A NEW PLANT LAYOUT, NEW EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES INCLUDING TWO GÖPFERT OVATION PRINTING MACHINES PREPARES BUXHEIM PLANT FOR CONTINUING GROWTH.

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1 A NEW PLANT LAYOUT, NEW EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES INCLUDING TWO GÖPFERT OVATION PRINTING MACHINES PREPARES BUXHEIM PLANT FOR CONTINUING GROWTH. 30 MILLION AT HANS KOLB WELLPAPPE A REPORT BY DANIEL BRUNTON. Hans KOLB Wellpappe GmbH & Co. KG (KOLB) was founded in Memmingen, Germany in The company has evolved considerably over the decades, including starting up a L to R: Ralf Schiffman (Göpfert), Andreas von Liel and Thomas Wund. paper mill in the 1950s, setting up a second plant in Buxheim in the late 1960s, building a new factory at its headquarters in Memmingen in 1979 and then acquiring a competitor in Haiterbach in the early 1980s. The company celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2008 and recorded its best annual performance in the same year. Earlier this year, the company expanded its activities into high quality litho print when it acquired Gebr. KNAUER GmbH + Co. KG. The addition of this business into the KOLB Print+ division clearly illustrated the company s philosophy of high quality decorative packaging. This family owned business, currently being run by the third generation, employs over 1, INTERNATIONAL PAPER BOARD INDUSTRY

2 Hans KOLB s Buxheim facility. people and generates annual sales in the region of 200 million. As a packaging system supplier the company makes a wide range of corrugated packaging applications, servicing many different industries. Marketed via different channels, the company offers its services by way of several divisions: KOLB Print+ with pre-print, post print, litho and digital capabilities; KOLB Packaging from corrugated sheets, to boxes, folding cartons, partitions and edge protectors; KOLB Coated Products antistatic electronic packaging, storage boxes, hygiene boxes, presentation packaging, protective packaging, folding boxes, rustresistant packaging and more; KOLB Specials creative packaging solutions using waveflute and regular single face corrugated; KOLB Display all types of POS and display style packaging solutions. on a 2.5m paper machine. Each of the box plants runs a corrugator. At Memmingen and Buxheim, 2.5m machines have been installed by BHS Corrugated. The third site in Haiterbach runs three corrugators, specifically adapted for producing single face reels and sheets, prior to being run on a series of in-line and sheet to sheet laminators. An Isowa corrugator is in daily production for open wave-flute sheets and joins a 2.5m machine from BHS Corrugated and a 2.5m line from Agnati. Memmingen has a core competence for producing standard packaging solutions, while Buxheim is the company s centre of excellence for pre and post print; Haiterbach is focused on the production of high quality litho laminated work. We are experienced in all forms of printing, explains Andreas von Liel, Technical Director. With in-house pre-print technology, high quality post print, digital and litho offset capabilities, we make it our mission to offer our customers awardwinning decorative packaging. Buxheim investment In 2010, a project team was put together to look at ways of enhancing the Buxheim plant. A budget of 30 million was established and an ambitious plan was put in place to allow the company to expand capacity and competence at the site. We were Integrated producer The company s paper mill produces over 65,000 tonnes of waste-based corrugated casemaking raw materials which it uses 100 per cent internally. It runs in a grammage range of 90 to 170 gsm Corrugating line from BHS Corrugated. INTERNATIONAL PAPER BOARD INDUSTRY 51

3 Materials handling upgrade from Minda. starting to see a significant growth in demand from our customers for high quality printed work around that time, explains Thomas Wund, Head of Communications. Following some component upgrades on the 2.5m corrugator, we set about re-designing and expanding the layout of the site. Working with a group of trusted suppliers, we drew up plans that would see a completely new materials handling system away from the corrugator, through work in progress, onto converting and into warehousing. Machinery was moved around and we opted to install two new Göpfert printing machines too. High rack solution We realised that with the new printing machines and die-cutters, added to the capacity increase A Bahmüller Turbox gluer was chosen to bolster gluing production. following the expansion of the gluing department, meant we needed more warehousing for finished good, explains Mr Wund. We installed a new generation Bahmüller Turbox speciality gluer alongside the two existing Bobst gluers, which gave us a huge growth in the number of glued cases we could produce. The nature of the existing site meant the most effective way of growing the warehouse was by going up instead of outwards. To improve throughput, Minda undertook the design and installation of a new materials handling system. Plastic chain conveyors and automatic transfer cars smoothly transfer stacks of board between corrugator and converting, and then move the finished goods into a dedicated pallet inserting system, where top and bottom pallets can be placed accurately for finished goods. The finished stacks are then strapped and wrapped prior to moving to the new warehouse. KOLB had also commissioned The high rack storage systems from SITLog GmbH. SITLog GmbH to devise an efficient logistics solution with over 5,000 storing positions for Euro and industrial pallets (stack size up to 1400 x 1700 x 2100 mm). The new high-rack warehouse is linked directly to the existing production facility and to the central palletising area and automatically stages finished pallets at the six loading gates, in the right route sequence, ready for loading onto lorries. The new warehouse uses ViSIT, SITLog s own visualisation and fault diagnostics system based on WinCC, which has been tried and tested over many years. The material flow computer manages not only the automated high bay warehouse but also the manual warehouse in which goods not suitable for the high rack warehouse can be made available for dispatch. In-plant system KOLB have been using Kiwiplan for its complete end-to-end plant system for over a decade. The main software modules in use at the three plants are: Corrugator Printing/Labeling (LBL BASE & OPER), Corrugator Dry End Converting Link (XMT), Corrugator 52 INTERNATIONAL PAPER BOARD INDUSTRY

