With over 80 years in the Mexican market, EM Labels invests to modernize its premium label operation.

However, to succeed in its growth strategy, the company needed to take a step further. “Five years ago, we decided to modernize our flexographic department, so at the end of 2018 we invested in a BOBST in-line flexographic press with 8 colors, full UV, 370mm wide, multi substrate capability, in-line finishing and embellishment such as fully interchangeable screen-printing units,” says Dr. Fabian Stepensky, CEO of EM Labels. “This was the most automated machine in Mexico and it brought us higher print speeds, greater efficiency, more quality and, above all, much faster setups.”  

These objectives were achieved in a short space of time. In just two weeks, the installation and training were carried out, with significant results achieved immediately, such as the reduction of waste in setup and production. Training was also crucial in getting the equipment up and running. In addition to training the operators at the EM Labels plant, two of them were sent to BOBST's Competence Center in Italy to ensure they would get the most out of the equipment’s capabilities. 

The investment allowed EM Labels to address new and more sophisticated applications, as well as larger job volumes that it previously had difficulty serving, because the flexographic presses were old and the digital ones could not handle longer runs. Less than two years later, EM Labels acquired a second BOBST flexographic press, very similar to the first one, with the purpose of taking advantage of tooling and screen-printing. Then, just under a year later, a third BOBST press was added to obtain the highest profitability, productivity and flexibility needed to serve micro, short, medium and even very long runs, with the same quality and above all, comply with the increasingly shorter delivery times demanded by customers. 

“This complete configuration of the equipment and our increasingly automated workflows allow us to be very competitive and fully satisfy the niche of emergencies that increasingly becomes more critical,” comments Dr. Stepensky. 

The investments were also an important step in getting ready to serve more strategic markets, such as shrink sleeves. “Sleeves are growing a lot in the automotive, home care and beauty markets, as that type of labeling allows for wider graphics on the bottle, as well as a simpler labeling process in production for brand owners. We can say that today, sleeves already account for 10–12% of our production and continues to grow because we have adequate equipment to do it and we do it with unparalleled quality,” says the CEO. The ability to convert sleeves provides a great competitive advantage for EM Labels as not all converters can handle these more complex materials.  

All finishing is done in-line, which offers great flexibility in terms of handling runs for the most efficient equipment. Only more complex or sophisticated embellishments are done separately offline, such as some specific types of embossing or screen-printing.  

Dr. Stepensky concludes, “In addition to the productivity gains, there are also a lot of sustainability benefits. Less time and production waste, and UV inks that have replaced solvent technology also represent a major advance in our sustainability goals.” The company has air quality control systems and environmental pollution reduction programs in place, meaning they do not emit hazardous waste. In addition to all the efficiencies and reduction of waste, UV printing also allows them to convert more complex eco-friendly materials, such as compostables. 

The differentiation that EM Labels has achieved with the most recent investments allows the company to plan the next growth cycle to mark leadership and print innovation.  

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