Board Converting News, March 7, 2022

Board Converting News, March 7, 2022

BoardConverting Serving the North American Corrugated and Folding Carton Industries for 38 years March 7, 2022 VOL. 38. NO. 10

Artificial Intelligence: Four Things You Should Know BY SUSANNE TEDRICK

AICC Xperience Captivates Members In Kansas City AICC, the Independent Packaging Associa- tion held its third educational Xperience event last week from Tuesday, March 1, to Thursday, March 3, at the Hilton Kansas City Airport in Kansas City, Missouri. AICC President Mile D’Angelo welcomed approximately 90 box makers, suppliers and guests to an information-packed agen- da of compelling programming that touched on every aspect of the corrugated convert- ing industry. Networking receptions on both Tuesday and Wednesday evenings provided attendees adequate time, nourishment and libation to discuss the topics of the day while

While we are still a few decades out from seeing most businesses and industries use artificial intelligence (AI) in their operations, there is cer- tainly greater adoption than there has been in years past. According to a top IT training company, 2021 saw a sharp uptick in respondents for

continuing to build the professional and per- sonal relationships for which AICC has be- come well known. “Keep in mind that an AICC member’s best resource is their fellow

Mike D’Angelo

their annual AI Adoption in the Enterprise survey, (nearly three times than the previous year), as well as 61 percent of respondents showing that they are actively considering or evaluating AI solutions. If you are interested in learning more about AI, here are four things you should know: AI is already embedded in people’s day to day : While widespread and more sophisticated uses of artificial intelligence are perhaps slat- ed in the not-so-distant future, people are already using or interacting with some form of AI every day. If you have used web-based e-mail services, used ridesharing services, or shopped on e-commerce plat- forms, you’ve likely been interacting with artificial intelligence in some capacity and didn’t know it. There are currently no federal or state laws that require companies to disclose that they are using AI in their applications and, for appli- cations that are used by the public, customers are more likely to be interacting with a very well programmed AI interface than with another human being. However, many consumer advocacy groups are pushing to have more formal laws instituted for requiring disclosure, as they believe that there is the potential for customers to be deceived. While CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

members,” said D’Angelo, who introduced AICC Chairman Gene Marino, Executive Vice President, Akers Packaging Services Inc., who presented Strategy for Success: People

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

WHAT’S INSIDE 6 ISM: Manufacturing, Economy Grow Again In February 8 GBP Achieves Net-Zero Water In Recycled C’Board Production 18 BCN To Host Free Webinar On Machine Learning 24 Supplier Reports: Part 5

It’s What is on the Inside & Outside That Counts The SUN 625 RDC brings together two-sided printing in a single pass, ideal for high-speed and high-volume production

The SUN 625 RDC is one of the most highly adaptable solutions in the market, delivering

exceptional productivity in a variety of segments. This vertically opening flexo printing machine was engineered to be a versatile, high-producing workhorse while keeping maintenance costs low. This true 125" RDC has the ability to run 200 kicks per minute and up to 12,000 sheets per hour

Inside / Outside Print

Custom messaging and branding has never been easier. SUN provides two-sided printing solutions to transform your existing press proficiency. This single pass solution is engineered to integrate seamlessly with a variety of OEM equipment, including the SUN 625. Email [email protected] and ask about our Spectrum Inside Print units & Color Master blade systems

2 March 7, 2022

AVERAGE CONTAINERBOARD PRICES The average prices reported are tabulated from prices PAID by various sources throughout the United States the week previous to issue. Prices in some areas of the country may be higher or lower than the tabulated average. The prices tabulated here are intended only for purposes of reference. They do not connote any commitment to sell any material at the indicated average. Transactions may be completed at any time at a price agreed upon by seller and purchaser.

REGION E. Coast Midwest Southeast Southwest

42# Kraft liner

26# Semi-Chem. Medium

$1005.00-1010.00 $1020.00-1030.00 $1020.00-1030.00 $1020.00-1030.00 $1050.00-1060.00 $1023.00-1032.00

Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del.

$940.00-990.00 $955.00-975.00 $955.00-975.00 $955.00-975.00 $975.00-995.00 $958.00-978.00

West Coast U.S. Average

The Price is Right

SHEET PRICES BY REGION (AVERAGE) Per 1MSF, local delivery included, 50MSF single item order, truckload delivery. Sheets

E. Coast Midwest South-SW S. CA N.CA/WA-OR US Aver.

200# 275#

$62.26

$72.05

$62.69 $82.80

$85.35 119.54

$73.13 101.29

97.32

99.89

90.86

113.65

OYSTER UP-CHARGE 8.34

8.34

8.34

8.34

8.34

8.34

275# DBL-WALL 350# DBL-WALL

107.46 118.45

114.69 129.32

116.54 137.25 117.82 145.56

141.08 148.46

122.76 131.80

More box makers and brokers are relying on the containerboard pricing in Board Converting News to negotiate their contracts with end users.

