Navarra de Etiquetajes boosts efficiency with Martin Automatic

Spanish converter Navarra de Etiquetajes, part of Docuworld Packaging Group, has installed a Martin Automatic MBS butt slicer on its Mark Andy P5E flexo press to improve production efficiency and reduce waste at its facility in Villatuerta.

Ricardo Jose Gonzalez with Martin Automatic’s Gaëtan de Charry and Edward Pittman alongside the new MBS splicer installed at right angles to a Mark Andy P5 press in Spain

Founded in 1971, Navarra de Etiquetajes became part of the family-owned Docuworld Group in 2000 and is now one of six companies presided over by Jose Ramon Benito. The label plant near Navarra, managed by Ricardo Jose Gonzalez, employs 30 people at its 3,000 sqm site and generated sales of EUR 5m in 2021, working a double-day shift.

The MBS splicer, installed early in 2022 and, owing to limited space on the production floor, was mounted at right angles to the press. The installation includes an inertia-compensated festoon system and Martin’s patented splice unit that provides a butt splice and two-position cantilevered unwind with Martin’s ergonomic lift and load system that reduces the risk of operator injury. All controls are integrated to allow for automatic roll unwinding, splicing and the all-important tension control 

Capable of splicing up to a 430mm web width at 150m/min, the MBS has a maximum roll diameter of 1,016mm and a standard operating tension range of 80 -244Nm making it suitable for a variety of substrates from PS label stock up to 300gsm board. It has a splice prep fault system that monitors all key parameters, including a web break, and a laser that assists with tape alignment on second-side tape rollers.

‘We are very happy with it. It saves us time on roll changes and has reduced substrate waste, which is especially important in the current market where we need to manage consumption carefully,’ said Gonzalez. ‘I’m looking at a 20-25 percent improvement in efficiency over the whole year. The MBS splicer easily handles the wide variety of substrates we use to serve our 700 customers, and I’m looking for it to help us improve on the 3.5m tons of raw materials we processed last year – I want to lift annual sales from EUR 5m to EUR 8m, and the Martin is a key part of that.’

In addition to allowing non-stop running, the splicer enables the operator to prepare the next job while production continues and maximizes the material usage of each roll. With higher output per shift, the Mark Andy fitted with the Martin Automatic splicer has more than replaced the capacity of two previous flexo presses.