Thimm Group invests in its Romanian site to further expand its printing expertise

Northeim/Sibiu, 30 March 2021 – Packaging manufacturer Thimm is setting new quality standards with its investment in the Corruflex flexo printing press at its site in Sibiu. The company is therefore significantly expanding its capacity for high-quality direct printing on corrugated cardboard in the Eastern European market. Customers also benefit from faster response times in packaging production. 

Corruflex, from the German machine manufacturer Koenig & Bauer, is currently one of the most modern flexo postprint systems. Since early 2021 it has been enhancing the portfolio of the Romanian plant of Thimm pack’n’display with high-quality post-printed products. “With the installation of the new machine, we can now also offer high-quality direct printing on corrugated cardboard directly to our customers in the Central and Eastern European market,” reports Michael Weber, Head of Corporate Strategy + Marketing at Thimm Group. Market requirements for post-print quality have also increased.

Weber continues: “We are setting new quality standards at Thimm pack'n'display with the installation in Sibiu. The machine is the first of its kind in the Eastern European market.” Due to the very high register accuracy of the printing press and the use of anilox rolls in the required specification, colour prints up to the 49/50 grid range can be achieved. The new machine can also easily produce photo printing on high-quality paper. In addition to using uncoated paper, high-quality coated paper can also be printed on using the integrated dryer in the individual printing units and a powerful final dryer.  “Should a fault occur in the print image for production reasons, the faulty printed sheet is automatically detected, ejected from the machine and the quantity is aligned so that quality and quantity remain at the same level,” says Weber explaining the print image monitoring of the system. “Another highlight is the roller-free feeding of the corrugated cardboard sheets into the machine. This prevents calibration loss and the sheets are not damaged at any time.”

The system has a working format of 1.52 x 2.80 m and reaches speeds of up to 10,000 feeds per hour. Thimm Group is impressed by its performance. “This investment has enabled us to increase production capacity many times over. The printing press has a capacity of up to 30 million printed square metres per year, which is an increase of 150 percent compared to our previous printer,” continues Weber. The plant employees in Sibiu are also very pleased with the modern machine. “The machine can be set up during ongoing operation for a new, second job. This was previously not possible with the existing system without stopping and moving the machine apart.” 

In order to install the new printing system with its total length of 30 metres, some prior modifications to the plant were required. Thimm Group has invested several million euro in the Romanian site. Sibiu employs around 308 people, 222 of whom work in production.

About Thimm

The Thimm Group is a leading solutions provider for the packaging and distribution of goods. Its solutions portfolio includes corrugated cardboard transportation and sales packaging, high-quality promotional displays, packaging systems combining a range of materials, and print products for further industrial processing. Through its innovative and sustainable solutions Thimm helps its customers to differentiate and individualise themselves in the market. To this end in its sustainability vision for 2030, the family business anticipates economic, environmental and social challenges in advance and solves them. Thimm Group's aspiration is to always offer customers the best solution. This strong customer focus drives the innovation and the pioneering spirit of the company. Therefore, there is consistent investment in expanding the company’s market presence and in future-oriented technologies. Founded in 1949, the family business currently has more than 3,400 employees at 21 sites in Germany, France, Poland, Romania and Czech Republic and generated annual revenues of around EUR 623 million in 2019.