Macedonian label converter, Moniko, has fitted a Martin Automatic MBS non-stop unwind/splicer to its newly installed Edale FL5 flexo press to improve productivity and reduce waste.
The company, which is based in the country’s capital city Skopje, was established in 1991 by the current CEO Vladimir Kjurchiev, and now employs 33 people with a sales turnover of €6.5m.
In 2012, the company was approached by a casino to supply tickets on lightweight cartonboard. ‘It’s a high-volume low-margin business so you have to specialise to make it work. We started small with a local casino but as our reputation grew, we quickly established an international business and today our casino tickets are in use all over the world,’ Mr Kjurchiev explained.
In 2019, Moniko moved all its ticket production, at that time being produced on Gallus EM280 presses, into a new 3000sqm factory. In a quest to maximise potential in this market sector, it was felt that an investment in new technology was required, resulting in the installation of an Edale FL5 six-colour flexo press, with the Martin MBS unwind/splice unit being fitted to allow continuous operation.
Said by the manufacturer to be capable of matching the Edale’s top production speed of 200m/min, the Martin can handle rolls at web widths up to 660mm, 1270mm in diameter, and 590kg in weight. According to Mr Kjurchiev, using the Martin saves around 60m of material per roll change and by allowing the press to run continuously there is no drop in quality.
The MBS unwind/splicer is fitted with Martin’s ‘Enhanced Operator Productivity Package’, which according to Bernd Schopferer, European sales manager for Martin Automatic, ‘includes a festoon dancer brake system that holds the roller carriage in position, even if air and power is cut off unintentionally.’
He added, ‘The system also guides the operator through the splice preparation and monitors the status of the components required for safe operation. It has a laser assist system for the second-side tape roller, which makes precise positioning of the tape on the second side easy and helps straighten the new web into the splice unit. It’s a really useful added-value package.’
Following installation of the Edale/Martin combination, it has been projected that production at Moniko will double and sales will grow beyond €10m by 2026.
