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Announcing the 'FA-17' iPad-controlled flexographic label machine at Essentra Lublin

Aug 14 2020
Announcing the 'FA-17' iPad-controlled flexographic label machine at Essentra Lublin

A new 17-inch FA-17 flexographic machine by Nilpeter has recently been installed at the Essentra Packaging’s Lublin site. Essentra Packaging is a global supplier for cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries and is one out of three divisions of the international Essentra Group. The newly installed machine features numerous functions designed to automate and streamline the printing process, and has significantly increased the label production capacity of the Essentra Packaging Lublin site.

Essentra Packaging

The Essentra Packaging Lublin site specialises in supplying secondary packaging carton and label solutions for international pharmaceutical and beauty brands. Essentra Packaging’s labels are produced using ‘narrow web’ technology, and have recently been manufactured using the "All New" FA-17 Nilpeter machine.

“We want to offer a partnership-based cooperation to our customers by providing them with comprehensive services. These include the following: Assistance at the design stage and consulting services related to contracts (taking into account the optimisation of activities and their environmental friendliness), the production and finishing stages of packaging or labels, and the delivery of complete batches to the customer or to the company using our products” said Piotr Skalecki, Operations Manager at Essentra Packaging. “Due to our extensive, almost-20-year-long, experience in the packaging and label markets, we are perceived by our strategic customers as a printing house for "special tasks". We are often entrusted with production assignments which are extremely difficult, technologically advanced, and sophisticated in terms of colour or finish. These include the so-called "hybrid" tasks, requiring the use of both conventional flexographic and digital-printing technology. For this reason, staying at the top of our game in terms of the equipment we use is of utmost importance.”

“As far as printing services, we are also one of several European site that belong to the Essentra Packaging Group, continued Piotr Skalecki. – “Nilpeter solutions are being used in many Essentra Packaging sites, including the UK-based plants. It was one of the reasons why the model of machine from this particular manufacturer was the best candidate in the context of the systematic replacement of the equipment that is being used in the Lublin plant. Our management teams believes in maintaining technological consistency, and taking advantage of the extensive experience of other sites belonging to the Essentra Packaging Group in their use of the machines.”

Nilpeter and Essentra Packaging - a strategic partnership

Jakob Landberg, Vice President of Marketing at Nilpeter, confirmed: “Nilpeter machines have been used at various Essentra Packaging plants for many years now. A special kind of technological partnership has been established between our companies, which sometimes results in the utilisation of extremely complex production lines, including multi-unit machines providing a multitude of refining and finishing options. This type of equipment has also been contracted for the Essentra Packaging plant in Lublin, which makes us very happy.”

Piotr Skalecki added: “Replacing our equipment with new machines is a natural course of events and we purchased a state-of-the-art, fully automated, flexographic machine, affording improved capacity. Labels printed using the narrow web technology are an important part of our production activity, so, in order to be a key player in this market, we had to invest in a machine which will enable us to continue providing our existing customers with the required services in a safe and effective manner, as well as to further grow as a company and expand our customer base. This particular machine model represents the new generation "All New" FA series controlled with two iPads, which until recently could only be considered as futurology.”

"The most technologically advanced flexographic machine this side of the Vistula River"

Delivered by Nilpeter, with the active participation of its Polish agency – Koenig & Bauer (CEE), the "All New" FA machine features: ‘5-drive’ technology per printing unit as well as 12 flexographic units, 3 screen printing units, a coronation treatment module, a high-performance cooling system, a GEW system for UV curing, a de- and re-lamination system, a laminating unit, a cold lamination module and  double die. Advanced packages designed for repetitive tasks, fitting (with the learning function) and the application of very thin films additionally enhance the automation of the process. The machine is remotely controlled by two tablets: the iPad Air and the iPad Pro. The machine operates at a speed of up to 200 m/min, is compatible with a maximum web width of 450 mm, and can print substrates with a thickness of 15-250 microns.

“I am confident to say that we have the most technologically advanced flexographic machine on this side of the Vistula River", said Piotr Skalecki. - What distinguishes this particular machine from similar equipment available on the market, apart from the multitude of available options, are the intuitive and easy controls via tablets. What’s more, such features as the package for repetitive tasks and the option to save them in the equipment’s memory, significantly increase its production capacity. We also appreciate its high precision in terms of quick fitting. Compared to our previous equipment, we have made a huge technological step forward.”

Jan Korenc – President of Koenig & Bauer (CEE), concluded in the following manner: “The "All New" FA-17 machine lately delivered to Essentra Packaging is a prime example of the "Clean Hand" technology being promoted by Nilpeter. It performs on the minimum level of manual intervention and remote adjustments of its settings by the operators controlling the machine with two iPads. We are delighted that the Lublin site became an owner of the advanced solutions provided by our business partners. We hope that the "All New" FA-17 machine will be a significant advancement for Essentra Packaging, and will facilitate the company’s continuing its dynamic growth in the label production sector.”