The procurement of folding cartons through conventional channels can be a lengthy process – and with small batches it can also be inordinately expensive. Faller Packaging has remedied this situation by establishing a new subsidiary, PackEx. With digital technologies and a unique business model, it is able to save time and money in the production of packaging in small and very small batches.

The demand for small batches in the packaging market is continually rising. Nowadays, about one-third of all customers place orders in quantities of 5,000 or less, and experts predict that this trend will increase. What is more, the average product lifecycle of a folding carton is a mere 6.6 months. This requires speed and flexibility on the part of manufacturers.

Traditional procurement processes for packaging are not designed to deal with this challenge. Owing to their complexity, they require lead times of several weeks or even months, and conventional printing and processing methods can drive the costs of small batches to unacceptable levels. Extensive inventory management is an additional cost factor. Faller Packaging now offers an answer to this problem with its subsidiary PackEx. The company specializes in fast, efficient production of folding cartons in small and very small batches. A completely new business model makes this possible.

At www.packex.com, customers can place their orders using a web-based software solution. This portal also serves as a virtual warehouse. Products are digitally available in the cloud instead of being physically stored in a building. If a certain kind of package is needed, it can be manufactured with state-of-the-art technologies and efficiently shipped to customers in batches of the required size within a few days. Orders are combined in automated processes, printed together on collection sheets and “punched” using laser technology. It is this tool-free technology that offers more speed and flexibility in production.

For printing, the offset process is used together with digital printing, and the company can boast the first market-ready application of the seven-colour printing system. It delivers its folding cartons in custom-manufactured shipping boxes by parcel service. This method is faster and less complicated than the usual transport on pallets, and it also involves lower CO2 emissions.

The intelligent, digitalized production at PackEx ensures that the company produces packaging materials in a particularly efficient, resource-saving and low-cost manner. At the same time, it offers a wide range of options for individualization, personalization and serialization of packaging. PackEx has already been audited as a supplier by Faller Packaging. This means that customers can fall back on their proven and certified supply chains. Production is also certified to the GMP guidelines.

Thanks to digital production by PackEx, Faller can now offer several additional service packages, including organization of the entire ordering process, logistics process management with secondary packaging on pallets and even an additional quality inspection. Customers benefit by having a single point of contact, less administrative burden and top-quality products while also enjoying extremely fast deliveries and low costs.