In search of reliable, innovative and productive printing equipment, Mexican label converter Flexopolis has invested in its second Bobst flexo press to address new markets through greater agility, increased sustainability and higher value-added products. Founded in 2010 as part of the Litopolis Group, Flexopolis is located in Mexico City. It specializes in packaging solutions, with a focus on labels and shrink sleeves for the automotive, personal care, and food industries. 

After poor experiences with flexo technology in the past, the company says it decided to invest in the Bobst Master M5 label press. According to CEO Patrícia Ruiz, “With the special features from Bobst, we can do coupon labels and we’re almost ready to start producing in-mold labels too. This is very interesting because Mexico is not yet as developed in this market.”

Ruiz says the equipment’s ease of operation and the high print quality were the main differentiators that made the decision to invest with Bobst easy. This is the second Master M5 press acquired by Flexopolis.  “We have very demanding customers, so the most important aspect for us is to deliver the best quality products, both in terms of register and color. We also need better finishes and products that other companies can’t offer,” she says.

Reinforcing the importance of innovative and high-quality products in the Mexican market, Ruiz explains that being able to count on Bobst to produce these labels with greater agility and simplicity is, without a doubt, a very welcome addition to the portfolio.

The 430mm wide Bobst Master M5 is configured for 8-color UV flexo printing. Its PrintTutor system ensures precise and automatic register control, offering the ability to work with multiple substrates. The Master M5 can be equipped with different inline accessories, expanding the application range reachable by converters.

Over the past 15 years, Flexopolis has multiplied its production capacity more than five-fold, delivering quality products to the Mexican market that are exported worldwide by its customers. The advanced features of the Master M5 that provide faster, simpler job changes and more automated operation have already been praised by Flexopolis’ prepress operators and printers. They celebrate the ease of working with the machine and Bobst’s responsive support in resolving any printing issues. 

“The biggest advantage of working with a company like Bobst is that they’re global and always at the forefront of new solutions. When we have questions, we can call them at any time, and they’re always ready to help,” says Ruiz. She was also pleasantly surprised by the high reliability of the press and the dedication of the Bobst team right from the beginning of the negotiation process.

Ruiz praises the absence of maintenance downtime, and the new level of productivity achieved by the company: “Of all our machines, the Bobst Master M5 is the most productive by a significant margin, almost 30%. The simple truth is that it allows us to run very fast and deliver high-quality products,” she says.

Today, Flexopolis has a much lower environmental impact thanks to the savings on substrate and ink waste during setup and printing, in addition to lower energy consumption and less waste at the end of the process. This has been made possible by the addition of the optional PrintTutor system which automatically controls and corrects registration using cameras that certify the longitudinal and transversal accuracy of the print.