Printweek - Thomson Print & Packaging supports folding carton growth with Bobst install

Service brought in-house

Thomson Print & Packaging has taken on a Bobst Novafold 110 folder-gluer to bring folding carton converting fully in-house.

The Edinburgh-based family-owned business, which recently moved its operations to a larger 1,115sqm factory, previously outsourced the folding and gluing of printed blanks to a local partner.

Investment in the Novafold 110 was greenlit following its site move and the installation was completed this summer, swiftly following in a Heidelberg Easymatrix 106 CS that went in this spring.

Established in 1998, Thomson Print & Packaging produces a range of printed labels, brochures, books, folding cartons, swing tags, marketing materials, and corporate stationery. It principally serves Scotland’s whisky industry with printed and folded cartons.

In the case of whisky, customer requirements are often for short runs of 5,000 to 10,000 cartons and the business had already offered printing, hot foil stamping, and some die-cutting services.

Production director Michael Thomson said: “In our previous facility, we were restricted for space so weren’t able to invest in new carton finishing equipment. We knew there were elements of folding carton production that as a business, we needed to add.

“Folding and gluing was part of that and needed to give us complete control over the quality of the packaging we produce.”

The Novafold 110 can produce a wide range of box styles, in different materials, at speeds of up to 300m/min. It is also designed to be user-friendly and enable fast set-ups and job changes.

Thomson added: “Being new to folding and gluing ourselves, we made clear the level of service and support we would need when speaking to potential partners. Bobst has lived up to this requirement and helped us get to grips with the process.

“Our operators have found the machine easy to operate, supported by on-site training and follow-ups. When we have had questions, Bobst has been on-hand to guide and advise, even in the most basic of examples.

“Having never operated a folder-gluer, one of the first questions we asked was, ‘what glues do we use?’ By understanding our business and type of work we do, Bobst was able to give us the right advice.”

Thomson Print & Packaging’s Novafold 110 is equipped with a blank aligner and a four- and six-corner module. These were necessary inclusions for the type of work the business is putting down the line.

While the blank aligner ensures an accurate folding process along the line, reducing production waste, the four- and six-corner module allows for more precise control of the box folding with shorter and easier setups.

Thomson added: “Not only were they necessary but were needed for single-pass operation and installed on a machine with a footprint that could fit into the space allocated for it on the factory floor. The Bobst Novafold 110 fitted this requirement perfectly.

“We have increased our customer satisfaction by bringing folding converting fully in-house and are onboarding new business that we previously weren’t in a position to secure.

“Thanks to the investment in this equipment, we have been able to secure our position in the market as a trusted supplier and open ourselves up to new opportunities.”