Folding and Holding It Together

To hasten makeready, Lee says, folder/gluers should be equipped with digital readouts that indicate the carrier positions once the job has been set. This capability enables operators to record all the carrier positions for reference when running the same job in the future.

Another cost-cutting measure, Lee suggests, is automated packing equipment. He asks, "What good is a folder/gluer designed to run a job in excess of well over 100,000 blanks per hour only to be held back because the packing personnel can only manage 35,000 blanks per hour?" Automated packing technology permits folder/gluers to be used at optimum speeds, thus increasing production rates and lowering labor costs.