Bookworld installs Nilpeter FB-Line Pro

The Zambian book publisher steps into the label printing industry with the installation, expanding its made-in-Zambia philosophy.

Nilpeter’s Thomas Andersen with the Bookworld team.

Bookworld, Zambia's leading book and stationery group with 21 stores nationwide, has invested in a Nilpeter FB-Line Pro 17in flexo press, marking the company’s first step into the label printing industry.

Founded in 1991 on Cairo Road in Lusaka, Bookworld has grown into a household name across Zambia. The company already manufactures its own exercise and hardcover books locally, distributes for global publishers such as Oxford University Press, and is in a joint venture with Cambridge University Press on the new 'Prosper' curriculum series. The decision to add a Nilpeter flexo line extends that vertically integrated, made-in-Zambia philosophy into an entirely new category of labels.
 
'For more than three decades, Bookworld has been built on quality, trust and a belief in what can be made right here in Zambia. Stepping into the label market is a natural next step for us, and choosing Nilpeter was an easy decision. We wanted a partner with a proven platform, world-class engineering and the support to help us grow into this new business with confidence. The FB-Line Pro gives us exactly that,' shared Shivani Patel, director, Bookworld.
  
The FB-Line is the workhorse of the global flexo industry, with more than 1,000 installations worldwide, and the new Pro generation modernizes that proven platform with an all-new dual-servo print head, gearless anilox cylinders, easy-load print cylinders with format rings, CleanInking chambers and Nilpeter’s B&R PowerLink automation. With a 435mm print width, speeds up to 175m/min, substrate handling from 12 to 350 microns and optional UV-LED curing, the FB-17 gives Bookworld the flexibility to grow from short-run labels into film and light-carton work as the business develops.
 
'We are proud to welcome Bookworld into the Nilpeter family. Bookworld is a benchmark business in Zambia, with a real culture of investing in quality and in their own people. The FB-Line Pro was designed precisely for converters who want a robust, future-proof platform that can start with labels today and scale into film and flexible packaging tomorrow. We look forward to supporting the Nayee family and their team every step of the way,' said Thomas Andersen, area sales manager, Nilpeter.
  
Headquartered in Denmark and built on more than a century of printing heritage, Nilpeter is one of the most trusted names in flexo press technology. The partnership with Bookworld extends Nilpeter’s footprint in Southern Africa and brings world-class label production capacity to the Zambian market, bringing it closer to brand owners and offering shorter lead times and tighter quality control than imported labels can provide.
 
For Bookworld, it is more than a new machine. It is the start of a new business line and another step in a 35-year journey to expand what 'made in Zambia' can mean.