A long-established pipe markings specialist, Nordisk Rörmärkning, in Sweden, has added label printing to its competencies with the help of a Bobst UV inkjet label press. The Bobst Mouvent LB701-UV has opened new opportunities, enabling the company to offer fast delivery of high-quality labels in addition to its established product lines.
Nordisk Rörmärkning initially chose the Mouvent LB701-UV inkjet press with six colors (CMYKOV) and white from Bobst to optimize the production of pipe markings, decals, stickers and tapes at its factory in Älvängen, just north of Gothenburg.
The Swedish family-run company, which has been in operation since 1984, decided last year to move from flexo to digital printing to increase flexibility and productivity. “We need highly durable inks because we offer a 10-year guarantee on our long-lasting products,” says CEO and owner Christian Kjellberg, who is the son of founder Claes Kjellberg. “After evaluating the capabilities of the Bobst Mouvent LB701-UV, which prints at 70 meters per minute, I began to realize that not only was it the best choice for our current portfolio, but the high productivity meant that we would also have spare capacity. That got me thinking.”
The new digital press putting Nordic Printing on the map is part of a 4.5 million SEK (451,000 EUR) investment that also includes a finishing line from fellow Swedish manufacturer Grafotronic. For a company with a turnover of 12 million SEK (1.2 million EUR) that is a big sum of money, but Kjellberg is certain that this new venture will be a success.
“Digital label printing may be a new business area for us, but the technical knowledge we have from making signs, decals, and stickers for many years mean that we know all about substrates, inks and converting, plus we also have a lot of experience selling online,” he says.
The digitally printed labels are sold via a new website where customers can design their own labels, specify the substrate (paper, PE or PP), size, and type of lamination. The labels are delivered on rolls or sheets ready for use in only three to five days. The company has included the decal, sign, sticker and tape categories under Nordic Printing’s remit, meaning customers can order multiple types of products from the same site.
For Christian Kjellberg and his experienced team, the transition to digital has been smooth. They bought the press through Bobst agent in Sweden, Tec AB, and have already seen the benefits of reduced running costs and faster turnaround.
“We now have the flexibility to produce any run length of labels that our customers need, and the print quality is fantastic. Gone are the days of paying high repro costs, waiting for flexo plates to be made, dealing with long setups, and worrying over unwanted downtime,” he says.
“The possibilities with this high-productivity machine are great and we have only just scratched the surface. With the LB701-UV from Bobst in-house, we can easily live up to our motto of ‘Fast delivery, good service, satisfaction guarantee’ and continue to grow the company safe in the knowledge that we have invested in the best-in-class UV inkjet press on the market.”
