Arkay’s Secondary Production Process
Arkay’s Secondary Production Process
In this educational video – filmed in Arkay’s packaging manufacturing facility in Roanoke, Virginia – John Ranson, Arkay’s Quality Manager, walks us through each step, department by department, to describe all it takes to produce the high-quality type of packaging Arkay is famous for.
For starters, all production jobs are planned and prepped in Arkay’s Design Studio in Hauppauge, New York and then sent to our Roanoke facility for continued prepping and production. Once the information is received, a “Job Bag” is created, which will contain all the customer’s specifications and necessary materials related to each production step, such as color, size and style, finishes, graphics, etc.
The next step is the Pre-Press Department where the team creates the Printing and Cyrel plates. This is done by using our customer’s artwork in preparation for the next step: The board sheeting process.
Raw Material is received through Arkay’s Shipping & Receiving area in either roll form or pre-sheeted stock. When in roll form our Sheeter Machine cuts down the roll into a predetermined sheet size so minimize board waste. In the step that follows, the Aerating Department processes all pre-sheeted board stock, which is used in between every production process while it is in sheet form and done to minimize dust and paper fibers from contaminating the sheets during the different stages.
From aerating, the next step is printing, which can be requested to contain a front side and/or backside print that has up to eight colors per pass. Multiple passes can be performed to add additional colors. Quality monitor checks are performed frequently throughout the run by both the press operators and Arkay’s manufacturing management. Each printing press is equipped with two coating units along with in-line cold foil, as requested. Offset and flexographic printing can also be combined into one printing process, which can create a mixing and matching effect, such as pearlized tones, metallic printing, and spot coating in a single pass.
Another step, as requested, is to utilize any of Arkay’s large range of decorative special effects. At our lamination press, for instance, we are able to provide sealing of a carton’s surface with a glossy or matte finish. It can also be used to create a transparent window with one continuous and uninterrupted surface.
Arkay also has the capability of single-level or multi-level embossing to add dimensionality to the product. The raising (embossing) or lowering (debossing) of the printed surface provides a unique twist to our customer’s package. The same machine can also add the application of stamping which applies a high-quality finish to an area of a carton giving it a holographic or pigmented effect. Frequent monitoring is done during each of these processes to ensure the highest quality product outcome.
Next we move on to die-cutting: Here at the die-cutting stage Arkay’s machines use powerful precision for cutting, stripping, and blanking full sheets into an individually cut out product. In addition to the ongoing quality checks performed by the operator and QA team, each machine is equipped with a barcode scanner that reads a unique job-specific printed barcode as an extra verification measure. To ensure the transition to the final finishing process flows smoothly, Arkay has a Separating Team which may need to break down the die-cut loads into individual item skids. Hand-stripping is completed if needed. For items such as Insert Cards that don’t require gluing, this is the stage where those items get placed into its finished case as a flat pack and receives the final QA inspection.
Once this is accomplished, the next step is gluing. Vision Systems, Sensor Tag Placement, Turning Module, and the Auto Case Packer are just a few of the unique features to be found on Arkay’s state-of-the-art Gluer Machines. Quality testing, including a barcode scanner verification, is performed by the operator and QA. Cartons receive a fanned inspection before being placed into the machine feed. Another inspection is done at the final delivery section.
The carton is now a finished product! Now the finished product is placed into corrugated boxes created based on size and style. Cases, labeled with specific job-related details, are placed onto pallets with the maximum standard height of 52 inches and this is when the QA team completes their final quality control certification. In the event there is a quality concern, Arkay management becomes involved for review and final disposition. The certified pallet is scanned into Arkay’s Management System for traceability. Corner boards are added for security and shrink wrapped as it awaits final processing by the shipping team for shipment to the customer.
Manufacturing secondary custom packaging is a very complex manufacturing process – a process that Arkay prides itself on each day. Being one of the world’s premier folding carton companies allows us the privilege of working with customers who appreciate our skill set and the goal of this video is to provide an overview of the intricacy that goes into making an exceptional product for our customer’s brand!
