Launching in winter 2014, this is a neat idea from our Packing experts in France, with the aim of responding to a key concern for our customers: to simultaneously minimize time to market and optimize their capex and return on investment. We pride ourselves on delivering end-of-line solutions that correspond precisely to our clients’ needs, but for certain operations that means durable, high-performance machines, which can be up and running within a matter of weeks – and at a lower cost. Our packing specialists have come up with a modular, lean manufacturing process to meet such pressing demands, while Cermex has created a range of ready-to-go cardboard erecting and closing systems which offer all the advantages of our peerless forming/gluing expertise and our superior quality level. The overall benefit to customers is far shorter delivery times and great savings.
Premium quality combined with major savings
The concept is simple: for certain single function machines which require minimal customizations, we can produce systems avoiding a lengthy design process and still using our current high-quality standard components. The machines in the Ready-to-Go range thus deliver Cermex quality in record time and shave as much as 25% off the final cost.
Didier Saussereau, Packing Product Manager, explains the thought processes which have led to this idea: “In recent years, our modular approach to machine design and manufacture has become one of our greatest strengths, and even more so since we began implementing the continuous improvement philosophy. We realized that there was a great opportunity in our industry just waiting to be seized, and that’s the demand for high-performance machines without the time and cost of a bespoke design process. Of course, delivering that kind of performance on a budget, let alone within a matter of weeks, is no easy task, but we have the know-how to do it.”
Up and running in just six weeks
The Cermex packing team has been working to identify end-of-line operations for exactly this kind of simplified approach. The Ready-to-Go range will feature a selection of machines suitable for use across a broad spectrum of industrial sectors, with maximum flexibility in terms of packaging sizes. The first machines in this new range are perfect examples of this philosophy in action: the F38c case erecting unit and the automatic C651c case sealing unit for RSC cases. The F38c case erector can be up and running within six weeks, while the C651c case sealer can be delivered in as little as three weeks after ordering.
Same compact layout, same accuracy and same superior ergonomics
These machines retain the clean, compact design which has made them such a success and offer precisely the same accuracy as before, allowing Cermex to combine quality, speed of delivery and lower costs while supplying the same key functions.
The F38c American case erector boasts the same high-spec components which power the F38:
- Nordson ProBlue7, Siemens PLC & HMI,
- positive case extraction,
- guaranteed inner flap folding,
- optional extras including the capacity to handle double-corrugated cardboard (types EB and EC).
Similarly, the C651c American case gluer is just as user-friendly as the C651:
- Siemens PLC & HMI systems
- highly accurate hot-melt gluing courtesy of the Nordson ProBlue 7 melter,
- guaranteed inner flap folding
- a centralised adjustment mechanism for quick, easy changeovers between packaging formats,
- the Nordson Fullfill automatic adhesive fill system comes as an option.
A catalogue set to expand
The Ready-to-Go range will soon be expanded to include new standard end-of-line machines, such as a compact shrink-wrapper and a flexible palletizer, applying the same formula of robust, high-quality components but with optimised lead times. It will offer as well an unbeatable return on investment, with prices reduced by up to a quarter due to standardization and increased volumes.
But for now, the C651c case sealer and the F38c case erector are ready to order, which means the first machines will be up and running in our clients’ plants in just a few weeks’ time!