US label printer Catapult Print has begun 2025 with a ‘major’ investment in new machinery, which includes a second Com 500 coater machine, ordered from linerless label technology manufacturer Ravenwood, and an Opal turret slitter rewinder from manufacturer of slitter rewinder machines Ashe Converting Equipment.
‘Our aim is to provide the same exceptional service to every customer, whether they have been with us since day one, or joined us yesterday,’ said Catapult’s chairman and co-founder, Mark Cook. ‘I am confident that with the investments we have made, in machinery, technology, people and systems, we have kept pace with demand for our services and are continuing to innovate to provide the service our customers deserve and the transformation our industry needs.’
The new Com 500 coater machine will enable Catapult to double capacity. Aligned to Catapult’s Linerless+ proposition, which offers a choice of traditional or glue gap linerless labels, the new machine has been specified with glue gap technology to provide the flexibility for both options.
The coater enables simultaneous application of pressure sensitive adhesive and UV curable silicone lacquer, with a Nordson adhesive pre-melting and delivery system that allows for up to 12 slot heads with screw adjustments for glue stripe widths. It can accommodate variable line widths from 3mm to 45mm, and slits and rewinds multiple lanes into finished reels, in a single pass. The machine has a coating speed of up to 130m/min, and with a new silicone wheel support air shaft, changeovers are sped up.
The new investment with Ashe Converting Equipment means the company will have five rewind machines. The new machine will complement an end-to-end solution for Catapult’s 26-inch Nilpeter printing press, allowing the company to deliver at high speed, and maximising widths.
Additionally, all eight of the company’s Nilpeter FA-Line presses will be fully integrated with Nilpeter’s Digital Shadow solution, enabling the company to collect and analyse data to drive levels of efficiency and customer service, quality and sustainability.
These investments follow on from ‘record’ sales in Q4 of 2024 which saw the company onboard more than 80 new customers, while maintaining a customer retention rate of 98%, contributing to its $60m (£49.48 million) 2024 turnover.
Catapult now aims to achieve a $70 million (£57.72 million) turnover mark by the end of 2025, as the company looks to continue the ‘phenomenal’ year-on-year growth it has achieved since day one.
