Smurfit Kappa and Apex Group renew contract
Apex Group of Companies, the world’s largest supplier of anilox rolls, has reaffirmed its status as preferred supplier to the Smurfit Kappa Group. The agreement between Apex and Smurfit Kappa (SK) originates from its first steps to co-operation almost two decennia ago and now represents a long-standing relationship between two industry giants dedicated to higher quality.
A significant element in the ongoing success of the partnership is the fact that Apex Group acts as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for the corrugated board factories by also offering Accora glue sets. Accora can fuse both stainless steel to its glue rolls and ceramic to its doctor rolls, increasing the lifetime of the rolls.
Another reason for the continued partnership between Apex Group and Smurfit Kappa is the fact that Apex Group is the inventor of the patented GTTCORR metering rolls.
“Smurfit Kappa Turnhout (Belgium) is a precursor of new innovations and they experience several of GTT’s advantages in their production process,” says Georg Selders, sales director Europe, Apex Group.
“A much wider range can be printed and the results are perfect on both testliner and craftliner. Furthermore, GTT CORR XL ensures here finer lines and sharp texts without haloing.” The contract includes traditional anilox rolls in all engraving patterns such as 60° hexagonal, tri-helical, positive engravings, elongated cells while Apex offers Smurfit Kappa plants support for the maintenance and cleaning of their anilox and metering rolls. The entire product range is backed by a well-trained service and support staff who are present in more than 80 countries around the world. Apex invites Smurfit Kappa factories to join Use & Care Training.
6 new machine installations for Smurfit Kappa Group with Apex rolls throughout Europe the past months?Apex was selected the supplier for the installation of anilox and metering rolls of six new Göpfert presses going into different Smurfit Kappa factories throughout Europe. In the past 12 months Apex supplied the rolls to Smurfit Kappa Gdansk (Poland), Smurfit Kappa Twincorr (Netherlands) and Smurfit Kappa Neuburg (Germany). More recently, three more machines were ordered to be installed with Apex rolls by Smurfit Kappa in Lunata (Italy), Huelva (Spain) and Sankt Leon (Germany).