very simple requirements for the machine. Dependent upon the type of applicator some control from the corrugator can be mounted on the applicator for machine stop, fast, slow buttons etc. Current demands on the boxmaker by the retail sector to supply ever more shelf ready packaging, along with the additional marketing challenges presented by plastic and solid board manufactures, makes this a very challenging time for the corrugated industry. The use of tape to meet this challenge is increasing — ever more tapes are being used for opening, closure and reinforcing packages while combination tapes offer the option to open and then reseal the package. Combination tapes are commonly used by some internet sales companies that provide CD’s, DVD’s and books. It allows for the same package to be re-used in the event of a customer not requiring the product and gives a good safe method to return the product. Reinforcing tapes are most commonly used on boxes where hand holds are used to carry the case, such as beer boxes. On occasions, boxmakers have found that the introduction of a reinforcing tape has also allowed for a reduction in paper weight. Significant growth in closure tapes was evident in 2006 as customers from the retail and internet sectors capitalised on this quick and easy closing method. Though there are various methods of opening a box with a tear tape instead of a knife, Wellpack were quick to realise that such systems do not always leave the box in a presentable condition to be placed on a store shelf. So the company set about designing a system that allows the box to be opened with a tear tape and leave a neat clear tear without disturbing the fibres of the outer liner. Wellpack’s ‘Clean Slit System’ has two small knives that penetrate the outer liner, creating a minute score that sits both sides of a tear tape placed on the inner liner. When the tape is pulled, the tear does not travel into the fibres of the outer liner that would normally destroy any print and leave the box in a distressed state. Applications of this type of opening are increasing all over Europe, while American and Australian markets are now exploring this option. When customers consider this option, the most common question asked is how will this affect box performance (BCT). The answer, after many years of market experience, is clear when samples of a customer’s box specification with Clean Cut and a plain box are examined. “When the customer makes up the boxes at his own plant and carries out his own tests, we have never seen a result that has shown a BCT reduction of less than 6 per cent from liner slitting v’s a plain box,” says Mr Andersson. “The traditional option has always been to use a perforation to create this type of opening. Reduced BCT with a perforation is considerably more than that of the Clean Slit System. Generally speaking, when using a perforation option, the board weight has to be increased to meet the demands the box will be put under during transit. However, the Clean Slit option doesn’t demand increased paper weight to allow for a clean and attractive opening solution.” The Wellpack taper uses tapes from 4mm to 25mm without the need to change any component on the machine. Its E&L web guidance system allows for accurate positioning of tape on the board. Installation is normally carried out during a weekend with no disruption to start-up. Another interesting aspects of tear-tape is that trials on RFID codes printed on tapes are currently being undertaken — and could in the not too distant future be a reality. The Wellpack Taper is already a well proven machine that is well placed to apply this type of tape.