The Letchworth, Hertfordshire-based outfit purchased a Bickers Tapejet, a BCS corrugated gluer and a Panotec NextMode 2500 box-on-demand machine, installing the machinery at the end of May. They joined a number of Bickers Gluejets already in the department. 

Gary Woods, Showcard operations director for fulfilment and logistics, said the investment had been made in order to save time and lessen the use of “expensive temporary labour”.

“When we had people working previously timing became an issue, by investing in a machine we can control timings and costs. It’s far more efficient and a lot faster,” he said.

The Tapejet is a multi-axis servo-controlled automatic taping machine. Bickers says it has almost no limits to the direction of tape application, with processing speeds of between 0.1m/sec to 0.8m/sec.

The Panotec is a bespoke boxmaking machine that can create a wide variety of box styles and formats.

Woods said: “By bringing the process in-house we can manage the production process for all of our packaging at our own lead times. Seeing as we operate across a shift pattern we can effectively run the machine 24 hours if capacity dictates.”

The machine was supplied by Oldham-based Ribble Packaging, whose sales and marketing manager Katie Rector said there have now been around 35 to 40 UK installs of the machine. 

“An odd quantity order of 57 items that need packing, through conventional methods you’d have to order 100 boxes, the remainder of which would be obsolete and you’d pay a premium. This way you can make any number of boxes – it’s extremely flexible,” said Rector.

The corrugated gluer was brought in to automate the gluing process, as previously the team were using hand-held hot-melt glue guns.

£24m-turnover Showcard, which was subject to a MBO in 2012, offers a variety of multi-format POS services, running digital and litho kit, including Dursts, Inca Onsets, a KBA Rapida 205 and a screen printing line, along with in-house large-format guillotining and die-cutting.