BoardConverting Serving the North American Corrugated and Folding Carton Industries for 36 years June 1, 2020 VOL. 36, NO. 22
Benchmarking Digital Printing In North America BY JACKIE SCHULTZ
Cascades To Close Brown Sheet Plant In Ontario Kingsey Falls, Quebec based Cascades Ihas announced the closure of the Brown Contain- erboard Packaging facility in Burlington, On- tario, as part of the corporation’s continuing optimization initiatives for its Containerboard Packaging business. “As part of the consolidation of our sheet plant operations in Ontario, we will be grad- ually redeploying production from the Brown facility to other units in Ontario, said Charles Malo, President and Chief Operating Offi- cer of Cascades Containerboard Packaging. “This decision was necessary to align present production capacities, position our platform for mid and long-term success, improve pro- ductivity, reduce fixed costs and strengthen our service offering for our valued customers. Cascades’ Brown Containerboard Packag- ing operation will permanently close no later than July 31, 2020. Over the coming weeks, the company will work to minimize the impact of this announcement on the 45 employees of this facility, including offering them the option to transfer other business units. Employees who cannot, or do not wish to relocate to oth- er plants, will receive support in their search for other employment.
Karstedt Partners has released the first of its three-part digital printing report, “Benchmarking Digital Printing for North American Corrugated Packaging and Displays.” The report examines the digital market from
an installation standpoint and capacity output. The study profiles about 70 percent of the North American industry capacity and includes single and multi-pass press installations. Jeff Wettersten, Karstedt Partners President, says the findings revealed a few ‘aha moments.’ Following is an interview with him. BCN: Jeff, when compiling the first report was there anything in par- ticular that surprised you? Wettersten: There were a couple of things. The first was the differences The Midwest leads installed capacity for single pass presses with an esti- mated 6.444 billion square-feet.
WHAT’S INSIDE
6 Reopening Challenges: Higher-Risk Employees 8 SCE Seeking Applications For ‘What’s New’ Virtual Sessions 14 FBA Celebrates Another Year Of Stellar Progress 30 Weber Display & Packaging Designs Booth For ‘Distancing’
in installed machine capacity versus production and output. Installed machine capacity of both digital and analog look at the rated speed and the applicable width of the press and calculate width times speed. That’s as if the press was operating three hours per shift, seven days per week, op- erating at full width of the material and full rated speed. True production capacity addresses the
Jeff Wettersten
actual speed. What we found is most converters are operating at 65 percent to 75 percent of rated width of the presses and at about 55-60
CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
T H A C K E R I N D U S T R I A L S E R V I C E C O M P A N Y
O P E R A T O R T R A I N I N G T A I L O R E D T O Y O U R G O A L S Before any training star ts, we need to know your goals. We’ l l help you identi f y them, customize them, measure them and help achieve the expectations set by your team. Our intensive training wi l l encompass two ful l days at your faci l ity for al l par ticipants, during the week or on a weekend. Al l you need is a room for training your group and the machine you want to train on.
O U R T E A M
Our Training team consists of three corrugated industry exper ts with nearly 100 years of combined experience. Their backgrounds are in both integrated and independent companies with roles ranging from Machine Operator to Director of Operations. Making them more than qual i f ied to tackle any machine and training issue. Cal l today to learn how your team can benef it from the industry ’s premier training program.
www. thacker i ndus t r i a l . com (682) 552 5852 For more Information:
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June 1, 2020
C u r r e n t O p e r a t o r E x p e r i e n c e
S T E P 1
M a c h i n e t y p e G o a l s / E x p e c t a t i o n s
I s s u e s
Q U E S T I O N N A I R E
P l a n 2 d a y s w i t h i n y o u r s c h e d u l e
S T E P 2
1 d a y c l a s s r o o m a n d 1 d a y a t m a c h i n e
S C H E D U L E
1 - B o x S e t u p C a l i b r a t i o n T o o l i n g
S T E P 3
T R A I N I N G
T r o u b l e s h o o t i n g
Georgia-Pacific To Idle #3 Machine In Cedar Springs: Lack Of Demand Atlanta, Georgia based Georgia-Pacific’s announced that its operations in Cedar Springs, Georgia, is temporarily idling one of its three paper machines for two separate week-long periods in late May and late June due to lack of demand, according to Public Affairs Manager Peggy Jaye. “Based on current economic conditions, we’ve deter- mined that production of medium paper on Cedar Springs’ #3 machine (PM3) significantly exceeds current and pre- dicted short-term demand,” said Jaye. “As a result, pro- duction on PM3 was temporarily curtailed for seven days starting Thursday, May 21. Also, beginning Sunday, June 21, additional downtime on PM3 is planned for seven days. Unfortunately, a significant number of hourly employ- ees will be temporarily laid off or furloughed during the downtime, Jaye acknowledged. Those affected include personnel from areas across the mill that support the tem- porarily idled machine. “Be assured that this was a very difficult decision to make and we understand the concern and anxiety it may cause our employees, their families and our commu- nity,” said Jaye. “In the meantime, we continue to oper- ate, closely following public health guidelines to protect the health of our employees and our work environment against COVID-19.”
