NuPrint Technologies, based in Derry Londonderry, Northern Ireland, has seen a spike in business and product quality since installing an FA-4* flexo press from Nilpeter in November 2015.

“Simply put, we had come to the stage where we were running at capacity with our existing production equipment,” explains Gavin Killeen, MD and owner, NuPrint Technologies. “We wanted to improve the quality of our existing product portfolio – mainly labels for the food and beverage sector, but also expand and meet a growing number of customer requests for flexible packaging products.”

Originally a recognized supplier of printed fabric labels for the clothing industry in the UK and Ireland, NuPrint Technologies has since established itself in the market for self-adhesive labels for the food, drink, and beverage sectors. In order to break into these sectors, major investment – totaling around £1.2 million by the end of 2006-2007 – was made in new equipment, the re-training and continued development of staff, as well as raising the brand profile.

After recognizing a need for new equipment, Nuprint Technologies spent the next 18 months scouring the market place, and considered going digital, before being introduced to Nilpeter’s FA-4* at Labelexpo Americas 2014 in Chicago, IL, USA.

“We were intrigued by the technology on offer, the ease of use, and thought it would fit in nicely with our modern print shop. I think we spent around six months comparing the numbers, asking a ton of questions, and there was no doubt – the FA-4* and a close partnership with Nilpeter was indeed the right solution for us,” says Killeen.

The new FA-4* 8-color full UV-press was installed at NuPrint Technologies in November 2015. In addition to the ergonomic design, short web path and fast job changes, NuPrint’s FA-4* is equipped with value-adding units for screen, cold foil, and cross-over printing. Another thing that really stood out to NuPrint and Gavin Killeen was the Nilpeter PowerLink system and the Air Control Satellite, which is basically a pad or tablet that offers a mirror image of the main control board for easy, mobile press operation and job prep. “The new press gives us a lot of opportunities,” adds Killeen. “For starters, the quality of the labels is just remarkable, which has opened doors in niche markets, as well as the high-end food and beverage sectors. And now we’re able to produce flexible sleeve packaging, flow packs, and more – really adding to our product portfolio.”

Another decisive factor in choosing the FA-4* was the testing at Nilpeter’s Technology Center in Denmark, as well as recommendations from existing Nilpeter customers. “The help and support from Nilpeter was tremendous. Every question we had was answered in the Technology Center, and we also got to visit five different companies in Denmark to see the FA-4* in action, which was great,” Killeen says.

According to Killeen, the level of help and support from Nilpeter has continued throughout the 12 months passed since the installation, and he adds that NuPrint Technologies hasn’t had much need for customer care at this stage. “The press has been running smoothly ever since, and the minor issues we’ve faced were solved very quickly,” he says.

As a result of the added possibilities and new business, NuPrint Technologies is now looking to the future. “The market is moving in that direction, and I can definitely see us adding more flexible packaging products in the future, like in-mold labels, lidding film, etc.,” says Killeen. “I foresee a very long-term relationship with Nilpeter in that sense, as the partnership to this point has been extremely rewarding. I look forward to the next step.”