With the installation of the world's first flatbed die-cutter VISIONCUT 106 LER from Bobst, Ostermöller Verpackungen GmbH & Co. KG, based in Bünde, has set an example in the market in its 50th year of existence - both to its existing customers and to new customers. And equally towards its workforce.
11. July 2018
In addition to standard boxes, Ostermöller Verpackungen's specialities include more elaborately designed boxes. This is where the long-established company can make particularly good use of its extensive practical expertise in the market.
With the installation of the world's first flatbed die-cutter VISIONCUT 106 LER from Bobst, Ostermöller Verpackungen GmbH & Co. KG, based in Bünde, has set an example in the market in its 50th year of existence - both to its existing customers and to new customers. And equally towards its workforce.
Just a few weeks after commissioning the innovative flatbed die-cutter with inline blanking, the medium-sized packaging manufacturer is already seeing the positive effects of this investment at various levels.
Olaf Ostermöller
„In addition to cardboard, corrugated cardboard and paper, the VISIONCUT 106 LER also processes plastics. For this reason alone, we can now accept orders that we had to pass up in the past. Additional Growth potential However, we have focussed in particular on the Inline separation at competitive prices,“ says a delighted Olaf Ostermöller about the increased flexibility of his company based in Bünde in East Westphalia.
This means that Ostermöller Verpackungen can utilise this performance feature of the machine to punch blanks for other companies in addition to orders from regular customers. Contract orders with as a rule high print runs, which ensure basic capacity utilisation of the new Autoplatinum vending machine.
Display
Uncompromising focus on quality
„In addition, with the inline separation we cover the qualitative requirements of our customers more uncompromisingly than ever before,“ says the owner and managing director, explaining another reason for his latest investment decision. „Packaging is increasingly being set up and glued by machine, especially for food and technical products.“ With this in mind, he was also keen to invest in a new machine as part of his replacement investment. Flatbed die-cutter with inline blanking want to install. „With the mechanically broken-out blanks, there can normally be no interruptions to production in the brand owners“ filling processes." This is simply because all waste, down to the smallest shred, is reliably removed during inline depanelling.
In addition, thanks to the packaging manufacturer's Precision The innovative technologies of the VISIONCUT 106 LER enable this die cutter to work with significantly smaller and fewer nicks. Not only with thinner materials the quality of the folding carton blanks benefits significantly from this. Another aspect:
„Of course, our customers would much rather accept their punched products on a brand new machine. They see the installation of the latest punching technology in our company as a signal that we, as their service provider, are keeping up to date and investing in our future,“ explains Ostermöller fixed.
In the first half of September 2015, Ostermöller Verpackung put the world's first VISIONCUT 106 LER into operation.
A signal also inwards
The motivation boost that the new machine brought with it was equally important for the employees. On the one hand, this applies to the significant shorter set-up times and the considerably increased ease of use compared to the previous SP 104 E die cutter. Secondly, thanks to the approximately 2,000 sheets per hour higher net output of the VISIONCUT 106 LER, die-cutting jobs are processed more quickly. This is particularly noticeable with large print runs in the form of a significant productivity gains down.
At 8,000 sheets per hour, the peak output of the VISIONCUT 106 LER on paper is only 500 sheets higher than the previous machine, which had been producing at least two shifts every day for a good 15 years. However, as the new die-cutter actually runs at 7,500 or even 8,000 sheets after start-up, depending on the job, this results in significantly higher productivity. Especially as it also reaches its maximum output more quickly.
The inline stripped and separated blanks are either taken to the gluing plant, where they are glued by machine without any further manual stripping work. Or they are packed by type and delivered to the customer unglued. In both cases, the working comfort and efficiency are significantly higher than before. „It's fascinating to see the level to which BOBST has developed punching technology over the past 15 years,“ says Ostermöller.