The Price is Right More readers rely on Board Converting News’ containerboard pricing to negotiate their contracts. SUBSCRIBE TODAY.
Robyn Smith at 910-553-4055 /rsmith@nvpublications.com Len Prazych at 518-366-9017 / lprazych@nvpublications.com
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AVERAGE CONTAINERBOARD PRICES The average prices reported are tabulated from prices PAID by various sources throughout the United States the week previous to issue. Prices in some areas of the country may be higher or lower than the tabulated average. The prices tabulated here are intended only for purposes of reference. They do not connote any commitment to sell any material at the indi- cated average. Transactions may be completed at any time at a price agreed upon by seller and purchaser.
REGION E. Coast Midwest Southeast Southwest
42# Kraft liner $885.00-890.00 $900.00-910.00 $900.00-910.00 $900.00-910.00 $930.00-940.00 $903.00-912.00
26# Semi-Chem. Medium
Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del.
$820.00-850.00 $835.00-855.00 $835.00-855.00 $835.00-855.00 $865.00-875.00 $838.00-858.00
West Coast U.S. Average
SHEET PRICES BY REGION (AVERAGE) Per 1MSF, local delivery included, 50MSF single item order, truckload delivery. Sheets
E. Coast Midwest South-SW S. CA N.CA/WA-OR US Aver.
SONIXS TECHNOLOGY: CHANGING INDUSTRY STANDARDS Mosca’s Sonixs ultrasonic sealing technology has enabled our customers to increase uptime while reducing parts and maintenance needs. How much could you save? Contact us today! www.eammosca.com/sonixs or contact us at info@eammosca.com | 844-859-6968
200# 275#
$62.26
$72.05
$62.69 $82.80
$85.35 119.54
$73.13 101.29
97.32
99.89
90.86
113.65
OYSTER UP-CHARGE 8.34
8.34
8.34
8.34
8.34
8.34
275# DBL-WALL 350# DBL-WALL
107.46 118.45
114.69 129.32
116.54 137.25 117.82 145.56
141.08
122.76
148.46
131.80
CANADIAN SHEET PRICES (AVERAGE) In Canadian Dollars, per 1MSF, local delivery included, under 50MSF single item order, truckload delivery. 200# 275# Oyster UC 275#DW 350#DW $78.56 $99.18 $9.00 $96.32 $105.83 CANADIAN LINERBOARD & MEDIUM The average prices reported are tabulated from prices PAID by various sources throughout Canada. Prices may be higher or lower in various areas of the country. The prices tabulated here are intended only for purposes of reference. They do not connote any commitment to sell any material at the indicated average. Transactions may be completed at any time at a price agreed upon by seller and purchaser. Prices are Canadian $ and per metric ton.
42# Kraft Liner 26#
Semi-Chem Medium
East West
$920.00 $965.00
$910.00 $945.00
AVERAGE CONTAINERBOARD PRICES.indd 1
3/7/19 2:04 PM
High performance corrugated medium Coated and laminated papers
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Reopening Challenges: Dealing With Higher-Risk Employees BY JOEL GREENWALD The laws are changing rapidly in the current pandemic. Therefore, the legal issues discussed here are subject to change. It is best to consult with your counsel concerning any legal advice. In a recent update on COVID-19 guidance, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency tasked with, among other things, enforcing the Amer- icans with Disabilities Act (ADA), addressed protections afforded to employees who are deemed to be at higher risk from COVID-19. The guidance also clarified when the employer may (or may not) exclude such employees from the workplace, and most notably, provided examples of accommodations that could mitigate COVID-19 related risks while still bring- ing these higher-risk employees back into the workplace. Below, we summarize the key components of the new guidance and address what it could mean for businesses. Q: Who is a higher-risk employee? A: According to the CDC, an employee falling into one of CONTINUED ON PAGE 37 Joel Greenwald
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June 1, 2020
The Broadest Range of Upgrades for the Corrugating Industry...
ives Need
,
g
with your nd ease ives. The onal user ion. e for a 753 ging up to ximum
ProDrive eliminates obsolete DC motors with an AC vector upgrade and improves reliability of your equipment. DeviceLogix™ – Controls outputs and manages status information locally within the drive, allowing you to operate the drive independently or complementary to supervisory control. Configure for Your Application – Each drive has a slot-based hardware architecture that educes unnec ssary add-ons and gives you the flexibility to select option cards to suit your application and expand your drive for future needs. Supported hardware control options are common for the series to help reduce your inventory and spare parts requirements. Predictive Diagnostics – Prevent unplanned downtime with predictive diagnostics and built-in protection features to help guard your investment. These settings allow the PowerFlex 750-Series to keep track of information that affects the life of the drive components. PowerFlex 755 drives 250 kW/350 Hp and larger have additional diagnostic features including built-in protection devices. The PowerFlex 753 and 755 AC drives offer more selection for control, communications, safety and supporting hardware options than any other drives in their class.
