Supertape invests in two Bobst machines

Supertape, an adhesive specialist with a decades-long partnership with Bobst, invested in a Digital Master 340 and a Master M6 to meet clients’ demand for faster, more adaptable production. 
 
The two machines help streamline Supertape's label printing process. As a result, Supertape has seen its uptime rise by 20 percent, illustrating a boost in productivity.

After acquiring a label company, Supertape recognized that its original six-machine setup was an inefficient use of space and energy. Instead of five flexo presses and a digital toner machine, Supertape now has just two Bobst presses performing at greater capacity. Additionally, as a company that works with high-quality food packaging, the streamlining had to boost productivity without compromising on consistency.
 
Both the Digital Master 340 and Master M6 from Bobst use TPO-free, UV-curable inks that offer complete compliance with international food safety ordinances, protecting the position of Supertape in the food and beverage market. Given these presses were new to Supertape, Bobst services provided in-depth training on all aspects of the machines, ensuring employees became highly familiar with the processes involved.
 
The Digital Master 340 is a modular all-in-line label press offering full customizability. With a 1200 DPI resolution including the option of digital white, it offers flexo and digital printing. Leander Dekke, production manager at Supertape, said of the press: 'With the new Digital Master 340, we were able to change a lot of previously manual labels to digital, which obviously gave less changeover times, less cost in plate, and with Accucheck, we are able to identify quality issues really fast.'
 
Accucheck, an in-line quality assurance software that monitors for any defects and detects them before any time-intensive issues are caused, is included on both Bobst presses. Leander said: 'It helps us to keep the costs down and the quality up.'

Bobst Connect, an all-in-one digital platform that improves packaging productivity, has enabled Supertape to monitor all its machines from any location at any time, securing quality assurance.
 
The Master M6 is a centralized and fully digitalized flexo press that uses DigiFlexo automation. According to Leander: 'The Master M6 gives us a lot of ability to help out with the tape production. While many companies make use of third parties in labeling, the enhancing and in-line finishing capabilities of the Master M6 have enabled us to do everything in-house. It gives us enormous advantages on delivery time and cost-efficiency.'
 
By purchasing these presses, Supertape has been able to optimize its performance in new ways. Average uptimes have increased from 50 percent to 70 percent, with between 90 and 100 meters of labeling being printed per minute. This considerable boost to production capacity is vital when clients demand faster, more adaptable runs, and illustrates the continuing success of Supertape’s collaboration with Bobst.
 
Herbert van Arkel, commercial director at Supertape, commented: 'Working together with Bobst for more than 36 years, and now with the new investments, will give us a new future in the label industry. We are sure that our relationship will last for the coming decades.'
 
Bobst sales manager Phil Baldwin agreed: 'It is always a privilege to work with a company over the span of so many years, and we’re proud of continuing to develop our long-term partnership with Supertape. Its work in adhesive labeling is truly cutting-edge, and as such it needs the type of machinery that can be customized while retaining that core of quality and speed. We’re excited to see where our presses can take them, now and in the future.'