Smurfit-MBI Corrugated Container Plant, Ontario, Canada

Smurfit-MBI is constructing a new high performance corrugated container production facility in Milton, Ontario, Canada. The new facility will cover 255,000ft² of floor space and provide employment for 100 people in the area. The plant, which is to cost an estimated CA$60 million, was started in the third quarter of 2003 and completion is expected towards the end of 2004. The plant is expected to produce an estimated 2 billion ft² of converted boxes annually.

The project is part of a strategic plan aimed at supporting market growth in Canada and to improve the company response to the just-in-time delivery requirements of its Canadian and North American customers. In addition, it will improve the operating relationship with the subsidiary company Smurfit-Stone as the new facility will use their containerboard products including the premium white top liner board. BHS Corrugated of Weiherhammer, Germany, is providing the equipment for the plant.

BHS CORRUGATOR

The plant will be equipped with a new BHS corrugator. This state-of-the-art piece of equipment will produce a consistent high quality board and will also be capable of rapidly producing several types of fluting with very short cycle times. The BHS corrugator offers corrugator size widths of 72in, 98in and 130in.

The wet end includes the module facer bandleader singlefacer, the dual tensioning SP-M splicer and the fully-automated RS-MV reel stand. These modules produce improved Edge Crush Test (ECT), quicker flute changes and a better sheet quality than conventionally designed pressure-roll machines. The GU-M glue machine with the pressure shoe or rider roll loading system optimises the starch application to reduce warp and minimize starch consumption.

The dry end offers the latest in gapless order change technology, with a newly-designed auto auxiliary manual station with quick scoring profile changes integrated into the SR-I/R robotic slitter-scorer.

AUTOMATIC MILL ROLL STAND

The high-speed operation and short cycle times of corrugators results in more frequent reel changes, increasing the workload and therefore restricting production. The RS-MV reel allows the operator to find the centre of the core, for a wide range of reel diameters, without moving the reel. Where reels are not introduced at right angles to the direction of paper travel, the core centre is found automatically. Deviations of up to ±75mm from the reel centre are corrected automatically.

AUTOMATIC SLITTER SCORER

The BHS automatic slitter-scorer SR-I/R is based on a modular concept. The machine may be configured to operate through a single setting for low volume work or through a robot setting for high-volume, high-speed work. The slitting and scoring heads are positioned by a servo drive. One motor per tool section individually sets each tool body using the ball screw spindle. Accurate positioning is guaranteed by a state-of-the-art locking mechanism in each tool.

CORRUGATOR CONTROL CENTRE

The Corrugator Control Centre (CCC) has two different functions. The system oversees the process via the manufacturing data manager (MDM) which monitors and coordinates reel handling systems, conveyor systems, glue kitchen, automatic grade change and splice synchronisation. The system collates production information via the production data manager (PDM), which stores all production data for 28 days and provides production reviews and reports containing: order data, grade data, scheduled and unscheduled stops and shift information.

COMPANY LOGISTICS

Since constructed or flat-pack corrugated boxes take up so much valuable warehouse space Smurfit-MBI only produce boxes for customers on a two-week turnaround, i.e. they keep only two weeks worth of stock. The just-in-time approach means no storage is required and the boxes are constructed, filled and shipped packed with the goods in the shortest most efficient time-scale.

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