Gauteng-based Magnum Packaging recently invested in a Brausse die-cutter and folder-gluer, supplied by Alliance Machinery, to improve production capacity and reduces lead time to market. Malissa Spies reports.
‘THINKING ABOUT THE BOX’ – Magnum Packaging’s motto and philosophy and its continual investment in a diversity of machinery to provide customers with a total turnkey solution has helped the company become one of the leading manufacturers in the folding carton and litho laminating sectors over the past 17 years.
Located in Robertville (Gauteng), Magnum Packaging currently boasts a variety of state-of-the-art equipment in its 5 000m2 facility, with a staff complement of 70 permanent staff and 30 contract workers.
Business partners, Kobus Meyer and Allan Naicker, are proud to be called ‘one of the best service delivery companies in the packaging industry’ by their customers.
‘Our team’s drive to keep up to date with the ever-changing industry, provide all services in-house as we’ve grown alongside our customer base and open up new market possibilities has resulted in recent investments in more fully-automatic machines: a Brausse 1060ER blanker and Brausse TB1100 C4/6 folder-gluer,’ explains Allan Naicker.
Possibilities and diversity
The company’s second Brausse folder-gluer – supplied by local representative, Alliance Machinery – is fully modular and equipped with a crashlock bottom module and integrated fully servo controlled four- and six-corner back-folding device, which allows for quick and simple job changeovers from one carton style to the next.
The TB1100 is a heavy-duty machine capable of running up to B flute corrugated and litho laminated cartons as it is equipped with a number of blank alignment and squaring devices to ensure that only the highest quality folded cartons are supplied.
The Brausse 1060ER blanker is fully-automated and converts printed sheets into stacks of cleanly separated blanks, ready for folding and glueing. This eliminates the entire hand break out process which is time consuming, labour intensive and can also lead to damaged carton flaps and higher waste. Machine blanked cartons perform better on high-speed filling lines.
The market is also sensitive about the amount of hands coming in contact with their cartons from a health, hygiene and security perspective, therefore, inline blanking is becoming much-needed when serving these demanding sectors.
‘We wanted a machine that covers quite a big spectrum and have received just that because the non-stop feeder enables handling of materials ranging from 90g/m² paper up to 4mm corrugated board,’ says Allan.
The 1060ER follows Brausse’s philosophy of providing as standard many options for which other manufacturers charge extra. ‘For example, quick locking micro-adjusting chases, quick locking stripping and blanking sections and remote diagnostics all come as standard, as do push and pull lays and ultrasonic double sheet detection,’ states Alliance Machinery MD, Bradley Bate.
‘We regard our customers and suppliers as long-term partners and have had a long-standing relationship with Alliance Machinery because the team provides us with a remarkable level of local service and support as well as state-of-the-art machinery that represents real value for money,’ explains Allan Naicker.
The Rolls Royce
According to Bradley Bate, equipment from the Bobst Group can be described as the ‘Rolls Royce’ models of the packaging converting industry, covering the full spectrum from commercial printers diversifying into packaging all the way through to leading multi-national packaging converters. Furthermore, the Group has identified a need to supply emerging markets with state-of-the-art machinery and technology at a competitive price point. It has developed Brausse as a great value-for-money brand that’s ideal for fast-growing converters such as Magnum Packaging,’ he remarks.
Brausse machinery is equipped with electrical components from leading brand names, such as Omron, Telemechanique and Mitsubishi, which are available locally. ‘Although Magnum’s three Brausse machines are connected to the Brausse Europe network, which enables direct support when it’s required from Europe, Alliance Machinery’s experienced and dedicated local technicians have received extensive training overseas to ensure they’re 100% conversant in all operational and maintenance aspects,’ Bradley comments.
‘Both the Brausse die-cutter and folder-gluer were installed and commissioned by our local factory trained technicians. Our team has decades of experience so even the advanced operator and process training was carried out by our local experts.
‘At Alliance Machinery, we close the loop for customers by providing a turnkey solution from the sale to project management, to start up tooling for the first few jobs, and even include a full range of start-up consumables so we can hand over a machine running their production at full speed.’
Kobus Meyer emphasises that the new machinery makes Magnum Packaging even more diverse and capable of providing customers with the best service and quality folding cartons. ‘We aren’t stopping here – this is just a teaser of what’s to come,’ he concludes.
