Thimm continues expanding its plants in Tychy, Poland with an investment of €10m. The installation of an innovative converting machine along with expanded surface areas following the construction of new production halls marks a significant step forward in the production performance of the site.
The plant underwent a huge expansion in 2023. “Our investment programme demonstrates that we are continuing our objective of expanding production capacities throughout the Group. Our focus is clearly on the requirements of our customers – we want to grow together with them, including the Eastern European market,” explains Kornelius Thimm, CEO. “This expansion of the plant in Tychy is also an important step in this direction. The implementation of the new Göpfert 16/28 HBL converting line has not only increased processing capacity in the plant, but has also improved efficiency, quality and work safety. The new line produces around 10,000 sheets per hour. This has increased annual production capacity of the Tychy plant from 130 to 165m sqm of corrugated board.
The new machine, which can also handle large formats up to a width of 2.8m, is especially suitable for processing pre-printed corrugated sheets. Thimm adds, “The Göpfert supports our focus on digital printing at THIMM by efficiently enabling the processing of digital pre-print whilst meeting the quality requirements of our customers with regard to die-cut precision.”
A register unit with a pre-print control camera system ensures the utmost product quality. The system ensures the perfect alignment and position of each individual sheet and detects faulty sheets which are then immediately rejected. The two integrated inking systems also enable single-colour and two-colour printing on the packaging.
The new line was set-up parallel to an existing line in the plant as an effective mirror concept. “The operator sides of both production machines are directly opposite each other which means that the machine teams can communicate with each other easily,” says Thimm, citing the advantages of the concept.
The advanced technology of the new line ensures an efficient preparation of printing systems and die cuts during ongoing production. “This significantly reduces set-up times when changing orders, leading to more efficient processing and shorter delivery times for our customers,” continues Thimm. The system is considerably more convenient and safer for operating personnel as tool changes can be carried out at ground level.
Extensive peripheral work was carried out at the plant before the new production line could be commissioned in summer 2023. This work included the installation of the necessary connections, the upgrade of the parallel production line and the deinstallation of a flat-bed die-cutter, which was successfully relocated to the Thimm plant in Skarbimierz. The objective of this work is to expand capacities in the plant and supplement the machine portfolio.
Two new halls have also been constructed at the Tychy site. One has capacity to store 1,300 sqm of corrugated board which will improve production planning and shorten delivery times. The second hall covers 1,800 sqm and will house a gluing centre to expand capacities for e-commerce packaging. The next step is to further optimise plant performance by expanding automation in the interim warehouse and in intralogistics in order to speed up processes.
“The new production line is an important and future-oriented addition to our machinery in Tychy. The careful planning and great commitment of our employees ensured that the ongoing production was not impaired during the conversion phase,” concludes Thimm. “The expansion of the plant is an important step in the development plan – not only for the plant, but for the overall growth of Thimm. It means that our customers can benefit from a wider range of high-quality products that are available quickly and even more tailored to their requirements.”
