Thimm is investing in its Northeim site in southern Lower Saxony and is commissioning a new flexo folder gluer for the further processing of corrugated board. Thimm is continuing to align the plant to the increasing requirements in the consumer goods and e-commerce sectors.
With the commissioning of the BGM Case Line CL11/25 flexo folder gluer, Thimm Group is setting new quality standards in the further processing of corrugated board. To achieve this, the company has invested almost €5m in the new high-performance machine and in the necessary peripheral works in the plant.
The fully servo-driven BGM Case Line has an operating width of 2.5m and expands production capacity of high-quality printed and precisely processed folding boxes for everyday consumer goods and shipping packaging for e-commerce. With individually driven axis and the associated high register accuracy, laser-engraved anilox rolls and a camera-supported blade system, the machine ensures an exact and high-quality post-print result. Other factors such as a quick-change rotary die-cutting unit, a precise slotting unit with direct drive and a powerful folding station also contribute to an optimum end result and increased productivity.
During processing, the sheets are transported by a vacuum transfer system through the machine. Incorrectly glued individual sheets can be detected using an integrated camera and ejected directly, even at maximum production speed. Finally, a high-performance palletising robot prepares the produced goods for pallet-free further transportation. “This investment is an important step in the expansion of our packaging plants and places the Northeim site in an excellent position enabling us to fully meet our customers’ high future requirements in terms of quality and capacity of our production,” explains Michael Weber, Director Corporate Strategy + Marketing, Thimm Group.
The integration of the large machine into the existing hall plan posed a particular challenge. “However, working together with the manufacturers, we were able to find a customised solution, despite limited space, for the optimum integration of the long machine into our plant without having to compromise on performance,” adds Weber.
The new machine is now mirrored to the existing inline machine and has therefore created a new production centre in the plant. To this end, since 2019, preparatory measures including the relocation and modernisation of existing plants, have already been implemented at a cost of €1m. In addition, two rotary die-cutters were mirrored next to each other in the factory which have now also created another production centre. “This parallel positioning within the two production centres has yielded valuable synergy effects for us, as the employees deployed can work efficiently together as a team on both machines. This facilitates personnel planning, for example, and also enables flexible job rotation,” concludes Weber. “With this investment, we are consistently aligning the plant to the current and future needs of the consumer goods and e-commerce sectors.”