ProGear doublebacker drive upgrade eliminates obsolete DC drive and bull gears.
ProDisplay achieves a new level of plant floor visual management and accountability.
es drives ty: 53 and
ment ming,
Soft Touch
either able to mproving
F Softtouch
ts a tegration embedded e data herNet/IP flexible and vice Level
Glue roll
Corrugating roll
ProPress thermal transfer components improve bonding. Feedback – Options include Universal, Encoder and Dual Encoder feedback options. The Universal Feedback option includes multiple feedback interfaces to support a wide range of applications. Interfaces supported are Incremental, EnDat and Hiperface for Stegmann and Heidenhain high resolution feedback, SSI and BiSS for rotary and linear applications. The drives also provide automatic feedback loss switchover. Application-matched Packaging – Gain additional flexibility with packaging options that address a range of application and environmental protection requirements.
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SCE Seeking Applications For ‘What’s New’ Virtual Sessions TAPPI/AICC SuperCorrExpo (SCE) 2020 has an- nounced that “What’s New” Virtual Sessions will be of- fered through a Zoom webinar the week of September 14, 2020. They will give SCE 2021 trade show exhib- itors the opportunity to showcase their new product, service, or application in a seven-minute presentation without commercialism guidelines/restrictions. TAPPI anti-trust guidelines will still be enforced. All exhibitors of SCE are eligible to apply and appli- cations and abstracts are due by June 15, 2020. The SuperCorrExpo Technical Program Commit- tee will be reviewing the abstracts and presentations. “Newness” of the product or service and the date that it was first introduced will be considered strongly in the selection process. “New” is defined as having been introduced to the market after January 2019. The presentations will be recorded and posted on https://supercorrexpo.org as a SuperCorrExpo pre- view and will be accessible until September 2021. Full details and requirements are posted on the Program page of supercorrxpo.org . For more information, contact Kristi Ledbetter, TAP- PI Corrugated Division Manager, at (770) 209-7319 or kledbetter@tappi.org.
Box Shipments ( U.S. Corrugated Product Shipments) Industry Shipments In Billions of Square Feet Month April 2020
Year
Actual
Percent Change Avg Week Percent Change
2020 2019
31.964 32.653
-2.1
7.611 7.775
-2.1
Industry Total
Year-to Date
April 2020
Year
Actual
Percent Change Avg Week Percent Change
2020 2019
130.945 127.545
2.7
7.703 7.592
1.5
Industry Total
Containerboard Consumption (Thousands of Tons)
Year
Month
Percent Change Year-to-Date Percent Change
2020 2019
2.6579 2.6904
-1.2
10.8562 10.4940
3.5
Container Board Inventory - Corrugator Plants (Thousands of Tons)
Corrugator Plants Only
Date
Percent Change Weeks of Supply
Percent Change
Apr. Mar.
2.2914 2.1278
7.7
3.6 3.3
9.1
Shipping Days
Year
Month
Year-to-Date
2020 2019
21 21
85 84
SOURCE: Fibre Box Association
8
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June 1, 2020
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EPA Begins Stressing The Importance Of Recycling BY MARY DRAIN
and re-use rates, but it didn’t happen overnight. It took a prolonged and focused effort by our industry to work with communities, waste haulers and materials recovery facilities to ensure collected corrugated is returned to mills where it is broken down into fibers, manufactured back into containerboard, and used to make new boxes. The recycling process completes the cycle and allows a box to become a box again. Over the past couple of years, FBA recognized that in- creases in e-commerce and online shopping have shifted more recycling responsibility from businesses to consum- ers. That’s why we’ve worked hard in our advertising and other messaging to encourage consumers to recycle by choosing the recycling bin instead of the trash bin. We are happy that the EPA is joining in this effort. Mary Drain is the Director of Technical Services at Fibre Box Association. Reach her at mdrain@fibrebox.org. Graphic Packaging Holding Company Board Declares Quarterly Dividend Atlanta, Georgia based Graphic Packaging Holding Com- pany announced last week that its Board of Directors de- clared a quarterly dividend of $0.075 per share of common stock to stockholders of record at the close of business on June 15, 2020. The dividend is payable on July 5, 2020.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun stressing the importance of recycling. Andrew Wheeler,
the administrator of the EPA, record- ed a video message encouraging all Americans to recycle materials from their households, saying recycling is “good for the planet” and it supports American manufacturing. “Right now, there is a critical need for raw materials in the manufactur-
Mary Drain
ing supply chain, especially paper and cardboard,” states Wheeler. “Business closures and limited operations means less recycled material for American manufacturers, and we all must do our part to recycle more and recycle right to fill this immediate need.” The EPA is encouraging households to do their part – recycle more and recycle correctly so the right materi- als are available for U.S. manufacturers. They’ve created guidelines to show what can and should be done. Fibre Box Association (FBA) has long been vocal about this issue. Our recovery rate has hovered around 90 percent for the last decade. Our industry track record is miles ahead of any other packaging materials recovery
