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Jul 20, 2023

ACA increases carton output with B&R Moll purchase

Richard Stuart-Turner Tuesday, March 9, 2021 ACA Print Finishing & Packaging Solutions has continued its investment drive after taking on a B&R Moll Compact In-Line System folder-gluer to increase the

Richard Stuart-Turner Tuesday, March 9, 2021

ACA Print Finishing & Packaging Solutions has continued its investment drive after taking on a B&R Moll Compact In-Line System folder-gluer to increase the output of its carton work.

The machine was installed at the Glasgow-based trade finisher’s 3,716sqm factory around three weeks ago and will work alongside the B&R Moll kit that the company already has on site.

Business development manager Jes Crossley, who started with the company in December, said: “This investment will help us to increase our carton work production and reduce makeready times.

“ACA has had a relationship with Moll for ten years and we already have Marathon and Regal gluing systems in place running alongside our SCM straight-line, crash-lock and four-corner gluing equipment.

“We have five folder-gluing machines in total now. The latest addition boosts capacity and the In-Line system has the potential to be upgraded to a Vantage 720 line in future.”

The Compact In-Line System is equipped with a tipper fold plate and plow fold capability, enabling it to handle multiple fold formats. That can include cartons, sleeve work, folders, CD wallets, auto-load boxes and pillow packs.

The machine also features a two line hot melt gluing system and a Dial-a-Stack unit with batch counter. It can handle stocks of 140-500gsm and work for up to 914x508mm format and has a running speed of up to 130m/min.

ACA offers around 70 different finishing processes. It has BRC double-A packaging certification and ISO 9001 quality accreditation, and its other services include foiling, gluing, varnishing, laminating, folding, stitching and binding as well as supplying blocking dies and laser formes.

Over the last 12 months the business has invested in a raft of new kit including an Autobond Mini 105 with double heated roller for lamination, a B&H foil cutter 1450, a UPG D1200 double-station carton erecting forming machine, and a Sakurai MS102A UV varnishing machine plus automated pre-press, wash up and coating.

For its formes operation it has also recently taken on a Lasercomb CLS 2115 laser cutter and a Lasercomb ProPertinax CMC matrix/counter maker. Last month it also bought a Serviform LineA die-making bender machine, the first of its kind in the UK.

Pre-pandemic ACA had a turnover of £4.6m. It has worked throughout the coronavirus pandemic and while there has been some downturn in volume from commercial print customers, its packaging side has stayed strong.