To increase productivity while reducing pressure on operators, THIMM invested in a BOBST MASTERCUTLINE, complemented by TooLink and a MASTERFOLD folder-gluer combined with the SPEEDPACK automated packer. The result has exceeded expectations and helps position the business for future growth.
Located in Sibiu at the heart of Romania, THIMM is part of a leading European family business, specializing in sustainable packaging and display options made from corrugated board. The business supplies a diverse range of industries, including FMCG, furniture and automotive.
With more than 75 years of heritage, the THIMM Group operates 11 locations across Germany, France, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania, employing more than 2,500 people. THIMM’s Romanian operation, established in 2005, has experienced remarkable growth over the past two decades.
Mihai Radu, Plant Manager at THIMM Sibiu, explains the driving force behind the company’s expansion: “We made numerous investments and grew from a very small level. From a modest market share of around 0.4% when I joined fifteen years ago, the business now commands approximately 10% of the Romanian corrugated packaging market, with a dedicated workforce of around 300 employees.”
Meeting the demands of a competitive market
As THIMM Sibiu continued to expand its customer base and production volumes, the limitations of its existing die-cutting equipment became increasingly apparent. To maintain its competitive edge and continue delivering the quality and efficiency expected by customers across multiple industries, the business needed to supercharge its converting capabilities with technology that could deliver superior quality, reduce waste, and increase throughput.
Several interconnected factors drove the decision to invest in new equipment. Consistent quality was paramount, as customers across sectors from FMCG to automotive demand flawless and zero-fault packaging. Waste reduction was equally critical, both from a sustainability perspective and for cost control. Finally, the business sought to enhance productivity while reducing operator workload through increased automation.
MASTERCUTLINE delivers comprehensive automation
Following careful evaluation of available solutions, THIMM Sibiu selected the BOBST MASTERCUTLINE, a state-of-the-art die-cutting solution designed for high-performance corrugated packaging production. The MASTERCUTLINE combines a MASTERCUT die-cutter with a full suite of peripherals including loader, conveyor, BREAKER 2 FLAT TRACK, and palletizer. A defining feature of the line is its five HMIs, which enable operators to control the entire workflow from any point, whether at the loader or palletizer, delivering true end-to-end automation.
“Our business has developed a lot over the last 15 years, and we decided to invest in the MASTERCUTLINE for several reasons,” said Mihai. “One of them is the quality of the boxes. With this new machine, we can achieve much better quality compared with what we had in the past. Waste reduction is improved, and the productivity of the machine is also higher compared with the machine it replaces.”
Designed to handle the rigorous demands of today’s corrugated converting market, the machine integrates cutting, stripping, and blanking in a seamless, fully automated workflow that maximizes uptime and minimizes operator intervention.
A key advantage of the MASTERCUTLINE installation at THIMM Sibiu is the integration of TooLink technology, BOBST’s digital tooling management solution. This system enables proactive maintenance by monitoring die-cutting tool condition and predicting when replacement is required, eliminating unexpected downtime and optimizing tool life.
Mihai emphasizes the impact of this technology: “The TooLink technology installed on our machine is a very good solution for our plant. With this system, we can monitor and check the lifetime of the die-cutting tool. We know in advance when a tool needs to be changed, which cuts our downtime.”
SPEEDPACK automation drives productivity increase
THIMM Sibiu also invested in a BOBST MASTERFOLD folder-gluer combined with SPEEDPACK, an automatic packing solution that eliminates manual strapping and delivers perfectly counted, stacked, and banded batches ready for palletization.
The automatic packer can handle all types of boxes, whether corrugated or litho-laminated, from straight-line, 4&6 corners, to crash-lock bottom and delivers perfectly counted, stacked, and banded batches ready for palletization. Providing the highest possible number of batches per hour and with very short set-up times, it can increase folding-gluing line productivity by up to 25%, without compromising box quality.
The transition from manual to fully automatic strapping has transformed the end-of-line process at THIMM’s Sibiu facility. The automated process eliminates the need for machine operators to bundle batches together and carry heavy loads to offline bundle-strapping machines. Workload is reduced by up to 60% as the complete line can be managed by one operator and the risk of injury, including Repetitive Strain Injury, is removed. SPEEDPACK is easy and safe to use on the production floor, with large clear safety doors that provide complete access and visibility to the whole machine for setting and production. Meanwhile, the BOBST Human Machine Interface (HMI) integrated into SPEEDPACK allows settings to be fully automated, making handling of repeat orders simple and fast – job changeovers can take place within 10 minutes.
“SPEEDPACK was chosen because it is an automatic process. On the previous folder-gluer, the strapping was done manually, whereas with SPEEDPACK the process is fully automatic,” Mihai explains. “This increases productivity straight away. Compared with the previous machine, I would say we achieve about 20 to 25% higher productivity.”
Consistent performance and quality excellence
Since installation, the MASTERCUTLINE has delivered exactly what THIMM Sibiu required: consistent, high-quality production with minimal intervention.
“The machine runs from the first sheet to the last sheet of a job without stopping, and it maintains constantly high quality,” Mihai notes. “Ultimately, productivity and quality are the major highlights of this machine. When we check our production graphs, we see constant uninterrupted runs, which is fantastic.”
The success of the MASTERCUTLINE installation has reinforced THIMM Sibiu’s confidence in BOBST as a technology partner. In 2024 alone, the Romanian plant installed three BOBST machines: the MASTERCUT, a multipoint folder-gluer, and an inliner, demonstrating the strength of the partnership.
Christophe Bernard, Key Account Manager at BOBST, added: “THIMM Sibiu’s remarkable growth story and strong market position demonstrate what’s possible when converters invest in the right technology, with the right partner. The MASTERCUTLINE was designed precisely for operations like theirs, where quality, automation, and consistent performance are non-negotiable. We’re proud to support THIMM’s continued success across their Romanian operations and look forward to our ongoing partnership.”
