UK-based Dairi-Pak have operated an older generation Autobox boxmaking machine for around twenty years. It has served them well, proving to be a well-built, reliable machine, producing short to medium run lengths of mainly larger boxes, in higher board grades.
Tim Gray, Managing Director, recognised the increasing demand, especially for 0200 and 0201 boxes, trays, lids, and creased pads, and decided to upgrade and add another machine. He specified quick set, big box capacity, in short and medium run length production. Gray went to see the Autobox AB300 in action and was impressed by the ease of use, simplicity of set up, and flexibility of the machine when producing both jumbo and mini boxes. He was already aware of Kolbus-Autobox service and support capabilities which had always enabled their existing machines to have optimum uptime and minimal downtime.
Dairi-Pak decided to purchase an Autobox AB300, with a flexo print station. The new Autobox is a centre set machine for more accuracy at higher speed, and with more digital set up and full servo control over each panel for precise size settings. The wider machine has interchangeable slotting blades to cope with bigger boxes, and with smaller or more difficult panels.
The Flexo print station prints an area up to 1,000 x 1,000mm, with a minimum repeat gap of only 350mm. Set up is fast, easy, and accurate. With this in-line unit the door is opened to smaller run length, personalised, box work and relieved capacity on the traditional higher volume machinery.
Arran Sethi, Director of Sales, Kolbus UK, said, “Autobox is a name synonymous with short to medium run boxmaking. We work with many sheet plants who want to offer exact sizes of smaller run length work. These jobs are often very big or very small, or made from a thin board grade, or a heavy one. The Autobox is an extremely versatile machine that allows sheet plants to say ‘yes’ to ‘nuisance’ work efficiently, and profitably. With speeds as high as 1,000 boxes per hour, the Autobox is not just for short run. We have customers making batches of up to 2,000 units quite regularly, with margins upwards of 50%. The machine will continue to perform day in day out with minimal ongoing costs, backed by the excellent UK technical support from Kolbus UK’s field technicians, and spare parts managers for ongoing consumables.”