CANADIAN SHEET PRICES (AVERAGE) In Canadian Dollars, per 1MSF, local delivery included, under 50MSF single item order, truckload delivery. 200# 275# Oyster UC 275#DW 350#DW $78.56 $99.18 $9.00 $96.32 $105.83 CANADIAN LINERBOARD & MEDIUM The average prices reported are tabulated from prices PAID by various sources throughout Canada. Prices may be higher or lower in various areas of the country. The prices tabulated here are intended only for purposes of reference. They do not connote any commitment to sell any material at the indicated average. Transactions may be completed at any time at a price agreed upon by seller and purchaser. Prices are Canadian $ and per metric ton.

SEE THE CURRENT PRICES IN PRINT OR ONLINE AT WWW.BOARDCONVERTINGNEWS.COM.

Len Prazych at 518-366-9017 [email protected]

42# Kraft Liner 26#

Semi-Chem Medium

East West

$970.00

$960.00 $995.00

$1,015.00

3

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March 7, 2022

Calling Profero Systems just another equipment supplier is like calling the Tour just a bike ride. Profero Systems

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704-923-0990

PO BOX 950 DALLAS, NC 28034

4 March 7, 2022

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AICC Xperience (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1 )

Side of Business, Knowledge, Experience, Consistency. Drawing on his decades of experience in the world of fi- nance and later in his career, the corrugated, industry, Ma- rino stressed the importance of Team Alignment and Core Values. Mark Roberts, CEO, OTB Solutions, delivered a presen- tation on Customer Statistics: Preparing You Company for Better Service to Your Customers and Potential Customers, after which attendees heard from a panel of box makers who shared their experiences and challenges with current industry issues and how to maintain excellent customer service. Mike D’Angelo moderated Ed Nusslein of McLean Packaging, Mark McNay of SMC Packaging Group, Jana Harris of Harris Packaging Corp. and Chris Stoler of Van- guard Companies. Additional coverage of the AICC Xperience will appear in the March 14 issue of Board Converting News . New Breaking Down Boxes Podcast To Feature Bay Cities’ Greg Tucker AICC Board Chair Gene Marino, and Joe Morelli, AICC Associate Board Chair, will interview Greg Tucker, CEO & Chairman of Bay Cities in “Driving Mr. Hanan,” the first epi- sode of AICC’s podcast, Breaking Down Boxes. “Kicking off AICC’s podcast series with someone as dy- namic as Greg Tucker is going to be a real treat for not just our members, but for anyone who runs a business,” said said AICC President Mike D’Angelo. “When you consider all that Greg and Bay Cities have accomplished in the in- dustry, and for both AICC and ICPF, as well as the fact that he could just as easily be shining elsewhere if things had

gone a little differently at the beginning of his career. It’s an incredibly compelling story.” Although his dreams once rested in the entertainment in- dustry, Tucker explains how he eventually shifted the focus and culture of a lifestyle packaging company into the diverse com- pany that is Bay Cities today. He also tells the story of how it

Greg Tucker

all began by “borrowing” a jet ski and driving Bill Hanan, then leader of Bay Cities, home from the airport as a young college student. With degrees in personnel management and market- ing, making samples may not seem like the obvious next step, but it is the one Tucker took. This led him into sales and eventually, to run the company. New episodes drop the first Monday of every month. Driving Mr. Hanan will be released Monday, March 7. Sub- scribe to Breaking Down Boxes on all major podcast plat- forms or visit www.AICCbox.org/boxes .

5

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March 7, 2022

ISM: Manufacturing, Economy Grow Again In February 2022

Box Shipments ( U.S. Corrugated Product Shipments) Industry Shipments In Billions of Square Feet Month December 2021

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew in Feb- ruary, with the overall economy achieving a 21st consecu- tive month of growth, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business. The report was issued by Timothy R. Fiore, CPSM, C.P.M., Chair of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee: “The February Manufacturing PMI registered 58.6 per- cent, an increase of one percentage point from the Janu- ary reading of 57.6 percent. This figure indicates expan- sion in the overall economy for the 21st month in a row after a contraction in April and May 2020. The New Orders Index registered 61.7 percent, up 3.8 percentage points compared to the January reading of 57.9 percent. “The Production Index registered 58.5 percent, an in- crease of 0.7 percentage point compared to the January reading of 57.8 percent. The Prices Index registered 75.6 percent, down 0.5 percentage point compared to the Jan- uary figure of 76.1 percent. The Backlog of Orders Index registered 65 percent, 8.6 percentage points higher than the January reading of 56.4 percent. The Employment In- dex registered 52.9 percent, 1.6 percentage points lower than the January reading of 54.5 percent. The Supplier CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

