Perfect bridge between flexo and digital

Described by Norprint as ‘the perfect bridge between conventional flexo and digital technology’, the Mark Andy P5 has a radical new print head design, which along with its automatic register system means jobs can be run off quickly and efficiently with minimal waste. ‘This is vital,’ Mick continues, ‘because the substrates we run are very expensive – what used to be viewed as a consumable is nowadays a valuable commodity.’
Although a Mark Andy house since the 1980s, Norprint investigated the market very carefully before opting for the P5. ‘We have experience of other manufacturers’ presses within our group, but nothing outperforms a Mark Andy,’ reckons Mick, who evaluated three European brands before confirming the order. He says that a visit to the US company’s headquarters was the clincher. A self-funded trip to commission the press at the factory convinced the Norprint team that Mark Andy had a credible product with the right level of support in the UK.

‘The P5 is not a multiple “wow” factor press – it just delivers a printer’s wish list in one hit. It’s a combination of proven ability and keen pricing,’ comments Mick, adding that the nearest true competitor was 25% more expensive and offered no better productivity. ‘You need to print a lot of sticky labels to justify a 25% bigger outlay, and in Norprint’s case we chose to invest that money in bespoke cylinders, anilox rolls, mounting equipment, and a Vectra turret rewinder.’
Norprint has evolved over a period of 160 years. Originally known as Fisher Clark, it is now part of the Magnadata Group, which has a consolidated annual turnover of £40-million. It was the first UK label printer to achieve BS5000, and currently holds ISO and
BRC-IoP accreditations.
www.markandy.com

Rotoflex going strong in South Africa
SAREPCO’s Paul Bouwer, the local agent for Rotoflex, reports a number of recent sales and installations of Rotoflex equipment in South Africa.
Java Print has ordered a Rotoflex VSI 330 rewinder, soon to be commissioned alongside a new Mark Andy press, while another recent installation is a similar unit at Teraoka SA, where it joined a line-up of other Rotoflex machines.
According to Paul, the Rotoflex VSI is the most widely used machine in the traditional roll-to-roll label inspection, slitting and rewinding industry, where it’s known for outstanding reliability in demanding production environments.
Latest upgrades include the Genesis Advanced Control System as well as eDrive – for high performance web handling.

Ed’s note: Mark Andy’s Performance press recently won gold and best on show in the narrow-web section in the FTA’s Flexographic Technical Innovation Awards in the US.