Page 35 - Corru Jan- June20 final3

gets the most attention (and maybe it’s 2. The number of boxes per revolution,
the only criterion) when discussing the or how well you utilized the full
performance of a FDC (flexo diecutter), circumference and width of the
is the board footage produced. Of course machine’s cylinder.
this is a reasonable measure if your
boxing operation’s main objective is to “Murphy’s law” generally connects these
chew up corrugated. two conditions. That is, small blank size
and low box count per revolution result in
How many square feet of higher rotational speeds. Optimizing the
paper did we chew through? full cylinder with as many boxes as you can
fit equates to slower rotational speeds in
the fighter will retain afterwards—and This, of course, is a trick question. Simply general. This is because the total area on
all for what? I suggest it is for the glory passing the paper through the press does printing, cutting and stacking pushes the
of being memorialized as the victor, the not relate the value of the process. Unless limits of these individual processes. You
champion, but mostly to be able to prove we subtract the waste product from the must be able to feed, print, cut and stack in
it. Proving it is not only holding the total square footage run through the harmony. The slowest of these individual
championship belt high in the air, but also press over “x” amount of time, we truly progressions will dictate the ultimate
statistically engraving the accomplishment can’t arrive at a figure that will relate to speed of the combined processes. If any
in the history books for all time. That is performance. one process struggles, they ALL struggle.
why we do it.
I think many corrugated box converters It isn’t uncommon that running fewer
What are the things we can measure from lose sight of the true performance of a boxes per revolution at top speed parallels
our boxing performance with the boxing machine because the focus is on board running lots of boxes per rotation at a
machine we refer to as the inline flexo footage through the operation and not slower speed. Of course, the idea is to go
printer rotary diecutter? one particular press. I can visualize a big, go many and go fast!
corporate boxer reviewing a spreadsheet
l How many square feet of paper did from the ivory tower at HQ and showing The challenges here are:
we chew through? a box plant’s six converting machines l Large sheets are hard to feed,
l How many boxes did we make? throughput (internet-style, in real time) in and handling requires pre-feed
l How fast did we run? terms of square feet produced by machine automation and equipment. This
l What was the measure of our effective center, and then a total of the plants equipment takes up a great deal of
use of time? throughput. Then whatever the amount is, space and does not lend itself to
they call down to the plant manager and schedule/order changes.
What was the quality of the product? tell him/her that they need to double the l Printing a large area requires absolute
throughput. parallels between anilox, plate and
Did we make money?
I’m sure it’s not just that—but maybe it’s
The overall performance grade will be a also not too far fetched?
compilation of these criteria. I feel safe to
say most boxers measure at least some of l What is really important to me is:
these performance points, but it is also fair l How many boxes did we make?
to question exactly what they do with this l How fast did we run?
collection of data once they have it.
l What was the measure of our effective
Good boxers will not only review all of use of time?
these data points collectively, but also l What was the quality of the product?
constantly challenge the results. What Did we make money?
really are the benchmarks for achievement? These five questions are the real
Why? Can we do better? How?
determiners of overall performance. They
In over 38 years of boxing, I admit I must are interconnected. The “how many boxes
still be naïve and biased in my viewpoint. did we make” and the “how fast did we
I may even be wrong, heaven forbid; it run” are derived from two realities:
wouldn’t be the first time. However, from
this vantage point, the one criterion I think 1. The rotational speed (each rotation is
equal to one impression).

The Corrugator | January - June 2020 33