South African carton converter to invest further

-  Britepak has diversified the markets it serves using expertise it has developed supplying pharmaceutical and healthcare packaging

 

- Press, die cutter and folder gluer units next on equipment investment list with funding from backer Transpaco

 

South African carton converter Britepak is planning further investments in equipment that will allow it to continue to grow and expand beyond its traditional markets.

 

Britepak was found in 1973 to serve the country’s pharmaceutical and healthcare packaging markets, but during the last decade decide to expand into other areas.

 

However, it opted only to target areas where it could utilise its expertise picked up over four decades serving the pharmaceutical and healthcare markets, so focused on the growing demand for Braille in South Africa’s food and confectionery segments.

 

This saw it invest in a Bobst Expertfold 80 folder gluer equipped with Accubraille. Essentially a single low-cost tool that can be mounted onto the Bobst Expertfold folder gluer, Accubraille can emboss any of the four panels, irrespective of Braille language.

 

With no off-line tool set-up, downtime is kept to a minimum, and the unit is automatically synchronised to reduce waste and allow the folder gluer to run at top speed.

 

And by embossing after the feeder, jams associated with in-feed problems are avoided and the unit can be made-ready in less than five minutes using just one tool. Bobst says that the accuracy of the unit allows embossing to be achieved close to cut or folded edges, and the quality of the Braille dots remains stable throughout the run.

 

Installed at the end of 2011 it was, and remains, the only such unit in Africa and, according to Britepak managing director John Latter, is currently showing an encouraging ROI with daily improved output, although the volume of Braille work passing down the line is still relatively small.

 

The company, through investment by parent Transpaco, now plans further installations to continue growth.

 

Latter said: ‘Our next tranche of equipment will be a printing press, a die cutter and a folder gluer in that order, or preferably all at once.’

 

Read more about Britepak and its investment program here.

 

Read more on Bobst here

Read more about finishing and converting systems here

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