MPS has announced Sira OOD has selected an MPS EF multi-substrate press to expand its flexo printing capacity. With the EF flexo press, the Bulgarian printer will broaden its capabilities in the narrow web market with the production of plastic wrap-around labels, complementing their current offering of self-adhesive and wet glue labels.

With its new MPS EF flexo press, Sira OOD is able to control a range of substrates while meeting high print requirements in quality and register control.  The EF flexo press is feature-rich with six UV-print stations, delamination-relamination, cold foil, automatic register, die-cutting station, and the APC package which extends the machine’s print quality and options. The machine is also built with servo drives, video inspection, corona treatment, and sleeve technology on each print station for the loading and unloading of print cylinders – providing ease of operation.

Originally a sheet-fed offset printer, Sira OOD entered the narrow web market eight years ago with the addition of flexo printing, to grow its market share and become a more flexible supplier of labels and other products. Today, the Bulgarian printer offers three printing techniques: sheet-fed offset, digital and flexo. In addition to customers in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, the majority of Sira OOD customers are in the food sector including beverage, dairy and meat. At present, Sira OOD produces high volumes of self-adhesive labels found on canned foods, vacuum packaging, bottles and more. The EF flexo press will enable Sira OOD to accommodate a growing demand for wrap-around labels from their existing and potential new customers. Sira OOD is also considering the production of labels with low migration inks.

The investment of the new MPS EF flexo press was partly actualized with EU funding, with Sira OOD receiving funding approval in the summer of 2014. Installation of the press is planned for February 2015 at its factory in Veliko Tarnovo, followed by a week of operator training. The sale and factory acceptance process was supported by MPS agent ISM GmbH Co. Kg, who represents MPS in Central and Eastern Europe and is equipped with a team of local (after) sales and service experts.

Stefan Vasilev, technical director of Sira OOD, says, “The new MPS EF 340 press with APC will enable Sira to enter a new market sector. We now have an extended and more versatile capability across a variety of substrates, with superior quality. Our operators are highly skilled, and the factory test proved the MPS EF flexo press is really easy to operate – we expect our new press will be running full production in no time. With its APC package, user-friendly design, ergonomic handling, and clear and practical press control and management systems, our operators are very excited to work with the new MPS press. Our customers will be impressed with the print quality, range of options, and shorter lead times.”