Sheetplant

‘Corrugated packaging has a superb environmental record - in 2005, 84% of the corrugated board used in the UK was recycled. On average, boxes already contain 76% recycled material and many contain 100%, and as a result, an area of board the size of Greater London avoids going to landfill every four months’. This was the key message from Mr Andrew Barnetson, Corrugated Sector Manager of the CPI, speaking at the latest UK Sheet Plant Association Conference.

In addition to the talk by Andrew Barnetson, delegates at the SPA’s 65^th conference, held at the Stratford Manor Hotel in Stratford Upon Avon on June 18^th and 19^th, were given updates on employment law, the current corrugated market, and the latest Abaca software developments, and were also given pointers by Mr Raj Bhardwaj of UK consultancy Know It All on the subject of ‘How to make More Money’.Having opened with his key message, Andrew Barnetson urged members to take every opportunity to use the information, both in discussions with customers, but also within their own local communities. He argued that the recent co-operation between the SPA and CPI would be of benefit to the whole industry, because, as he said, ‘We should all, integrated and sheet plants alike, be working towards increasing the size of the pie, before competing to cut it up.’

There are already tools in existence in the form of key statistics & fact sheets available from the CPI, with more in the pipeline, and since February 2007 the Promotional Committee has been responsible for the monthly press items that have appeared in a number of publications. The major retailers have a huge degree of influence over the shape of the corrugated industry, but the establishment of Efficient Consumer Response (ECR), a pan-European trade association for retailers and suppliers, means that our industry is able to have a direct input into the retailers’ decision making.

Mr Dan Brunton, of Brunton Business Publications, gave an overview of the UK corrugated market, and told delegates, ‘CCM prices have been on the increase since late 2005, with every likelihood of a further increase in late Summer 2007.’ The moves toward Retail Ready Packaging means that smaller transit outers are becoming more popular, with fewer RSC’s, in favour of more trays and die-cuts, and increasing emphasis on printing and the resultant use of more white top liners. There are opportunities for companies offering innovative designs, but there is a need to invest in machinery that is more efficient whilst at the same time using less energy.

Abaca Systems has been developing software for the corrugated and carton industries since 1991, and now supports over eighty sites in the UK and Africa, twenty-two of them integrated plants. Explaining the latest module to be added to the system, the RF 3000 bar-coded stock system, Sales Director Mr Graham Dickinson said, ‘Shop floor data collection has always been an integral part of our software, but until now it has been very much a manual process. We looked at bar coding some years ago, but demand was minimal and the equipment was very expensive. Now we find that the market is more and more reliant on digital transfer of information, and with bar-code equipment now much cheaper we have responded to the increasing demand for the addition of bar-coding to our system.’

Abaca has opted for RF scanners, being far better suited to movement around the plant, and the elimination of docking stations mean that the processing of the collected data is in real time. Bar-coding already exists on paper reels, and co-operation between the major sheet feeders and the sheet plants has resulted in its rapid adoption in the sheet board market. The benefits of the system are considerable, with immediate and dramatic improvements in accuracy of stock control at every stage of production and despatch, as well as savings in time and labour. The very first UK integrated plant to adopt the new system now has such confidence in the accuracy of its stock control, that detailed reel stock checks now occur quarterly instead of monthly, and write-offs are now a fraction of what they were previously.

Mr Raj Bhardwaj, Managing Director of the UK sales and training consultancy Know It All, offered an overview of the competitive nature of the corrugated market, before going on to offer some thoughts on how to deal with it. He asked, ‘Why do we need to elevate our game? Well firstly, generally speaking, there are more box-makers than there are clients to go round. We have a manufacturing base that is migrating to other countries, but at the same time we are faced with paper price increases in a market where quality and service are taken for granted.’

Raj went on to argue that for many sheet plants, the choice is between remaining in the mainstream box market, in which case the business must strive for optimum efficiency at every opportunity, or finding a worthwhile niche. ‘In the course of running my business I have had the opportunity to see how many sheet plants operate,’ he said. ‘The plant with the keenest prices had a board content of 80%! Despite that, the business was making money, and it’s perfectly possible to do that, but you need to be aiming for sales per employee of something like £100,000. You also need to have a very efficient shop floor, and I’ve seen printer slotter set times of five minutes, with running speeds of 15,000 per hour. Finally, you might need to aim for higher sales volumes, simply in order to spread your fixed costs. The aim at all times is to be the lowest cost - not the lowest price - producer. Generic Minomycin (generic name: Minocycline Hcl) Sold under the brand namesMinomycin (Minocycline Hydrochloride). 70 and other prescription drugs at MedStore. Cheap Minomycin | Main | The Lure of Liberalism » March 15, 2008 More Hate from Wright: The US of KKKBuy Discount Minomycin, Penlac For Sale Online, Cost Of Demadex Pills. com Good price, discounts, delivery Minomycin has been shown to cause harm to the fetus.

The alternative strategy suggested is to find a niche market. Such opportunities do exist, not least in the area of retail ready packaging, but also in multi-point gluing, large cases, stitched work, or simply by offering fantastic levels of service.

The final speaker was employment law specialist and SPA advisor Ms Anita Coaster, of Coaster Legal, who outlined to the meeting some of the recent changes in legislation. Anita also gave delegates the benefit of her Industrial Tribunal.

experiences. SPA members have available a Terms and Conditions of Employment template provided by Anita, together with a guide to managers regarding its use, but she warned against complacency, ‘Your shop floor managers are in the front line, and it’s important for them to be familiar with every aspect of the terms of employment of their workforce, and with all of the facets of the disciplinary procedure.’ Anita went on to talk about the pitfalls of dismissing an employee after a probationary period has been completed, and advised managers to undertake and document regular performance reviews within the probationary period.

Recent police investigations into child pornography has led to computers being confiscated from the workplace. Such incidents highlight the need for employers to be aware of how their employees might be mis-using their computers, and many activities, though not illegal, would still constitute a waste of company time. Other topics covered in Anita’s talk included disciplinary sanctions, control of sickness absence, the need to guard against creating stress in the workplace, age discrimination, and the new UK ‘no smoking’ legislation.

The next SPA Conference will be held at the Holiday Inn, Runcorn, on October 15^th and 16^th 200 com searches billions of web pages to find the most relevant information on 6 ringRogaine 5% 12-Months Supply and One Progaine Volumizing Shampoo (360 ml) $177 Plus $44 Shipping Active Ingredients: Minoxidil 5% w/v (Hair regrowthfor great deals on Men Rogaine items. Looking for rogaine for men. Cheap Rogaine 5% Generic Men’S Rogaine extra strength hair regrowth treatment. No one wants their daily grooming routine to take all day either - Adding Men’s Rogaine® Foam can make a difference in less time than it probably takes to brush your teeth. 7.

Don Haines