Year

Actual

Percent Change Avg Week Percent Change

2021 2020

34.195 34.916

-2.1

8.549 8.729

-2.1

Industry Total

Year-to Date

December 2021

Year

Actual

Percent Change Avg Week Percent Change

2021 2020

416.338 406.776

2.4

8.294 8.071

2.8

Industry Total

Containerboard Consumption (Thousands of Tons)

Year

Month

Percent Change Year-to-Date Percent Change

2021 2020

2.7372 2.7727

-1.3

33.8477 33.0739

2.3

Container Board Inventory - Corrugator Plants (Thousands of Tons)

Corrugator Plants Only

Date

Percent Change Weeks of Supply

Percent Change

Dec. Nov.

2.256 2.203

2.4

3.3 3.3

0

Shipping Days

Year

Month

Year-to-Date

2021 2020

20 20

251 252

SOURCE: Fibre Box Association

Serrapid die system, Recreasing folder, Preventive maintenance and so much more!

JS Printer Flexo Folder Gluer

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March 7, 2022 BCN ad_JSBOT RDC.indd 1

40 ft of paper travel from preheater to hot plates 3 seconds of heat, glue and bonding 1 chance to get it right! the ZONE

Design & Production

Chicago Electric offers 10 technology solutions to control ‘the Zone’ CORRUGATOR Sectoral preheating plate

Our sectoral preheating plates provide direct heat by means of a double steam circuit, allowing for efficient heating in hard-to-access locations, as well as to act as a steam shower to open the paper’s fibre, making it receptive to absorbing the heat and the glue.

This translates into increased speed and improved quality of the cardboard sheet finish.

The system’s main advantages are as follows:

• The plate may only be used to heat, only to humidify, or both options at the same time. • The plate is sectored, which allows for applying humidity to the sections. • It provides temperature in previously inaccessible locations and near the location needed. • It compensates the loss of temperature dissipated due to distance, speed or limitations of the exiting preheaters. • Quick transferring of heat to the paper. • The combination of the hot plate and steam shower allows for providing heat even to the hardest papers to heat. • Does not dry out the paper. • Possibility of operating as a humidifier and pre-conditioner. • Maintains and improves the fibre’s elasticity. • Acts according to the operator’s needs. • Facilitates the paper’s hygroscopy to absorb the glue and improve rubberising.

CONTROLLABILITY

1. Wrap Arm - Position & Temperature 2. Preheater Direct Drive

DOUBLEBACKER IMPROVEMENT

3. Steam Plate 4. Contact Roll 5. Glue Machine Direct Drive Touch Productivity Issue—Glue Unit Many glue units run with a rider roll or a guiding bar system. The rider roll with paper gap allows a precise glue application, but requires frequent Contact Roll

PRODUCTIVITY

C/ Orfeó Català 13-15 · 08440 Cardedeu (Barcelona) telf: +34 93 846 01 06 · [email protected] WWW.AL-GAR.COM

DOUBLEBACKER IMPROVEMENT

calibrations and settings. Bar systems avoid this, but compensate this with the risk of exces- sive glue application. The system contains many wearing parts. Solution The contact roll combines the ad antage of both systems and ensures minimum contact between board and applicator roll. The system uses small pneumatic cylinders in order to achieve a “soft touch.”

6. Gap Control 7. Curved Plate 8. Roller Shoe Press When it comes to a short-term increas of web tension, spring loaded systems with shoes or airpressure activated system have problems in compensating these. The system is lifted for a short time. This may result in de-lamination and in the ‘double kiss’ effect. Solution For a defined and exact bonding point of the web fiv weight rollers will be installed usually over the first flat hotplate of the heating section. The rolls are mounted into a frame, which is actuated by means of two pneumatic cylinders. P oductivity Issu —Double Kiss Bonding

