Below, you’ll find our top recommendations and advice from our team on how to mitigate supply chain issues for your business, too.

Top 3 Recommendations to Get Ahead of Supply Chain Disruptions:

1. Continuously review and update stocked inventory levels to catch trends early (minimum/maximum stock levels).
2. Constantly communicate externally with customers and vendors on product availability/constraints.
3. Constantly communicate internally on any changes (sales with purchasing, and production with customer service).

What do the Pro’s Recommend?

We asked folks across our many teams for more advice – see their recommendations to help your business below.

In Depth Response from our Global Sourcing Manager, Russell Hart:

Increasing min/max levels to comply with the longer leads times from vendors helps keep stock levels at normal to higher levels.

Most vendors are suffering from the same issues, from producers of adhesive resins, pigments, and material backing. Unfortunately, these issues are nationwide at this time. Working with the “worst case scenario,” our lead time from vendors have tripled in the past year.

One way Pro^® handled this shortage was to change the lead times accordingly. We also raised our stock levels to meet a 3 month supply of goods. This allows us to service our customers with fewer delays.

Increasing our stock levels to a 6 month supply when dealing with product coming from overseas.

Overseas shipments are more challenging to control because of various reasons, including:

• Cost of freight has increased 25-30%
• Tariffs are 25% with no exclusions
• Weather conditions (major storms) are causing interruptions on shipment arriving to port

Delays with docking times at port are another challenge. More than 200 vessels (East and West coast) compete at any given time for their turn to dock and get unloaded.

Once unloaded, the next hurdle is getting a truck to pick up the container. The shortage of drivers and restrictions on driving hours presents an additional obstacle.

We increased our stock levels to a six month supply so we could better weather these unpredictable situations.

Daily communication with all vendors on product availability/constraints, so we can communicate back transparently with customers.

During these trying times, communication is critical. We communicate with our vendors on a daily basis about material delays and shortages of components to make raw materials and finished goods. This valuable information allows us to give updates to our customers in a timely fashion.

We also hold production meetings twice a week with our customer support team, shipping managers and production managers. Based on these, we can adjust any dates on customer orders and communicate that back to them.

See More Advice from Our Pro’s on Mitigating Supply Chain Issues:

Kimberly Karmaou, CMA, Business Analysis & Planning Manager: “Have approved alternate sources in case they are needed.”

Michael Harned, Vice President of Operations: “Pro Tapes^® took on the financial risks necessary to ensure minimal service disruption to our overall customer base. In addition, we now monitor stock levels to actual sales on a more frequent schedule.”

Chris Hart, Vice President of Sales & Marketing: “Practice good communication with customers and forecasting as often as possible. Communicating current lead times by item to customers is key, so we can book the order with enough time to fill within the quoted lead-time.”

Dana Hart, Customer Success & Business Development Manager: “We give weekly status updates to our customers regarding back orders, relaying extended lead time information accurately at the time of quotation. We proactively change estimated ship dates on items we are aware are on back order, prior to confirming the purchase order. We also provide substitutions/alternatives where and when we can, to keep customers production lines running.”

Pro Tapes & Specialties^® is continuing to diligently monitor our extended lead times and countless other supply chain disturbances.

We’re here to do our best for you – reach out to us anytime at sales@protapes.com

The post Tips to Help Your Business Mitigate Long Lead Times & Supply Chain Disruptions appeared first on Pro Tapes®.

The standardized layout of our new labels are designed to help you quickly identify the various Pro Tapes® products in your inventory and improve your experience with Pro® products.

Here’s 5 reasons how our new individual roll packaging will help your business…

1. Helps maintain brand integrity:

The Pro® Brand is synonymous with High-Quality, and you want a roll package that reflects the quality inside and the value it delivers.

2. Helps improve engagement with your customers:

Clearly explained benefits and features of each roll of the Pro® Branded tape offering.

3. Helps maintain regulatory standards:

By clearly listing the size and content on each roll label, we make it easier for you to certify exactly what you can expect in each roll.

4. Helps maintain a cost effective inventory management system:

Each roll provides barcode traceability making your inventory easier to manage.

