EskoArtwork has announced the successful installation of the largest Kongsberg cutting table ever delivered, a Kongsberg XL48, at Nefab Packaging Norway.
For the past four years, the company, part of the Nefab Group, had been working with a Kongsberg XL24 table and ArtiosCAD structural design software to produce small to medium-size runs of foam and corrugated boxes. Nefab Packaging Norway decided to invest in the large-size Kongsberg XL48 to support corporate growth and satisfy demand for shorter time-to-market.
A combination of quality and excellent service
In Norway, the key to packaging success is providing a wide range of high-quality products along with exceptional service and performance. Espen Auseth, Managing Director at Nefab Packaging Norway, remarks: “To deliver consistent high-quality service to our customers, we decided to seek a local partner that could handle converting foam for inner packaging. So, during late 2005, we acquired Gregersen & Rosenvinge AS, located in Sande, Vestfold. This decision proved to be a fortunate one for us—sales during the past three years grew 70%. To satisfy capacity, we decided to look for a more efficient way to produce foam for inner packaging and corrugated boxes. The Kongsberg XL48 cutting table was the best solution available on the market, perfectly suiting the growing needs of our company.”
Responding to growing demands
With added work and requests for faster deliveries, an obvious in-house bottleneck occurred. The company had to decide whether to invest in new equipment in-house or move production capabilities to another business unit outside Norway. Nefab strongly preferred to handle clients’ packaging orders locally, and chose to install the new Kongsberg table in Norway. Espen Auseth explains: “Norway is an expensive market. It is important for our customers who compete in global markets to minimize the time-to-market and avoid damage during shipment. Nefab resolves these concerns so our customers can focus completely on their core businesses.”
Nefab’s small print-run production, its need for high-quality products and short delivery times were strong motivators behind the company’s decision to invest in an EskoArtwork Kongsberg XL48. It also helped that they were very comfortable with their Kongsberg XL24, which worked seamlessly with ArtiosCAD software. ArtiosCAD creates structural packaging designs with the ability to create 3D proofs for customers. Design files are sent electronically from ArtiosCAD workstations to the Kongsberg table for cutting and folding.
Espen Auseth adds: “The Nefab Group owns several Kongsberg tables across Europe and, with our four years of experience with the Kongsberg XL24, we knew we could rely on the quality and performance of the cutting table. However, we needed to produce the same quality for our small and medium-size runs of foam and corrugated packaging, on a larger scale. Through our research, we realized that the Kongsberg XL48 could produce more, along with less handling.”
The efficiencies of the largest Kongsberg table
The Kongsberg XL48 is a real production machine and enables Nefab to handle larger volumes with the existing in-house staff. With a work area of over 14 square meters, a larger piece of material can be processed on the Kongsberg XL48. This means more work can be fitted and cut simultaneously; reducing the number of times a substrate has to be loaded and unloaded on the table. Thus, Nefab can produce more foam and corrugated packaging in only one shift with strongly reduced operator interference. Since the R&D department was already familiar with the ArtiosCAD software also this work could easily and with no extra costs be transferred to the new XL48. Espen Auseth comments: “The Kongsberg table ensures an efficient and increased production. Also the flexibility in terms of the size of foam products and the ability to produce solutions in triple-wall or other heavy-duty board were important issues for our company. With the XL48, we have found the perfect solution.“
The Kongsberg XL48 is the largest Kongsberg cutting table available, with a work area of 2210 x 6550mm, handling a maximum sheet size of 2280 x 6960mm. As with all Kongsberg XL die-less cutting and creasing tables, the XL48 offers simple and time-optimized operation with excellent tooling flexibility and unsurpassed durability. For even greater efficiency, it can be delivered with automatic loading and unloading platforms.
Espen Auseth concludes: “While Nefab Packaging Norway had been able to manage our exceptional growth with our Kongsberg 24 table, the new Kongsberg XL48 lets us produce packaging even faster and more efficiently. Thanks to EskoArtwork, our company can take on new work and will be able to respond to anticipated future growth.”
About Nefab Norway
Founded in 1993 and part of the Nefab Group.Former Nefab Emballasje AS changed name to Nefab Packaging Norway AS in 2005 after acquiring Gregersen & Rosenvinge AS. Located in Europe, North and South America and Asia, the Nefab Group delivers complete packaging solutions to international industrial firms. Invoiced sales in 2007 amounted to SEK 2.3 billion. Its products range from inner packaging (foam cushioning, bubble wrap and airpack), export packaging (plywood, corrugated boxes and expandable pallets) over-reusable packaging (steel racks, plywood containers and plastic packaging systems) to long-term packaging (flight cases and aluminum boxes). For more information, visit http://www.nefab.no/.
