Reduced glue consumption, increased output and more stable production are some of the great benefits that Weisert + Daur Verpackung in Germany has enjoyed since installing the new BOBST NOVASTAR. The litho-laminator is equipped with GAPRO NANO gluing technology which has a significant impact on the total cost of ownership.

With the unwavering promise to deliver premium quality for its customers, Weisert & Daur GmbH & Co. KG (Weisert + Daur Verpackung) provides development, design and production of fibre-based packaging and displays for the automobile, cosmetics, beverages and many other non-food sectors. The company, which traces its roots back to 1896, produces a large variety of folding carton boxes, slipcases, bottle carriers, carton blanks, shelf displays, and other point-of-sale solutions.

Over the past 25 years, a number of flatbed die-cutters, folder-gluers and litho-laminators from BOBST have worked tirelessly to convert offset-printed board at Weisert + Daur’s facility in Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg. With the investment in the BOBST NOVASTAR with GAPRO NANO technology, the company has upgraded it litho-lamination capabilities as part of its quest to deliver high-quality products at the most cost-efficient and sustainable level.

Jörg Gerstenlauer, Production Manager, said, “We need highly-efficient, value-adding equipment so we can uphold our excellent reputation as a renowned manufacturer of high-quality cartonboard products. Of course, to keep our production facilities at the cutting edge of technology, it is essential to invest with the best suppliers in the industry.”

Long history and continued success
First established as a as a lithographic art institute and book printing company, Weisert + Daur entered the labels and packaging arena around 1912. One of the first customers was the famous brand ‘Maggi’ which is now belongs to Nestlé. Today the successful family-owned and managed company posts an annual turnover of €12 million and employs 90 staff who work in two shifts, five days a week.

Consistent quality management and a direct dialogue with customers and suppliers are the building blocks further underpinning the entire manufacturing process, “But,” said Mr Gerstenlauer, “while modern machinery and great partnerships are key for us, the most important aspect is our excellently trained and experienced employees, without whom we could not achieve these great results.”

The company develops its offering in step with changes in market demands. As well as dealing directly with the sales department, customers also have the option to place their order with Weisert + Daur using its web-to-print portal.

Faster ROI with innovative technology
To best serve customers with quality and speed, Weisert + Daur chose to replace an older machine with the new BOBST NOVASTAR litho-laminator. Optimized to deliver cost-effective and flexible production of small to large volumes, it offers production speeds of up to 6,000 sheets per hour. With an extremely user-friendly ergonomic design and intuitive interface, the sheet to sheet lamination machine offers quick setups that can be done manually without needing any special tools, with motorized setting of stack sensors and the possibility to make adjustments during production.

The NOVASTAR has been configured with the unique GAPRO NANO glue unit option; a perfect metering system with foaming technology that easily outperforms conventional glue application systems, such as rod-coating. Creating a smooth, even film on both solid board and multi-wall sheets, it reduces the amount of glue needed in the lamination process, thereby shortening the curing time. This results in flatter and drier sheets without the need to spend time on inverting the bundle of boards while they dry. In turn, this means that die-cutting can often be carried out immediately after lamination to significantly shorten delivery times.

“After only a short time in production, the BOBST NOVASTAR has convinced us that this innovative technology is the best on the market, helping us reach a higher level of productivity and a better TCO,” said Mr Gerstenlauer. He concluded by saying, “With the GAPRO NANO option, we are experiencing around 50% savings in glue consumption and an increase in performance of over 30%; in fact, the total glue cost has decreased so much that machine will be paid off in three years. This more than lives up to what we were promised.”