Critical Steps (CONT’D FROM PAGE 62)
Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY
tainly don’t shortchange maintenance training. Inevitably, crews will have questions once trainers have departed and they are left on their own, so schedule follow-up oper- ator and maintenance training to reinforce what they have been taught and to address questions that have arisen. Conduct your acceptance trial. Be sure to document all machine issues, and make sure the manufacturer corrects them promptly, before releasing a final payment. One of the best investments you can make is to allo- cate sufficient time during startup to push its limits. Exper- iment with new ideas such as no trim die cuts, horizontal corrugation, and number out in each direction. What you learn will be the basis for optimizing how to design and run jobs in the future. If you don’t experiment now when train- ers are available, you may not get the opportunity again once full production starts. For example, a new die cutter may be capable of pro- ducing no trim six-out 16” pizza boxes in a 2 x 3 cross-cor- rugation configuration rather than in a conventional 1 x 6 pizza configuration, resulting in a significant speed advan- tage as well as reduced trim. If plant procedures and IT capabilities restrict your ability to be innovative, such as producing two different items on a cutting die, develop solutions or workarounds. No matter how well a project is planned and executed, something unforeseen is sure to occur. Being able to work around obstacles and keep your project on track is argu- ably more important than your planning. Finally, despite having successfully begun production, continue trying new things and optimizing your installation. Don’t dismiss a concept if it’s not successful immediately, as it may require problem solving and several iterations to get it right. Sometimes new ideas don’t work at all; that’s ok. As Einstein said, “Anyone who has never made a mis- take has never tried anything new.” Richard Etra is a 47-year veteran of the corrugated industry with extensive experience in all aspects of box plant operations. He can be reached at richard_etra@ etracorrugatedsolutions.com. Cascades Sells Flexible Packaging Plant Activities For $31M Canadian manufacturing company Cascades Inc. has an- nounced that it has reached an agreement to sell its Flex- ible Packaging plant activities to Houston, Texas based Five Star Holding (Five Star) for $31 million. Cascades’ will retain ownership of the site real estate. Located in Mississauga, Ontario, Flexible Packaging is Cascades’ only plant that manufactures printed flexible plastic packaging and films. The Flexible Packaging oper- ations employs 45 people, all of which will be retained by Five Star at closing. Cascades will work closely with Five Star to ensure a smooth ownership transition.
CORRUGATED REPLACEMENTS, INC. www.corrugatedparts.com
Corrugated Replacements, Inc. is a production powerhouse that manufactures high quality machine parts and replace- ment parts for the corrugated and paperboard converting industries. CRI can redesign, engineer, and manufacture any part while providing a rapid turn-around rate, keeping machines running at their peak performance and limiting down time.
C.U.E., INC. www.AnvilCovers.com
Makers of single and dual-width Timesaver® Anvil Covers, the premier urethane anvil cover for corrugated die cutting. Timesaver® covers feature construction of solid steel back- ing and solid steel locking components to ensure a precise fit every time. C.U.E., Inc. also offers Dura-Latch and Cor- Lock anvil covers, and urethane Lead Edge Feed Wheels.
EMBA www.embausa.com
The EMBA group supports a complete line of corrugated converting machinery for the worldwide market. EMBA’s Quick Set technology enables the highest productivity across a broad range of converting equipment, from mini to super jumbo. EMBA also includes the McKinley jumbo line of flexo folder gluers and rotary die cutters as well as ser- vice, rebuilds and upgrades for both EMBA and McKinley.
EAGLEWOOD TECHNOLOGIES, LLC www.eaglewoodtech.com
Eaglewood Technologies offers trusted cleaning technolo- gies for the world’s best printers and converters. Solutions include the award winning Sitexco+ Anilox Laser System, the Nanovis Parts Washing System, the Sitexco L10 Label System, the innovative Sanilox™ System or Alphasonics solutions. We also offer Xpress™ mobile cleaning service at your facility or ours. ESKO www.esko.com ArtiosCAD and Kongsberg are the most trusted names in CAD/CAM solutions. Esko’s ArtiosCAD is the most widely used CAD software in the world. Esko’s Kongsberg series of tables brings you reliable, outstanding quality for sample- making and short run production.
DOMINO www.dominodigitalprinting.com
Domino is a leading manufacturer and distributor of digital printing and product identification solutions. Celebrating its 44th year, Domino is headquartered in the UK and North America headquarters are Illinois. Domino has 25 subsid- iaries, representation in over 120 countries, and over 2,900 employees worldwide .
64
www.boardconvertingnews.com
October 20, 2025
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker