As corrugated converters face mounting pressure to increase throughput and respond quickly to shifting customer demands, flexo folder gluer investments are becoming more strategic than ever. Today’s buying decisions are less about raw speed alone and more about how reliably performance can be delivered shift after shift.
Two recent installations supported by SUN Automation Group, featuring flexo folder gluer platforms from Latitude Machinery Corporation (LMC), illustrate how the right equipment, paired with experienced service and application support, can translate installation decisions into measurable production impact on the floor.
Record-Setting Output at Welch Packaging Group
At Welch Packaging Group’s Chicago facility, a recent production milestone demonstrated the upper limits of what today’s full-servo mini flexo folder gluers can achieve. Their LMC Mini Full Servo FFG produced a record-breaking 206,750 boxes in an eight-hour shift.
The milestone was achieved during standard operations and reflected a deliberate, well-coordinated effort between the plant team and their equipment partners. According to the management team at Welch Packaging Group, the goal was clear from the outset: to operate the machine at its maximum rated speed of 27,000 boxes per hour while maintaining consistency and control.
Designed for high-speed performance with precise motion control, the LMC Mini Full Servo platform supports converters running aggressive schedules without sacrificing quality. Welch’s result underscores how full-servo architecture enables repeatable, high-throughput flexo converting without sacrificing consistency.
Paige Company Expands Capacity with the LMC PP-Series
While Welch’s achievement highlights maximum output, Paige Company’s recent expansion demonstrates how converters are using mid-size flexo folder gluers to balance capacity, flexibility, and return on investment.
Operating in the competitive New York metropolitan market, Paige Company produces a wide range of value-added packaging. As demand for mid-sized and specialty products grew, the company identified the need to relieve pressure on smaller machines while consolidating multiple operations into a single pass.
To meet that need, Paige Company installed an LMC PP-Series Flexo Folder Gluer (PP2-1025), a mid-size platform engineered to balance throughput, precision, and versatility. The PP-Series supports applications ranging from standard RSCs to complex die-cut and specialty glued products.
The LMC PP2-1025 enabled Paige to achieve significant gains in production efficiency, allowing the operation to run up to 400,000–500,000 square feet per shift while consolidating one production line for a major record storage customer. As Michael Levine, President of Paige Company, explained, two separate operations were combined into a single pass, allowing orders to be completed more efficiently.
By streamlining workflows, Paige reduced handling, labor, and cycle time while maintaining quality standards. The machine’s integrated scrap removal system supported higher-volume runs by effectively managing waste before boxes entered the folding section.
Building on the success of the initial installation, Paige Company has since ordered a second PP-Series machine to further expand capacity and support continued growth.
A Repeatable Model for Flexo Converting Success
Together, these installations reflect a broader trend in flexo converting: converters are prioritizing proven equipment platforms supported by strong regional partners who understand the realities of high-volume production. Whether pushing throughput limits on a full-servo mini flexo folder gluer or expanding capacity with a versatile mid-size platform, success increasingly depends on the alignment of machinery capability, operator expertise, and aftermarket support.
For SUN Automation Group, projects like these reinforce the importance of strong OEM partnerships and long-term customer support in delivering sustainable performance gains across a wide range of flexo folder gluer applications.
