ProductWatch: Suba Solutions’ offline stripping and blanking machine

The star product at the Suba stall at IndiaCorr was the Offline Stripping and Blanking Machine (OSBLAM). When we asked the operator what it does, he showed us how it extracts large waste holes and ejects the blanks from a set of die-cut sheets. It is suitable to remove carton blanks after a sheet is die cut. It can also be called a carton separator. 

OSBLAM is a crucial part of the packaging machine and the first machine was sold in 2017. Later, in 2019 Suba Solutions launched its own product manufactured at Suba’s factory in Coimbatore. It is aimed at paper board (sheetfed) packaging printers world-wide.

Balaji Gurram of Suba says, “Packaging converters using flatbed die-cutting will require an OSBLAM machine except for corrugation products and large-sized blanks.”

Balaji Gurram adds, “There are two types of blanking machines. One is called tool-type blanking and the other is pin-type blanking. Suba is the only one to make the tool type blanking. The die-cut sheets are transported via an X and Y frame and hence, the sheet alignment does not get disturbed.”

This is critical for blanking. The bottom side of the last sheet doesn’t have relative motion with the bed and hence no scratch is seen if it is printed on the back side. Also, from a hygiene point of view, for food packaging products like ice cream lids, this is a much better design. Window holes can be effortlessly removed. Waste can be dispensed through special slopes. The only machine which has successfully used a Robotic Pick-up Arm (RPA) or Automatic Pick-up Arm (APA) device. It can blank a minimum size of 30x30 mm.

Balaji Gurram points out, “It has a positioning accuracy of 10 microns. It works efficiently on challenging jobs like ice cream lids with more than 250 ups in a sheet.” The machine is of European standard and is exported to Europe.

The demo is an eye-opener. It is easy to use. Also, it is easy to program, set up and run. Different types of inexpensive tools can be used to reduce makeready times significantly. It can be efficiently used on different kinds of die layouts like single cut or double cut  for handling.

Suba has the capacity to make four machines a month in the Coimbatore factory. The customers are happy. Some customers have blanked 2.3 crores cartons in a month. - Balaji Gurram of Suba Solutions
 

Balaji Gurram says, “The initial hiccups have been successfully resolved using in-house and external expertise and the machine is stable.”

Components like Panasonic servo drives are used. Suba makes a specialised machine to cater to European compliance. The makeready for die-cutting is similar for both mono cartons and corrugation.

Die-cutting tooling is critical for the success of blanking and Suba recommends a good Laser dies to be used by customers. The re-knifing of dies can be done as long as the quality of cutting is maintained to the desired standards. Blanking is a process that represents a work culture and assures process hygiene. Blanking is part of die cutting and hence, customers should strive to automate blanking.

Balaji Gurram signs off, “Today, Suba has the capacity to make four machines a month in the Coimbatore factory. The customers are happy. Some customers have blanked 2.3 crores cartons in a month. Few customers have placed repeat orders already. There are customers who have ordered two machines in one go.” 

Contact details:
V Vaidyalingam
Director-marketing,
Phone: 9382867972
EMail – vaidy@subasolutions.com.

Office address:
Suba Solutions,
1/479A, 8th Street, Eraniamman Koil, 
GST Road
Vandalur, 
Chennai 600048