Sticking to their commitments

by carly_mchugh | 11 April 2024 11:35 am

By Megan Beach

For more than 50 years, L&A Diecrafts Ltd. has strived to deliver striking, high-quality projects. Based out of a manufacturing facility in Burlington, Ont., the company specializes in large-format die cutting, mounting, D-taping, assembly, and packing. They also work in conjunction with their partnering companies, R. Jones Print and Display Inc. and Cool Display Solutions Inc., to produce a variety of paper and cardboard displays for the commercial market.

Throughout their daily practices, L&A demonstrates their commitments to pushing boundaries and embracing cutting-edge technology. This has resulted in the integration of two high-speed, hot/cold-melt computer numerical control (CNC) glue tables, to help their team streamline production for both assembly and packaging of their display projects.

Simplifying glue distribution

Each machine features a touch display with programmable buttons, where the operator can choose where they would like to start and stop each desired glue pattern on the layout, as well as draw it using a joystick and a laser. When they are looking at the screen, they can see where the camera and laser are pointing, but will also be physically close enough to see it in front of them on the machine. Possible patterns consist of straight lines, dots, swirls, and arcs, which can be extended, shortened, or made wider. Once the program has been set in the system, it can be saved for future use, in case a project needs to be repeated.

After setting the pattern, the operator can choose the consistency of the glue, as well as the temperature setting, which can be either hot melt, slow-set hot melt, or cold melt. Typical hot melt will begin to skim over when it starts to cool, which may not be ideal for assemblies that take a bit longer, as the glue might already be setting and will not stick. However, slow-set hot melt has a larger, longer open time, which helps it stay tacky. By comparison, cold-melt glue has a similar consistency to white glue, but it is usually more messy to apply and takes longer to cure, as it is a wet glue. Ultimately, slow-set hot melt is the most effective setting for paperboard displays, as it cures quickly to ensure the glue will stick properly the first time, without the need for any extra weight.

With their program and gluing settings selected, the operator can press down on the start/stop pedal to begin distributing the glue. This can be controlled manually or placed on a timer, to allow for assembly and reloading once each piece is finished. There is also an option to turn one of the four stations on or off independently if an employee needs to walk away or refill the machine.

Elevating efficiency and precision

CNC glue tables allow for consistency in glue application, aligning with L&A’s commitment to delivering meticulously crafted, quality products, and seamlessly integrating into their comprehensive suite of services. From large-format die cutting to intricate assembly and packing, this technology complements the company’s existing processes, amplifying capabilities across the production line.

Using the machines ensures the same amount of glue will be placed in the same spot for each unit of the display. It also guarantees this is done quickly and accurately, with minimal interruption. Previously, these areas would have been D-taped in the desired locations before the sheets were die cut. Then, once the piece was ready, the team would need to pick off each individual liner to case wrap the box. The glue tables eliminate the need for this step, as well as ensure the next piece can be glued while the current one is being assembled.

Enhancing productivity and turnaround

The automatic glue pattern application feature also significantly reduces production time. This enhancement translates to faster turnarounds without compromising the quality of the project. Further, the slow-set hot melt process allows for more forgiveness when sticking pieces together, whereas D-tape is stuck down as soon as it touches another surface and cannot be fixed. This setting allows the glue to be peeled back, finessed as needed, put back down, smoothed out, and handed off for assembly.

The ability to save project outlines also helps increase productivity, as it allows the team to recall a program if a similar project comes up later. Each machine can then be programmed to glue the same piece at all four stations—for a total of eight stations—or split to focus on a different piece at each location and pack the finished display off the machine.

Empowering project assembly teams and minimizing loading time

The ergonomic design of the machines removes strain from employees’ hands by eliminating the need to constantly hold the trigger of a glue gun during the application process. The tables dispense melted glue from tanks, or pots, which have the capacity to hold a large amount of glue pellets. Unlike a glue gun, where the stick needs to be replaced more frequently, each pot can be filled with pellets and stay full while working on a multitude of projects, which streamlines the process of using melted glue.