PRODUCTIVITY

PRODUCTIVITY

DOUBLEBACKER IMPROVEMENT

Roller Shoe

DOUBLEBACKER IMPROVEMENT

9. Thin Wall Hot Plates 10. Pressure System Benefits —Exact glue application due to defined contact of applicator roll to web. Web is in contact to less flute tips compared to bar systems. • High precision glue application • Less moisture applied to web —No wear of shoes and springs —No adjustment of shoes or paper gap —Uniform glue application over entire w orking width for all flutes by use of pneumatic cylinders instead of springs — Less contamination by paper dust and glue remains —No jam of board because of web breaks caused by splice joints going through 630-784-0800 Benefits —Rollers secure exact defined first point of contact of liner and single-faced board - No double kiss —Frame design avoids unintended lifting of roller shoe (compared to spring or air loaded systems) - No double kiss —Pressure can be increased or released for special grades or products 490 Tower Blvd., Carol Stream, IL Contact Chicago Electric to GET IT RIGHT 630-784-0800 [email protected] chicagoelectric.com Solution The ProPress system ensures an optimum heat transfer to the board. It offers a wide range of set- tings. The loadi g pressure can be varied, the number of shoes can be lifted in accordance t the line speed. The outer shoes can be lifted in accordance to the paper width. The shoe bars will be delivered pre-assembled for a short installation time. —Liftable for easy paper infeed and for cleaning of the machine —Position adjustable in paper direction to avoid grooves in hotplate Press Productivity Issue—Poor Heat Transfer Rollers are usually limiting the heat transfer, since they often have contact mainly on the edges of the plates due to wear or bent plates. They also cause often loss of caliper and bearing need to be replaced frequently. Airpressure actuated systems can only supply a limited pressure and have com- pared to shoe systems a closed surface. Pressure Shoe

Plate vity Issue—Poor Heat Control l hotplates are slow to react to pressure due to high steam volume and massive y also have high heat radiation and heat profile. Worn plates can damage crease edge crush.

Thin-Wall Hot Plates

t by peripheral drilled hot plates. anufactured out of special wear and nt steel, through which a continuous is drilled, with one inlet and one outlet. ecured by a massive steel frame.

CORR24usa.com

ance from steam to paper surface results in fast heat flow

GBP Achieves Net-Zero Water In Recycled Containerboard Production Green Bay, Wisconsin based Green Bay Packaging (GBP) announced that its mill achieved Net-Zero Water in its pro- duction of 100 percent recycled containerboard paper, the first-ever UL with validation of this environmental claim. “Environmental sustainability has always been at the core of Green Bay Packaging’s values,” said GBP Presi- dent and CEO, William Kress. “Our goal is to operate the most environmentally friendly mill system in the U.S., with water quality in our communities a primary focus.” The Net-Zero Water system at the Green Bay mill re- duces water demand through use of reclaimed water and alternative water sources, offsetting the need for freshwa- ter consumption. The goal in achieving “net-zero water” is to transform a water-intense process into a more efficient process, returning more water to the water source than has been removed. “Green Bay Packaging has been a strong stakehold- er in developing a rigorous procedure for assessing site water balance,” said William Hoffman, research scientist in UL’s Retail and Consumer Products group. “By achieving Net-Zero Water Use based on the UL Environmental Claim Validation Procedure, Green Bay Packaging has demon- strated a strong commitment to sustainability and preserv- ing water resources for future use.”

UL, the global safety leader, established the first in- dustrial global standard of its kind with the UL 1397, Envi- ronment Validation Claim Procedure for Net-Zero Water, published January 27, 2022. Green Bay Packaging’s im- plemented water-use strategy to minimize the impact of water use on the watershed and increase water resiliency, parallels the net-zero concept. “The net-zero water system is an investment in wa- ter technology that benefits community water resources while providing sustainable product innovation for our packaging customers and consumers,” said Green Bay Packaging’s Director of Environment and Sustainability, Lisa Bauer-Lotto. “Establishing a reclaimed water loop with the local municipal wastewater utility is an integral circular economy innovation into our papermaking process.” The US EPA considers circularity of net-zero water a green infrastructure with significant potential. Green Bay Packaging took the first steps in water consumption conservation in 1963 and became a pioneer in ‘closing- the-loop’. This led to a fully closed water system as a semi-chemical pulping mill in 1972. The closed-loop water system was rebuilt when the mill converted to a 100 per- cent recycled paper production in 1992. The Green Bay Packaging legacy of water stewardship continues with the new Green Bay mill that began production in 2021 with its first-of-a-kind, circular reclaim water systems that reduce the amount of water use per ton of paper production and fosters a net-zero water system.

8 March 7, 2022

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Safety Records Don’t Happen By Accident BY CHASE KAMMERER

nition for your dedication to health and safety from FBA and AICC – The Independent Packaging Association. Fi- bre Box Association (FBA) will publish the 2021 Corrugat- ed Container Industry – Annual Report of Occupational In- juries and Illnesses and Safety Awards in March. Last year, 416 corrugated facilities were recognized for plant safety. What is the OSHA 300 Log? The OSHA Form 300 is a form for employers to record all reportable injuries and illnesses that occur in the work- place. Where and when they happen, the nature of the case, the name and job title of the team member injured or made sick must be included, as well as the number of days away from work or on restricted or light duty. Establishments with 250 or more employees (at any time during the reporting year) must submit OSHA Forms 300 and 301 until January 2019 electronically. However, you must keep the forms on file for five years as OSHA will continue to obtain the records through inspections and enforcement actions.

Reporting Reminder and Facility Recognition Opportunity Right now is the perfect time to remind you of a new year to-do that involves reporting - specif- ically, OSHA Injury and Illness >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48

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