Larger entry than planned
With the Entry-level model NOVACUT In mid-2015, the trained packaging mechanic travelled to the BOBST Competence Centre in Mex in western Switzerland for a machine demonstration with sample orders from day-to-day business, where the manufacturer showed a large part of its machine portfolio live in action - including all four machine classes for the die-cutting sector. The decision was also made spontaneously to carry out tests on the completely new VISIONCUT 106 LER developed by BOBST.
It quickly became clear: with the professional, innovative features of this high-performance flatbed die-cutter, Ostermöller Verpackungen would be able to meet the requirements of its demanding customers even more effectively. proactive can cover. The opportunity to install the world's first VISIONCUT 106 LER was also appealing. A deal was agreed on the spot at this meeting. The course was set for the World premiere in Bünde were completed. The new punching press was delivered to the company at the end of August 2015 and put into operation within a few days. It has been running smoothly ever since. And practice to date has emphasised the necessity and correctness of the investment.
Perfectly punched - a wide variety of designs, many possible applications.
Uniform punching process
"The Smart Feeder plays a key role in stable production Key role“, explains Ostermöller. In combination with the dynamic optical register system and the platen's camshaft drive, this intelligent, contactless sheet feeding system guarantees the perfect feeding of all materials in sheet formats up to 1,060 x 760 mm and their even transport through the die-cutter. „Regardless of whether we are working with typical folding carton materials such as chromo sulphate board, chromo board and chromo duplex board with grammages of up to 2,000 g/m2, semi-rigid plastics such as PVC or paper.“ For contract orders in particular, even 80-gram paper can be die-cut from time to time. On the other hand, the company can also process corrugated cardboard up to a thickness of 4 mm with the machine if required. Neither the one nor the other posed any real challenges for the VISIONCUT 106 LER. Such flexibility with substrates is simply the order of the day in today's market.
In day-to-day business, Ostermöller Verpackungen tends to work more frequently with materials with slightly higher grammages and larger formats. In addition to standard boxes, the company's specialities include more elaborately designed boxes. It is here in particular that the company is able to utilise its extensive practical expertise in the market. The new die-cutter ideally fulfils the resulting special precision requirements.
Even flow
The highly sensitive camera of the lateral register system of the VISIONCUT 106 LER aligns the sheets in register based on the sheet edges, with optical fibres for the leading edge system supplementing the lateral camera. Based on the information it receives from the feeder and the register system, the Smart Feeder automatically controls the lateral pile movement, the vertical adjustment of the suction unit and the continuous, stepless pile lift.
The Smart Feeder continuously informs the investor how much Lateral correction of the pile is required and which changes are necessary for sheet synchronisation. This means that the piles with the printed sheets no longer have to be perfectly aligned in the feeder. If the Smart Feeder recognises Double sheet, it stops the sheet feed. The sheets that have already been fed into the machine are finished.
The Crucible with camshaft drive In turn, this ensures a long dwell time for the sheets in the platen, while the double cam gripper drive ensures extremely even acceleration and deceleration of the sheets. This guarantees that the sheets run smoothly and reduces wear on the die-cutting tools. „Even at maximum speed, the materials run absolutely smoothly through the new machine,“ confirms Ostermöller, based on experience from day-to-day production. This smooth throughfeed is ultimately also the reason why the VISIONCUT 106 LER can work with smaller and fewer nicks.
Folding cartons in various designs - from Ostermöller just-in-time.
Significant time savings in the set-up process
Is it possible to quantify the extent to which set-up times are shorter with the new punch? „After a good three months of experience, we are now setting up the new machine around 20 to 25 per cent faster than our previous die cutter,“ estimates the Managing Director. The company owes this, among other things, to the automatic, i.e. tool-free locking and unlocking of the upper tools with the Quick-Lock frame and the option of adjusting the pressure conveniently at the touch of a button via the C.U.B.E. control system to regulate. Gone are the days of turning handwheels. With around four to five job changes per day, the faster set-up is also noticeable in a significant gain in time and convenience for the employees, especially with shorter runs. Ostermöller: „There are quite a few details that make working with the new die cutter so attractive.“ For example, the machine can be converted from inline blanking to full sheet delivery and vice versa in just a few simple steps.
