Römer Etikett boosts output with MBS Splicer

Römer Etikett, the German production facility of the Watershed Group, has installed a Martin Automatic MBS non-stop unwind/splicer on its Mark Andy P5 flexo press as part of a 500,000 EUR investment plan to increase productivity at its Marburg plant.

The installation presented engineering challenges due to the facility's location on a steep hill, with multiple changes in floor level and a press tightly positioned between walls and supporting pillars. Martin Automatic's design team addressed this by routing the web above head height across a bridge, creating a walkway between the festoon and the press infeed.

The MBS model allows automatic roll changing at production speeds up to 150m/min and includes Martin's EOPP system, which guides operators through the splice preparation process. The technology has enabled Römer to switch from 2,000m to 4,000m material rolls, while also making it practical to use smaller, part-used rolls that would not be economical on a standard single-position unwinder.

Early results indicate a saving of at least one hour per day. The Mark Andy P5 is now equipped with non-stop matrix waste extraction, 100 percent camera inspection and automated turret rewind technology.

'The short ROI makes a convincing case for the Martin equipment,' said Claus Schüring, general manager at Römer Etikett. 'As with most processes in life, I feel automation is best started at the beginning, so for me the first item on the technology shopping list was automating the unwind and splice.'

Bernd Schopferer, European sales manager for Martin Automatic, added: ‘I see no sense in installing a label press of any size or operating speed without automated unwind/splice and rewind, they all improve quality and efficiency, and therefore the bottom line.’

This is the first installation of Martin Automatic technology within the Watershed Group, which operates seven sites across Europe.