Robinson – the manufacturer specialising in value-added custom packaging – has invested more than half a million pounds in state-of-the-art SATE machinery for its UK Paperbox division.

Demand has risen as more and more luxury goods manufacturers seek out UK based packaging suppliers for reliability of delivery and quality of product. Robinson is becoming a number one choice amongst UK brands as a trusted local paperboard packaging supplier meeting sustainability commitments.

The paperboard market is expected to grow at a year-on-year rate of 3.5% creating a significant opportunity for UK suppliers.

Dr Helene Roberts, CEO at Robinson, said:

“We are leading the way and continually investing in technology to keep us at the forefront of the market. Robinson has been in production for over 150 years. From this we have a breadth and depth of unmatched knowledge and expertise; that’s why we work with some of the world’s leading brands to create their most impactful and appealing packaging and why we are now investing in SATE machinery to create the best packaging in the most sustainable way.”

The new equipment – based at the site in Chesterfield – offers huge advantages in terms of production and quality of the finished product with savings on fixed production costs, consistency and reliability, and ease of use and maintenance.

Robinson UK MD Steve Haley states: “We are all really excited about the recent investments at Paperbox which is aligned to our strategic growth plans. This latest new machine will take us to new levels in terms of production output, machine capabilities and efficiencies to support our customer base”

The SATE format change over time is reduced, even up to 15 minutes in the case of changes between similar formats, and never more than 1 hour in the case of assembly of kits for special formats or formats completely different from the previous one.

The operational logic and simplicity allow the creation of boxes with large windows without burrs or misalignments. Better management of the gluing process has made it possible to eliminate the annoying problem of “glue gaps”, especially visible in the final part of the sheet, which ruin the final result.

The renewed paper feeding system means the machine can manage sheets with a minimum weight of 70 g/m2 without the need for special measures and the machine can start fully automatically, until the glue is ready on the moving rollers. It is possible to set a schedule for shifts, daily and weekly, in order to find the machine ready upon arrival at the company.

At the end of the work, on a simple command from the operator, the machine takes care of carrying out the washing process in a totally automatic and accurate way.

Internal and external bubbles are completely eliminated during processing, increasing the actual and perceived quality of the final product.

It has the lowest energy consumption in its class, up to 60% less energy requirement compared to competing lines because the S-Line recovers energy when it decelerates. A completely new and innovative approach to save energy and increase efficiency.

The S line machines work a wide variety of different boxes, even punched, with tape or Hot-Melt stitching. Everything has been done to enhance speed and precision, reducing any dead time and machine downtime. In addition to this, the line offers integrated tele-assistance, generating a final report, and a complete processing control that gives maximum choice to the customer.

Robinson partners with some of the world’s most luxurious brands, from concept to commercialisation, creating sustainable packaging made from 100% post-consumer recycled material, which is widely recyclable.

Robinson’s paperboard factory in Chesterfield is strategically located centrally to remain competitively agile while reducing transportation times and associated carbon emissions. With extensive storage facilities of 13,000 sq ft, it allows customers to take advantage of the competitive price whilst having a highly responsive supply chain that can meet customer demands.

It is estimated that Robinson, on average, save customers 12 weeks of lead time by sourcing in the UK in comparison to the Far East.

Robinson specialises in custom packaging with technical solutions for hygiene, safety, protection, and convenience. It manufactures injection and blow moulded plastic packaging and rigid paperboard luxury packaging.