The event was held on 15 December 2017 with close to 30 corrugation box manufacturers from across the country in attendance. 

The Bobst 8.20 Discovery can manufacture RSC box, while the fully automatic BHS Steady line allows corrugators to produce a single as well as double wall boards. The two machines were installed at MNM in February 2017.

MNM operated from two plants, with the new one in Shoolagiri, Krishnagiri district in Tamilnadu, having a capacity of 5,000 tonnes per month, with the capability of expanding it to 6,000 tonnes per month. The older plant in Bengaluru has a capacity of 1,800 tonnes per month.

During the open house, Bobst presented three jobs of single-colour. “The three jobs were performed at the top speed of the 18,000 boxes per hour. The best part of the show was the quick job changeover from one job to other in just 5 minutes,” said Bhavesh Pingle, business manager for the corrugated board at Bobst.

Some of the key highlights which are presented on FFG 8.20 Discovery were the capability of the machine to deliver accurate feeding through the no crush feeder, the new generation slotter with four pair of shafts with dual scoring profile, automatic glue lap cutting with independent drive which is BOBST patent, folder-gluer with vacuum transfer, multi T-belt folding with motorised calliper rollers which ensures perfect folded boxes with excellent control on the fishtailing or gap. “This folding quality parameter has become one of the major requirements in the automatic case erecting lines at the brand owners,” said  Pingle

Bobst also present the new unique patented MPC4, the man-machine interface. “The skill level of the operator is minimal since he does not set the machine anymore, he just sets the Box dimensions and parameters on the MPC screen and the machine sets automatically.  MPC4 can be connected remotely and provide real-time production data along with the machine stoppage time and reasons for stoppages,” said Pingle.

Since the launch of the FFG 8.20 in 2014, Bobst has installed 90 lines globally, 10 of which are currently running in India with four more expected to be installed in the coming months.

During the open house, Yves Bletterie, area sales manager, Bobst Lyon discussed global trends in the converting industry; Dawid Firla of BHS Singapore, spoke about the various investment the company has made at its headquarters in Germany in the recent past. “Packaging boxes are no longer treated as a protective measure but are now a selling function for a brand as it is being used to enhance the value of the brand,” said Bletterie.