Alliance Packaging / Sheets Unlimited Facility

Renton, Washington

Description of Customers Challenge: Alliance Packaging is a well-known, independent corrugated box manufacturer with several facilities located throughout northwest United States. The company provides a full range of packaging solutions from custom shipping containers to retail packaging, from stock boxes to in-store displays, from creative design to same day delivery service. In 2008, Alliance needed to make room for the installation of a brand new multi-million dollar corrugated paper machine at their Sheets Unlimited facility.

Solutions Explored: Several decisions were made to accommodate machine installation. The company enclosed all power, air and water lines inside floor trenches so there would be no visual obstructions around the machine. They also moved walls, added conveyor lines and reorganized the entire building to complement the new machine. One of the more important decisions involved placement of the machine operator control room. Typically, these rooms are built at floor level next to the machine. Alliance did not believe a floor level operator control room would provide the best use of available space nor provide the best visibility of machine operations.

Resolution & Benefits from Solution: The company decided to elevate the control room 12 feet above the floor and suspend it over the corrugated paper machine.

The elevated control room optimized the field of vision for the operator and enhanced the overall appearance of the machine.

Engineering, design, fire suppression and complete installation were provided from start to finish.

The control room includes unconventionally angled windows so machine operators can see every movement of the corrugated paper machine.