Finishing & Screen Printing
Menasha Opts for Increased Speed and Efficiency with Diana Pro and Diana Packer
Thursday 08. April 2010 - The folding carton group of Menasha Packaging Co., LLC in Neenah, Wis. has taken delivery of a Diana Pro 114 high-performance, straight-line folder-gluer and Diana Packer from Heidelberg.
The new additions, which replace a pair of competitive machines, have yielded an increase in productivity of around 30 percent, based in part on reduced makeready and changeover times. These efficiencies are made possible, in part, by the AUTOset automatic setup option, whereby blank lengths and widths can be entered directly on the touchscreen display, saved, and later recalled for machine setup. “Our belt speeds reach to 650 mpm on the Diana Pro 114,” said Operations Manager Tim Castor. “Weve actually doubled our speed on a couple of jobs, and greatly improved our overall efficiency.” In addition, “The Diana Packer is very well-integrated with the folder-gluer and capable of packing more than 200,000 cartons an hour,” he explained.
Elsewhere on the floor, the Wisconsin plant operates three hardworking Heidelberg presses: a 6-color Speedmaster CD 102 with double coater, a second 6-color Speedmaster CD 102, and a 5-color GTO. Service and support on these machines, as well as the new Diana folder-gluer and packer have been exemplary, Castor reported, adding that the division uses only Original Heidelberg Replacement Parts in its Heidelberg equipment.
“Weve always been very happy with Heidelberg in terms of price, efficiency and reliability,” Castor said.
Menasha Corp. is a niche-based packaging, logistics and marketing services company with four operating units, including Menasha Packaging, of which the folding carton group is a part. In addition to its plant in Neenah, Wis., the group operates a second plant in Raleigh, N.C. dedicated to pharmaceutical packaging. Altogether the group has 230 employees.