DIGI Labels Mullingar, formerly MLS Labels, and part of the DIGI Group, has installed a Mark Andy Evolution Series E3 flexo press at its production facility in Mullingar, County Westmeath. The facility is one of two locations in the DIGI Group in the Republic of Ireland, and there are another two in Northern Ireland. 

According to Declan Boran, general manager at DIGI Labels, “We have traditionally been a business based on short-run work, which we have managed well and made profitable – but we knew that we needed to expand our long run business to grow. The E3 offered the right blend of performance capability and value for money.”

Already a longstanding Mark Andy house, with legacy 830 and 2200 presses, the new Evolution Series is a 13” (330mm) 8-color flexo press fitted with turnbars, cold foil capability, a crossover unit and an adjustable anvil on the vertical die station.  It also has full UV capability and has been specified to cater for the special pharmacy, food and beverage work that DIGI Labels undertakes at Mullingar.

Launched in 2020, the Evolution 3 brought servo drive into this sector of the market for the first-time, offering control and flexibility combined with ease of use and low running costs. Designed to be scalable, the press is capable of 150 m/m, and its modularity means it can grow as demand changes. It offers precise inking and impression settings with robust diecutting options and has advanced web handling and Oldham drive for extremely accurate register control. The short web path gives tangibly low waste levels that save money, and it can produce a wide variety of products. 

The company is actively looking to acquire more label manufacturers in the UK and Ireland and has recently completed its acquisition of another production facility in Rol that specializes in long-run work. “We want to grow but stay independent and maintain the high level of personal service that our customers have come to expect,” he adds. 

Boran continues, “Most of our work is still on paper-based substrates, around 80%, and while this might change more toward film work, we will allow demand and environmental concerns to drive it. What we are looking to change is a move from single to double-shift operation – and we now have the production capability with the new Mark Andy E3 to do that.”  

DIGI Labels has seen sales grow by 20% in the past two years at Mullingar, so building on this should be straightforward with the added print capacity. “DIGI Group prioritizes the environment in its decision-making and its sustainability commitment allows customers to choose more eco-friendly options that are also cost-effective. Our cooperation with Mark Andy is an intrinsic part of this,” Boran concludes.