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Amtech Customers Continue To Push Forward, Carry On
Under Roof Separators... ...Made Simple
It is a fact that COVID-19 has impacted everyone. But Am- tech Software customers are embracing it! They are taking the time to receive continuing education and training on the most important piece of software running their busi- ness: Amtech ERP. With our Enhance and Advance We- binar Series, Amtech customers are educating new staff, fine-tuning their skills and operations, and expanding our list of highly-trained Amtech super-users Your business hasn’t stopped and neither has ours. Are you a current Amtech customer? Find out how you can im- prove your staff’s knowledge. Looking for a new partner? Work with a company that provides the best, integrated ERP and continues to have the resources and infrastruc- ture in place to support more than 600 plants. Amtech is one of the leading worldwide providers of software and hardware solutions for the corrugated man- ufacturing industry. Established in 1981, Amtech has been at the forefront of the industry, offering tailored solutions, while assisting manufacturers in achieving operational excellence in key business areas including plant manage- ment, production planning, supply chain, and sales and customer service. For more information, contact Darren Artillio, President of Amtech Software, at dartillio@amtechsoftware.com.
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June 1, 2020
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FBA Celebrates Another Year Of Stellar Progress BY JEFF CHALOVICH
Remembering anything pre COVID-19 is difficult. A few short months of this pandemic, with most of the world confined in quarantine, has up-
ended and changed the trajectories of our lives, possibly forever. The constant concern for the health of our families, friends and co-workers has become common place due to the pandemic. BC and AC, before COVID-19 and after COVID-19, may become a new demarcation point of how we judge time and may forever change the way we communicate, interact, and work with one
Packaging ERP Algorithmic Scheduling Web-Based Access Online Customer Portals
Paperless Workflows Mobile Sales Systems Digital Signage Production Monitoring Mobile Logistics Management Analytics & Reporting Cloud Hosting IT Management Services Cyber Security Management
Jeff Chalovich
another. Virtual school, virtual meetings, and virtual happy hours with teammates, family and friends have become the new normal. Twenty million Americans out of work and a 20 percent unemployment rate was unimaginable just two months ago. It would be easy to lose hope and become overwhelmed from the constant barrage of bad news. Yet, the resilience and the perseverance of the human spirt to adapt and to overcome tragedies and obstacles remains a constant. The other constant we can count on is the extraordinary, ordinary corrugated box, produced by an amazing workforce of women and men who have answered the call to keep the country running. Deemed an essential part of the nation’s supply chain, our industry has risen to the challenge in this time of uncertainty and ensured our customers could package and deliver the essential food, beverages, medical drugs and supplies, cleaning products, and home care items that people need, ev- ery day, to survive. It has been a heroic response in this time of need for the country. Through this challenging time, and over the past year, the Fibre Box Association, led by Dennis Colley, has continued to advance its vision to be the most trusted voice in the North American corrugated packag- ing industry. Dennis and his highly capable team continued to provide value-added services to our members to advance their mission to grow, protect and enhance the well-being of the corrugated industry. The progress made over the past year is impressive. The association has: • Produced an antitrust training video for the corrugated industry with guidance and support from FBA’s Legal Advisory Committee, AICC – The Independent Packaging Association and the International Cor- rugated Packaging Foundation • Implemented year 3 of the Corrugated Industry Promotion Program including the launch of a new tagline, “Boxes. The Most Extraordinary Ordinary Thing in the World,” new ads, two new industry videos and a variety of social media content • Published more than 86 data services reports and introduced new reports including the Labor Trends and News Report, Plastic Reduc- tion Report and the E-Commerce Trends and News Report • Extended work to expand residential OCC recovery through a multi-family collection pilot program in Boston, MA, and support for the pizza box recycling initiative • Completed and made available research on relative humidity envi- ronmental factors impacting safety factors for manufacturing boxes • Strengthened retailer relationships through visits with Albertsons, ALDI, Kroger, Publix, Sam’s Club and Walmart
600 + Plants 60,000 Users North America Latin America
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
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June 1, 2020
“We can help you adapt and optimize with our proven, agile solutions.”
