NuPrint Technologies eyes further growth after investment in Nilpeter FA-4*

As well as usual features of the press, such as ergonomic design, short web path and fast job changes, its 8-color full UV flexo press is equipped with value-adding units for screen, cold foil and crossover printing.

The printer, operating out of Derry Londonderry, Northern Ireland, was originally a supplier of printed fabric labels for the clothing industry in the UK and Ireland but has extended into self-adhesive labels for the food, drink and beverage sectors. In order to break into these sectors, major investment was made in new equipment in the middle of the last decade, as well as the retraining and continued development of staff, and raising the company’s profile. However, the company soon required additional printing capacity, as Gavin Killeen, NuPrint Technologies owner and managing director, explained.

‘We had come to the stage where we were running at capacity with our existing production equipment. We wanted to improve the quality of our existing product portfolio – mainly labels for the food and beverage sector – but also expand and meet a growing number of customer requests for flexible packaging products.’

After recognizing a need for new equipment, NuPrint Technologies spent the next 18 months scouring the market, including considering adding digital printing capability, before being introduced to Nilpeter’s FA-4* at Labelexpo Americas 2014 in Chicago.

‘We were intrigued by the technology on offer, the ease-of-use and thought it would fit in nicely with our modern print shop. I think we spent around six months comparing the numbers, asking a ton of questions and there was no doubt; the FA-4* and a close partnership with Nilpeter was indeed the right solution for us,’ commented Killeen.

The Nilpeter PowerLink system and the Air Control Satellite, a pad or tablet that offers a mirror image of the main control board for easy, mobile press operation and job preparation, also stood out for Killeen.

‘The new press gives us a lot of opportunities. For starters, the quality of the labels is just remarkable, which has opened doors in niche markets as well as the high-end food and beverage sectors. And now we’re able to produce flexible sleeve packaging, flow packs, and more – really adding to our product portfolio.

‘We’ve been able to take quite a few added orders from existing clients as well as gained new business from the addition of flexible packaging to our product portfolio.’

As a result of the added possibilities and new business, NuPrint Technologies is now looking to the future. ‘The market is moving in that direction, and I can definitely see us adding more flexible packaging products in the future, like in-mold labels, lidding film, etc,’ said Killeen. ‘And I foresee a very long-term relationship with Nilpeter in that sense, as the partnership to this point has been extremely rewarding. I look forward to the next step.’