At Desmedt Labels, automation becomes a production lever. The Belgian label converter, founded in Brussels in 1889, has equipped itself with a Mark Andy Digital Pro MAX hybrid press combined with a Martin Automatic non-stop splicer. According to Mark Andy, this installation represents the first combination of its kind between a Mark Andy hybrid press and Martin Automatic splicing technology.
Objective: automate coil changes and reduce waste
Primarily equipped with flexo presses, the label manufacturer had an operational problem on its digital line: during job and substrate changes, the digital press had to be stopped to perform these operations manually. These stoppages lasted five minutes per roll change, and sometimes longer.
For Henri Köhler, head of Desmedt, which employs 45 people and generates sales of 15 million euros, the key factor in a machine's productivity is not its printing speed, but the time actually spent in production. By investing in a hybrid press, he wanted to reduce downtime. He was also looking to limit material losses linked to reel changes.
Timo Donati, Mark Andy's Sales Director, assures us: " The DPro Max offers low printing costs at an affordable entry-level price, making short-run digital printing particularly attractive. Desmedt was won over by its short changeover times, inline finishing and excellent print quality. This hybrid concept combines dry toner digital printing with servo-driven flexographic units on a fully scalable, flexible and adaptable platform."
A hybrid flexo and toner platform and a compact autosplice unwinder
The Digital Pro Max is based on a five-color CMYK plus white digital toner engine integrated with a Pro series flexo platform. The machine installed at Desmedt operates on 330 mm web widths and reaches speeds of between 20 and 40 m/min, depending on the job.
The configuration includes a web cleaner and corona treatment, followed by a flexo unit on either side of the printing module. The line also incorporates a turner bar, a lamination module, a vertical semi-rotary die-cutting station and a slitting unit.
The Mark Andy line is powered by a Martin Automatic MBSC decoiler, a compact version of the MBS series. This system can load two 4âeuros000Â-meter-long reels and perform splicing without stopping the press.
The equipment incorporates an operator assistance system that guides splice preparation to avoid errors. A laser ribbon alignment device also ensures precise positioning of the strip and minimizes die breaks.
By using the coil right up to the mandrel and reloading partially used rolls without stopping the line, Desmedt reduces material losses.
According to the converter's calculations, the combination of hybrid press and automatic unwinder would represent around one extra hour of production per shift. The plant operates three shifts, five days a week, saving an estimated 750 hours of production per year.
From now on, the Belgian plant intends to reinforce its production capacity with new flexo lines.
