The £12 million development will officially open on June 24 at the company’s Blunham site in the U.K. Existing machinery will be replaced with a new state-of-the-art corrugator, the installation of high-tech materials handling lines, and a complete refurbishment of the premises. DS Smith’s sheet plant customers will benefit from more consistent quality, very short lead times, and a comprehensive range of board grades.

 

 

Adrian Swindells, sheetfeeding managing director for DS Smith, emphasized that the company is committed to early adoption of leading edge equipment to meet ever increasing customer quality and service needs. "Not only do we want to invest in the very latest technology and working practices, we want to ensure DS Smith’s proposition is future-proof as our customers’ requirements evolve," he said. "As early adopters, we drive change, ensure best practice, and offer a complete turnkey solution like no other in our field. It’s what our customers expect from a company of our breadth and scale."

DS Smith packaging division has been at the forefront of the sheetfeeding market for more than 35 years and the installation of this 2.8 meter corrugator is intended to lead the industry.

Gareth Jenkins, managing director of the company’s Packaging Division, added that "with this investment in the latest corrugator and materials handling equipment, we take another step in our £100 million U.K. investment program. Apart from the obvious quality benefit, the automated stock and planning systems make us more agile, offering customers greater security of supply. As a business, DS Smith strives for operational excellence and part of this is to become the best sheetfeeder in Europe."