5. Helps keep each roll in your inventory clean, fresh and looking professional.

Each roll is protected by a clear PET film, keeping your colors bright, clean and ready for use.

Please visit our website to view all our products with the newly designed labels such as Artist Tape, Pro® Console Tape, Cable Path, Pro® Duct series, Pro Gaff® and Pro Glow® tape just to name a few.

Pro Tapes® Packaging Solutions: Shrink Wrapping from ProTapes & Specialties, Inc. on Vimeo.

The post 5 Ways Our Newly Upgraded Individual Roll Packaging With UPC Labels Will Improve Your Business appeared first on Pro Tapes®.

Die cutting with a flatbed press or a rotary machine offer their own unique advantages, and in some cases, disadvantages, so determining which method to use can often mean the difference between success or failure in terms of landing that new piece of business or missing out on that new opportunity.

Let’s look closer at each type of machine, first a flatbed die cutting press and then a rotary die cutting machine:

Flatbed Die Cutting

A flatbed die cutting press is a hydraulically operated machine which uses a steel rule die to “click cut” or punch out die cut parts by driving the die in a downward motion through the material.

Flatbed Advantages:

• Less expensive tooling because steel rule dies are often less expensive than rotary dies.
• The ability to cut through much denser, thicker materials.
• The ability to more closely group or nest parts, so waste & scrap are reduced.

Flatbed Disadvantages:

• A slower rate of production vs rotary die cutting.
• Longer setup times.
• It cannot print, perforate or laminate.

---

Rotary Die Cutting

A rotary die cutting Machine is electrically operated and uses a rotating cylindrical die, in which the material is feed through, this is also known as a die station, which holds a rotary tool that will cut the sheet or web into smaller parts, shapes or perforations.

Rotary Advantages:

• Higher production rates, the ability to produce a far greater number of parts & pieces per production cycle.
• Much greater precision and accuracy in terms of the quality of die cut parts produced.
• The ability to perform multiple functions such as printing, perforating and laminating.

Rotary Disadvantages:

• Engraved dies are expensive to purchase and maintain.
• Require larger production runs to justify costs associated with set-up and tooling.
• Not as well suited for thicker, more dense materials.

Ultimately the choice between flatbed & rotary die cutting comes down to the unique requirements that each project presents such as the material being die cut, the volume associated with the project and the long term viability of the business. These are all contributing factors to which tool best fits the job at hand but no matter what your job calls for, Pro Tapes & Specialties has the equipment and expertise to see your project through to success!

The post Flatbed Die Cutting Vs Rotary Die Cutting, which suits your needs? appeared first on Pro Tapes®.

1. High minimum order quantities

How many times have you come across a new business opportunity that requires a unique Non-stock size, only to find out the minimum order quantity (MOQ) you received from your supplier is sky-high, requiring you to purchases months’ worth of inventory. Most suppliers will force you to purchase the full Jumbo roll’s yield for Non-stock widths, forcing you to tie up thousands of dollars in unnecessary excess inventory.

Those days are over with Pro Tapes’ latest investment in slitting technology, the RT800-K from Ghezzi & Annoni. With the RT800-K’s flex-slitting width feature, Pro Tapes can automatically convert any jumbo roll into multiple finished width sizes during the same production run without costly manual adjustments. Using the same source (jumbo) roll, Pro Tapes can provide finished roll widths from as narrow as 12MM (1/2”) to as wide as 1800MM (70.8”) during the same production runs, avoiding expensive manual set-up times while providing lower MOQs.

2. Difficult to convert material thickness

Converters face a variety of challenges, particularly when it comes to the thickness involved with certain material. Too often a project is delayed trying to find the right converting partner who can accurately and professionally convert difficult to work with materials that vary in thickness. Pro’s new RT800-K can breeze through some of the most difficult material thickness from as thin as 15 Microns to as thick as 5 MM, the RT800-K is the right machine for your job.

3. Poor quality source rolls

A converter is only as good as the source roll material he works with, and nothing generates more quality complaints and production delays then poor source roll material. With Pro Tapes RT800-K, difficult to work with source roll materials are a thing of the past.

