Folding carton manufacturer Graphic Packaging International has invested in the postpress facilities at its Hoogerheide site in the Netherlands. One year ago, a Dymatrix 113 Pro CSB high-performance die cutter from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) was installed in the die-cutting shop. This has already led to a significant increase in productivity and automation in the production process. "Investing in the Dymatrix 113 Pro CSB is helping us achieve our goal of providing our customers with the flexible, high-quality just-in-time production they are looking for - even with the most complex of jobs," says Willem de Groot, who is in charge of the die-cutting shop at the Hoogerheide site. The folding carton manufacturer is one of the first companies anywhere in the world to use the Dymatrix with the new quicklock frame, and this alone has helped cut makeready times by five minutes. Overall, they have been reduced by a third. The productivity calculations produced by Business Consulting teams from Heidelberg prior to the investment have already been exceeded.

Efficient production, flexible formats 
Operating round the clock six days a week, the die cutter handles up to 650,000 sheets each week, combining excellent production stability with top-quality results. From paper and card to corrugated board, it processes all kinds of materials at speeds of up to 9,000 sheets per hour and is also remarkably easy to operate. Stored machine settings can simply be called up on the touchscreen for repeat jobs, while automated presettings keep makeready times down. Operators can also control processes such as fine adjustment of die-cutting plates and tool alignment directly on the touchscreen. 

The chase changer unveiled at drupa 2012 shortens makeready times by speeding up the die-changing process on the Dymatrix. The die cutter's flexible 113 centimeter (44.49 inch) format also makes it suitable for large-format jobs. The stable stripping and blanking station enables reliable stripping of the tiniest pieces of waste and clean separation, even with small repeats. "The technical advantages of the Dymatrix 113 Pro CSB help make the entire production process extremely stable and efficient, with an exceptionally high level of automation," says Stephan Plenz, Member of the Management Board responsible for Heidelberg Equipment. 

Graphic Packaging uses both large-format and 3B-format printing. The folding carton manufacturer's pressroom already includes equipment from Heidelberg - a Speedmaster XL 105 and a Speedmaster XL 106. As for postpress, the company has, until recently, obtained all its die cutters from another manufacturer. Graphic Packaging International specializes in the production of folding cartons for the European food and beverages industry. Some 315 staff at the Dutch site in Hoogerheide produce food packaging for customers such as Nestlé and Südzucker.