Original article reprinted from the IPBI magazine
Over the course of two weeks in Hamburg, Germany, BW Papersystems hosted almost 30 customers in dedicated demonstrations and tours of its Finishing Centre of Excellence. It was Dubbed a ‘Customer Experience Series’ which tailored each interaction to the specific needs, interests and goals of integrated and independent corrugated packaging producers who visited from across EMEA, as well as from Latin America.
Following the success of a slightly smaller event in the late summer of 2024 where machinery was shown in static mode, the company decided to showcase running equipment, where customers could see demonstrations on the range of flexo converting lines.
Keeping an emphasis on ‘full line solutions’, BW Papersystems displayed a wide range of equipment, including:
- 16.28 ServoPro rotary die-cutter, complete with Alliance prefeeder and Vacuum Overhead Stacker (VOS)
- 6.18 MiniPro flexo folder gluer
- 9.25 FlexPro set-while-run flexo folder gluer
As well as equipment, the company was also able to showcase the latest operating systems, including the Line Integration Controller (LIC), which is a system that offers single location for order entry, order import function from Production Management system and synchronisation of line set-up on the complete range of FFGs and RDCs in the BW Papersystems portfolio. The company also demonstrated the power of its latest HMI, with its easy-to-use navigation.
Built in Europe, for Europe
Employing 200 people and with the capacity to build around 20 lines per year, the company is excited by the opportunities in the broader EMEA market. “Of course, BW Papersystems is known as an American builder of a wide range of equipment in the corrugated, folding carton and paper converting industries,” said Mark Taylor, Sales Director EMEA.
BW Papersystems. “But in Europe, we have relied on our reputation as owners of the Curioni brand for converting machinery – with the Hamburg Finishing Centre of Excellence and the investment in machine building here, we are now showing existing and potential customers that we are very much a European manufacturing hub, for European machines with European support, for any plant in the region.”
Spotlight on FlexPro 9.25
One of the standout items at the event was the brand new FlexPro 9.25. The machine being shown during the event is ready to be sent to a customer site in Italy in the next month or so. Steve Biller, Director of Product Management, explains, “The FlexPro flexo folder gluer represents the next evolution in box-making technology, engineered for both quick setup and long-run efficiency. We designed the FlexPro to address the challenges that manufacturers face in dayto-day production, ensuring that uptime, performance, and ease of maintenance are at the forefront.”
The FlexPro’s set-while-run capability allows converters to prepare for the next job while the machine is still running, reducing downtime and enhancing throughput. The machine has been designed without one single belt, meaning the line can be opened easily for maintenance. Key features of the FlexPro include:
- Variable stroke feeder for accuracy and seamless operation
- Set-while-run print units with tooless printing plate mounting and auto plate locking
- Top print/down fold configuration for enhanced print registration and quality
- Four-shaft slotter with optional two-up capability
- Servo-driven bottom die-cutter with SHARK anvil trimming system and mechanical scrap ejection
- Advanced scrap handling unit for efficient waste removal
- Down folder with independently driven vacuum belts for precision folding
- Down stacking counter ejector for minimal crush and optimised bundle handling.
Biller continues, “Our customers have asked for a machine that will meet or exceed our competitors’ performance and have a lower annual cost of ownership. The FlexPro meets these needs to transform our customers’ production line and increase profitability. The FlexPro product family is one of the most accessible set-while-run flexo folder gluers in the market. This is the most user-friendly machine we have ever built.”
Back in the Maryland manufacturing facility, the company is also manufacturing the FlexPro in 12.29 format. “We have three lines sold to date,” confirms Biller. “We are pleased with market interest, especially as we only launched the machine in September last year. The first was installed, complete with our Twin Box Slitter, at a plant in Missouri, USA in February; the second headed to Floria in April and a third is set to be sent to North Carolina later this year.”
“Following a restructuring in our company and development of a new sales team, we were seeing a good period of growth in our business and we needed additional equipment – so this was a great chance to see BW Papersystems’ latest equipment in demonstration,” said Michal Nutil, Managing Director of Czech Republic-based Solpap sro – a company that is already running a four colour BW Papersystems G-Grafix flexo folder gluer.
“Specifically, we wanted to see the new rotary die-cutter in action,” he continued. “We have an old rotary die-cutter from another manufacturer and we are actively looking at options to replace it. We need a machine that is easy to use and a supplier that is active in Europe; the work and investment being done by BW Papersystems at their Hamburg facility and across Europe in terms of engineers and support is a really key factor for us. We need European support and service, and they are now able to do this easily for us, using local engineers who speak the same language as my operators and technicians, which is ideal.”
“We made a visit to the event following the installation of our latest machine,” said Trevor Bissett, Managing Director of UK- based Caps Cases Ltd. “We recently installed a three colour 6.18 MiniPro flexo folder gluer, which was one of the first to be built in the Hamburg facility – it was great for me and some of my team to visit the site and meet the team who actually assembled the line. Having that connection and European support has really helped us with a smooth start up of our latest machine at our Newmarket facility.”
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