Mexican converter Flexo Print enjoys WS6000 success

Flexo Print, based in Guadalajara, Mexico, installed a WS6000 digital label press from HP Indigo in June 2009. One year on, the company is reporting success with the new machine.   

‘The speed and format of the HP Indigo WS6000 digital press makes it possible to address new markets,’ says founder and owner Fernando Aranguren. ‘It’s more geared to the industrial market and can compete with industrial volumes. It alters the supply chain and facilitates lower lot sizes, with faster production, smaller quantities and just-in-time fulfillment – all with high-quality print.’ 

Established in 1995 with a small flexo label press in a 55 square meter facility, Flexo Print produced labels for pharmaceutical customers. Today, Aranguren presides over a team of 155 people in a 9,500 square meter plant with a variety of flexographic, offset litho, rotogravure and digital presses with a wide range of other capabilities, including a combination screen, embossing and hot foil press. Flexo Print also has a 100 percent inspection system and a full range of finishing equipment. It now operates in five major markets: food and beverage, home and healthcare, pharmaceuticals, wine and spirits and industrial.  

‘Our first digital experience was six years ago with a toner-based press,’ says Aranguren. ‘Subsequently, we were impressed with the HP Indigo ws4000 press and installed one, later trading it for a 6-color ws4500 press. It was very successful and we liked the quality and the opportunities the digital capability brought, and not long after we installed a second one.’  

In May 2009, Flexo Print increased its digital capacity when it replaced one of the ws4500 presses with an 8-color HP Indigo WS6000. The new press is capable of speeds up to 30m/min, an increase of 16m/min over the ws4500. The new press also has a larger image area of 317 x 980mm, enabling it to support a wider variety of work.  

‘The strengths of digital printing are in handling shorter runs, on-demand, and carrying out fast job changeovers,’ says Aranguren. ‘There are other advantages, like the ability to run a large number of different substrates, and print jobs that couldn't be run profitably on conventional equipment.’ 

A Flexo Print customer that exemplifies the new, digital printing business model that Aranguren speaks of is BioScents, also of Guadalajara. The company produces cosmetics and personal care products that use natural fruits and flowers. BioScents operates a chain of retail shops that showcase the products and enhance its image by displaying its wide product offering, making product labels a particularly important part of its high impact. 

‘We have worked with BioScents for a year, and collaborated with them to develop the labels and packaging,’ Aranguren said. ‘For example, we were able to advise BioScents on the best substrates to use for labeling its product tubes. We print these on plastic because not only does it present the branding and colors well, but it has the right flexibility so that when the tube is squeezed, the label is not immediately damaged. Plastic labels are also easier to keep clean during use.’ 

Flexo Print prints on a variety of plastic substrates including PP, PE, PP white and polycarbonate with matt and gloss finishes as well as on transparent materials. ‘BioScents is the perfect company to enjoy the benefits of digital printing,’ Aranguren continues. ‘It has more than 100 products, and orders labels from us every 15-20 days in runs of 10,000 to 20,000 labels. This is an ideal situation for digital label printing.’ 

Among the new projects Flexo Print is considering is web-to-print, variable data printing – especially for security labels, which Aranguren believes have a big future – digital shrink sleeve and flexible packaging printing.

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