Questions for Marianne PFISTER
Updated: Mar 1, 2022
The Excalibur, an integrated solution for palletizing lines.
Marianne, 10 years ago CGP Coating Innovation proposed a new solution for palletizing lines, the EXCALIBUR interleaf cutter.
An opportunity to review the evolution of this machine?
“We are a world leader in the production of anti-slip interleaves and other technical packaging solutions. We had the idea to design and develop the Excalibur just 10 years ago. It is a simple and reliable paper reel cutting machine for the unitary and automated distribution of palletizing inserts. The unitary distribution of the interleaves ensures the optimum gripping of the interleaves by the palletizer gripper arms, avoiding line stops and improving cycle times.
We started marketing Excalibur on the European market and then, with UL certification obtained 5 years ago, we also offer it to our North American and South American customers.
We are growing rapidly and our goal is to sell more than 50 Excalibur machines in Europe and the United States by 2022.
It is a solution that we have found to be modular, reliable, and customizable. Producing several lengths of interleaves from a single reel, even ½ sizes for that matter, increasing speeds, … there are so many areas we have improved over time.
What are the areas for improvement and development?
Our engineering office regularly works on improvements that are largely based on factory feedback and specific customer requests. There is a growing desire to work on ergonomics, operator safety, and to adapt the machine for accessibility on lines with small footprints. For example, we have specifically designed an EXCALIBUR for a Danone Group high entry palletizer that we called “Giraffe.” It allows the interleaf to be supplied to the level needed while keeping the supply on the ground, which is much safer for the operator. We work in close collaboration with all integrators, as well as with upstream manufacturers. It is our pledge to ensure the industry the integration of a machine perfectly adapted to its palletizing line in order to reduce its production constraints.
Tell us a bit about the Excalibur business model.
You know, we are primarily a consumable manufacturer. Our interest is to facilitate its use by offering a reliable and discrete tool which will be at home with our customers in a sustainable way. We work mainly via permanent placement contracts. This limits the investment costs for our customers, ensures that they always have the latest generation of equipment, and that they receive support for maintenance.
The world of automatic palletizing is evolving rapidly, speeds are getting higher and higher, grippers are becoming more and more versatile, etc. We are playing our part in these developments in order to meet the productivity, safety, and ergonomic requirements of our partners.