Further, the incorporation of two elevating tables minimizes machine loading time, which reduces downtime, increases focus, and maximizes operational efficiency. Each table can fit a large number of pieces to be glued, which eliminates the need for employees to continuously leave their stations to pick up more parts for preparation or assembly.

Strengthening the commitment to innovation

The addition of CNC glue tables to their production process exemplifies L&A’s commitment to innovation. This forward-thinking approach aims to set new industry benchmarks for efficiency, precision, and technological advancement in large-format display manufacturing.

These machines have helped the company streamline the construction process for a variety of projects. While they focus primarily on case wrapping, L&A also has the ability to make larger displays, including wrapped cardboard refrigerators for supermarkets, liquor stores, and restaurants.

Using one table, the team can apply glue to the sides of the display, with three different glue patterns per side. Then, they can roll the sheet down a set of rollers to the next table to glue the back, transport it to the other side of the machine, and glue it all together. In total, five pieces can be glued in one fluid motion. This is an example of a project which would use the hot melt setting versus the slow-set hot melt, as it needs to cure instantly. The cardboard is also much heavier and would require more glue to hold.

The company also has the opportunity to do short-run packaging by request, another area in which the glue tables prove useful. In fact, the majority of L&A’s projects are within the short-run category, which usually reaches a maximum of 3,000 or 4,000 displays per project.  

Megan Beach was brought up surrounded by friends and family in the die cutting and display industry. She first joined R. Jones Print and Display—the sister company to L&A Diecrafts Ltd.—18 years ago. Then, in 2017, Beach transitioned to take over L&A. With a meticulous attention to detail, she enjoys collaborating closely with colleagues across all departments to deepen her expertise.

A very merry project

For their holiday campaign in 2022, skin care and cosmetic company Clinique ordered a series of displays to be implemented in department stores across the U.S. The main focus for each design was multiple case-wrapped, silver hexagons—more than 20,000 in total for the project—with corrugate interiors. To create these components, the L&A team die cut all the corrugate pieces, as well as all the case wrap pieces. Then, these elements were combined and glued together.

A display designed for the top of each kiosk comprised a double-sided ornament with glued silver swooshes, a silver snowflake, three case-wrapped boxes—one reading “Merry” and the other two “Clinique”—and two of the silver hexagons. The collection also included a more three-dimensional counter display, which called for five boxes and a topper consisting of various pieces glued together.

Since a large portion of the project involved constructing the hexagons, the team decided it was best to divide and conquer for the most efficient outcome. For about three months, those working the night shift were responsible for assembling the hexagons, while the day shift crew focused on wrapping the “Merry” and “Clinique” boxes.

The glue tables proved to be valuable assets during this project, as they allowed the team to easily transition between each job. At the beginning of every shift, all they needed to do was change the program on each machine and switch the previous group’s pieces with the ones they would be working on. This created an easy workflow between the two teams. Further, each display required a myriad of small parts, which would have previously been D-taped rather than glued—adding more time to production. Despite the large scope of this particular project, the team found their output with the assistance of the glue table was much more efficient.

The machine also proved to be beneficial during the packing process. In some instances, each team would start working on parts of one element, and then switch their focus to other parts, to ensure the displays were ready to be packed into boxes for shipment. First, the snowflake and ornament were placed in a corrugate sleeve, to help prevent damage. Next, they were packed with the hexagons, boxes, and any other components in one carton, as a kit. Each display was packed individually in its own box, with an assembly instruction sheet, and shipped in a group with the rest of the displays required for each store. At this point in the project, most of the assembly was done. However, there were a few simple finishing touches for the counter staff to add before each display was considered complete.

The project took a total of four months to prepare for the client. However, without the use of the glue table, it would have taken the team about six months. In total, L&A and their partnering companies produced between 1,100 and 1,400 units of each individual display.  

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/sticking-to-their-commitments/

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