The PLC bought the device from Finishline Machinery, the UK and Ireland sales agent for German manufacturer Bickers.

DS Smith projects engineering manager Mark Rust said the latest investment followed five previous successful installations at the facility over a 13-year period, with all of the other devices still in operation.

He described the Gluejet as the “most efficient, fastest and safest xy-gluing technology on the market”.

“With the new Gluejet 17.25 PAi2 we are able to apply a combination of hotmelt and PVA cold glue at an application speed of up to 6m per second which is perfect for FSDU/corrugated display production.”

The Gluejet was installed in August. It has a 170cm x 250cm format, hydraulic lifting tables, and a stacking height of up to 840mm.

DS Smith configured its system with a zoneable radar as an additional safety measure.

Neil Thayer, owner of Finishline Machinery, said the Gluejet’s “triple smart-head” made it unique.

“We can apply three lines of glue in the same pass, at 2m/second. So that’s 6m/sec of glue in a straight line. Nobody else comes close to this,” he explained.

“Many of our customers have multiple devices and we are very proud of these installations.”

Rust added: “The latest developments on the machine and the high quality of manufacturing are outstanding. DS Smith prides itself on having very high safety standards and the Gluejet has passed all tests in this area.

“For us it is always important to have reliable machines and suppliers to work with.”

The Ely facility is also home to an EFI Nozomi C18000 Plus high-speed inkjet line. It produces retail marketing materials including corrugated display packaging and houses a DS Smith Impact Centre where customers can explore different packaging and supply chain options.

Picture shows, left-to-right: Neil Thayer, Tom Clarke senior engineering project manager at DS Smith, Mark Rust, and Stephan Keimer sales manager at Bickers.