Bang for Your Big-Box Bucks
Accurate Box uses the latest offset technology to supply high-quality graphics for its corrugated packaging products.
March 2010 by Tom Polischuk
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The company focuses on the needs of its customers for both high-quality graphics and the need to efficiently run packaging materials on their filling lines. "We pride ourselves on our ability to adapt to the needs of our customers and to provide superior graphics that fulfill our customers' requirements for retail environment shelf presence," says Shapiro. "In addition, the precision of our print-to-cut registration ensures that our boxes perform on our customers' high-speed filling lines at specified fill rates."
Plant modernization
Accurate Box focuses exclusively on sheetfed offset printing, positioning itself as a full-service high graphics corrugated box manufacturer. Its capabilities include complete in-house graphics design, platemaking, and diemaking; two 7-color, 64˝ fully computerized KBA (www.kba.com) Rapida presses; two Bobst (www.bobstgroup.com) Version IV Asitrade laminators; two Bobst flatbed diecutters; and eight folder/gluers.
The in-house structural and graphic prepress process "facilitates a smooth coordination with printing and production to ensure adherence to customer specifications," says Shapiro. "We have the ability to show design concepts, make copy corrections, and generate proofs, with all work performed in-house. These capabilities increase speed to market and help us to work within extremely tight time lines." The company also enhances its prepress operation with Agfa (www.agfa.com) computer-to-plate (CTP) technology.
Accurate Box uses sheetfed offset printing because of its ability to provide high-quality graphics, along with competitive pricing on short runs, says Shapiro. "We routinely run 200 linescreen for our customers. In addition, 'Just in Time' shop-floor initiatives allow us to produce customer orders and meet their release schedules in a timely manner."
The company has a history of investing in new technology to support the needs of its customers. Its most recent example is a plant modernization program that was brought online in early 2009. It was centered around a new KBA Rapida 162 7-color press, along with expanded finishing capabilities.
"Our investment was necessitated by our need to remain state of the art with our printing capability, as customers' demands for higher graphics resolution in their packaging increased," says Shapiro. Along with the new press, the existing KBA press was upgraded.
The new press technology also satisfies the need for faster turnaround times. "Our customers are ordering shorter run lengths and we're seeing much more frequent copy changes to keep the copy fresh," observes Hirsh. "Our new KBA Rapida press, equipped with all of its automation, is allowing us to cut our makeready times, quickly set up the press to print, and scan our jobs to ensure that color is exact."
The Logotronic management system provides improved data utilization throughout the overall workflow. "We incorporate KBA's Logotronics—a JDF workflow system—to supply CIP4 data to our printing presses," says Shapiro. "This system enhances communication and information flow between prepress and the printing department areas. This, in turn, facilitates the elimination of errors and reduces makeready times."
To further support its printing capabilities, Accurate Box installed a Sentinel inking system from Pamarco Global Graphics (www.pamarcoglobal.com). This system provides economies of scale when using process inks, says Shapiro.
In the finishing operation, the modernization program included adding a second Bobst Version IV Astitrade laminator. This is used to laminate the printed sheets to single-face corrugated to produce the high graphic corrugated sheet. "The addition of a second laminator has provided us with increased scheduling flexibility and capacity," says Shapiro. "We are able to produce a broad range of flute sizes and strengths with minimal set-up changes.
Continual improvement
Accurate Box has a culture of continual improvement. "Our goal is steadfast—to retain the capability to respond timely to changing customer needs," he says. "We will continue to assess market conditions and make those prudent investments that ensure that our customers' needs are perpetually met and that we remain their preferred supplier of choice." pP
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Package Printing, Second Edition