IXS-PAL®: WHY CORRUGATED PALLETS MAKE SENSE

Interview with Robert Karimov, PR Manager at FEFCO 2025.

ixs-pal® is an innovative pallet system designed to replace traditional wooden pallets with more sustainable and eco-friendly corrugated board pallets.

"We offer a system that integrates at the end of a production line to create pallets just-in-time, right at the point of palletizing. It starts with pre-cut cardboard sheets that are folded into modules. These modules are then assembled by two robotic arms...
Read more: https://corruga.expert/news/ixs-pal-why-corrugated-pallets-make-sense/

#ixspal #FEFCO2025 #corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert

BFT GROUP: SMART RETROFIT AND CHAMBER SOLUTIONS FOR BOBST 8.20

Interview with Simone Bonaria (COO of BFT Group) and Alberto Ferrara (CTO of BFT Group) at FEFCO 2025.

BFT Group stands out for its strong technological innovation and expertise in the flexographic printing sector, divided into two highly specialized entities: BFT Carbon, a leader in the production of carbon fiber doctor blade chambers, and BFT Flexo, an expert in automatic washing and inking systems. With a wide range of solutions covering every aspect of flexographic printing, BFT is synonymous with quality, precision, and efficiency...
Read more: https://corruga.expert/news/bft-group-smart-retrofit-and-chamber-solutions-for-bobst-8-20/

#BFTGROUP #FEFCO2025 #corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert

CORREXPO 2025 BUILDS BRIDGES ACROSS THE CORRUGATED WORLD

Hosted by TAPPI, the event brought together converters, OEMs, suppliers, and industry leaders from across the globe for three days of innovation, insight, and connection.

Technology, Trends & Transformation
The exhibition floor buzzed with energy as attendees explored the latest in corrugator technology, automation, sustainability solutions, and digital systems...
Read more: https://corruga.expert/news/correxpo-2025-builds-bridges-across-the-corrugated-world/

#TAPPI #CorrExpo2025 #corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert

SPIRABELT BY FELTRI MARONE: DRY FASTER, SAVE ENERGY, STAY CLEAN

Interview with Filippo Lazzaroni, Area Sales Manager at FEFCO 2025.

Feltri Marone S.p.A. is a leading Italian manufacturer of technical textiles for the paper and corrugated board industries. Founded in 1933 and headquartered in Marone, Lombardy, the company has built a strong reputation for innovation, durability, and customer-focused engineering.

"We’re showcasing the Spirabelt — a high-performance belt known for its exceptional permeability. It allows the board to dry quickly, so it can be converted into boxes within minutes. One roll of SpiraBelt helps produce dry cardboard efficiently, which translates into significant energy savings. And as you know, energy efficiency is always a top priority...
Read more: https://corruga.expert/news/spirabelt-by-feltri-marone-dry-faster-save-energy-stay-clean/

#FEFCO2025 #FeltriMarone #corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert

KOENIG & BAUER: FROM GUTENBERG TO KYANA AI

When Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 15th century, he could hardly imagine that his legacy would grow into a global technology empire. Yet, more than five centuries later, his spirit lives on in Koenig & Bauer — the world’s oldest printing machine manufacturer, founded in 1817 in Würzburg, Germany.

Today, Koenig & Bauer (K&B) is not just a company; it is a constellation of brands, technologies, and innovations covering every major printing process — from offset and flexo to digital and corrugated.

At the recent FEFCO Technical Seminar in Rome, Bastian Deppisch, representative of Koenig & Bauer, presented their latest developments for the corrugated industry — innovations that merge precision engineering with digital intelligence...
Read more: https://corruga.expert/news/koenig-bauer-from-gutenberg-to-kyana-ai/

#FEFCO2025 #KoenigBauer #corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert

EMMEPI GROUP AT FEFCO 2025: AUTOMATION, EXPANSION, AND THE FUTURE OF CORRUGATED FINISHING

An Interview with President Alessandro Bersanetti.

"Buongiorno! First of all, I’d like to greet everyone following you and say — welcome to Italy! We’re proud to finally host FEFCO in Rome after many years of trying to bring this important event to our country. For Emmepi Group, it’s a key moment to share our vision and explore the future of the corrugated market.

Without a doubt, the most important trend is the growing demand for automation. We’ve seen this increase year after year, and it’s something Emmepi Group has focused on since the very beginning. Our mission has always been to provide integrated automation solutions for the corrugated industry — and now, more than ever, the market is asking for it...
Read more: https://corruga.expert/news/emmepi-group-at-fefco-2025-automation-expansion-and-the-future-of-corrugated-finishing/

#FEFCO2025 #EmmepiGroup #corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert

THE SECOND PRESS OFFICE. NO LONGER A LUXURY

We recently came across several insightful publications — including those by Mediability and PR Agency One — that highlight the growing relevance of a modern service now offered by many PR agencies: the SECOND PRESS OFFICE.

This concept feels especially timely for us at сorruga.expert, now one of the leading digital media platforms in the corrugated industry. We often speak with friends, partners, and clients about communication, visibility, and reputation — and this topic touches all three.