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FBA Celebrates (CONT’D FROM PAGE 14)
Drives and control systems System Modernization And Retrofit Team SMART
• Communicated the results of the life cycle assessment comparing corrugated and reusable plastic containers • Joined the International Corrugated Case Associa- tion in celebrating the worldwide corrugated industry during the combined ICCA/WCO Global Summit & FBA Annual Meeting at The Breakers in Florida • Held the widely successful new Executive Corrugator & Converting Conference at Pacific Southwest Container in Modesto, CA My personal favorite of the year was the launch of the new tagline for our advertising campaign. “Boxes. The Most Extraordinary Ordinary Thing in the World.” Truer words were never spoken, and there has never been a better time or year to bring this tagline to life. It has been a privilege to serve as Chairman of the FBA Board of Directors. I am grateful for the leadership of Den- nis Colley and the work of his highly capable team. Thank you to the FBA Board of Directors for your support and the commitment that you provide the association to better serve the needs of the industry. Jeff Chalovich is the outgoing Chairman of the Fibre Box Association (FBA) and President,Corrugated Packaging, at WestRock Co. Bay Cities Design, Manufactures The Gratitude Box For Dreamrbox Pico Rivera, California based Bay Cities announced that it designed and manufactured the packaging for the Grati- tude Box, an initiative from Dreamrbox. Dreamrbox is partnering with leading brands to create the Gratitude Box as appreciation for all frontline workers.
Rotary knives
Tapes and delivery with ELS Registered printing Die cutters (cyclic/CV) Flexo folders/gluers Winders/unwinders
Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ
Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ
Pull rolls Stackers
Double backers Rotary Shears Single facers Slitter/scorers
Sheeters
Glue rolls
Single-source solution for upgrading older machinery
Increase production Minimize capital outlay Replace obsolete controls Reduce power consumption
Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ
Improve accuracy
Reduce waste
Minimize downtime Extend machine life
The box contains a Su- perhero bottle and a va- riety of delicious treats. The proceeds of this limited-edition gratitude box will be donated to Project N95, who help keep frontline workers safe with critical protec- tive personal equipment. “We were happy to be able to offer our de- sign services and manu- facturing capabilities to the Gratitude Box. This is a great way to show gratitude and apprecia-
drives & systems
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Unico, LLC 3725 Nicholson Road P.O. Box 0505 For more information: converting@unicous.com www.unicous.com Franksville, WI 53126-0505
tion to the frontline workers and their courageous efforts every day in keeping us safe and the economy moving.” said Greg Tucker, CEO of Bay Cities. The Gratitude Box can be ordered at dreamrbox.com .
16
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June 1, 2020
Creating a Stronger Packaging Industry in the Post COVID-19 Environment
Unfortunately, thanks to COVID-19, the concept of Box plants without walls has gone from a futuris- tic idea to being critical for survival.
COVID-19 has taught us many things. Including the need to be agile to meet the needs of an ex- panding supply chain and surging demand. In addition, it taught us that our office staff, customers, production, and sales teams need to collaborate online, be mobilized, untethered to on-premise computers, and have full access to real-time data stored in The Cloud. Delivering sophisticated packaging (whether digital or brown) while meeting clients’ needs requires systems that are fully INTEGRATED not just INTERFACED. For years the Packaging Industry has met the needs of the emerging e-Commerce industry while themselves escaping from the consumer online revolution. I have always questioned why we can order almost anything online 24/7 (while in our pajamas) without any intervention, but if we need packaging it takes a team of people to fol- low-up and multiple interfaced systems just to initiate the process. Instead of just being an observer, we went to work!
At Amtech we devoted 100,000-man hours creating new and TRANSFORMATIONAL business appli- cations that are hosted in the Amtech Cloud. They provide our customers:
• Online and fully integrated Customer Service Portals with 24/7 collaboration from inquiry to in- voicing • Paperless Workflows with integrated dynamic scheduling from quoting to invoicing • Hosting Services that get clients out of the IT business with included cyber security and man- aged network services • Remote Workforce tools that let you hire the best and brightest with access to the national talent pool, not just your area • Realtime Data and Controls for recording and enhancing productivity with digital sensors
Quite simply, we have the technology NOW to provide “Amazon-like” capabilities that take advantage of Apple devices and Google data.
Obviously, during the current viral scare companies are hesitant to initiate projects. However, most advances can be done incrementally. Forget years and months… great things can be implemented in weeks, days and hours. Examples are everywhere. Banks had 10 days to create their PPP SBA Portal, the Federal Government only had weeks to develop systems to distribute and track millions of stimulus checks. It can be done, plus the best time may be while your administrative workforce is remote and has availability.
Knock down the walls……
Cosmo DeNicola Chairman amtechsoftware.com/agile-business-solutions 215.704.9955
Copyright © 2020 Amtech Software. All rights reserved.