4 AS BUXHEIM IS OUR CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR PRINTED PACKAGING SOLUTIONS, WE WANTED TO INSTALL TWO DEDICATED PRINTING MACHINES, ONE OF WHICH WE WOULD RUN IN-LINE WITH A NEW BOBST MASTERCUT 2.1 FLAT BED DIE-CUTTER. Scheduling Base Package (CSC), Factory Floor Feedback (FFF), Quality Management System (QMS), Machine Data Collection (MDC) and Production Control System (PCS). "We are running all three plants on one data set, which guarantees a complete planning process throughout each of the sites, explains Mr von Liel. As we continue to develop a growing range of corrugated products, it allows us to enter various niche markets. Utilising Kiwiplan, we can easily accommodate the growth of the business, as our systems are able to grow according to the size of the operation. Each of the new printing and converting machines link seamlessly into the Kiwiplan plant systems. Dashboards on each machine feeds performance data direct into the Kiwiplan system, allowing planners to monitor machine loading on a timely basis. Perfect print As Buxheim is our centre of excellence for printed packaging solutions, we wanted to install two dedicated printing machines, one of which we would run in-line with a new Bobst Mastercut 2.1 flat bed die-cutter, says Mr von Liel. KOLB opted for two Göpfert printing machines, as it looked to considerably enhance its post-print capabilities further. The first open architecture, high board line Ovation a four colour machine was installed in 2012 and runs inline with a Bobst Mastercut 2.1 flat bed die-cutter. Not even a year later, the second printing machine was installed, this time configured with seven colours, but off-line. The speed and performance of this printing machine means we can effectively feed three or four of our Bobst flat bed die-cutters, explains Mr von Liel. To achieve the highest levels of print and die-cut accuracy, we choose to print first and then flat bed die-cut. All Göpfert high quality flexo post print machines achieve printing accuracy by using the proven Real Direct Drive and Vacuum Belt Transport technology. In addition to the drive system and the transport technology, the following standard and optional features ensure One of the Göpfert Ovation presses is inline with a Bobst Mastercut. The Kiwiplan dashboard pulls machine data into the production and scheduling system. maximum accuracy in print register and performance across all board grades. Vacuum Lead Edge Feeder uses belts instead of friction rolls in order to eliminate marks on the liner when using coated papers and producing E-Flute; The sheet cleaner removes dust particles prior to printing; Doctor chamber blade system with pneumatic blade clamping enables the operator to change a blade within minutes, without tools; Anti print enlargement (APM) for increasing or reducing print length for individual stereos; Anilox roll and impression cylinder gap setting in 1/100 mm increments, for perfect kiss touch print; Auto-lock plate mounting with manual or motorised angular plate adjustment; ICS Ink Conditioning System, providing automatic control of ink ph, viscosity and temperature; Full Sheet Inspection System with 54 INTERNATIONAL PAPER BOARD INDUSTRY

5 automatic ejection of sheets to be rechecked ensures the best printing results. These Göpfert proprietary technologies are exclusive to their machines, giving customers such as KOLB exactly what they need in order to strengthen their position in the high quality flexo print market. The award-winning Ovation is available at a working width of 2.1m and 2.4m. The maximum production speed for an offline installation is up to 14,000 feeds per hour. To achieve this target, Göpfert has re-designed their High Performance Top Vacuum Stacker. A box run on the Göpfert 7 colour Ovation. The control desk of the seven colour Göpfert Ovation. KOLB also opted to install IR dryers on the Göpfert printing machines JB Machinery is established worldwide as a supplier of high efficiency infrared drying systems. Utilising the dryers makes it possible for KOLB to print and over-varnish on substrates ranging from Kraft to the finest high hold-out clay-coated liners. Partnership This was the first time we have worked with Göpfert and I must say that we have been impressed with the way in which they approached our project, states Mr von Liel. We did not want a supplier to simply sell us a machine that they thought would fit our needs. With Göpfert, we found that they listened to what we wanted, and then offered us a tailor-made solution that would be fit for purpose. We have been trying to close the gap between litho and flexo for some time. Our objective is to be able to offer a standard of printed box where it is almost impossible to tell the difference between pre-print, post print or litho the Ovation is certainly living up to its excellent reputation and we The Göpfert Ovation printing machines have been fitted with IR dryers from JB Machinery. are happy with the results. Working with KOLB has been a great experience, states Ralf Schiffman, Sales Director at Göpfert. Their company philosophy is very much like ours listen to the customer and react to those requirements. Mr von Liel had an excellent project team working with us and the results speak for themselves. Reflecting on the last year since installation, we are most satisfied with our decision to invest in the Göpfert printing machines, concludes Mr von Liel. Hans KOLB Wellpappe is a leading producer of decorative packaging and the investment at our Buxheim facility underlines our commitment to our people and our customers. 56 INTERNATIONAL PAPER BOARD INDUSTRY