Selection of samples manufactured at WER on DYSS X5
Northfleet based WE Roberts (WER) Group is a leading packaging solutions provider, establishing its business with skilled staff and investment in the latest technology. This technology now includes a new DYSS X5-1630T digital cutter from AG/CAD.
The relationship with AG/CAD dates back to 1998 with investment in a KASEMAKE KM602A cutting table. The old table was capable of producing up to 20 samples a day, a leap forward from hand cutting 5-6 samples a day. In September 2017, the KM602A was replaced for exactly the same reasons that it was installed 20 years ago.
WER financial director, Richard Puffette said, ‘For many years, we’ve focused on efficiency by investing in the latest technology. Significant investments like a new case-maker and a 2200mm Peters/Marquip corrugator have given us a manufacturing output of 36 million square metres of corrugated board per year, up from 16 million a decade ago and we have plans to grow the business by another 50% with the capacity we have, within the next few years. Added to this increased throughput, we have reduced our average lead-times from 10 days to just five days in the same period. We have doubled output, halved lead-times and only increased our staff levels by approximately 5% over the last 10 years.’
As the operator on both the KM602A and the DYSS X5-1630T replacement, WER estimating manager, Josh Asbury commented, ‘Our sales department is very pro-active and is continually requesting more samples. The old machine could only do around 20 samples a day and demand was outstripping capacity. I would be processing samples for more than six hours a day, five days a week. The new 3 x 1.6m DYSS X5-1630T can process more than 20 samples in less than two hours.’
The DYSS has wiped out 75% of on-machine cutting hours, and company capacity for sample growth and quality is significantly improved. Added to this, sample lead-times have been reduced from 24 hours to just a couple of hours.