What makes the second press office even more relevant is this: Sometimes, it’s not just a helpful tool for your business — it can literally save your business...
Read more: https://corruga.expert/news/the-second-press-office-no-longer-a-luxury/

#corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert

FOSBER’S MACHINES NOW THINK AHEAD—PREDICTIVE ANALYSIS IN ACTION

At FEFCO 2025 in Rome, I asked Marco Bertola, the CEO of Fosber Group, a simple question: “What do corrugated manufacturers need to know right now?”
His answer surprised me — and it might surprise many of you, too.

"In my personal view, especially in this era of artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics, it’s crucial to understand the real needs of the market. At Fosber, we believe in sharing opportunities with our customers—opportunities to improve performance and maximize business results. But we also believe in preserving human value. Technology should help people work better, not replace them...
Read more: https://corruga.expert/news/fosber-s-machines-now-think-ahead-predictive-analysis-in-action/

#FEFCO2025 #Fosber #corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert

26,000 BOXES PER HOUR: VPK SELBY LAUNCHES THE BOBST 618

“This investment is all about strengthening our ability to respond quickly and flexibly to customers’ needs. It gives us the speed, automation, and precision we need to handle smaller case volumes far more efficiently,” says Karl Pennell, Plant General Manager at VPK Selby.

VPK Packaging UK & Ireland has announced a major investment at its Selby site with the installation of a new BOBST FFG 618 machine, reinforcing the company’s long-term strategy of innovation and customer focus...
Read more: https://corruga.expert/news/26-000-boxes-per-hour-vpk-selby-launches-the-bobst-618/

#BOBST #VPKSelby #corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert

WHERE DID ‘CORRUGATED CARDBOARD’ COME FROM — AND WHY IT DOESN’T EXIST

Over the last months I’ve been researching a linguistic problem that silently spread across the global corrugated industry. And now it has become so common that even professional media and associations began repeating it.

The problem started with Google Translate
When specialists from non-English-speaking countries wrote “karton falisty”, “Wellpappe”, “cartón corrugado”, “гофрокартон”and translated it through Google Translate, the machine always suggested the same English term:
➤ “corrugated cardboard”...
Read more: https://corruga.expert/news/where-did-corrugated-cardboard-come-from-and-why-it-doesn-t-exist/

#corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert

HOW CORRUGATED MANUFACTURERS CAN UNLOCK A NEW PROFIT MODEL WITH PALLEGATOR

By Rustem Karimov, ixs-pal®.

"This year at FachPack 2025, our long-term machinery partner demonstrated how automation and corrugated innovation can reinforce one another in a real production environment.

For three days, their system continuously formed consolidated (mixed-size) transport packages, optimized pallet loading, and then performed the reverse depalletizing cycle. Throughout all these operations, the pallet used in the demonstration was our corrugated pallet — and it completed every cycle without deformation or failure...
Read more: https://corruga.expert/news/how-corrugated-manufacturers-can-unlock-a-new-profit-model-with-pallegator/

#ixspal #corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert

A LIFE-SIZE BURGOS CATHEDRAL BUILT FROM RECYCLED CORRUGATED BOARD

Smurfit Westrock has brought sustainable design into the heart of Spanish culture with one of this year’s most inspiring artistic initiatives: the collaborative construction of a large-scale replica of Burgos Cathedral.

As part of the 24th EnClave de Calle Festival and in support of Burgos’ bid to become the European Capital of Culture 2031, the company donated more than 3 tons of recycled corrugated board to realize this ambitious project. Designed by French artist Olivier Grossetête, the installation was built using 3,000 boxes produced at Smurfit Westrock’s Burgos facility — all made from 100% recycled material...
Read more: https://corruga.expert/news/a-life-size-burgos-cathedral-built-from-recycled-corrugated-board/

#SmurfitWestRock #corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert

EPRODUCTIVITY SOFTWARE: BUILDING A CONNECTED FUTURE FOR CORRUGATED PACKAGING

Interview with Guy Thomas (Product Manager, Corrugated) and Andrew Bennett (Senior Product Specialist) at FEFCO 2025.

"Many plants today still operate in silos — isolated processes, machinery, and departments that don’t communicate effectively. Scheduling teams often lack visibility into production realities, estimating relies on spreadsheets and intuition, and machine data rarely flows back into commercial systems. With margins tightening, this fragmented approach is no longer sustainable.

The solution lies in integration. By connecting purchasing, paper supply, scheduling, estimating, production, and shipping into one holistic system, companies can move beyond piecemeal management to a unified, data-driven operation...
Read more: https://corruga.expert/news/eproductivity-software-building-a-connected-future-for-corrugated-packaging/

#eProductivitySoftware #FEFCO2025 #corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert

PALM GROUP CONTINUES EXPANSION, ENTERS CZECH MARKET THROUGH 50% ACQUISITION OF POWER PACKAGING

“Through this joint venture, we are strengthening our position in the European market for complex packaging solutions and will be able to offer our customers an even broader product range in future,” says Dr. Marina Palm, CEO of Palm Group.

