CPC Packaging has invested in four top-of-the-range machines from Bobst, an international supplier of equipment and services to packaging and label manufacturers. The company needed new diecutters and a rotogravure machine. After considerable research of potential suppliers, CPC finally turned to Bobst.

CPC is acquiring four machines, three of which are flat-bed diecutters: Novacut 106 ER, Expertcut 145 PER and Mastercut 145 PER for its Cartons Business Unit. All these machines are equipped with latest Bobst diecutting technology. Based on over 75 years’ experience, these technical innovations include features like state-of-the-art register systems, intelligent feeders and quick-change tooling, all complemented by excellent ergonomics and automation.

“We help our customers to anticipate key trends and changes in the industry, whether those are consumer-driven or key technology developments, and help them to adapt accordingly by upgrading or evolving their packaging specifications from one product to the other,” says Jonathan Schor, the CEO of CPC Packaging. “For example, if they want to move from folding carton to flexible packaging, or from cut labels to self-adhesive labels, we can help them to achieve this by ensuring a seamless transition in terms of design and supply chain management.”

CPC Packaging was founded in 1986 and has 650 employees across nine factories in France and Germany. With sales of 140 million Euros across Europe, CPC has successfully provided a one-stop-shop offer of cartons, flexible packaging and labels for many years.

“I knew from the beginning it would make sense to buy the three diecutters from one company, especially in terms of training, maintenance and servicing of the machines, but also in terms of the back-up between our plants,” explains Schor. “Following extensive market research and technical assessments of the various machines, it became clear that Bobst was the only supplier offering a reliable high-speed 145 cm diecutter for our big runners – Mastercut 145 PER running at 9,500 sheets per hour – and there were only limited alternatives to Expertcut 145 PER for our large sheet average-sized runners. While there were several competitors for the smaller-sized Novacut 106 ER well suited for our short runs, it made no sense to buy this format from a competitor. It was clear that Bobst had the most comprehensive range addressing our needs, as well as a proven track record in diecutters compared to later market entrants. Throughout our decision-making process, I relied heavily on our technical and operational team and there was unanimous agreement between us all to choose Bobst.”

Also part of the investment is a RS 6003C HS high speed gravure printing press. The machine features several leading-edge technologies, including Bobst’s TAPS (Total Automatic Pre-register Setting) system, which completes the pre-register procedure of all print units in just a few minutes at the touch of a button, whether it is a new or  repeat job. During printing the machine has excellent register performance, achieving register correction several times faster than conventional systems, especially at the critical phase of machine speed variations. Meanwhile, the press enables fast make-ready operations and quick changeovers, and automatic splice operations can be performed at maximum production speed.

Schor adds, “I am impressed by the rapid growth of Bobst web-fed technology, which I can only applaud as web-fed products now account for 50% of our sales, up from 0 in 1995. We had bought a Rotomec press in 2009 just after Bobst had acquired the company. After extensive vetting of various rotogravure press-makers, we concluded the best deal would be to buy the new Bobst RS 6003C HS along with a retrofit of the existing machine, which I thought was a very relevant and attractive offer made by the Bobst Italia’s team in San Giorgio Monferrato, Italy.”

The machines will all be installed in different CPC Packaging plants during the second half of 2018. 

“We are delighted to extend our partnership with CPC, and we are confident that the addition of these four machines will have an almost immediate benefit for the company,” says Jean-Pascal Bobst, CEO Bobst Group SA. “Both companies share similar values in that we both place a heavy emphasis on quality and putting our customers first. We look forward to a long and exciting partnership.”