TAPPI Seeks Nominations For Prestigious Awards
in significant and demonstrable benefits to members. The award is accompanied by a $2,500 cash hono- rarium. • TAPPI PIMA Executive of the Year Award - is presented to senior-level executives in the pulp, paper, or con- verting industries for excellence in management and outstanding contributions to the industry as a whole. • TAPPI Young Professional of the Year Award - rec- ognizes young professionals employed in the global forest products, pulp, paper, tissue, packaging, and associated industries for their contributions in the following areas: leadership, community service, and problem-solving contributions to scientific or engi- neering projects. Eligible nominees are age 35 or younger, with no more than 10 years of industry ex- perience, and have been a TAPPI member for a min- imum of one year. Individuals can self-nominate for this award at https://bit.ly/2LxYIM6 . The nomination forms must be returned to TAPPI by August 1, 2020, for awards presented in 2021. Forms can be downloaded from www.tappi.org/awards . Complete nomination and selection procedures are outlined in our Honors Manual found at https://bit.ly/2XBCyz7 . For addi- tional information, contact TAPPI at awards@tappi.org. TAPPI fosters the vitality of the global forest products, pulp, paper, tissue, packaging, and associated industries by delivering unsurpassed technical knowledge, valuable networks, and professional growth for its members.
TAPPI is seeking nominations for its most prestigious awards that will be presented in 2021. Nominees should be individuals who distinguish themselves with signifi- cant industry contributions. Nominations are currently being accepted for: • Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award - the highest hon- or that TAPPI can bestow upon an individual. It is grant- ed to those who have made preeminent scientific and engineering achievements of proven applied benefit to the pulp, paper, board, and forest product industries. In addition to an engraved plaque and gold medal- lion, the winner receives a cash honorarium worth 5% of the fund which in recent years has been between $60,000-$80,000. • Herman L. Joachim Distinguished Service Award - recognizes an individual that has exhibited exemplary leadership which has significantly contributed to the advancement of TAPPI. The award is accompanied by a cash honorarium, currently estimated between $50,000-$70,000. • Paul W. Magnabosco Outstanding Local Section Mem- ber Award - was established to recognize an individ- ual whose outstanding leadership and exceptional service to one or more Local Sections has resulted
MEASURE MANUFACTURER’S GAP FROM THE BUNDLE WITH GAPCHEK
LEAD GAP
TRAIL GAP
GapChek™, the latest corrugated vision system from Valco Melton’s ClearVision division, moves the measurement point to the bundle so that the lead and trail gaps are measured on finished boxes. GapChek displays live measurements of each gap and per-bundle averages with statistical process control charts on-screen Users can look at per-job and per-box gap data and analyze historical trends for certain box designs or customers.
Adhesive Dispensing & Quality Inspection Systems World HQ: +1.513.874.6550 | ask@valcomelton.com For more information visit: www.valcomelton.com
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NAM: Signs Of Economic Recovery Encouraging BY CHAD MOUTRAY, PH.D.
for new orders, production, exports and employment. In a similar way, the IHS Markit Flash Eurozone Manu- facturing PMI rebounded in May after dropping in April at the quickest rate since February 2009. Mirroring the New York Federal Reserve release, manufacturing activity in the Philadelphia Fed’s survey continued to reflect deteriorating conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic even as the headline index bounced back in April from its worst reading since July 1980. En- couragingly, respondents were cautiously optimistic about a strong rebound over the next six months. There were 2,438,000 initial unemployment claims for the week ending May 16, down from the 2,687,000 claims added for the week ending May 9. Since peaking at 6,867,000 for the week ending March 28, initial claims have decelerated, which is encouraging. However, these levels continue to be heartbreaking and unprecedented. Over the past seven weeks, 38,636,000 Americans filed for unemployment insurance.
While the economic data continue to reflect ongoing, sharp disruptions in demand and operations for man-
ufacturers, there were also signs that the worst of those decreases occurred in late March and in April, with the rate of declines in May im- proving somewhat. After declining in April at the fast- est rates since March 2009, the IHS Markit Flash U.S. Manufacturing PMI
Chad Moutray
continued to contract sharply in May, albeit at a somewhat slower rate of decline. The headline index rose from 36.1 in April to 39.8 in May, with some easing in the contractions
The housing market had historic declines in activity in April, but builders were some- what less pessimistic in their outlook for the coming months. Low mortgage rates should help boost demand once stay-at-home or- ders are lifted and economic activity can start to resume, even in a more limited way. New residential construction fell 30.2 percent in April, extending the 18.6 percent slide seen in March, as the housing market slowed materially in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. Housing starts have declined from an annualized 1,567,000 units in February to 1,276,000 units in March to 891,000 in April, the slowest pace since January 2014. New single-family housing starts have decreased from 1,034,000 units in February to 871,000 units in March to 650,000 units in April. This 37.1 percent reduction over that span rep- resents a pace not seen since March 2015. After declining in April at the fastest rates since March 2009, manufacturing activity in the United States continued to contract sharply in May, albeit at a somewhat slower rate of decline. The headline index rose from 36.1 in April to 39.8 in May, with some easing in the contractions for new orders, produc- tion, exports and employment. The index for future output pulled back from 47.8 to 45.2, suggesting that manufacturing business leaders expect further reduction in produc- tion over the next six months. At the same time, the IHS Markit Flash U.S. Services Business Activity Index hit a record low in April, with consumer-facing businesses closed and Americans staying closer to home. It bounced back in the latest survey, up from 26.7 in April to 36.9 in May.
