Edinburgh-based, Thomson Print & Packaging is a family-owned business that specialises in bespoke print and packaging, primarily serving Scotland’s whisky industry with printed and folded cartons as well as labels. Non-contact food packaging applications are also handled by the company.
In the case of whisky, packaging is often required for cask bottling of 200-300 pieces. This places the onus on short runs and fast turnaround. With printing, foil blocking, and some die-cutting services already offered, the BOBST NOVAFOLD 110 was a natural addition to the business as it evolves into a full-service folding carton manufacturer. Folding and gluing was previously outsourced to a local partner.
“Having never worked with glue or offered folding directly, this was an entirely new area for us,” explains Michael Thomson, Production Director, Thomson Print & Packaging. “That meant we needed a partner rather than a supplier, who would be able to provide us not only with the machine that suited our needs but would help inform and educate our team, train our operators, and ensure we are able to produce the quality of work required by our customers.”
He continues, “We were clear from the outset that we weren’t going to buy a machine solely based on whoever came to us with the lowest cost solution; rather what we required was a manufacturer committed to supporting us and helping us grow. We found that in abundance with Bobst, and the company’s support staff, engineers, and service teams have been essential to our success so far.”
As well as being Thomson’s first investment in folding and gluing, the Novafold 110 was the company’s first investment in Bobst equipment. The machine has quickly established itself as a reliable workhorse on the company’s expanded production floor.
Chas Ashpole, Product Specialist, conducting training at Thomson Print & Packaging.
Novafold 110 is able to produce a wide range of box styles, in different materials, at speeds of up to 300 m/min. It is designed to be user-friendly and enable fast set-ups and job changes. Thomson Print & Packaging had specific requirements of its folder-gluer based on the demands of its predominantly whisky customers. This includes crash-lock bases, double glued hems, and additional flaps glued into the lid.
Thomson says, “These capabilities are important to whisky distilleries to give them high-quality packaging that is strong enough to hold the bottles and give a premium appearance. To add complexity, we need this to be achieved in an 11m machine length, as that’s all the space we had for this piece of equipment. Gluing is quite a difficult process to learn. That’s become clear to us. None of our operators had run or set this type of machine before.
“But all the people training on the machine are picking it up and quickly improving. That wouldn’t have been possible without the ongoing support from BOBST over the last 18 months and the extensive training sessions and support visits since the installation, which have helped us overcome the inevitable teething problems whenever you invest in a new piece of machinery.”
Lee Alton, Area Sales Manager for Northern England & Scotland, Bobst UK, says, “When Thomson Print & Packaging came to us with their folding and gluing needs, we were delighted to be able to provide them with the machine that meets their exact requirements and to support them with the training, maintenance, and support that has helped Thomson get to grips with a process entirely new to them and get the most out of their investment. We have product specialists located throughout the UK, with more than 60 years’ experience between them, enabling us to support customers promptly and effectively. As a reliable partner to print and packaging businesses, this is the level of service our customers and the wider industry has come to expect of BOBST, and we are delighted to continue to provide.”
Thomson concludes, “In any situation where you’re putting in a new bit of machinery for a process that you’re not 100% sure on, you want to be working with the market leader and using machinery that has the best reputation. Bobst gave us the best opportunity to make sure that we would hit the ground running and get good quality cartons from the outset.”
