NATIONAL NEWS (QINGDAO, Shandong and SHIPLEY, West Yorkshire, U.K.) — — AOPACK Ltd., a manufacturer of corrugated box making machines, today announced that U.K. packaging producer ASC Direct is now operating three AOPACK machines to support its short-run, bespoke and custom-sized corrugated packaging production.
ASC Direct installed its first AOPACK BM2508-Plus in 2020. Following several years of production experience with the machine, the company ordered an additional BM2508-Pro and BM1800-Mini in 2025. The two new machines were commissioned in March 2026 through GTS Europe, AOPACK’s sales and service partner in the United Kingdom.
The expanded installation allows ASC Direct to assign different orders to the machine best suited to the required board size, box format and production quantity.
FROM ONE AOPACK MACHINE TO THREE
ASC Direct produces bespoke corrugated packaging for both customers ordering directly through its online system and customers purchasing corrugated cartons through traditional offline sales channels. Its online ordering system allows customers to configure custom-sized cardboard boxes in quantities ranging from 25 to 2,000 units. According to GTS Europe, more than 90 percent of these online orders are for quantities of 100 boxes or fewer.
This production profile requires frequent order changes, flexible box dimensions, efficient board utilization and careful control of labor and setup costs.
ASC Direct had already gained practical experience with its BM2508-Plus before investing in two additional AOPACK models.
The BM2508-Pro and BM1800-Mini were both added primarily to increase ASC Direct’s overall production capacity. The three AOPACK machines can produce a broad range of corrugated box styles, allowing the customer to distribute orders according to available capacity, board width, required functions, and production schedules.
In addition to increased capacity, the BM2508-Pro provides functions including cold gluing, QR code scanning and glue flap crushing, helping ASC Direct integrate more production steps into one coordinated workflow.
The BM1800-Mini also includes cold gluing and QR code scanning. It processes narrower corrugated sheets than the BM2508-Pro, but its compact footprint allows the customer to add production capacity while using less factory floor space.
FLEXIBLE CORRUGATED BOX PRODUCTION
AOPACK box making machines combine key corrugated converting processes within a programmable production workflow.
Depending on the machine model, configuration and required box style, these processes can include slitting, creasing, slotting, horizontal cutting, customized shape cutting, gluing and printing.
Operators can enter the required board dimensions and box specifications through the machine control interface, allowing the equipment to adjust for different production orders without requiring a traditional cutting die for each box size.
This approach is particularly useful for short-run production, where frequent size changes and small quantities can make conventional tooling and multi-stage production less economical.
The AOPACK box making production workflow helped ASC Direct reduce inefficiencies associated with its previous rotary slitter process for short-run orders. The machines can slit, score and cut corrugated board in one coordinated process while supporting a wide range of packaging formats.
“The significance of this project is the customer’s decision to invest again after several years of operating its first AOPACK machine in real production,” said Anna Qin, Sales Director at AOPACK Ltd. “The BM2508-Pro and BM1800-Mini increase ASC Direct’s overall production capacity while adding functions such as cold gluing and QR code scanning. The compact BM1800-Mini also allows the customer to expand production while using less factory floor space.”
AOPACK AFTER-SALES VISIT
An AOPACK after-sales manager recently visited ASC Direct to review the three machines in operation and learn more about the customer’s current production requirements.
The visit included discussions with ASC Direct regarding machine utilization, operator experience, routine maintenance, box applications and future production needs.
The visit also provided AOPACK with practical feedback about how the three machine models are being used together within the same production environment.
REPEAT INVESTMENT DEMONSTRATES LONG-TERM PRODUCTION VALUE
The ASC Direct project is more than a delivery of two new machines. It demonstrates how a customer can begin with one AOPACK box making machine, gain several years of production experience and then expand with additional models selected for different production requirements.
Together, the three machines provide additional production capacity for standard cases, bespoke cartons, smaller e-commerce boxes, and other customized corrugated packaging formats.
Complete ASC Direct Customer Case: https://www.aopackmachine.com/asc-direct-three-aopack-box-making-machines/
Customer-Site Production Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP9BmUO3ZFo
ABOUT ASC DIRECT
ASC Direct is a U.K. supplier of bespoke corrugated packaging. The company provides custom-sized cardboard boxes for e-commerce, commercial and industrial packaging applications, including relatively small production quantities.
ABOUT AOPACK LTD.
AOPACK Ltd. designs and manufactures automated corrugated box making machines for short-run, customized and on-demand packaging production. Since 2014, AOPACK has delivered more than 1,200 installations across over 60 countries.
Its equipment integrates processes such as slitting, creasing, slotting, cutting, optional gluing and printing within flexible production platforms. AOPACK machines are installed across the United States, Europe and other international markets.
Website: https://www.aopackmachine.com/
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