US packaging manufacturer Southern Champion Tray (SCT) has invested in a Paperone 7000 B1 laser die-cutting system from SEI Laser, furthering the company’s rapid response model.
Founded in 1927, SCT manufactures high-quality paperboard packaging for retail food, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical, bakery, food service and other products. Speed-to-market is noted as having become ‘extremely important’ for SCT’s customers. As such – and coupled with the use of digital printing, including a Landa S10 – SCT has incorporated a rapid response model within its location in Mansfield, Texas. This is where the Paperone 7000 laser system will be installed in the summer of 2023. This system offers cutting and creasing of B1+ (1120 x 760mm) sheet material for packaging and folding carton applications. Equipped with a fully automated set-up, Paperone 7000 can be controlled remotely to cut and crease both sides of the sheet. The laser is compatible with paperboard, PET, PP, BOPP and micro-flute corrugated. It also has modular options, including a manual or pallet loading automatic feeder, alignment table, single or multiple lasers, an offline system for creating creasing/embossing plates. SCT’s Paperone 7000 system is equipped with SEI Laser’s proprietary male/female Origami creasing and embossing technology. The system is also capable of digital creasing (laser scoring) instead of a conventional crease. This feature is noted as being beneficial for micro-runs, sampling and prototyping with no additional creasing tools.
For SCT, the Paperone 7000 system will allow jobs to be processed faster whilst making smaller volume production runs feasible for customers. The system’s flexibility, variable cutting and scoring options are also set to help SCT achieve its rapid response goals.
Brad Haralson, general manager of SCT’s Mansfield operations, commented, ‘One of the biggest encumbrances for folding carton production is time spent waiting for dies, especially for new jobs. Laser cutting allows existing and new customers to defer or eliminate the initial tooling cost and reduce lead times. That was a big part of our decision to invest in an SEI Laser system for digital finishing.’
This sale was handled by Matik, SEI Laser’s distributor in North America. Matik accompanied Tara Duckett, sales manager at SCT’s Mansfield site, to SEI Laser’s facility in Italy for testing ahead of the investment.
Ms Duckett said, ‘One of our priorities was speed and how quickly it could complete a project from start to completion. Additionally, it was very important that the quality matches what we are getting today with conventional finishing. We wanted to make sure there wasn’t any yellowing or burning where the laser was hitting the substrate. The SEI system delivered.
‘We tested to see if the system would produce a true score. We don’t want imperfections, such as cracking, that would deem a carton unusable. We pushed it hard during testing to make sure that we got a high-quality product.’
Ms Duckett went on, ‘We believe there’s a tremendous benefit to our existing customers for products they need to move through at a faster pace. To help differentiate their products, there’s also interest from customers that we aren’t working with yet, including smaller emerging brands. It will allow us to do more customization through cutting that can’t be achieved with traditional methods. We’re excited to see what this will do from a creative standpoint. It’s going to open new doors for us.’
