CONNECT CartoStrip

 

About Us

 

 

Cartostrip Ltd, manufacturers and suppliers of the hand held die-cut waste stripping tool, have confirmed the launch of their new model – the Compact. It has been re-engineered to be smaller, lighter and more robust. Ergonomically easier to use, its construction is of stainless steel and aluminium. The control switches have been re-designed for greater comfort in use and are now more contoured and clad in a rubber sleeve for ease of use. Chain hardness has also been enhanced, ensuring that the chain stays sharper for longer.

 

The Cartostrip Compact still offers the benefits of powerful pneumatic drive, two handed operation for safety and the reduced risk of RSI. “Some of our customers have asked us to make small, but important changes to the design, and we have been happy to comply,” says Richard Alcock, Managing Director. ‘With the Compact and the use of the Cartoreel balancer and Cartoturn pallet turntable, we feel we have a winning combination for stripping carton, corrugated and display products alike. The feedback we have had from customers, who have given us endorsements now posted on our website, is both rewarding and encouraging.”

 

The founder of Cartostrip Ltd,

 

Richard Alcock,  has worked in the folding carton and corrugated industry for over 30 years and has seen many changes in the industry. His first company supplied rebuilt diecutters, folder gluers and display machinery.  On selling this he moved on to new equipment for the same sectors representing some of the big names such as Bahmuller, Gopfert, Stock, Lasercomb, Tosi and Nikko.  He has therefore been around box plants for a good while and saw that the one thing which hasn't changed is the need to strip pallets of diecut blanks quickly and efficiently.  Blanking machines were introduced but they were expensive and often the run lengths did not justify the ongoing cost.

 

There have been machines used for stripping for many years.  There were pneumatic and electric jackhammers which damaged the blanks.  There were star-wheel rotary units which not only caused damage but had serious health risks from the vibration set up.  There were little rotary pad units which caused damage and also had to be sharpened constantly but there was really no safe and efficient system available. Damaged blanks mean poorer gluer through-put.

 

How about a rotating chain with ultra hard teeth running inside a guard which not only protected the operator but also protected the box blanks while acting as a guide.

 

Fit a powerful motor to process not only folding box board but solid board up to 2000microns and corrugated too.  Then also make it two handed in operation with dual valves for safety.

 

Cartostrip was born in 2008 and after exhaustive trials of different designs, the first production model came to the market in early 2010.  The machines are manufactured in the UK to the highest standards of safety, durability and reliability and have since sold across the world.  The Cartostrip Compact was launched in 2014 and is the current model against which all others are measured.

Comments from customers have ranged from 'I have saved 85% of my labour cost in stripping' to 'The Cartostrip has saved me over £60,000 in contract labour this year alone'

 

RISKY MACHINE

 

I feel you should be made aware of what is happening here in the UK and Europe about the safety aspect of hand held waste stripping tools. As I am sure you are aware, our machine is being copied by a number of bucket shop engineering operations in China and India and are being sold at low prices which might appear attractive to potential buyers.

 

I have talked to several people here who tell me that they regret the day they were seduced into buying these cheap machines for a number of reasons, not least of which is the safety aspect.  The machines are very lightly built and by definition are less durable and reliable than ours.  Ergonomically they are less easy to use too.  However the primary concern is the safety aspect.

 

The cost to the employer of an injury caused by a cheap unsafe machine makes the cost of buying a better safer machine pale into insignificance.  We have a CE marking system here in the UK and Europe to say that machines have been tested and are up to standard. 

 

The cheap ones frequently are unmarked or sometimes falsely so.

Our machine is the only approved by the HSE, (equivalent of OSHA)  being properly guarded and two handed in operation and they are looking at banning the machines with single handed use, not to mention the long teeth on the stripping chains.

 

A machine which cost half of ours may appear attractive but will put operators and those around them at significant risk which is entirely avoidable.  Buy cheap, buy twice and run the risk of huge injury claims.  It really is a false economy when our machine will probably pay for itself in a few months anyway.

 

IS IT WORTH THE RISK.

 

Even though they may choose not to buy from us, I feel we owe it to our customers and prospective customers to tell them what is going on.