T.W. Parkers, a self-adhesive label and packaging converter, and the UK’s leading supplier of ‘post-mold’ labelling, has installed two
Gallus EM 430 S lines at its plant in Bootle on Merseyside to boost efficiency and broaden the scope of its production capability. The two flexo presses replace three older 330 mm wide presses, and according to Parkers, have “doubled running speeds” and have the additional benefit of a wider web width.
Established originally in 1952 as a supplier of paper bags to the grocery trade, the company has always been involved with food packaging, and moved into labels and carton production with a mix of flexo and offset press technology. But, it was the company’s quest for innovation that led it to become an award winning label converter when it developed specialist techniques and knowhow to develop the market for post-mold labelling of food containers.
Still under family ownership, with Tim and Toby Parker at the helm, the company underwent a major program of expansion five years ago with the appointment of Eugene Roche as Operations & Development Director, and Phil Hood as Sales Director. Since 2007, turnover has more than doubled to £7.3 million, and Roche is now well on course for achieving ‘world class’ plant effectiveness of 88 percent by the end of 2013, having raised it from 55 percent to 78 percent already.
The two new Gallus presses are a key element in this improved efficiency. Part of an investment program that topped £2 million, the company chose Gallus presses after extensive testing and detailed negotiations to ensure that the manufacturer could precisely meet Parkers’ requirements, and, as far as was possible to predict, future-proof customer changes in demand. “We considered all options including having our existing presses reconditioned, but came to the conclusion that to move the game on we needed a fresh start. The Gallus machines offered that, handling all of the customer jobs we test printed,” explained Roche. He is also quick to praise the support and understanding of the Gallus teams in the UK and St Gallen, who listened carefully to Parkers’ particular needs and created a special solution to meet them.
The Gallus EM 430 S is a further development of Gallus’ existing 410 mm wide press, and those at Parkers were the first off the production line, so a close working liaison between manufacturer and user was always going to be essential to maximize the benefit for both. Key to the success of the new presses has been their ability to hold tight register at high speed on PET, foil and unsupported film materials. “The Gallus’ ability with fine print and cold foil has given us a useful sales tool because it’s a reliable form of added value decoration,” explained Hood, adding, “We now have an extended and more versatile capability across a variety of substrates, and an improvement in quality that is out of all recognition.” Part of the investment package included web monitoring with a camera to improve quality. Fitted with visual and audible warnings, the inspecting units can be set to pre-determined parameters to allow the presses to run at high speed.
