Maquinarium, Heaford mark 10-Year partnership with installation and new Brazil demo center

Brazilian machinery distributor Maquinarium and UK-based flexographic prepress equipment manufacturer Heaford are celebrating 10 years of partnership, highlighted by the installation of a Heaford FTS flexo plate mounter at Maquinarium’s facility in São Caetano do Sul, Brazil.

The facility will serve as demo center for Heaford’s plate mounting technology and will give converters throughout Brazil the opportunity to evaluate the FTS plate mounting system firsthand. The machine was also featured during the Flexo & Labels event held in São Paulo in May, where it was introduced to attendees from across the region.

Founded in 2016, Maquinarium represents a portfolio of equipment suppliers serving the flexographic printing industry, with Heaford among its first manufacturing partners. According to the companies, the partnership has helped expand access to advanced flexo prepress technology for Brazilian label and package printers.

The FTS is designed for narrow web and flexible packaging applications, using a patented flat-table design that enables fast, repeatable plate mounting while maintaining high accuracy. The system also offers upgradeable features that allow converters to expand capabilities as production requirements evolve.

Nick Vindel, international sales manager at Heaford, says Brazil continues to be one of the strongest growth markets in South America for flexographic printing, with converters seeking greater reliability, automation, and production efficiency.

“That makes it important for Heaford to have a trusted and reliable partner in the region,” Vindel comments. “We are proud to call Maquinarium part of the Heaford family and look forward to working with Fernando and his team long into the future.”

Fernando Albuquerque, founder of Maquinarium, says the partnership has played a key role in the company’s growth and in supporting the development of Brazil’s flexographic printing industry.