Offset Printing
iftsan Etiket sees first BOBST investment as key to meeting customer demands
Tuesday 06. October 2020 - Turkish label printer, iftsan Etiket & Ambalaj, has chosen a BOBST MASTER M5X inline flexo press after an extremely thorough evaluation of the label and packaging market and the offering from other manufacturers. The company is embarking on a new venture with its very first BOBST press installed in Istanbul earlier this year.
A regular big winner at FINATs annual label competition with no less than 16 awards received in 2019, Çiftsan Etiket & Ambalaj is well-known for its expertise in screen, letterpress, flexo, digital, and foil printing. The company has now added more flexo power to its raft of technologies with the purchase of a MASTER M5X inline press, after deciding that BOBST is the right technology partner for the future.
“We chose BOBST because they offer many new and patented technologies that will put us in a superior position compared to our competitors in the packaging industry,” explained CEO Hakan Yolgun. With its extended multi-process, multi-substrate capabilities, the new flexo press will enable Çiftsan to meet the needs of their customers with ease.
“Thanks to the patented technologies on our new MASTER M5X, we can now offer the many different processes our customers have been asking for, no matter what the application is, be it pressure-sensitive labels, wraparound labels, sleeves, flexible packaging, light cartonboard, or laminated tubes,” said Mr Yolgun. The MASTER M5X also offers greater sustainability credentials due to the overall reduction in waste and its ability to print on new and thinner materials.
Çiftsan Etiket & Ambalaj has been trading since 2007, and its 4,000 sqm facility, in Avcilar, Istanbul, is capable of producing some 6,000,000 sqm of labels each year, from food and drink labels to cosmetics, pharmaceutical, household and cleaning labels. Sophisticated embellishment and other value-adding techniques, such as intricate foiling and embossing, glitter, 3D effects including Braille, and security inks, make the company a pioneer of innovation and the printer of choice for many well-known brands and retailers, particularly in the cosmetics industry.
The company, which prides itself on innovation, best quality products and great service, is also very active beyond the borders of Turkey. Export makes up 35% of the business with printed labels produced for customers in more than 25 countries worldwide.
Choosing workflow automation
A highly digitalized press, the BOBST MASTER M5X enables converters to automate their workflow thereby reducing downtime and waste. The press has been developed to take advantage of the most advanced automation technologies in the industry to offer best-in-class productivity. Only minimal and tool-free intervention is needed from the press operator, even at set up, and changeovers are performed in just one minute. This puts inline flexo printing into the short run jobs and fast delivery arena, whilst keeping operating costs low.
With all this in mind and the MASTER M5X now in-house, Çiftsan Etiket can print labels at up to 200 m/min (660 ft/min) in a web width of 430 mm (17 inches) in 8 colours with predictable quality consistency. The press has been equipped with modules for the production of coupon labels, with a delam/relam unit that can print two colours on the adhesive side of the web, and cold foil accessories. It also comes ready for adding screen-printing at a later date.
“The configuration of the MASTER M5X has been optimized in terms of output quality and efficiency, with the added benefits of short delivery times and competitive costs,” commented Erkan Yolgun, who is the COO at Çiftsan. “Automation is a main priority with systems and solutions that reduce downtime and waste, thats why we choose the MASTER M5X, which is built for full digitalization of the production workflow.”
While making their decision, the Çiftsan team worked closely with Mert Gonenc of IMEKS Group, the local BOBST agent. Erkan Yolgun said, “We had been in contact with IMEKS about our project for a long time, and we were constantly exchanging ideas about choosing the right machine for all the special applications we need for the labels we produce. We decided to finalize this project with the trust we have in the BOBST brand and in IMEKS as a partner that we know and trust in terms of service and technical support.”
More investment to come
The teamwork between the partners involved in the project has resulted in a great outcome and laid the foundation for the future.
“Çiftsan Etiket is a great example of a leading label and packaging printer putting its faith in BOBST to drive innovation, and we have enjoyed working with the team,” said Giorgio Deliziosi, Sales Manager, Bobst Firenze. “After exhaustive print trials and financial analysis of the value proposition presented by the press, it became clear that the MASTER M5X met all the criteria for Çiftsan. No doubt, they will produce many award-winning labels on this machine too, and we look forward to continuing our cooperation.”
Hakan Yolgun concluded, “BOBST is a pioneering and leading brand that we trust, especially technologically. The company offers the best quality and innovation for a wide range of solutions for the labels and flexible packaging industry. Following the success, we have already seen with the new MASTER M5X, we are planning to make our next investment with BOBST too.”