The Beswick Carton Converting roadshow kicked off on 21 August in Cape Town at the plush Century City Hotel & Conference Centre, followed by seminars in Durban (Mount Edgecomb Country Club on 23 August) and Johannesburg (Corporate Conference Centre, Edenvale on 24 August).
The Cape Town leg was an intimate and focused affair where around 40 attendees were privy to some insightful presentations by representatives of BOBST and CITO SYSTEMS headquartered in Switzerland and Germany, respectively.
First on the speaker bill was BOBST business director of printing and converting, Eric Pavone. Suave and eloquent, Eric delivered a riveting talk with pure Swiss precision on global packaging industry trends. He highlighted packaging’s phenomenal growth, projected to increase from $917-billion in 2020 to $1.05-trillion by 2026. With a compound annual growth rate of 4.7% over the same period, Eric earmarked folding cartons as the sector with the biggest projected global growth in this space. More astonishingly, he mentioned that 59% of all global packaging sales are accounted for by industries served by BOBST (36% corrugated board and folding cartons, 15% flexible packaging and 8% labels), making BOBST a global packaging industry pioneer.
As connectivity and digitalisation become a priority for manufacturers, Eric pointed to BOBST’s Expertfold, Visionfold and Novafold 50, 80 and 110 folder-gluer models. Touted as the ultimate all-rounders, these three machines allow converters to produce a wide range of box styles, in different materials, at speeds of up to 450m/min with user-friendly features and the delivery of superb and consistent end-product quality. Launched earlier this year, these folder-gluers feature BOBST Sphere boosting connectivity, which enables efficient data flow. It also comes with new feeder ramps for a reduction in workflow and a 20% reduction in setting time. ‘It reduces each machine’s footprint by 15% and increases it accessibility for operators,’ Eric commented.
Next up on the bill was BOBST tooling division director, Alex Volery, who captivated the audience with an astute presentation on why tooling matters. According to Alex, tooling not only creates value for converters, but they’re able to control standards and gain market share too. ‘The impact of tooling on our equipment’s performance is significant,’ he said. ‘Better tooling means better performance.’
With the acquisition of CITO-SYSTEMS in 2020 and the push of high-performance tooling (HPT), Alex emphasised that BOBST is on a drive to show the market the benefits of having dedicated components for die-making and to increase its market share. ‘This will also allow us to develop more and more products with our globally-certified diemakers and technology partners.’
Last on the speaker list was the amicable Justo Yúfero, CITO SYSTEMS’ application engineer, who, with his thick Spanish accent, mesmerised attendees as he spoke about the company’s range of creasing matrix, die-cutting, stripping, blanking and toolmaking equipment and consumables. We dissect his presentation in our die-cutting and tooling feature on page 35.
Feedback from delegates who attended the Beswick Carton Converting roadshow was overwhelmingly positive. ‘Perceptive, informative and well presented,’ one attendee commented. ‘Roadshows like these offer significant value for the industry as they allow us to keep our fingers firmly on the pulse of various trends and developments in the global packaging industry,’ another attendee stated.
Closing out each event, MD Bruce Beswick showed appreciation to the speakers for their insightful presentations, and thanked everyone who took time out of their schedules to attend these seminars. ‘We had a great turnout at all three legs of the roadshow, which is an indication that events like these offer tremendous value for converters and suppliers in the local packaging industry. We’re excited to keep the momentum going, and hopefully, we’ll see you all again at our next roadshow. Watch this space.’
