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Article
In the Fold
September 1, 2008 By: Chris Raney Paperboard PackagingThree's Company
There are a lot of famous trios, ranging from Charlie's Angels to the Three Stooges. Not to be left out, diecutting has its own important triumvirate — the box maker, the diemaker, and the machinery supplier — the relationships between this group can be a key factor in the box maker's success or failure.
 Peter Witzig |
Just like anything else, when it comes to choosing a diemaker, it's easy to make a decision based on pricing issues alone. Unfortunately, this is the falsest of false economies because not all diemakers are equal and not all tooling performs the same. Using tooling from a diemaker who really doesn't understand your work will cost you money. If it's a repeat job, it will cost you money every time that job runs. Because bad tooling slows down your machine, takes longer to makeready and causes an increased number of stops in production.
This doesn't mean that your die boards and other tools have to come from a big, fancy tool supplier. What you need to ensure is that whoever you choose to make your tools adheres to best practices.
If your supplier is working to such a proven standard, they should be as interested in the detail of your job as you are. Particularly in terms of the substrate you intend to run it on, as this will impact their choice of components like rubber and rule. If you're at all uncertain about your supplier, you should take some time to get to know them better. Perhaps auditing their production facilities will give you the chance to throw some light on how they apply your chosen standard.
It could be that you have a diemaker you know you can work with, but who needs a little help on the standards. If this is the case, you might need to encourage them to get a little training to ensure their salespeople, designers, and diemakers really understand the standard you expect them to work to. Your equipment supplier should be able to provide this sort of training and it can foster a beneficial relationship between them and your diemaker.
There are real advantages in these relationships. You often get to benefit from new developments as soon as they are available.
This information soon found its way to all the corrugated box makers that these diemakers worked with. In many cases performance in those plants improved virtually overnight. This is a perfect example of the benefit of a good relationship.
Equally important is the dialogue between you and your equipment supplier. The more involvement you have with them, (aside from the times when you are thinking of buying a new machine) the more information you will get about new processes, products, and equipment.
Any equipment supplier worth their salt should be constantly asking you questions about the type of work you produce, your working practices and your goals. They should be as interested in your business as you are. After all, if you're not successful, they won't be selling to you anymore.
By the same token, you need to take an interest in their business. That way you should have a better idea of what new developments are on the horizon, new ways to take advantage of existing equipment and what support and services you may expect from them.
And if you keep good dialogue going between you and your two most important diecutting partners you'll avoid another 'three' — blood, sweat, and tears.
Peter Witzig is the product manager of diecutters and foil stampers for the Folding Carton Division of Bobst Group North America, Roseland, N.J. He can be reached at Peter.Witzig@bobstgroup.com.
