Argraf invests in second Miyakoshi press

Spanish converter Grupo Argraf has installed Miyakoshi MLP-16C semi-rotary offset UV press as part of its commitment to investments in technology as a tool for growth and differentiation.

Grupo Argraf has installed Miyakoshi MLP-16C semi-rotary offset UV press

Grupo Argraf, based in Oyón, Spain, has more than 40 years of experience in the labeling industry, supplying the food and beverage market with a particular interest in the wine sector.

Despite the difficult economic situation, with a large part of the Spanish businesses running at half capacity, Argraf invested EUR 1.5 million in machinery, proving that technological development is one of its priorities to keep offering sophisticated labels in the market.

‘We’ve stuck to the plan we initially defined. First of all, before the state of emergency was declared in March, we installed mesh suction equipment, which helped us to improve the flow of material, logistics while keeping the interior of the plant clean,’ said Alberto Torroba, managing director of Argraf. ‘We’ve also added a second Miyakoshi press, the same model as the previous one, but with lots of new features added. We’ve considered that these are investments that had to be made now to avoid having to make them later in a rush’.

The group purchased the new Miyakoshi MLP-16C semi-rotary offset UV press configured with several flexible units including, offset, hot foil, screen, flexo, lamination, and die-cutting.

‘It’s fully automated (electronic ink keys, automatic drum cleaning system, cold start function, cooled oscillating rollers, automatic register system, corona treatment, diagonal adjustment, offset printing, stamping, flexo and die-cut units, etc.), making this machine a perfect solution for short, medium and long print runs for the wine, food and other markets. Thanks to the MLP’s great offset printing quality, Argraf can access the high-quality wine label market with great added value,’ added David López, area sales manager of Miyakoshi Europe, a firm represented in the Spanish market by OMC.

The Miyakoshi MLP-16C press has a paper width of 420 mm and a maximum repeat length of 406.4 mm, the maximum production speed of 101 m/min, which remains constant regardless of the repeat length selected.’

‘We’ve added stamping and a screen-printing unit that Miyakoshi has developed specifically for us, as although it already offered in Miyakoshi’s most economical series, we needed the more powerful model, with an increased printing width and speed, as well as the ability to do specific in-line finishing that’s so much in demand in our industry,’ comments Torroba. ‘The first MPL-16C, which has been purchased almost five years ago, has proven to be totally reliable and that we haven’t had stopped for even one day due to breakdowns or faults. A guarantee of reliability. This, together with the fact that we already knew how it worked as we had people trained on the first Miyakoshi, made it easier for us to start up the second one immediately, sufficient guarantees to trust this manufacturer again.