Weedon PSC Invests in Taping Machine to Revolutionise Production of eCommerce Packaging

Weedon PSC of Hednesford, Staffordshire, is the first company in the UK to invest in a high-speed, state-of-the-art taping machine which will revolutionise the manufacture of eCommerce packaging. The machine, which is now up and running, can apply different types of sealing tape offline, including ‘peel & seal’, enabling the company to manufacture bespoke packaging for the growing online retail market.

The new machine applies ripper-tape, double-sided tape and/or ‘peel & seal’ to corrugated packaging at either the beginning or the end of the production run – i.e. on either the flat sheet or the finished box. This means that customers can have tape/tapes applied anywhere on their finished boxes, which is particularly significant in the case of ‘peel & seal’ where the position of the tape (and its loose end) critically affects the speed at which the boxes can be made up. The equipment can also apply any combination of the three types of tapes side by side to accommodate three processes: for easy make-up of the box, opening by the customer and resealing for return, if necessary.

In addition, the speed at which this new machine runs means that the manufacture of eCommerce packaging will be more efficient and cost-effective, as well as more flexible.

Both sides of the box can also be printed for brand identification or added Wow! factor.

Investment in this machine is part of the Weedon Group’s ePac strategy to tackle the growing demand for online retail packaging. Offering an independent alternative in a market dominated by giant multi-national corporations, ePac draws on the strengths of the whole Weedon Group:

• In-house manufacture of specialist eCommerce board grades on its own corrugator in Weedon Corrugated Products in Audenshaw, Manchester
• Expertise in packaging reduction, including ‘right-sizing’ to reduce the use of unnecessary packaging, in i2i europe, the Group’s creative services agency
• Innovative design capabilities in both creative graphic and structural design in i2i europe
• Top quality print capability from Weedon PSC, the UK’s leading independent manufacturer of Retail Ready Packaging (RRP) and Point of Sale (PoS) display units

As well as investing in new equipment to support its ePac initiative, the Weedon Group recently completed major restructuring of the Weedon PSC factory in Hednesford, making one large space to accommodate new production equipment and to streamline logistics to deal with increased turnover. A new eCommerce sales and marketing team, which includes design experts, has also been established.

John Weedon, Managing Director of the Weedon Group, commented:

“The positioning of sealing and opening tape is a crucial element in the design of eCommerce packaging. This new machine gives us enormous flexibility in how and where the tape is applied, allowing us to offer a wider range of packaging designs to suit our customers’ specific needs.

“This taping machine is the latest investment by the Weedon Group as we gear up for significant new business in packaging for the online retail market.”

For further information:

John Weedon, Managing Director of Weedon PSC, on 01543 423838.