Gallus In-line Folding Carton Machine System

Protect the contents, communicate brand and product value, win the race to catch the customer's attention at the critical moment in the retail store (at the much-quoted point of sale) – these are just a few of the very diverse requirements that have to be met by top-quality folding cartons. If they are to succeed in all of this, a wide array of finishing techniques is an essential prerequisite alongside exclusive print and precise processing. High-gloss or special-effect coatings, for instance, the application of gold, silver, or special-effect foils and embossing can enhance the sales packaging with distinctive or tactile features.

With traditional, sheet based production, the carton sheet passes through a whole series of machines and processors that carry out the various steps leading up to the finished, separated folding box blanks: printing on a medium or wide-format sheetfed press (usually offset), possibly a second pass for printing on the reverse side depending on the job specification, finishing of the printed and coated carton sheets on an embossing foil press, creasing, scoring, and cutting in a die-cutting unit, and if necessary also stripping, blanking, and stacking in another machine.

Non-stop workflow to finished, high-quality folding carton blanks

Gallus Stanz- und Druckmaschinen, based in Weiden (Germany), has developed a coherent in-line machine concept with a clearly defined objective – to reconcile high-quality folding carton production with maximum efficiency and economy – as its answer to traditional workflows. From the carton roll to the cut and separated blanks, all printing, finishing, and processing steps are integrated in a single, streamlined pass. Compared to step-by-step production comprised of multiple passes and interruptions, this approach offers a host of advantages.

It goes without saying that single-pass production accelerates the entire process enormously and makes it more efficient. Tight customer deadlines and the constraints of modern, just-in-time production strategies are no longer an obstacle. Owing to the continuous production workflow, no extra space is needed to store stacks of paperboard in the intervals between process steps – something that is unavoidable with conventional lines. The manpower and logistics linked to stacking are naturally also economized.

By definition, roll based in-line production eliminates the need to feed and insert the carton sheets several times. Make-ready waste is consequently also a thing of the past. Paperboard waste in general is reduced to a minimum as a result of the in-line principle. Roll processing allows the folding carton blanks to be nested more or less "endlessly" on the substrate. In contrast to sheet based production, there is no waste due to gripper margins or blanks that cannot be completely placed at the edges. Utilization of material is optimized, leading to lower costs.

Seamless flexibility

Many experts may be asking whether the inevitable outcome of this seamless chain of printing, finishing, and cutting in one line will be to put folding carton production in a kind of straitjacket. In fact, the opposite is true, as Gallus' in-line machine concept proves. A modular system solution based on a universal EVA (Easy Value Add) platform lends exceptional flexibility to production and processes alike. Mulitiple processes and printing techniques can be integrated in this platform as modules. A broad range of printing and finishing modules are offered by Gallus for this purpose. At the same time, the open architecture allows the machine system to grow in the future as and when necessary. New market trends and changing customer requirements can be responded to without any problems. Together with the rock solid construction and sophisticated design features, this openness makes the Gallus machine solution a safe and viable investment.