Whether your process calls for standard length Log Rolls or long length intermediate (pony) rolls, Pro Tapes new RT800 K will provide you with flawless source roll material. From Log Rolls for use on single knife slitters, all the way up to long length intermediate (pony) rolls with an 800MM (31.4”) outside diameter for use in die-cutting, printing or laminating jobs, Pro Tapes is your best resource when it comes to trouble free source roll material.

4. Uneven coating web profiles

One of the biggest nightmares a converter can face is an uneven coating profile. When the material thickness on one-side of the material varies too greatly from the thickness on the opposite side of the web, it’s next to impossible to produce finished rolls that are defect free. Often times the finished rolls gap or telescope to the point of being unusable. The last thing your operation needs are costly returns due to poor quality finished rolls.

With RT800-K’s state-of-the-art computerized unwind & rewind tension control feature, poor coating profiles are much easier to cope with. Computerized tension controls allow for unwinding tension to accelerate and decelerate as needed, leading to drastic reductions in waste and perfectly produced finished rolls.

5. Liner wrinkles, sags and puckers

One of the most challenging jobs facing most converters and manufactures is attempting to add a release liner or laminate a substrate to a wide web material. More often than not, the finished product becomes wrinkled or saggy and gaped by time the product is shipped out to the customer. Most converters won’t even attempt wide-web laminating, opting instead for the more costly method of narrow web laminating which adds the extra step (and cost) of having to converting the wide-web material into several narrow web rolls and then laminating or interlining from there.

With the RT800’s dual (upper & lower) Lay-On Rollers, wide web interlining & laminating has become a more cost effective option, while greatly improving the quality of the finished product by eliminating wrinkles, gaps & puckering.

Pro Tapes in conjunction with Ghezzi & Annoni will be holding an Open House June 13th through June 17th at Pro Tapes Headquarters in North Brunswick, NJ where our latest investment in converting technology, the RT800-K will be introduced.

If you would like more information about this event or would like to discuss a converting opportunity, please send an email to: sales@protapes.com

The post 5 common converting problems Pro Tapes’ new RT800-K rewind slitter will conquer appeared first on Pro Tapes®.

1. Cost

The yield per spin cycle when cutting from a wide web more than QUADRUPLES any narrow web slitter’s production. Slitting directly from master or jumbo rolls using a wide web slitter is the most cost effective slitting method out there. This is because narrow web slitters require an intermediate pony rolls be cut from jumbo rolls, which requires the material to be handled twice, once to make the intermediate roll & then again to produce the finished roll. Of course, this all adds up to extra labor costs and waste.

Example:
60″ Wide web jumbo slitting 1″ wide rolls will yield 60 rolls per/per spin

12″ Narrow web cutting 1″ wide rolls will yield 12 rolls per/per spin

2. Quality

Our new state-of-the-art wide web slitting machines are built with advancements such as tension controls, differential rewinding and automatic blade positioning. Other functionality such as automatic finished roll cut-off and discharge along with automatic core reloading, helps eliminate human error through technology, including programmable product recipe storage for every substrate and size you slit. These types of features provide converters with the means to repeat any process at any time with very minimal set-up time and labor. Producing only the very best quality the first time every time.

On the other hand, the vast majority of narrow web slitters are only equipped with basic features and involve significantly more human interaction. More human interactions lead to more time and potential for errors.

3. Waste / Scrap

Cutting down master rolls into intermediate rolls for a narrow web slitter requires the operator to first web the machine generating unnecessary waste then based on the usable width of the narrow web slitter, operators may need to slit various size rolls trying to optimize the machine’s full width. Also,  you may be forced to split the web width into many non-standard intermediate rolls unable to utilize the full width of the narrow web slitter its converted on.

These types of issues result in lost time, material and ultimately profit. While each machine type and functionality provides unique solutions to the substrate being converted by having the right type of machine available is critical. Here at ProTapes we house an array of slitting equipment designed and arranged to handle any order size produced from any size raw material. Whether it is a log roll, intermediate roll or a full width master we have the technology and equipment to provide any solution when it comes to converting both pressure sensitive and non-pressure sensitive substrates.

---

The post 3 Reasons Why Slitting Wide Web is Better Than Slitting Narrow Web appeared first on Pro Tapes®.