Westbury Packaging upgrades boxmaking capacity

Packaging Solutions

Cardboard packaging manufacturer Westbury Packaging serves clients throughout England and Wales from its Melksham, Wiltshire, base. The company offers a full range of cardboard packaging solutions including distribution boxes, point of sale, and branded packaging for e-commerce. The increasing demand for bespoke packaging in short to medium run lengths was stretching its existing short run equipment to its limits and meant that the company was taking capacity away from its range of volume machinery. The search for a more efficient and flexible replacement led it to Kolbus Autobox.

Managing director Ben Tupman and head of operations Alan Jane visited the Kolbus Autobox UK manufacturing site in Houghton Regis. They were able to see the machines in action running production jobs from 0201s to large tray/lids, and 0401 Maltese cross designs.

Alan Jane said, ‘Having looked at a range of options in the market we opted for Kolbus Autobox mainly because it is a UK engineered product. When visiting the factory, it was clear that the company stocks a huge range of spare parts available for quick turnaround. It has its own components site to manufacture any bespoke parts on demand. It also has a team of UK based engineers. None of the other competitors offered this service.’

Last month Westbury Packaging installed a Kolbus Autobox AB300, Flexo Print FP300 and Multicut MC300 with powered separation and air locks. They were supplied with 200 mm and 700 mm slotting knives for a more refined machine.

Alan continued, ‘Purchasing the Kolbus Autobox has enabled us to move several processes into one, saving hours of set time each day and hundreds of pounds worth of tooling. The Autobox Boxmaker makes high value, notoriously difficult jobs, much easier and faster to run.

‘Since installation, we have run a huge range of products through the machine, it hit the ground running. We are getting even more out of it than we thought we would. The print unit in particular has been extremely useful for us, we feel as though it has always been there!’