C&T steel plates proving to be an international success

C&T Channel Matrix (C&T), one of the world’s leading manufacturers of creasing matrix, launched steel plates in the UK three years ago.  Following its popularity here, C&T has now rolled out this product line across other C&T International subsidiaries, most notably in the USA, through CCM, and in Italy through distributor Mito.

The 1mm steel cutting plates are suitable for many makes of autoplaten including Bobst, Heidelberg, Sanwa, Iberica and Asahi machines.  Made by PERIVO, the plates are available in three different hardnesses – soft 20 Rockwell, medium 35 Rockwell and hard 50 HRC Rockwell – and a range of standard sizes.

Simon Shenton, C&T Channel Matrix, Managing Director commented: “The quality of the C&T plates means we have quickly captured a large market share with leading carton and corrugated converters worldwide. Customers love the quality of the steel, the accuracy of the laser cutting, and the flexibility of the sizes available, not only for Bobst machines but also for Heidelberg, Masterworks and other leading press manufacturers.”

In the USA, CCM has sold over 1m USD of plates in a very short space of time, quickly establishing themselves as one of the market leaders in the supply of steel plates. “CCM has made a substantial investment in inventory to ensure its customer service is second to none. The most popular product sold is the 35 HRC 1mm plate, but other qualities, such as 48/50HRC which come in a range of thicknesses, are also in demand.

In Italy, where C&T operates through its subsidiary Mito, a similar success has been achieved. “Mito is the market leader in the supply of die cutting and die making consumables and so the addition of steel plates to their portfolio was a natural step”, explained Simon.

Moving into 2020, C&T is investigating the addition of new lines. “One of our advantages is that we can make customer specific plate designs to order – this is something very few competitors can offer. We also promote our consignment stock policy to larger end users where we are happy to put stock on the floor of the customer, ensuring they never run out of product”, concluded Simon.