Cutting Systems Boosting productivity through automation
We recently spoke to the team at Eskoto find out what’s in the pipeline and how they are working with the converter to meet everyday challenges
decals and window graphics POP displays. For converters looking for high productivity levels and a reduction in waste, the Esko Kongsberg cutting tables have moved into the world of robotics to achieve continuous production.” For converters looking to handle greater
capacity and increase production levels, Esko has introduced a number of other automated devices.
NEW CUTTING TOOL SOLUTION A new tooling solution for the Kongsberg cutting tables, the “CorruSpeed” is specifically designed for the high-speed cutting of corrugated board without oscillating. The result is cleaner, sharper and ensures more accurate cuts comparable to conventional die cutting. These innovative tools bring the highest quality digital finishing to the corrugated market. For users aware of the importance of addressing shorter lead times, problems of waste and short run complex jobs, Esko has also introduced WebCenter QuickStart for Corrugated Converters, a tailored solution that helps them manage packaging designs. A powerful management system, this can be installed and up and running at a converter’s site within five days. Esko works through and reviews the
and, crucially, what it was that made their offering different from any other supplier. The answer came back – “We listen to our customers”. Above all else, they value the customer/supplier relationship and view it as a partnership. By visiting customers and reviewing overall business strategy and production processes, Esko says it is working alongside companies to identify the issues and the bottlenecks, and to recommend areas for improvement. Their main objective is to help companies boost productivity and simplify the processes - and in today’s terms, that means automation.
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HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE Earlier in the year, Esko staged a successful Open House in Leicester with its customer Data Image to show how using Esko software and hardware for digital finishing can boost productivity and help companies ‘take the fast-lane’ for their business. Printers from across the UK watched a demonstration of the company’s C66 Kongsberg super wide digital cutting table, which boasts a robotic manual handling system, driven by Esko’s fully automated
e spoke to Esko to asked them what they were doing to help the converter,
workflow for multi-zone production. Rob Farfort, founder and owner of Data Image, says: “With Esko's robotic innovation we see ourselves as pioneers of this technology. As devices get faster and faster, manual- handling will become a thing of the past. We can now look to redeploy and re-train our staff – giving them new opportunities and adding value to our business. Our business model is built on lean manufacturing principles.”
MULTI ACTION PIPELINE Frank Adegeest, director of product management at Digital Finishing says: “The Kongsberg table works with multi-zones, meaning one part of the table is being used for loading and unloading, while the other part is busy finishing a job. That has clear advantages for the converter: the Kongsberg tables can convert close to 100 per cent every time – the ultimate in Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE). Esko has thought of every time saving measure and device to reduce change over time and simplify waste logistics. Our automated digital converting equipment allows different size sheets for samples, floor graphics, vehicle graphics, backlit displays,
entire production process with a process called “Value Stream Mapping”. When conducting this process, Esko has two key questions – ‘What happens If?’ and ‘What happens Next?’ This usually highlights and identifies potential issues throughout the workflow. The team at Esko breaks down each step and each task in the company’s overall process for review. A process of analysis then looks at the overall requirements and makes sure that every facet of production is dealt with in the most efficient way possible. Full automation can then be achieved by threading together each automated task throughout the whole process as a functional activity. So, what’s next for the company? What
avenue will they be exploring for future solutions to converter problems. Adegeest, states: “Esko is helping its customers address the entire production cycle from planning, prepress and printing, all the way through to digital finishing and shipping. We will continue to reach out to our customers to help us develop new solutions for this sector. As volumes increase, material handling will continue to be a key factor.”
uesko.com
22
November 2018
convertermag.co.uk
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