Colbert Packaging Co., a Lake Forest, IL, converter of folding cartons, rigid paper boxes, paperboard specialty products and pressure-sensitive labels, had been looking to replace its current sheeter because of spoilage issues. As with any project that requires a significant capital investment, company managers expected to spend a lot of time examining various sheeters on the market. What the people at Colbert didn't expect, however, was for the solution to their problems to come in the mail.

A brochure for a Goodstrong sheeter stuck out from the rest of the daily mail and caught operations manager Bill Snyder's eye. “We've never heard of Goodstrong, but we were in the market for a sheeter, so we decided to check it out,” he explains.

Although there are no Goodstrong offices in North America, Snyder was able to find JM Equipment (Sturgis, MI), which represents Goodstrong in the US, by talking with other converters. After receiving positive feedback, Snyder decided to go out on a limb and gave Goodstrong a try. “We had no history with them,” Snyder says. “It was a leap of faith.”

With Colbert's previous sheeter, operators were having issues with long and short sheets, scratches and an unsatisfactory decurling system. Production also had to stop for roll changes, and consequently operators were sheeting only 25 minutes out of every hour. “We wanted auto-splicing and continuous delivery,” Snyder says.

Once the needs were established, Goodstrong custom-built the sheeter at its Taiwan headquarters. Colbert purchased the sheeter in October 2004 and had it installed in May 2005. “Being that the machine was coming from overseas, it was right on the time scheduled,” Snyder says. “We got a lot of accessories that we needed at a fair price. We got a lot of value.”

The 63-in. sheeter runs at speeds up to 990 fpm and features a dual unwind stand, splice detection and auto splicer. Other components include a high-speed adjustable outfeed section with jam detection, reject gate and a pneumatic slitter unit with a 6-in. dia. blade. The sheeter is much more automated than Colbert's older unit, incorporating a touchscreen operator console with automated order entry and diagnostics.

At first, operators were apprehensive about using the computer controls, but the staff at Goodstrong provided training that made them more comfortable with the new machinery, Snyder says. “[The sheeter] is more intricate but also pretty user-friendly,” he adds.

Jumping into the unknown proved to be well worth the effort. Two months after installation, Colbert was already achieving a 5-percent ROI and spoilage was now less than 1 percent. The company was able to reduce sheeting to two shifts from three.

There have been no major breakdowns since installation and any problems that arose were dealt with quickly. “There was a big question on whether repairs or changes to major components could be done in a timely manner considering (Goodstrong) is in Taiwan,” Snyder says.

That question was answered when the gearboxes needed to be upgraded because the sheeter was initially underpowered. Service technicians from JM Equipment visited Colbert in July and retrofitted the proper gearboxes in 10 days.

Since then, the machinery has been running smoothly. “We have eliminated almost all of the sheet variation after implementation and spoilage overall in the plant has been reduced,” Snyder explains. “Printing problems have decreased because of the better sheets; it can keep up with the presses now.”