In November 2025, Palm Group announced the acquisition of a 50% stake in Power Packaging s.r.o., a corrugated packaging specialist based in Nýrsko, western Czechia, located very close to the German border... https://corruga.expert/news/palm-group-continues-expansion-enters-czech-market-through-50-acquisition-of-power-packaging/

#PALMGroup #PowerPackaging #corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert

EMMEPI GROUP & KENTO DIGITAL PRINTING: TWO INNOVATORS — ONE SHARED VISION

“My journey in the corrugated industry did not begin with Kento,” — Javier Quesada, CEO & Founder of Kento. It began years earlier, inside real plants where you smell warm paper, hear steel moving, and see strength engineered into every sheet.

At Saica Group and DS Smith I saw a clear pattern: market demand was evolving faster than conventional systems. This shaped the Kento Hybrid system, where flexo and digital synchronize. More than printing, it transforms corrugated board into brand identity. With inline rotary die-cutting, printing became the overture to a full choreography of automation — cleaners, breakers, bundle formers, turners, palletizers...
Read more: https://corruga.expert/news/emmepi-group-kento-digital-printing-two-innovators-one-shared-vision/

#EmmepiGroup #KentoDigitalPrinting #corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert

BW PAPERSYSTEMS DELIVERS NEXT-LEVEL CONVERTING AT BOXES, LLC

“This installation demonstrates how advanced converting technology can directly support the evolving needs of e-commerce packaging,” says Paul Stack, New Equipment Sales Manager at BW Papersystems.

“Our belted lead-edge feeder provides unmatched stability and print accuracy, giving converters the confidence to meet customer demands without compromising quality.”

BW Papersystems announces the successful installation and start-up of a new five-color G-Grafix Rotary Die Cutter at Boxes, LLC, featuring single-pass inside-the-box printing capability. This important investment expands converting capacity and supports the company’s future e-commerce growth...
Read more: https://corruga.expert/news/bw-papersystems-delivers-next-level-converting-at-boxes-llc/

#BWPapersystems #Boxes #corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert

BROOKFIELD’S ACQUISITION OF FOSBER GROUP: A STRATEGIC CARVE-OUT IN THE CORRUGATED PACKAGING INDUSTRY

Brookfield Capital Partners has agreed to acquire Fosber Group from Guangdong Dongfang Precision Science & Technology Co., Ltd. in a transaction valuing the business at approximately $900 million. This carve-out reflects Dongfang’s strategic decision to focus on higher-margin opportunities in marine propulsion equipment, while unlocking significant value from its investment in Fosber.

The Origins of Dongfang’s Investment

Dongfang acquired control of Fosber S.p.A. in stages: 60% in 2013–2014 and the remaining 40% in 2017, for a total of approximately €73.9 million ($85 million)...
Read more: https://corruga.expert/news/brookfield-s-acquisition-of-fosber-group-a-strategic-carve-out-in-the-corrugated-packaging-industry/

#Fosber #Brookfield #corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert

CORRUGATED CARDBOARD OR CORRUGATED BOARD?
A BRUSSELS STORY

Finally, the situation has become clear…

The European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers (FEFCO) succeeded in securing a full exemption for corrugated packaging from the mandatory reuse targets in the PPWR regulation.

But apparently, the bureaucrats in Brussels struggled greatly with one simple question:

What exactly is “corrugated board”?

I can almost imagine the conversation:

— “Why do you insist on saying corrugated board? Why this complication? Just call it cardboard. It’s basically cardboard, only corrugated in shape, right?”...
Read more: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/activity:7406708879880814592

#corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert

FROM WOODEN PALLETS TO A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

A few years ago, at ixs-pal®, we set ourselves an ambitious goal in the field of sustainability: to replace traditional wooden pallets with corrugated pallets.

Not only within the corrugated packaging industry — but across all industries that rely on corrugated packaging.

Our vision is simple and bold at the same time. We believe wooden pallets do not belong in single-use logistics loops. They belong in the furniture industry, where wood can live a second life — transformed into beautiful tables, chairs, and café interiors, not broken pallets sent to waste. ..
Read more: https://corruga.expert/news/a-life-size-burgos-cathedral-built-from-recycled-corrugated-board/

# IXSPAL #corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert

I NEED YOUR HELP: LET’S TURN REAL CORRUGATED CASES INTO GAME MECHANICS)

For the past months, my team and I have been developing CORRUGA EMPIRE — an educational business simulation game dedicated entirely to the corrugated packaging industry - www.corrugaempire.com

The goal is simple but ambitious: to help people understand how the corrugated industry really works — through equipment, materials, orders, risks, and decisions — by turning real industrial logic into game mechanics.

One of the key elements of the game is the Marketing Cards deck.

What are Marketing Cards?..
More details on LinkedIn corruga.expert

#CorrugaEmpire ##corrugated #packaging #corrugaexpert