In the coming weeks the business will take delivery of a Petratto Metro folder gluer, a B1 Foliant Pollux 760NG laminator, and a BaumannPerfecta pile turner, all supplied by Intelligent Finishing Systems (IFS).
The kit will be housed at a new central Edinburgh production site focused on serving packaging customers. The site will also run a six-colour B1 Komori LSX that can handle both cartonboard and standard paper grades.
The company’s Musselburgh operation, meanwhile, will continue to produce general commercial print on its B2 Komori. The business also operates Xerox Versant digital printers.
Ivanhoe Caledonian was formed in 2017 by the merger of Ivanhoe Printing Company and Caledonian Colour Printers.
Founder director Keith Cockburn said: “Scotland is known for its food and beverage industry and by 2019 we were expanding our offering towards packaging.
“This has been accelerated by the supply issues created by Brexit and the pandemic. Local customers are looking to create shorter supply chains with providers that can be very responsive. They want to be sure they will get what they want when they want it.”
He added: “We can quickly and competitively deliver the volumes required and be flexible if there are any disruptions to the supply of raw materials. If asked, we can produce a little to keep them going and the rest as soon as we are able.”
The Petratto Metro folder gluer is designed for special converting and printed jobs and is suitable for applications ranging from presentation folders and envelopes to multimedia packaging, straight line boxes, cartons, and table tents.
“We didn’t have a folder gluer and were sending work out. Sub-contracting work exposed us in terms of quality, time, cost, and storage,” said Cockburn.
“We wanted to be in control and have the production flexibility that comes with producing everything under one roof. Being sure of our capacity and capabilities will help us win work too.
“We were recommended the Petratto by IFS. When we looked more closely it pipped others because of what it can do for us. It was more refined, easy to set up and user friendly for the team. We also liked the fast crash locking capability.”
He added: “Within a year it will have generated the turnover to pay for itself. For us it was such an easy decision. It was more robust than the others we looked at and it was easy to use.
“We also trust the reliability of systems supplied by IFS and know that if we have any questions IFS will answer them for us – that is very reassuring.”
The 50m/min and 3,000sph B1 Foliant Pollux 760NG will replace a B2 Foliant Taurus 530SF laminator.
“The existing laminator had too much to do and was becoming a bottleneck,” said Cockburn.
“We needed more capacity. We did consider getting another B2 system but then decided the B1 would be the best fit and give us more when we need more. We did look at alternative systems, but the Foliant was the best value.”
Finally, the BaumannPerfecta pile turner will support greater automation at the business.