Fibre Box Association (FBA) has unveiled a new look and feel for its promotion program. The program update rolls out a new industry tagline, “Boxes. The Most Extraordinary Ordinary Thing in the World.” Look for the new tagline materials in business-to-business trade media advertising, a brand video, a new website landing page, updates to the exisiting corrugated.org website and in messaging across FBA’s social media channels.
Learn more at www.boxesareextraordinary.com.
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P&P Board Commissions Corrugated Desks For Harlem Boys & Girls Club With millions of students across the country forced to study from home, the Paper & Packaging Board’s How Life Unfolds campaign has launched a joint partnership to provide students with desks for a steady, dedicated learning space. In partnership with sustainable design house GoKarton, the paper industry pilot program donat-
“I think there’s an assumption that every child has an at-home setup with their own desk and school supplies. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case,” said Mary Anne Han- san, President of the Paper and Packaging Board. “As so many are working to provide students without access the tech needed for online learning, we’re doing what we can to pair it with a dedicated workspace and writing tools necessary for a child’s education.” Research shows a designated space of one’s own gives students a sense of control and ownership of their learning; a designated workspace is an essential part of this personalized approach. With New York City schools shifting to distance learn- ing for the remainder of the school year, community lead- ers are turning their eye toward providing consistency and resources for those who traditionally have less ac- cess and buying power. “Our kids have big goals and want to keep learning, but many are finding it tough without the proper equip- ment,”said Dominique R. Jones, Executive Director Boys & Girls Club of Harlem. “We can’t expect children to focus and take ownership of their learning while at home with- out a designated workspace – it’s truly essential.” In addition to desks and notebooks provided by the paper industry, the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem is work- ing to provide other essentials to support members and their families in the weeks and months ahead. Visit bgcharlem.org to learn how you can help.
ed 200 lightweight, easy to assemble and recy- clable cardboard desks to families of the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem community in New York City. As students adjust to distance learning, many lack the basic resources they need to do so effec-
tively, putting pressure on both children and parents. With the situation unlikely to change immediately, the key is finding affordable, scalable ways to deliver the essentials to those in need. Corrugated desks are strong, sturdy and can be produced quickly, providing an effective and sus- tainable solution for students lacking a dedicated space where they can focus on their schoolwork.
. . . IS NOW ONLINE! Please visit: www.boardconvertingnews.com
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Benchmarking (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1 )
percent of rated press speed. True production capacity or what converters are looking for in terms of planned output is about 60 percent of machine capacity. The actual output — what is physically produced — is about 25-30 percent of machine capacity or about 55 percent of production ca- pacity. Second, digital print at least from an entry standpoint has always identified and aligned with the display market, and multi pass devices were always aligned with display applications. One of the big surprises was that the square feet produced on single pass digital presses is actually greater for boxes than it is for displays. That’s a positive statement to the industry because the box market in high graphics is much larger than displays. Third, the market can be its own worst enemy when we pull out the loops and begin to look at print quality. Is it at the high end of flexo or can it compete against offset? Converters who have adopted single pass print who have had their press installed 2+ years routinely say they have converted 80-90 percent of their litho label/litho laminate business over to their digital assets. If you look at offset as being the highest level of print quality, digital is penetrat- ing to a very high degree the litho label and the laminate business. The “low hanging fruit” opportunity ranges for a low of 12.9 billion square feet to a high of 18.9 billion square feet. Market ntry and development requires the following: • An entry level product capable of meeting some, but not all, market requirements. • Access to enough capacity to serve the market. • “Feet on the street” to promote the new capabilities. Key Takeaways from section 6: • The installed “machine capacity” for digital printing in corrugated printing has increased from an estimated 7.300 billion square feet in 2017 to an estimated 20.045 billion square feet in 2019. Figure 6: Installed Base Digital Capacity Benchmarking Digital Printing in Corrugated Packaging: Volume 1, Session 1 Fall 2019
Industry Capacity- NA (Sq. Ft./Billions)
10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
20.045
14.397
15.596
4.271 4.271 4.271
2.106 10.110
1.377
0 5
7.332
1.215
0.955
Single Pass-Web Fed Single Pass-Sheet Fed
Total Industry Capacity
Multi-Pass-Installed Base
Digital Press Technology
