Mexican paper and packaging producer Grupo Gondi has signed a large deal with BOBST (Switzerland)  and BHS Corrugated,  Germany, for the supply of 11 new production lines. The order involves equipment to be installed at existing Grupo Gondi facilities in Mexico, as well as at green field sites, over the next two years. The purchase includes two complete 2.5 meter -wide corrugators designed by BHS Corrugated, a BOBST pre-print press line, high accuracy flat-bed BOBST die-cutters, and five automated BOBST folding and gluing lines. The delivery of the equipment will commence during the last quarter of 2016.

Eduardo Posada, CEO of Grupo Gondi, said that "these investments will support the rapid expansion we are undertaking by updating and expanding our production capabilities with state-of-the-art technology and by adding the extra capacity we need for the near future. It means that we will continue to provide the market with the best possible packaging solutions while we also support the investments that our major clients are making in new plants in the region."

Emilio Corti, head of sheet-fed sales at BOBST, said that "with this third multi-machine deal, we continue to prove that our equipment and services are the right ones to support the ambitious growth plans of Grupo Gondi. The combination of our state-of-the-art machinery, which is capable of meeting Grupo Gondi’s high standards for productivity and efficiency, with our strong local service provision, backed by our worldwide centers of excellence, has allowed us to continually support Grupo Gondi’s business. We are delighted to be the preferred supplier of one of the world’s fastest growing packaging groups and we will continue to work hard to warrant their business."

Lars Engel, managing director of BHS Corrugated, said that "we are honored to be the prime supplier of corrugator equipment to Grupo Gondi and proud to be part of their impressive expansion program. Following the successful startup of their latest corrugator designed by BHS Corrugated, at Piedras Negras earlier this year, the order for two further lines reflects our ability to supply our customers with both performance and reliability. Through our local organization, we are able to ensure the best service and spare parts support for Grupo Gondi and all of our customers in Mexico."

Designed by BHS Corrugated, the corrugators being supplied to Grupo Gondi feature a 2.5 meter working width, double-wall capabilities, and a running speed of 400 meters per minute. The lines have been specified to give Grupo Gondi the highest performance and maximum flexibility in production, especially when running pre-print. The line includes an Advanced Facer AF-P and a belted Modul Facer MF-B, which is the only single facer in the industry to run pre-print paper as the inner liner. The Duplex Dry Ends are equipped with HQ-M drives and Carbon Fiber Knife bars to enable high speeds, especially when running short sheets. The exclusive BHS Corrugated pre-print equipment will be installed on both levels of the dry end with pre-print marks detected from both sides. In addition, special BHS Corrugated high speed pre-print cameras will control the pre-print cut, allowing online correction of the cut-to-mark and reducing set-up waste to a minimum. A Duplex Stacker AS-M, with the combination of one upstacker and one downstacker, will deliver very fast change-over times for small stack heights and allow several orders to be managed on the belts at the same time. 

By incorporating features such as intelligent feeders, vacuum transfer and register control, along with high performance dedicated peripherals, the MASTERLINE 2.1 die-cutting lines ordered by Grupo Gondi will deliver the high net output, shorter make-readies and matchless quality that the company requires. Taking in sheets through its fully automated LOADER, which can handle almost any material from carton board and micro-flute to corrugated board as thick as double-wall, the line’s integral MASTERCUT 2.1 die-cuts with high precision even the most complex shapes at up to 7,000 sheets per hour. A BREAKER FLAT TRACK unit then forms complex layers of boxes ready for the PALLETIZER 2.1, which frees up operatives to concentrate on maximizing performance and ensuring quality. Using MASTERLINE, just two operators, covering two shifts, can process more than 20 million sq. meters of board a year.

The five folder-gluer lines to be installed in Grupo Gondi plants represent the most versatile, creative, and productive available for carrying out this process. The MASTERFOLD 110 GNB lines not only process carton board packaging at speeds of up to 450 meters per minute, but can rotate the product through any angle, allowing packaging that in the past required a second pass, or a dedicated "right-angle" machine, to be processed in-line at full running speed. The GYROBOX module, which enables this, opens up all sorts of opportunities to pack designers, while giving packaging manufacturers a unique advantage over their competition. At the end of the two MASTERFOLD lines will be new CARTONPACK 4 high performance packers. These units automatically fill shipping containers with folded and glued cartons. All of the settings and movements of the CARTONPACK 4 are motorized and MATIC for repeat orders and its additional case erector unit can handle up to ten cases per minute, allowing the CARTONPACK 4 to handle more than 200,000 boxes per hour and run for up to 30 minutes without an operator.

Thanks to a large number of design and technology innovations, the EXPERTFOLD 165 A2 folder-gluers in the order will give Grupo Gondi true control of the folding and gluing process. Able to handle substrates from N- to A-flute, including double-wall and litho-laminates, the EXPERTFOLD 165 can process blanks up to 1700 x 1100 mm in size and up to 25 mm thick when folded. Control of the blank as it enters, travels through, and leaves the folder-gluer is the forte of the EXPERTFOLD 165 and is achieved thanks to ACCUFEED blank alignment that ensures precise folding; a high accuracy pre-breaker, which ensure excellent performance on machine-erect lines; and a folding process that minimizes fishtailing and gap. The latter is aided by an extra-long folding section, which creates smoother folding. Along with newly developed creasing units at the entry, this ensures the high folding quality that manufacturers need today. The EXPERTFOLD lines will also feature Virtuo automatic packers which are particularly suited to medium to large runs of micro flute, litho-laminated, or heavy solid board cartons.