Describe your business
Polestar Sheffield is one of Polestar's gravure printing facilities, producing newspaper supplements and magazines.
What does the machine do?
It automatically palletises our finished products.
Why did you choose this particular machine?
We visited other sites that had the Segbert and we felt it was best suited to fit our requirements. Segbert is also the preferred partner of Ferag, who we have a close relationship with and supply our finishing lines.
What features do you particularly like?
It has a layer pattern feature and speeds up our operation. It is very easy to set up and can quickly layout a new job. Anything that can take out the manual handling of bundles helps with regards to health and safety. Our pallet machines can produce around 30,000 copies an hour. This machine gives us nice clean solid bundles.
Is there anything that you dislike?
The inter-leaving sheets [which go between each layer]
are very expensive to purchase and we have yet to find a cheaper alternative.
How fast is it?
It handles 18 cycles per minute.
How reliable is it?
We have had very few problems with it.
How easy is it to use?
It is a very user-friendly machine and changeover is very straightforward. Our staff have been trained on it and
there was minimal fuss. It also has a touchscreen display
for operation.
How much time or money has it saved?
It has made substantial labour-saving costs.
Has it won you any new work?
It's not won us any new contracts.
Would you say that it offers value for money?
We have been able to offset the investment costs against labour savings.
Were there any difficulties experienced during the installation or after?
No, it was a very smooth installation.
What about the pre- and after-sale service?
We have had no complaints, although there is a long lead time for certain parts.
Who do you think the machine is right for?
Anyone who needs a device that automatically palletises their products.
Under what circumstances would you buy another?
We would consider buying another if we bought another finishing line.
Conclusion
User’s verdict
Speed 5/5
Quality 4/5
Reliability 5/5
Value for money 5/5
Supplier’s response
Colin Marlow, sales director at supplier WRH Marketing, says: In the UK, we have 20 Segbert machines installed. The pile turner, or palletiser, is a huge labour saving device. The layer patterns it produces reduce the number of pallets in the process. An operator can program in the size of the bundle and the machine will self adjust. It will also detect how many bundles will go into one layer. The inter-leaving sheets go between each layer and give stability – in terms of cost, I’ll have a chat with Tim to see if we can source a new supplier for him.
Price £300,000 (depending on specification)
Contact WRH Marketing 01279 635657
