Stibo Complete, Scandinavia’s leading communications services provider, has invested in a new high-speed plate loading robot from ECO3 at its Katrineholm site. The robot saves time, reduces costs, and eliminates the need for 55 tons of manual lifting per year.
It’s a busy morning at the print facility in Sörmland, where IKEA manuals and magazines like Vi Lärare are being printed while a travel guide for Skåne is getting stapled.
“We produce a lot of newspapers, magazines and advertising materials,” says Palle Jacobsen, CEO of Stibo’s Swedish operations.
The new six-axis plate loading robot, the first of its kind installed in Sweden, has drawn attention from staff. Behind a safety fence, it works non-stop, lifting plates from pallets, removing protective sheets and feeding the plates into the CTP line for exposure and processing.
“Everything is new: CtP engines, conveyors, sorting systems. It’s all automated now,” says Niels Henrik Nielsen, Prepress Team Lead at Stibo. He adds, “Our workforce may not be getting younger, but this technology helps them work smarter and longer.”
“No more heavy lifting.”
The investment totals nine million SEK. “Our goal is to improve efficiency and reduce rising operational costs. We’re modernizing by adding new machines and removing outdated technology,” says Niels Henrik Nielsen.
Previously, staff had to manually load 50 heavy plates at a time. “Now, we just roll in a pallet, and the robot handles up to 3000 plates at once. This eliminates about 55,000 kilos of manual lifting per year. It also saves time since plates no longer need to be loaded by hand,” Nielsen explains.
Is this mainly about saving time or money?
“Both,” say Palle Jacobsen and Niels Henrik Nielsen in unison.
The new setup also reduces waste. “We’re upgrading our technology to support staff and protect the environment. That’s the main reason,” says Nielsen.
The installation means fewer people are needed. Instead of two people working in plate production, only one is needed, while the other person can work in the prepress department. “Instead of lifting plates by hand, he can now manage files and talk to customers. One of our colleagues is retiring next year, and we won’t need to replace him. It’s rare to find young people entering the print industry, so making the work less physically demanding helps our team stay longer,” Nielsen explains.
“It doesn’t drink coffee.”
The robot can operate around the clock if needed and accommodates various plate sizes. It loads up to 80 plates per hour—limited only by how fast plates are produced.
Service costs are low, and it’s very reliable. “It doesn’t drink coffee or eat. It does what you want it to do and just stands there and works,” says Niels Henrik Nielsen.
In Katrineholm, there’s no night shift for CtP, so plate production used to stop in the late evening. Now, large jobs can continue overnight without requiring staff to be on site.
Previously, plate production had to stop when the 50-plate plate trolley was full and had to be transferred to the printing presses. Now, this is done while plate production continues.
“A dream come true”
Johan Dal, who works in prepress, is pleased with the new solution.
“This is perfect. Our old machines regularly had issues. Now everything runs smoothly, and the print team can pick up the plates they need. It’s a dream to have machines that work this reliably.”
He adds, “It saves me time and lets me focus more on customer-related tasks. No more constant repairs or technicians coming in. This setup is just brilliant.”
Before, Johan and his team had to manually load 50 plates into cassettes several times a day. “Now, with pallets holding up to 1200 plates each, we only need to reload once a week. It’s a huge improvement.”
Stibo Complete, stronger than ever with smart automation
When Stibo Complete took over the Katrineholm site in 2016, the facility had seen better days. Many areas outside production remain empty—reminders of a time when far more than today’s 85 employees worked there. But today, business is thriving. The latest financial report shows a turnover of 445 million SEK and a profit of 46.5 million SEK. In Sweden, Stibo also owns Gigantprint in Norrköping and a site in Vimmerby.
Leading the way in robotic automation
Stibo Complete’s installation of a robotic plate loader in Katrineholm is part of a broader push across the Nordic region to stay competitive through automation. ECO3 has already completed four robot installations in Denmark, including one at Stibo’s Horsens facility. Another is planned for their site in Meldorf, Germany.
We’re the region with the most robots. There are around ten installed worldwide.
Kenneth Rasmussen, Head of Sales Nordic - ECO3
“There’s a strong focus here on staying competitive against low-cost countries like Poland and the Baltic region,” adds Michael Boeriis, ECO3’s Sales Manager for Denmark.
Boeriis sold the world’s first robot of this kind and sees the Nordics as pioneers in automation, efficiency, and workplace safety.
With fewer people in production and better ergonomics, operations become more efficient. We’re not just cutting costs—we’re helping people work smarter and longer.
Smarter workflows, better workplaces
This shift to automation doesn’t mean job losses, it means job transformation.
“Where workers once lifted plates, they now manage files and support customers. The workforce may not be getting younger, but we’re helping them stay longer,” says Boeriis.
You don’t need to be a massive operation to benefit from robotics.
“We’ve implemented this at regular-sized print shops, too,” Boeriis notes. ECO3 also offers software that automates plate production from a simple PDF upload, again reducing manual touchpoints.
“And because we’re local, we offer fast, reliable service with both hardware and software technicians across Scandinavia,” says Rasmussen. “We’re proud of our ability to support customers quickly and effectively.”
Abbreviated version of an article originally published in Sweden by Sign & Print.
Stibo Complete website
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