Johnson Steel Rule Die Just Became the First Shop in the USA to Run the IntegraALL—Here’s Why That Matters

If you’ve been watching Johnson Steel Rule Die Company, you already know they’re not standing still.

At the start of 2026, they added a SkyMilla and a LineA to their floor, a significant push into automation that reflected what President Bill Drew had been building toward for years.

Then came the news that Johnson earned BOBST certified diemaker status, a credential that puts them in an elite category in this industry and signals to their customers that they’re operating at the highest level of precision and process control.

Now they’ve done it again.

Johnson Steel Rule Die is the first shop in the United States to install the Serviform IntegraALL and they didn’t do it for the press. They did it because it solves a real production problem that every serious die shop knows well.

The Problem Every Die Shop Lives With

Processing custom combo rule can be a real headache and a time-suck. Cut/crease pieces at specific lengths, chamfered edges on phenolic creases, partial cut configurations; this work either gets ordered from stock (obliging you to wait AND pay), or it gets processed across multiple machines (demanding time and staff you probably don’t have). Neither answer is great when a customer needs a die turned fast.

The standard workaround is to buy pre-made combo rule stock in whatever lengths are available and make it work. Sometimes that’s fine. But if you’re running a shop at Johnson’s level (BOBST certified, high-volume, reputation-on-the-line production) “making it work” isn’t good enough.

What the IntegraALL Actually Does

The IntegraALL is Serviform’s all-in-one rule processing machine. It handles straight cutting, creasing, perforating, cut-crease, and Lasercrease rule in a single piece of machinery; no machine switches, no workflow handoffs. Three next-generation multifunction cartridges run multiple operations simultaneously, including punching, bridging, and chamfering, which is how the machine cuts cycle time while keeping accuracy tight.

But the capability that matters most for a shop like Johnson is this: the IntegraALL transforms creasing rule into cut/crease combo rule at custom lengths, produced as a single piece.

That’s not a small thing. That’s the difference between waiting on an order and making the exact rule you need, right now, to the exact spec the job requires.

Bob Curtis at Johnson runs the machine. He’s well-regarded in this industry, and here’s his unfiltered take:

“IntegraALL mills a clean consistent height cut with a sharp cutting edge. Also has an option of bevel degree 42 or 54. On phenolic combo such as .937/.905 the machine will chamfer the square edge of the crease which should create cleaner scoring bead. Also has capability to mill a 100% cut/partial cut combo rule. On interior clip backs, they can be adjusted to desired width while adding a radius to edge to help reduce any puncture to stock. The configuration of combo cut and score is from minimum 2mm x 2mm to any larger desired configuration. Overall the machine is very impressive and saves time and wait periods to receive stock or custom combo rules.” — Bob Curtis, Johnson Steel Rule Die

Let’s break down what Bob is describing, because there’s a lot packed in there.

The Technical Details That Matter

Milling clean cut height with a sharp edge. The IntegraALL doesn’t just process rule, it mills it. The result is a consistent, precise cut height with a sharp cutting edge.

42° or 54° bevel options. The machine gives you control over bevel angle, which matters for cut quality on different substrates. You’re not locked into one configuration.

Chamfering the square edge on phenolic crease. On phenolic combo rule like .937/.905, the IntegraALL chamfers the square edge of the crease sides. That chamfer creates a cleaner scoring bead — which means a cleaner fold line on the finished carton. That’s the kind of detail that separates a good die from a great one.

100% cut/partial cut combo. The machine handles both full cut and partial cut configurations in combo rule. You pick the spec, the machine produces it.

Interior clip backs with radius edge. For interior clip backs, the IntegraALL mills the desired width and adds a radius to the edge. The radius reduces the risk of the rule puncturing the stock, a practical improvement that protects the substrate and reduces rejects.

Configuration range: 2mm x 2mm minimum, no maximum. The cut and score configuration is completely custom, from a minimum of 2mm x 2mm up to whatever the job requires. That flexibility is the whole point.

Fully electric, no hydraulics. The IntegraALL runs clean. No hydraulic system to maintain, no fluid to deal with, low power draw at 2.5 kW. It’s built for the modern die shop floor.

Why Johnson, Why Now

Johnson Steel Rule Die has been serving the Chicagoland area for 75 years. What Bill has been building; the investment in automation, the pursuit of BOBST certification, the continued expansion of the shop’s capabilities, is the story of a company that treats every year as a chance to get better, not coast on what they’ve already built.

The SkyMilla handles precision milling on counter plates and die boards. The LineA handles rule bending. Now the IntegraALL handles the processing of crease and combo rule work that used to mean waiting on specialty stock or cobbling together multi-machine workflows.

Each addition closes a gap. Each addition makes the shop faster, more self-sufficient, and more capable of saying yes to jobs that would have been a problem a year ago.

Being BOBST certified isn’t just a badge. It means Johnson is held to a standard of precision and consistency that the biggest names in converting and packaging demand from their die suppliers. Running the IntegraALL is consistent with that commitment, because the rule quality the machine produces is consistent with that level of work.

What This Means for the Industry

Johnson is the first shop in the United States to invest in the IntegraALL. That’s significant, not just for them, but for every die shop in North America watching what the serious operators are doing.

The IntegraALL represents a shift in how rule processing gets done. Instead of managing specialty rule inventory and lead times, or passing work across multiple machines, a shop with the IntegraALL produces exactly the rule it needs, when it needs it, to the exact specification the job demands. That’s a competitive advantage that shows up on every die, every order, every turnaround time.

If you’re running custom combo rule work, or turning it away because you don’t have the right equipment, this is the machine that changes that equation.

Congratulations to the team at Johnson Steel Rule Die. They’ve earned what they’ve built, and they’re not done yet.

Want to see what the IntegraALL can do for your shop? Speak with a Serviform America sales rep today.