Sustainable and profitable short run flexible packaging production with BOBST MASTER M6

BOBST and Irplast: an alliance enabling profitability and sustainability
In today’s flexible packaging market, the key challenges for converters include a growing number of SKUs, shorter runs, and a demand for faster turnarounds – all while needing to become more sustainable. Smaller batch and product sizes and short runs are a sign of our modern era, where convenience and on-the-go products dominate, while shrinkflation is also a factor.
The BOBST MASTER M6 inline flexo press has redefined short-run profitability in flexible packaging, particularly for pouches, shrink sleeves, and lidding applications. Designed for maximum automation, minimal waste, and unmatched substrate versatility, the MASTER M6 is the ideal solution for converters aiming to meet today’s sustainability and efficiency demands.
Irplast plays a pivotal role in this ecosystem. Specializing in BOPP-based films, Irplast offers recyclable, ISCC-certified substrates that align with EU 2025 recyclability targets. Their materials, derived from renewable sources or chemically recycled post-consumer waste, are food-contact compliant and compatible with existing converting lines. Their innovations have earned industry recognition and awards, reinforcing their leadership in sustainable packaging.
Below, we outline the impact of uniting BOBST and Irplast together across three different production scenarios, with pouches, shrink sleeves, and lidding applications.

Pouches: rapid, consistent and sustainable production thanks to BOBST oneECG Technology
BOBST’s MASTER M6 delivers unmatched performance in pouch production. With DigiFlexo automation and oneECG (Extended Color Gamut) technology, converters benefit from fast changeovers, consistent color, and reduced waste—ideal for short runs.
Irplast supports this with recyclable BOPP films that reduce overstock and waste through on-demand printing. Their sandwich-printed, pre-glued shrinkable labels are already proven in dairy applications, offering strong adhesion and protection.
You can see the result of BOBST and Irplast’s innovation in pouches in the dedicated webinar belonging to a series on the topic of achieving profitable short-runs on the BOBST MASTER M6. 
Revere Group, a Seattle-based family-owned converter, produces high-quality, food-safe pouches for gourmet and nutrition brands, using two MASTER M5s and a new MASTER M6. Their in-house lamination and pouch-making capabilities with Karlville machines, enable 24-hour delivery. By adopting oneECG and DigiFlexo, Revere has elevated print quality to litho standards while meeting the demand for compostable, stand-up pouches. Learn more about Revere’s experience.

Shrink Sleeves: fast time-to-market, flexible to changing demands and ready to be recycled
Shrink sleeve production with the MASTER M6 is fast, flexible, and sustainable. In an average 8 000 linear meters job, BOBST’s automation enables up to 8 job changes per 8-hour shift, while oneECG ensures color consistency and ink savings.
Irplast addresses recyclability challenges with PETG alternatives. Their pre-glued BOPP shrink sleeves float and detach easily during recycling, maintaining performance while enhancing circularity.
You can hear more about BOBST and Irplast’s innovation in shrink sleeves in the webinar here.
UVBIZ, the packaging division of MB Industries in India, has embraced this model. Their MASTER M6 enables rapid production of shrink sleeves for beverages and personal care products. By shifting from gravure to flexo and adopting oneECG, UVBIZ has improved efficiency, reduced ink usage, and impressed brand owners with fast turnarounds and premium print quality. Curious to know more? Read more here.

Lidding: when mono-material innovation meets high-performance printing
Lidding applications demand both barrier performance and recyclability. They can be produced with many different materials. The MASTER M6 meets these varying needs with fast setup, broad substrate compatibility, and automation that ensures low waste and high efficiency.
Irplast offers mono-material PP lidding films that replace traditional PET/AL/PE structures. These films are thermostable up to 170°C, provide excellent sealing, and support full PP packaging systems.
You can hear more about BOBST and Irplast’s approach to lidding in the webinar here.
Derschlag, a German converter with a legacy since 1957, focuses on aluminum lidding. Their investment in a nine-color MASTER M6 enhances their ability to meet demand for sustainable, short-run packaging. While Irplast and Derschlag serve different material needs, plastic versus aluminum, the MASTER M6’s flexibility supports both, proving its value across diverse applications. Get to know more about Derschlag’s niche experience.

The right solution for the right application
The MASTER M6 is the ultimate inline flexo press for converters seeking sustainable, short-run profitability across multiple packaging formats. With DigiFlexo and oneECG, it delivers non-stop production, food-safe compliance, and unmatched automation.
Irplast complements this with recyclable, high-performance substrates that meet regulatory and operational demands.
Together, BOBST and Irplast offer future-ready solutions for converters worldwide. And it doesn’t stop there: BOBST constantly seeks innovative partnerships to help converters and the wider industry to push boundaries and achieve more, excelling in their production, while meeting higher and higher sustainability standards.
Moreover, BOBST, together with leading industry partners, has pioneered a range of innovative, environmentally improved packaging solutions called oneBARRIER. These are industrially viable recycle-ready mono-material ultra-high and high barrier mono layer and duplex structures for packaging designers as alternatives to non-recyclable structures often obtaining barrier thanks to an aluminum layer.
The family of BOBST oneBARRIER sustainable solutions developed to date includes PrimeCycle, comprising EVOH and topcoat-free transparent AlOx-based or opaque AluBond-based full PE mono-substrates with either reverse or surface print finishing, and FibreCycle, a mono-material high-barrier paper-based structure coated with functional layers that can be recycled in the existing paper stream.

 

Curious? Discover more about the MASTER M6.

 

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