“Pakmarkas” implemented an impressive production modernization project in just one year

Pakmarkas, one of the leading companies in the Baltic States, provides product labeling, production automation and robotization services. The main directions of the company are printing of labels and packages, automation of packaging and bottling lines, trade in gears and automation solutions. 30 years of experience in the market and 30 million More than 200 employees work in the company with an annual turnover of EUR.

The company has a reliable network of partners in Europe, branches in Latvia and Germany, and exports a third of its production. The company stands out in the market by offering customers a complete solution from a single source – from the design of production lines, installation, service to the printing of labels on the product.

“We aim to increase efficiency and reduce the volume of manual work, so the main goal of the project was to modernize production by introducing automation (digitalization) technologies that would allow us to achieve higher work productivity, increase production volumes, fulfill more complex orders and ensure production quality. All this will help maintain and increase the competitiveness of the company in the market.

In order to achieve these goals, we consulted with the project partner, the Norwegian company Oddvar Johnsen AS, who shared Scandinavian experience in increasing efficiency and implementing similar projects,” says Ieva Pociūnienė, Pakmarko’s Press Project Manager.

The value of the project “Pakmarkas UAB investment in production automation and digitization, increasing work productivity” is EUR 537,470.12. The “Norway Grants” fund allocated (funds of the Norwegian financial mechanism; NOR budget funds of the Republic of Lithuania) EUR 242,432.91 in funding.

During the implementation of the project, the company purchased new production and software: a roll-up label forming device, an automatic press die cutting table with software, a warehouse management system with a set of mobile scanners, a UPS device, Navision software, a press die washing device, an ultrasonic press shaft washing machine and steam tunnel for testing wrapping films. Thanks to the purchased equipment, UAB “Pakmarkas” not only speeds up its production processes, but also prints significantly higher quality products.

New generation devices

One of the main purchases of the project is a roll-up label (sleeve) forming device from the French manufacturer DCM Usimeca. The device of the company specializing in this field integrates the most advanced technologies that significantly improve productivity.

“Previously, it was necessary to stop the equipment at least four times and change the roll of labels, which generated a considerable amount of waste, wasted time, and, in addition, the possibility of a technical defect increases significantly when stopping and restarting the equipment. This new generation label forming machine is fully automated – it allows changing rolls without stopping the production process, thus eliminating the disturbances listed above. It is equipped with the company’s latest Connectivision software, thanks to which it is possible to monitor the operation of the device, see the main parameters even remotely. These data are saved and serve for analysis, on the basis of which work productivity can be further improved”, explains Andrius Trifanovas, director of the manufacturer’s representative UAB “Nuera”.

One of the essential links of the printing process is the production of printing forms, where both speed and precise quality play an important role. These parameters will be significantly improved by the automatic table for cutting press forms, so-called clichés, purchased by “Pakmarko”. He replaced the manual cutting of forms with a guillotine by a fully automated one, allowing to obtain much higher quality press forms.

For example, the size of the place where clichés are joined has been reduced from 2-3 mm to 0.2 mm thanks to automation. The equipment can cut clichés of any shape with ideal quality, which is practically impossible to achieve manually. In addition, during the automated placement of clichés on the polymer sheet, there are no more gaps between them, which significantly reduces the amount of polymer scrap waste.

On site, during the initially planned case palletizing robot project, it was decided to purchase washing equipment. It is extremely important in the printing process, because even small color residues can change the properties of the subsequent printed product.

The fully automated ultrasonic device with 6 sections of anilox press shafts reduced the washing time to 25 minutes – more than ten times. The other – flexographic printing forms washing – device not only completely washes and dries clichés in a few minutes, but is also environmentally friendly – it has a closed water and detergent circulation system.

“The range of equipment we purchased within the framework of the project is really wide. Indeed, this project has helped to update our existing machine park and significantly expand the range and ensure higher product quality. Our production capacity is increasing, we can fulfill more complex orders: print labels with a wider color range and more sophisticated configurations. In addition, modern equipment reduces the need for raw materials and their waste, so the activity of “Pakmarko” will be not only more efficient, but also more sustainable”, emphasizes I. Pociūnienė.

Extraordinary project

According to I. Pociūnienė, the implementation of the project was difficult, but thanks to teamwork, all requirements were successfully met on time. April 30 of this year. the ending project is almost implemented: part of the equipment has already been purchased, installed and used at various levels in the company’s activities, the other part of the equipment is currently being installed in the “Pakmarko” premises.

“The project was characterized by specific requirements, strict procurement criteria – the procurement process was regulated by the Innovation Agency – and a very short deadline. After the conclusion of the contract for financing, the implementation of the requirements and evaluation is less than a year away. It’s no secret that the production of the equipment itself often takes more than half a year, not to mention the fact that it must first be designed, and the manufactured equipment must be delivered, installed, and trained. It is a process that takes time, work and knowledge. We are very happy that we managed to manage and successfully implement this project on time”, says the Head of Press Projects of “Pakmarko”.