Creasing Matrix- Getting it right

C&T Matrix technical sales director Matt Sheppard explains why choosing the right creasing matrix is more important than you think.

You would perhaps not expect to read about fashion in the pages of a converting magazine. However we have a tenuous link. Picture yourself in a new, very expensive suit-buying situation. You are in Savile Row, you are measured up, you have picked the beautiful cloth and then the finished result is a dapper, well turned-out piece of high-end craftsmanship. Perfect except for the cheap belt and garish cut-price socks you have also chosen. You are no longer James Bond but more of an Austin Powers-gone-wrong.

Accessories can make or break an outfit and this is where the similarities to the packaging industry ring true. A corrugated or box plant conversion company spends mega money updating and buying new kit to make it into an extremely streamlined operation. Accessories can often get overlooked, but in any box converting operation a creasing matrix is a small but essential tool for increased productivity.

The box conversion industry hasn't stood still and looking back it has been through a rollercoaster ride. The corrugated and box conversion industries is one of the most diverse industries today. The same could be said for the creasing matrix side of the industry. The last 25 years for C&T Matrix has bucked what was thought to be a perceived change in the market of moving to milled plates and counters, by increasing sales of creasing matrix year on year. How? By listening to its customers and by making new products that address their individual needs.

Observers may question why C&T Matrix has over 5000 products in its range. The basic answer is that although not every product would interest every company, most of what we offer is born out of bespoke solutions. The industry is so diverse that addressing it makes complete economic sense. For example, you may find different companies producing the same end product, but they all have their own individual way of producing the finished result, and have their own creasing needs.

A team effort and paying attention to the customer is key. In recent cases C&T has created new product ranges by listening to customers and working in partnership with them to create a solution to very specific needs. Regarding the corrugated industry the matrix demands are vast, challenging - but achievable. C&T Matrix's Corrugate matrix sets out to solve the problems that can often put a 'spanner in the works' at a conversion plant.

After speaking to processors of corrugated boards with specific requirements to convert highly coated/printed, litho or plain laminated board into either packaging or point of sale displays, there was a real need for a matrix to tackle common recurring issues encountered on a daily basis. Corrugate was designed as a range of creasing rubber matrix to overcome these issues such as misalignment (fish tailing), cracking and deformation (knuckling).

Make ready speed has also had a huge impact on the development of matrix creasing products. C&T's PINK product is a fibrous matrix, which again evolved through customer co-working. A durable fibrous matrix that would not delaminate and could be mounted on a 1mm plate and chamfered easily at make-ready as well as the patching stage were the driving forces for the development of PINK. One of the key characteristics of PINK is its unequalled resilience with the number of impressions achievable in excess of 150,000.

Moving creasing matrix forward in line with modern demands and often complex creasing requirements will, no doubt, continue as the converting industry changes shape and evolves to match the needs of its customers too. Finding the solutions involves a partnership with your matrix supplier. It may appear a small part of your spend but it can be a significant investment too.