​SIPM produces 1,06,113 CFB boxes in eight hours; sets a world record

SIPM-PPD achieved this master stroke on 19 September 2017.

Pratik Patel, manager – marketing and product development at SIPM-PPD, said, “We have been producing around 75,000 to 85,000 cartons for most of the shifts. In this particular shift, we achieved the average of 13,264 boxes per hour including the set-up and cleaning time. There were in total five job changes performed in the shift.”

Patel added, “One of the jobs was two-colour and the rest were single-colour jobs. In particular, one of the jobs was a beer carton box, which is a very lightweight board construction – 100gsm, three-ply board with B-flute. This kind of job adds more value to us as well as our customers if processed at the fastest speeds with maximum accuracy, so that it runs flawlessly in the fast case-erecting and filling lines at the customer’s end.”

SIPM installed the Bobst FFG 8.20 Discovery earlier in 2017. This machine can handle sheets up to 2,180mm wide and has four flexo colour units. It runs in line with a Mosca strapper-palletiser. At full speed, it can produce up to 300 boxes per minute (18,000 per hour) on coated as well as uncoated duplex board with white or kraft liners of all types.

“To hold a record for producing good quality boxes can never be an accident. Neither can it be an effort only of the operating crew. The first thing that comes to our minds while running the machine at the fastest speeds is a feeling that we are walking on the path and vision given by our managing director, Manish Patel. We managers have an opportunity to show our skills and planning abilities under the constant guidance of our top management. But surely for that day, the credit goes to the supervisory team and the operators BM Jagadish and HK Santosh,” added Patel.

The SIPM-PPD team has now set a new goal to boost productivity on its Bobst FFG 8.20 Discovery. “Our next target on this machine is 1,20,000 cartons in an eight-hour shift, which is 15,000 cartons an hour,” added Patel.

The 59-year old South India Paper Mills is based in Nanjangud, near Mysore in Karnataka. The SIPM-PPD, which manufactures corrugated boxes, was founded in 2007. It is situated near to the paper mill site on a 48.5-hectre plot. The production takes place in a single-storey 16,000 sq/m factory. SIPM-PPD is a strategic supplier to multi-nationals including GSK, RB, Britannia, ITC, UB, USL, RSIL, Adani Wilmer, Nestle, American Power Conversion, Unilever, Coca-Cola and others.

The 16,000 sq/m SIPM-PPD factory

Patel said, “We have a diversified portfolio, with our carton boxes supplied to various industry segments such as food, beverages, alcohol and spirits, edible oils, copier paper, fresh agricultural produce, white goods, automobiles, footwear, textiles and many others.”

“We produce a range of single-colour, two-, three-, and a few four-colour jobs. The Bobst machine is intended to be effectively used in changing many single or two-colour orders, to cater for a wide range of segments with a just-in-time supply concept. This ensures the best use of available resources to retain a competitive edge in the market.”

Most of its deliveries are within a 250 to 300 km radius, though some special orders may go up to 1,000 km.