Interview with Henning Meier, Sales Director of the company, at CCE International 2025.
What are the main trends you see in the corrugated board industry today, and how is your company responding to these challenges?
We are seeing an increasing demand for shorter runs in the industry, meaning more and more customers are requesting personalized boxes or small production volumes. To address this trend, we have decided to develop machines specifically designed for short-run production.
Kolbus Group GmbH, headquartered in Rahden, Germany, was founded in 1775. Since 1900, Kolbus has been supplying paper processing machinery. Today, its focus is on special machine construction for packaging production and corrugated board processing.
And what new technologies or products are you presenting at this expo, and how can they improve production processes for our viewers?
At this exhibition, we are presenting a brand-new short-run box maker with inline digital printing capabilities. This machine allows for the production of very small volumes with personalized logos, barcodes, and other custom details without the need for clichés or additional tooling.
In your opinion, what will be the biggest challenge for corrugated board manufacturers in the next five years, and how is your company helping them address these challenges?
I believe that increasing machinery efficiency and reducing reliance on personnel will be key challenges. In Europe, for example, we are experiencing a shortage of skilled labor.
To tackle this, KOLBUS is focused on developing highly automated machines specifically designed for short runs, requiring minimal staffing and reducing the burden on companies facing labor shortages.
How does your company support sustainability and eco-friendliness in the corrugated board industry?
We use the latest technology in our control units, which are highly energy-efficient. Additionally, movements within our machines recover and feed energy back into the system. Combined with higher output, this results in significantly lower energy consumption.
Can you please show us your machine and explain how it works?
This is Max, one of our team members. Max will now input a corrugated board into the machine. He will select a box style—FEFCO, in this case—and enter the inner dimensions of the box along with the raw sheet dimensions. The machine then calculates the rest and proceeds to make the box. The process is seamless, and digital printing can also be integrated.
The machine produces a slotted and creased box, which can be assembled into a tray. The changeover time between jobs is just 60 seconds, thanks to the fully automated setup that requires no tooling.
Lastly, what message would you like to share with corrugated board manufacturers worldwide who are watching this report?
My advice is to invest in the latest technology—especially cutting-edge, automated solutions. This will help increase efficiency and reduce labor costs in your operations.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
corruga.expert
