NTE installs first Bobst Mouvent LB702-UV in France

Nord Technique Etiquetage (NTE), a family-owned company based near Lille, with 35 years of experience in manufacturing labels, has become the first company in France to install a Bobst digital label press, the Mouvent LB702-UV.

Nord Technique Etiquetage (NTE) has become the first company in France to install a Bobst digital label press, the Mouvent LB702-UV

It is the second investment in a Bobst machine after it purchased an M4 in-line flexo press in 2016. The investment in digital printing is in response to an increased demand for shorter to medium-length runs.

‘Since owning the Mouvent LB702-UV, I’m proud to say I now have a fully optimized production floor by being able to offer the very best technology for all print jobs,’ said Thibault Duponchel, general manager at NTE. ‘We’re using flexo for the very long runs and the Mouvent digital press for the rest. It’s clear that with an ultra-quick and productive machine like this, digital is not only for short runs anymore. It’s the perfect tool for short to medium runs, and I am now shifting all jobs of several thousand linear meters to digital.’

The Mouvent LB702-UV addresses 90 percent of all label jobs up to 8,000 linear meters (26,000 linear feet) run length, delivering an output of up to 200,000 sqm (2.1 million sqft) per month, with printing speeds of up to 100 m/min (330 fpm) delivering 1200 x 1200 DPI native resolution.

The digital inkjet Mouvent technology enables printing on various substrates such as paper, self-adhesive labels, and flexible materials. The machine comes with four colors, delivering a wide color gamut. 

‘The need to produce labels fast and cost-effectively is driving the label sector,’ added Duponchel. ‘To meet these challenges, we actually purchased our first digital printing press back in 2017. However, it wasn’t adequate for us to respond quickly and effectively to our customers’ demands. We needed a digital label press that would meet the demands of now and the future. Having a strong relationship with BOBST already, we turned to them for the answer, and that’s when we were introduced to the Mouvent LB702-UV. Being able to offer high printing speeds and the full-color gamut with lower costs is exactly what we need.’

Duponchel said his company is experiencing speeds eight times faster than with its previous digital machine. NTE has also managed to reduce its waste. 

The team at NTE was also impressed with the quick setup times and ease of operation. The overall customer experience from initial contact to site preparation, delivery, and training was very positive. Within ten days, the machine was installed, and all the relevant training was complete, meaning NTE could start printing as soon as possible.

‘Digital printing will have an ever-increasing role to play in label printing, and as the industry continues to evolve, digital printing will enable us to change with it,’ commented Duponchel. ‘We have found that partnering with Bobst has set NTE on course for a bright future in label production. We feel like a bigger company because of it. We may be small, but we have big ambitions.’