Cases24 is the case making division of Board24, both being part of the Logson Group. The CAD facility at Cases24 is there to assist customers looking to place an order. Being able to offer a fast turnaround on pre-production samples is key to gaining new business.
Jemma Hudson, Board24 Design & Laboratory Manager uses the CAD cutter mostly for customer samples. She explains, “Following an increase in design and sampling activity due to customer growth over the last few years, it became clear that our KM627 cutter wasn’t up to the job. Lead times were sometimes pushed out from 24-48 hours, up to a week, which was unacceptable, especially when a customer has urgent needs.”
The KM627 cutter installed at Cases24 was supplied and maintained by AG/CAD from new. When the time came to start looking at a replacement machine, Cases24 contacted AG/CAD to explore what options were available.
Hudson continues, “Since installation, we have not had any down time. This has ensured that we can maintain the fast and efficient service that our customers have come to know us for.”
At Cases24, laboratory analysis of the board produced is carried out, testing materials for edge crush, and burst strength. The DYSS X5-1625T was chosen as the perfect match for the technical department. Being able to select the most cost-effective material for a specific box and having the ability to quickly manufacture prototypes, gives customers confidence to proceed to large scale manufacture.
The design and technical departments at Board24 have expanded over recent years. Alex Spencer joined the team in 2018 as an apprentice Lab Technician. Spencer says, “It was not long after I started work at Cases24 that the DYSS digital cutter was installed. The DYSS is in regular use. Projects that would have taken a full day to produce on the KM627, are manufactured in a fraction of the time on the DYSS.”
He goes on to say, “Although the work produced on our four Latitude casemakers is generally FEFCO 0201 styles, we can add hand grips and perforations (rip/tear) using tooling. Kasemake gives us the ability to quickly add these details to the boxes we design and when paired with our DYSS cutter, the results closely match work produced on the casemakers.”
The DYSS X5-1625T at Cases24 has been supplied with optical calibration sensors. Once the required tools have been selected and calibrated, precise cutting and creasing depths can be set using the Kasemake machine control software. With DYSS cutters, any tool can be set to operate at different heights in the X and Y axis, tolerances of up to 100th of a millimeter can be achieved. This is especially useful when working with thinner recycled papers. Higher creasing pressures can be applied across the flute and backed off in the flute direction. Having the ability to quickly set up material profiles and edit them on the fly, along with the ability to change creasing wheels without the need to remove the creasing tool, means that high quality cases can be manufactured on the DYSS cutter, without splitting the inner liner. Having optical calibration sensors gives the operator the ability to precisely set the cutting depth, ensuring that only the tip of a blade contacts the machines cutting mat. This increases the longevity of the mat and saves money.
Total Support
Cases24 has two licenses of Kasemake, one of these licenses is installed on the DYSS cutter dedicated workstation. Spencer says, “Having Kasemake at the workstation means that I can quickly make alterations where required and save these to the network. If I do have any questions regarding the software or the cutter, I know that I can call AG/CAD and be quickly put through to a member of the Support Team. If necessary, support can dial straight in using TeamViewer.”
Continuous investment
Cases24 has a policy of continuous investment. Being part of an independent group means that decisions can be made quickly. Alex Morris, Managing Director, Cases24 says, “AG/CAD are keen to continue supporting us with their equipment and software into the future. The build quality of the DYSS cutter is ideal for our operation and there are enough customisable aspects of it to ensure we have everything we require for efficient case manufacture. They were also happy to find a home for our old cutter, which had largely come to end of life.”
Cases24 was the first company within the Logson Group to upgrade its ageing KM627 with a fast DYSS X5-1625T digital cutter. Since the installation at Cases24, there has been further digital cutter investment at Boxes and Packaging Manchester and Oxford sheet plant sites; DYSS X5-1625T digital cutters replaced older KM series cutters at both locations.
