With Production at Risk, One of America’s Leading Corrugated Packaging Manufacturers Turned to ParAlign

Background

Corrugated packaging is everywhere—protecting shipments, storing goods, delivering takeout. But behind every perfectly folded box is a high-speed, high-stakes manufacturing process where precision is everything.

That precision starts long before a box takes shape. It begins on the production floor, where massive corrugators process paper into the sheets that will eventually be cut, folded, and formed. To keep up with demand, these machines run fast—but speed means nothing without accuracy.

What starts as a minor variation can quickly ripple through production, affecting quality, efficiency, and ultimately, the bottom line. At one of America’s leading corrugated packaging manufacturers, those ripples were starting to show at their facility in New Jersey. Tracking inconsistencies and wrinkling in the board signalled a misalignment issue that could impact efficiency long-term. So, the facility leaders called in the ParAlign roll alignment service team to set things straight.

Challenge

The challenge wasn’t just misalignment—it was finding it. With 137 rolls operating together across a machine stretching hundreds of feet, even the smallest deviation could affect board tracking, tension, and product quality. With limited downtime and high production demands, the facility needed a precise, data-driven approach to catch and correct these alignment issues before they escalated into bigger issues.

Implementation

Fluke Reliability engineers measured the total 137 rolls using ParAlign, an advanced inertial measurement device equipped with three high-precision ring laser gyroscopes—the same technology used in aerospace navigation. These gyroscopes track roll, pitch, and yaw—the three-dimensional movements that determine a roll’s exact position in space. Even the slightest shift in any direction can throw alignment off, affecting production quality.

Unlike optical systems, which require a clear line of sight and can be disrupted by factory conditions, ParAlign provides accurate measurements in any environment. It delivers precise results without the limitations of optical methods—quickly, efficiently, and with minimal disruption to operations. A graphical readout appears instantly in the custom software as each roll is measured, with misaligned rolls highlighted in red, allowing the team to identify problem areas immediately.

With the data in hand, the team worked alongside plant mechanics to diagnose misalignment issues and carry out targeted corrections. Adjustments were focused on compensator rolls and the preheat section in the wet end – the part of the corrugator where heat and moisture condition the paper before fluting. These had been identified by the site contact as the primary contributors to the observed wrinkling and associated issues. issues.

Other Key Steps in the Process:

• Measuring Wrap Arm Positions: To assess movement and alignment, the team measured the wrap arms on two Single Drum Preheaters and the Triple Stack Preheater at three key positions—0%, 50%, and 100%—relative to their preheaters. These measurements helped determine whether the wrap arms were functioning correctly across their full range of motion.
  
  
• Evaluating Parallelism and Surface Irregularities: A steel core provided by the customer was inserted into the roll stands to check parallelism across the system. Since roll stand misalignment directly affects roll positioning, any errors here will carry through to production. However, roll stands aren’t always perfectly uniform—surface irregularities in the piping can affect how alignment measurements are interpreted. 
  
  As Fluke Reliability Engineer Dallas Hallston explains, “Sometimes the surface can be scratched up or worn down by whatever material they use, or just by time. That kind of wear affects the measurements we get.”
  
  To account for these variations and get a more accurate reading, the team used crown sweep, a specialized method that compensates for inconsistencies in the roll stand surfaces. 
  
  
• Positioning Splicer Rolls for Accurate Measurement: The splicer roll sets — which allow new paper rolls to be fed into the system without interruptions —were moved into the production position one at a time. This gave the team unobstructed access to measure each roll in the same position it would run during operation, allowing alignment adjustments to reflect real production conditions.
  
  
• Adjusting Misaligned Rolls: Over 9.5 hours, the team corrected eight misaligned rolls, focusing on the key areas previously identified as major contributors to tracking and wrinkling issues. 
  
  To keep the process efficient, the team used a simple but precise marking system to communicate adjustments. “We marked each roll with tape, noting the exact adjustments—down to .01 vertical and .02 horizontal—based on the ParAlign software readings. Using arrows and numeric values, we labelled the machine so that both our team and the mechanics could see the required corrections at a glance. This way, nobody had to wait on each other, and we could keep the process moving efficiently,” says Hallston. Adjustments were made using hydraulic jacks, ratchet/chain hoists, and shims.
  
  The strong coordination between the ParAlign team and the facility’s mechanics kept everything on track. “It was a really smooth process,” Hallston added.

Results

By the end of the service, every corrected roll had been brought within the facility’s required ±0.032-inch tolerance, restoring proper alignment across the system. The production line could finally run at full potential—fewer defects, fewer slowdowns, and a smoother operation from start to finish.

The use of ParAlign’s real-time graphical readouts allowed for immediate validation of adjustments, giving both the ParAlign team and the facility’s mechanics confidence in the alignment process. Operators also noted improved sheet tracking, reinforcing the impact of the corrections.

Next Steps

Alignment is never a set-it-and-forget-it process. With key alignment corrections completed, the facility is well-positioned for continued optimization. ParAlign services moving forward are expected to address additional sections of the preheat and splicing areas, further adjustments to the triple stack and brake rolls, and potential realignment of the machine frame itself. This will contribute to smoother roll tracking, fewer unplanned interventions, and greater production consistency over time.

Great alignment isn’t just about correction—it’s about control. And the facility now has more of it.