Quick change artist

With margins in packaging manufacture getting tighter and tighter, finding ways to improve profitability is a constant headache for most converters. Buxton based Primopost believes that the only way to survive is to become increasingly more efficient and, as a consequence, is investing in the latest, most productive equipment while simultaneously exploring new materials.

"We have all seen how run lengths are dropping across the board," says production director Robert Donaldson. "So our response has been to concentrate our efforts on cutting change-over times and wastage to an absolute minimum." Run lengths at the plant are now typically between 200 and 1,000kg, with sub 200kg runs becoming more and more common.

To improve efficiencies in this environment, Primopost has just installed a Schiavi Sigma, eight colour, gearless flexo press and a Schiavi Ecoflex coater-laminator. The plant's management and its operators have been impressed by the ease of operation of the equipment, particularly in the reduced time needed for change-overs and the minimal waste at set-up. "The machines have given us the improved efficiencies we were looking for," comments Rob Donaldson. "The Sigma, for example, gives us quick and easy change-overs, but also high running speeds and excellent quality, largely thanks to its gearless technology."

Primopost traces its roots back to Pacprint Services, which was set up in 1970 to import packaging materials from Europe. Split off from Pacprint in 1986, it immediately began to expand its slitting and rewinding operation, mainly specializing in OPP film and palletwrap. The company relocated to its present, green field site in 1987. In the early 1990s Primopost diversified into the selling of print before its own printing activities in 2000. The company owns the present site and has steadily expanded the operation so that today there are 40,000ft² of commencing production, warehouse and office space with scope for further expansion.

Primopost says the Ecoflex coater-laminator is as versatile and user friendly as the Sigma press. As well as solvent and solventless lamination, the unit will pattern apply, in register, a wide range of coatings including coldseal, anti mist coatings and PVdC. The change-over time between processes is minimal and the integrated Registron system, developed by Bobst Group, of which Schiavi is a part, is claimed to ensure that register is achieved quickly and stays accurate.

"In practice," says Rob Donaldson, "we can be running pattern applied coldseal on preprinted reels in the morning, changing over to anti mist coatings for salads in the afternoon and laminating on the night shift. All from a single Ecoflex machine."

Sales director Alastair Bearman says the Schiavi equipment is essential for the company to meet its ambitious growth target of 25 per cent in 2005. "As well as servicing existing business and growing turnover, part of the challenge of the new equipment is the opportunity it gives us to develop new materials and structures. With these we can reduce our customers' packaging costs and improve their efficiencies. That's good for them and it's also good for us because it builds our relationships further."

Primopost sources substrates from all over the world and enjoys close technical and commercial relationships with the major OPP and paper manufacturers. Both machines handle the latest generation of ultra thin films sympathetically to produce lightweight, cost effective laminates and single web solutions for today's very demanding and highly competitive market.

The customer list reads like a 'Who's Who' of the food industry and it was the potential synergies in supplying printed film to unprinted film customers that led to Primopost entering the print market in the first place. Whilst printed and laminated material now accounts for nearly half the turnover, unprinted film remains extremely important to the company. Alastair Bearman believes that the company is now the largest stockist of OPP films in the UK and with its extensive slitting capacity and integrated distribution network is able to offer a jit service to manufacturers with an almost limitless choice of substrates and sizes.

Primopost looked at a wide range of equipment before making the decision to install the Ecoflex and Sigma and that decision was largely influenced by the demonstration and training facilities the company's management saw at Schiavi's Piacenza headquarters. "Their training and testing centre showed us exactly what the equipment could do and we felt confident that the after-sales training and support would be excellent. That decision has been fully endorsed by our subsequent experience," says Rob Donaldson.

Bobst Group also supplied the bulk of the converter's slitting equipment in the form of three Titan SRs. Latest investment is a 1,600mm wide SR7 which has a maximum speed of 600m/min and features digital laser core positioning and differential rewind shafts. The former allows the operator to load new cores quickly and accurately, minimizing set up times and eliminating restarts. Rob Donaldson says the differential rewind shafts on the Titan SR7 give superb tension control whilst the latest automatic Meech pulse static eliminator ensures substantially reduced problems from static.

Asked what he sees as the greatest challenge for European converters, company founder and managing director Barry Bearman says that in his view the industry will come under increasing competitive pressure from the Middle and Far East, particularly on large runs. "While there will always be a market for converters who can offer excellent service and quality at competitive prices, to be successful you do need that unique selling point," he says. "In the case of Primopost we already supply most of the large food groups with unprinted OPP so there is a natural synergy in supplying print to them as well. We already share administration systems with them, so when they want printed film it is one less contact to make, one less truck to unload if they come to us."

Barry Bearman believes that 250 to 500kg print runs, even for eight colour process flexo work, are unlikely to appeal to the larger converters because of the profiles of their equipment and their overhead structures. This is where he feels Primopost can stand out, by being focused on this type of business and by having the back-up of a proven track record and an industry recognized quality standard such as the BRC/IOP accreditation that Primopost has held since September, 2000.

The team is enjoying the contribution the new equipment is making to the company's strategy. "It's certainly helping us in our approach," says Alastair Bearman. "The new Schiavi kit has added capacity as well as improving efficiencies and versatility. It means that we can react to those ever shortening lead times and that we are also there to help our customers with those rush jobs".