HP digital press expands Flexo Print capabilities

Label manufacturer Flexo Print, based in Guadalajara, Mexico, is increasing its digital press capacity through the use of HP's Indigo equipment.

Flexo Print founder and owner, Fernando Aranguren, said: 'The speed and format of the Indigo WS6000 digital press makes it possible to address new markets.

'It's more geared to the industrial market and can compete with industrial volumes.

'It alters the supply chain and facilitates lower lot sizes, with faster production, smaller quantities and just-in-time fulfilment - all with high-quality print,' he added.

Aranguren presides over a team of 155 people in a 9,500m2 plant with a variety of flexographic, offset litho, rotogravure and digital presses with a range of other capabilities, including a combination screen, embossing and hot foil press.

Flexo Print also has a 100 per cent inspection system and a range of finishing equipment.

The company now operates in five markets: food and beverage, home and healthcare, pharmaceuticals, wines and spirits, and industrial.

'Our first digital experience was with a toner-based press six years ago,' said Aranguren.

'After installing HP's Indigo WS4000 digital press, we later traded it for a six-colour WS4500 press.

'We liked the quality and the opportunities the digital capability brought and we subsequently installed a second one,' he added.

In May 2009, Flexo Print increased its digital print capacity when it replaced one of the WS4500 presses with a seven-colour Indigo WS6000 digital press.

The press is capable of speeds up to 30m/min, an increase of 16m/min over the Indigo WS4500.

The press also has a larger image area of 317mm x 980mm, enabling it to support a wider variety of work.

Aranguren said: 'The strengths of digital printing are in handling shorter runs on demand and carrying out fast job changeovers.

'It also offers the ability to run a large number of different substrates and print jobs that couldn't be run profitably on conventional equipment,' he added.

One of Flexo Print's customers is Bioscents, which produces cosmetics and personal care products that use natural fruits and flowers.

Bioscents operates a chain of retail shops that showcase the products and enhance its image by displaying its product range, making product labels an important part of its impact.

Aranguren said: 'We have worked with Bioscents for a year and collaborated with the company to develop the labels and packaging.

'We were able to advise Bioscents on the best substrates to use for labelling its product tubes.

'We print these on plastic because not only does it present the branding and colours well, but it has the right flexibility so that when the tube is squeezed, the label is not immediately damaged.

'Plastic labels are also easier to keep clean during use,' he added.

Flexo prints on a variety of plastic substrates including PP, PE, PP White and polycarbonate with matt and gloss finishes, as well as on transparent materials.

'Bioscents has more than 100 products and orders labels from us every 15 to 20 days in runs of 10,000 to 20,000 labels, which is an ideal situation for digital label printing,' said Aranguren.

HP said that Flexo Print is continuing to explore new market opportunities, including web to print, variable data printing, digital shrink sleeve and flexible packaging printing.

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