> 08 .02.2010
BERTOLIN IMBALLAGGI: GRAPHIC ARTS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH QUALITY CORRUGATED BOARD BOXES
In the picture from the left: Mauro Reggiani, Bobst Area Manager for the corrugated board machine sector in Italy, Antonio and Dino Bertolin, owner of Bertolin Imballaggi and Olivier Robin, Area Sales Manager Martin
Bertolin Imballaggi Srl based at Borgo Valsugana (Trento) have made a name for themselves for the printing quality of their boxes, which are highly appreciated by customers. With the recent installation of a flexo folder-gluer by Martin of Bobst Group, the company intends to challenge scepticism and crisis by launching a clear signal to the market: achieving excellence with maximum determination
It would be unfair to consider Bertolin Imballaggi a mere box factory. If so, we would offend the working policy of this company aiming at achieving high printing quality results. In fact, this is the spirit of the brothers Antonio and Dino Bertolin who, together with their cousins Fabrizio and Alessandro Viganò (apart from their small co-operation with Toscana Ondulati based in Lucca), are the owners of this historical enterprise situated in Valsugana, surrounded by a wonderful mountain landscape, orchards, vineyards and cultivations which, as we will see, are closely related to the company packaging production.
But let’s start from the very beginning. The history of this company dates back to the 50es when the brothers Bertolin, Antonio’s, Dino’s and Fabrizio’s parents, gave life to a sawmill manufacturing wood packaging.
Only in the 80es they started producing corrugated board packaging, which then became their core business and forced them to move to a new production plant in 1992. As their production volume was steadily growing, they had to find adequate space for their production activity and for the storage of semi-finished and finished products. In 2004 they built their current headquarters covering over 10.000 m2. They went on expanding over time and today the enterprise is employing 28 people plus 12 operators of Cartopack Srl, a company of their group specializing in the packaging, assembling and shipment of articles and products destined to the customers of Bertolin Imballaggi, who highly appreciate to have a single supplier for this service. Actually, this enables them to send everything to their supplier, who can carry out all the operations required.
As mentioned above, it is unfair to consider this company a mere box factory, because their activity is focused on the use of graphic arts to develop the box which does not only represent a means to transport and protect the product, but also a useful instrument of promotion and marketing. “We work in various goods sectors, but especially in the wine sector that is very important in our area where there are lots of wine shops of different size. They need small packaging quantities but prompt delivery times”, says Dino Bertolin who is in charge of the administration and financial department.
Bertolin Imballaggi provides customized service. Most of their customers are located in the region, which is very advantageous concerning transport costs. As transport costs considerably weigh upon the price of the finished product, being located near the customers has enabled Bertolin Imballaggi to act as a privileged supplier and a qualified advisor in the wine sector that does not only require small production lots, but also high quality printing on packages.
“All our customers require high quality, as well as prompt order deliveries. This has led us to invest in the new Flexo Folder-Gluer by Martin (Bobst Group) which fully copes with our market trends”, says Antonio Bertolin, Managing Director and Production Manager.
This machine, as the owners of Bertolin Imballaggi stress, had always been regarded as a pipe-dream for a medium box factory like theirs. Nevertheless, after accurate calculations and comparisons, last June they decided to install the Flexo Folder-Gluer Mod.924 Fine Printing, a perfect example of the vast expertise acquired by Martin in the sector, with over 500 installations all over the world. This is the result of a long-lasting relationship between both companies, which has enabled them to study even the smallest details, also thanks to the useful technical advice of Mario Reggiani, Bobst Area Manager for the corrugated board machine sector in Italy, and of Olivier Robin, Area Sales Manager at Martin, based in Lyon (France).
“Also this machine, like all our solutions, is equipped with a vacuum sheet transport system which enables you to handle the board sheet without scratching it and, therefore, to ensure excellent printing quality. Thanks to a touch-screen panel, placed on the machine, you can quickly recall your stored jobs and control the whole processing line which consists of an inserting unit feeding 4 flexo printing units. The plant is arranged for the insertion of the fifth colour, if necessary. The Folder-Gluer is also fitted with an in-line rotary die-cutting unit, a folding-gluing system and a unique innovative collecting system capable of reducing box collection times and ensuring perfect squaring and supporting of the pack with medium-high production times. Moreover, we have agreed with the customer to replace the conventional rubber cylinder with a chambered doctor blade inking system which ensures higher printing consistency and is operator-friendly”, says Mauro Reggiani.
Frédéric Pastot, Marketing and Communication Manager of the Bobst corrugated board division, pointed out that, in order to meet the growing demand for packaging weight reduction for a more sustainable production, the new plant has been purposely designed to process any types of board, even the lightest ones, without compromising the typical protection and consistency features of corrugated board.
The box final quality has to cope with the strict accuracy standards imposed for the automatic packaging machines being employed in the final packaging stage. In fact, if a box should cause any problem in this phase, the box factory, which has produced the lot, would have negative consequences. This means that the whole job would be refused with a huge economic damage, and also the image of the box factory would be involved.
“This new plant is giving us satisfactory results, since is fully meets our expectations. On the one hand, it can cope with our demand for high quality, which is required by 50% of our customers. On the other hand, it can also meet the requirements of the remaining 50% of our customers, who need long runs, whose printing quality, however, doesn’t represent the main factor”, adds Antonio Bertolin. He also highlights that the machine setting up times have been considerably reduced with the benefit of higher production flexibility. Moreover, he stresses that, in case of long runs, the Flexo Folder-Gluer by Martin can be fully exploited in terms of speed, with a production rate of 18.000 boxes an hour.
“I take the opportunity to thank the staff of Bobst Martin, starting from Mauro Reggiani and Olivier Robin up to the technicians who worked with us for one month to install the plant with highest accuracy in order to meet all our requirements”, concludes Antonio Bertolin.
As far as the assistance service is concerned, Bobst has 4 technicians available on the Italian territory for the corrugated board sector, and they can intervene at any moment. In addition, there is the staff based in France and a phone assistance service.
“Our group policy includes a phone assistance service in the language of the country of origin. This service is managed directly by the factory in France, where all the machines are designed and manufactured. Apart from a spares service, we also offer our technical support concerning any working problems, the customer might have, from printing up to folding. We can often solve a problem only by means of a phone call. As a machine supplier, we know that we are an important ring of a chain which cannot be stopped and which involves also our customers, and their own customers. It is clear that the corrugated board sector is steadily developing. Every day we have to meet new requirements and demands and, being a technology supplier, we want to be ready to take up the challenge”, says Olivier Robin,who is proud of his close collaboration with professionals of the sector, which has enabled him to know the final customer’s issues.
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