Heilbronn-based cutting-die manufacturer Marbach has almost a century of experience in the manufacture of cutting-dies: in die-cutting, stripping, blanking and finishing of folding cartons, for corrugated cardboard packaging and cigarette packets. The company now wants to pass this expertise on to its customers.
Marbach's goal is clearly defined: To help customers fulfil the increasing demands of the market in the best possible way. This also means that the recently opened Marbach Academy In addition to the planned training courses with predefined programmes, individual training courses with customised content can also be carried out.
Maximum performance
Under the motto „More knowledge. More skills.“ aims to pass on important experience to anyone who wants to optimise their die-cutting process and strive for maximum performance in the production of their packaging. Training participants can expect tips and tricks that can be put into practice immediately and that ultimately all have one goal: to optimise the die-cutting process, work efficiently and productively, reduce costs and produce great packaging for success at the PoS.
We wanted to know what is behind the offer in detail, and have Jan Brunner, Head of Business Development at Marbach, to explain the opportunities and potential.
pj: Mr Brunner, Marbach offers training courses for various target groups from the folding carton, corrugated board and cigarette packaging sectors. What can interested parties expect?
Jan Brunner: The participants can practice-orientated training courses by experienced trainers: simply all the information you need about die-cutting packaging. Our standard programme ranges from basic to advanced to intensive courses in German and English.
The basic training courses are designed for newcomers to the die-cutting sector. In one day, participants are given a brief and concise overview of how packaging is created, from cardboard production to the die-cutting machine and die-cutting tool to the finished packaging.
The advanced and intensive training courses last two to four days. They are aimed at experienced specialists and managers who want to optimise their work processes and improve performance in production. Here, the practical component clearly predominates. Participants get hands-on experience. Learning by doing is the motto here. We also offer specific training courses for individual issues.
pj: Why did the company decide to set up the Academy at this particular time?
Jan Brunner: We have always focussed very strongly on the needs of our customers. That is why we are not just a tool manufacturer, but also offer our customers solutions and services such as application technology.
To fulfil our credo ‚the right solution for every requirement‘ To follow this trend, we thought about which services are also important for our customers. As a result of our deliberations, we invested in a punching machine. This enables us to pass on our expertise to our customers and provide them with optimum support for their day-to-day challenges. Our new punching machine from BRAUSSE in Heilbronn was then delivered at the beginning of July 2017.
Having used the past few months to carry out employee training, product tests and initial customer training, we are now very much looking forward to passing on our expertise.
But the launch of the Marbach Academy is by no means the end of the story. We are already thinking about how we can support our customers even better. A survey has shown that the majority of them are also interested in the topic of Packaging development support. We are currently working on a concept for this and expect to be able to offer our customers the desired support before the end of the year.
pj: What do they have in common when it comes to further training?
Jan Brunner: All events not only impart theoretical knowledge, but also always demonstrate the Application in practice. The practical part of the multi-day training courses is very high compared to the theoretical part, as we want to offer the participants the greatest possible benefit for their daily work. Another thing we have in common is that all trainers are application engineers and packaging technologists with decades of experience. Thanks to their enormous expertise, they know many tricks that they can pass on to the training participants.
Special features of cardboard and corrugated cardboard
pj: The processes differ, for example, in the processing of cardboard and corrugated cardboard or the production of cigarette packs. How do you deal with the special features?
Jan Brunner: As we offer different training courses for the individual areas of cardboard, corrugated board and cigarette packaging, we ensure that the training content is tailored to the specifics of each area. We have therefore decided to separate the courses in order to provide participants with the best possible support and to maximise the benefit of the training courses for their everyday work.
For example, the requirements for die-cutting cigarette packaging are completely different from those for die-cutting a so-called simple folding carton. Cigarette packaging is, so to speak, the „premier class“ of the packaging. The brand owners in this area have very high requirements. It is characterised by maximum complexity and the tools are of particularly high quality. They must be used optimally in order to maximise revenue. We therefore recommend that anyone who is new to die-cutting cigarette packaging should attend an appropriate training course.
pj: How is the offer being received?
Jan Brunner: We had already organised various individual customer training courses in advance with great success. Cardboard manufacturers have also made use of our offer to train their technical sales representatives and product managers. The Gernsbach Paper Centre was also a guest with a training group.
A few weeks after the marketing launch, there have already been various registrations and numerous enquiries. The first training courses took place in March. The process is going very well and we are already looking forward to the upcoming events.
