BOBST MASTER M5 with oneECG technology is first choice for Isamar

Located in San Martín, Provincia de Buenos Aires, in Argentina, Isamar S.A. is an integrated specialist in shrink films for labeling and packaging. The company has been operating since 1988, establishing itself as a leader in the field, both as a manufacturer and a printer of packaging films. CEO Fernando Teler outlined the main challenges faced by the company, which operates two plants with a total of 60 employees.

“Our clients supply the dynamic FMCG market, encompassing the food and drink, health and personal care, books, toys, home applications, and building sectors, with high-quality shrink sleeves, flexible packaging, and labels. Because print runs are getting shorter and brand owners are asking for ever-faster turnaround, we really needed to improve our agility and optimize our production, while offering the best price,” he said. “These challenges are compounded by the ongoing uncertainties stemming from the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and various supply chain issues.”

Isamar is also acutely aware of its responsibility to offer sustainable products and improve its processes, so they have less impact on the environment. Teler explained, “Shrink sleeves are growing because they enable better visuals, and importantly, because recyclable bottle and sleeve mono-materials, such as PET, contribute to the circular economy.”

In order to address this multitude of pressures effectively, Isamar chose a highly automated BOBST MASTER M5 inline flexo press with nine print stations and oneECG technology. With the high print quality that customers demand today, Isamar could not afford to compromise on standards.

The MASTER M5, which offers full digitalization of the production workflow with integrated printing and converting that enable one-minute job changes and low waste, soon proved to be the right solution for Isamar. In particular, the standardization of print colors through the oneECG printing method was a major gain for the company, accelerating its productivity, lowering costs, and significantly cutting waste.

“We are getting excellent results because printing with oneECG is more organized, much faster, and it offers very economical production, more standardized too. Furthermore, costs and waste have been reduced hugely compared to our older presses, plus it is very easy to operate due to all the advanced automation features,” added Teler.

oneECG elevates flexo printing through the digitalization and automation of color management. It harnesses a fixed ink set to expand the color gamut beyond the reach of traditional technology, ensuring both consistency and repeatability. This enables Isamar to replicate 65% of Pantone colors with just four inks, and up to 95% with seven inks, depending on the substrate. The standardization has also facilitated the implementation of a more efficient approvals system at the company, with customers now receiving soft proofs and approving their print jobs remotely.

“Quite simply, oneECG has revolutionized our label printing process by giving us a leaner production process and by eliminating the need for customers to visit our company to approve the design before production. It also ensures excellent job repeatability,” stated Teler. “Before, operators were spending vast amounts of time with the customers adjusting the ink colors until they were happy with the job, which was very costly and also negatively impacted our ability to plan the next print jobs.”

In addition to the automation offered, which means operators “no longer waste time on manual adjustments,” as Teler put it, the decision to choose the BOBST MASTER M5 was primarily driven by its ability to handle various unsupported films, including new eco-materials. Other factors influencing the selection included transitioning from traditional solvent inks to UV-cured inks and the machine’s solventless lamination capability.

“The investment in the MASTER M5 press allows us to convert more sustainable materials and eliminate harmful solvents from our production process for maximum sustainability. Now, the first production always goes to the M5 which gives us the flexibility to print any run length profitably. As a result, we can deliver the best quality, in the fastest time to market, and very cost-effectively, for all our customers,” Teler concluded.

With the BOBST MASTER M5 leading the way, Isamar is poised for a future marked by even more sustainable products that support the circular economy. This decisive move will propel the company towards robust growth and expansion into other members of Mercosur - South America Trade Agreement countries.

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