Fourth, oversized boxes that may have been previously done on large litho labelers that required two passes on a jumbo diecutter or converting operation can now be done single pass with a digital operation. So converters are eliminating a process step, not in print but in converting. And fifth was the number of converters who said it didn’t take long after they installed their digital asset to begin to notice on a monthly basis improvement in prof- itability. They can’t track or trace exactly why or how, but they’re noticing profitability improvements because of the changes digital is driving across the operation. BCN: Is digital printing creating new demand or replac- ing analog demand? Wettersten: It’s both. Converters that are early into digi- tal are probably still focused on print and managing costs. • Independent converters have 64% of the estimated capacity for single-pass presses in North America. Third party providers in the form of sheet feeders or pay for print providers have 12% share. thru 2017 2018 2019 The installed “machine capacity” for digital printing in corru- gated has increased from an estimated 7.300 billion square- feet in 2017 to an estimated 20.045 billion square-feet in 2019. 13
© 2019 by Karstedt Partners LLC
CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
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Benchmarking (CONT’D FROM PAGE 24)
Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY
Those that have been in it for 12-18 months have probably progressed into working with customers around supply chain issues. That could be inventory related, time sensi- tive projects or obsolescence. Those in it for even longer are selling a discreet value proposition, such as promo- tional events and customization. We see supply chain and discreet marketing as growth opportunities for corrugated and digital printing. BCN: One of the most frequent questions converters ask is “How do I make money?” At what point does digital become profitable for a board converter? Wettersten: What we frequently hear and what we’ve cited in the study is if you get into that area of producing 4-5 million square-feet per month off your digital press you be- gin to feel the impact on your bottom line. Converters can be their own worst enemy in putting too many restrictions around their digital asset. They look at a side by side cost
ADVANTZWARE www.advantzware.com
Advantzware provides a flexible and comprehensive sys- tem to address the business management needs of the in- dependent box business, as well as the ERP requirements of full scale packaging plants and integrated companies. With modules for estimating, scheduling, production, inven- tory and accounting, this scalable system supports packag- ing plants that produce corrugated boxes, folding cartons, point of purchase displays, assembled partitions, paper- board products, foam fabrication, as well as distribution of packaging supplies. Advantzware has been in operation for over 25 years and continually enhances our system to ad- dress the needs of the industry. AIR CONVEYING CORPORATION www.accfi lter.com Air Conveying Corporation has been designing, manufac- turing, and installing state of the art trim removal systems for the Corrugated, Folding Carton and Printing industries for more than 49 years. Contact us today.
ALBANY INTERNATIONAL www.albint.com
Albany International has a corrugator belt for every appli- cation. Our reputation for durable performance is the trade- mark of the most dependable belts in service today.
AMERICAN CORRUGATED MACHINE www.acm-corp.com
comparison and say, ‘Anything less than x I’m going to run digital and over x I’m going to run it conventional.’ One of the interesting things is as they begin to understand the press and their business the boundaries begin to increase or expand out and they’re running more on their digital press and they’re beginning to notice a difference in their financial results on a monthly basis. Digital printing provides peaking capacity or operation- al flexibility that is frequently missed on the front side be- cause you can’t predict or forecast it or accurately quantify it when you’re doing your assessment, but when you’re running daily or weekly you begin to identify opportunities so the focus begins to shift from what’s my cost of digital to how do I optimize my total environment and get the most out the door and onto a truck at the lowest cost. What it boils down to is when people look at productiv- ity improvements, digital assets are having a tremendous impact even though the cost of print from an operation- al standpoint or cost just for the element of print may be higher it’s being offset by improvements elsewhere in the facility and the productivity is expanding or increasing. That’s what they’re noticing on the bottom line. Independent converters have 64 percent of the estimated ca- pacity for single-pass presses in North America. Third party providers in the form of sheet feeders or pay for print providers have 12 percent.
For a wide variety of new and used equipment on today’s market, visit our website. You can e-mail us directly from the site for all your corrugated needs.
AMTECH SOFTWARE www.amtechsoftware.com
Amtech offers the industry’s most innovative and compre- hensive corrugated and packaging ERP, integrated sched- uling software, and engineered automation technology. For over 30 years, Amtech has remained at the backbone of successful businesses from the independent box makers to the largest integrateds. We keep our customers competitive in an ever-changing economy with options such as custom- er digital storefronts and workflows, business intelligence, automated scheduling for corrugators, converting and ship- ping, proactive roll stock and inventory management, and so much more in an integrated, single vendor environment. APEX INTERNATIONAL www.apex-groupofcompanies.com World’s largest Anilox and Glue & Metering roll manufac- turer, providing the widest selection of corrugated engrav- ings and complementary services. Anilox engraving options available from our North American manufacturing facility include elongated 75°, 60°, 45°, plus Apex’s patented GTT technology. Glue rolls are produced with Hardened Stain- less Steel and a max TIR of 10 µ for Single, Double Facers.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 28
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