L&NW Staff06.09.20
Reflex Label Plus, a division of the Reflex Group, has installed four Martin Automatic unwind/splicers on two MPS lines. Reflex Label Plus specializes in product development for a range of sectors, including food packaging.
The MPS lines at the Barwell-based facility were equipped with two non-stop unwind/splicing systems from Martin Automatic. One is a Martin MBX butt splicer that unwinds paperboard, typically 150-450 micron, from rolls as large as 72” (1,828mm) in diameter.
Additionally, each press was specified with a Martin MBSF splicer. Initially supplied to feed 12-18-micron PET and OPP films, Shaun Boult, production manager, notes that the MBSF splicers’ multi-substrate abilities to run paper and light board stocks will be crucial as Reflex looks to manufacture differentiated products.
Referring to the combination of Martin Automatic splicers, Boult says, “Obviously, we bought them for continuous running, and our material waste has reduced to nearly nothing. With the excellent registration capabilities of the MPS presses, we throw out just the one product with the splice in it.”
The simplicity of the Martin splicers is also an advantage in training. “It’s easy equipment to learn how to use, easy to train our operators—30 minutes and they’ve got it, and they can concentrate on the other parts of the line. I highly rate them,” he adds.
Although the package printing operation is connected to the labels section, it is run as an independent entity. Even the press operators were not transferred from the labels side but were brought in specifically for this side of the business.
In addition to food-on-the-go product lines like sandwich packs, known as “sandwich skillets” in the trade, Reflex Labels Plus is looking at new products focused on sustainability.
“Sustainability is big here. We’re all about promoting products for less landfill, easier recycling, and total compostability,” he says.
Speaking for the Reflex Group, CEO Ian Kendall adds, “The biggest thing we look for at Reflex is customer support – and I cannot fault Martin in this respect. They are always quick to respond, and their equipment is reliable and consistent – everything you need for continuous production.”
The MPS lines at the Barwell-based facility were equipped with two non-stop unwind/splicing systems from Martin Automatic. One is a Martin MBX butt splicer that unwinds paperboard, typically 150-450 micron, from rolls as large as 72” (1,828mm) in diameter.
Additionally, each press was specified with a Martin MBSF splicer. Initially supplied to feed 12-18-micron PET and OPP films, Shaun Boult, production manager, notes that the MBSF splicers’ multi-substrate abilities to run paper and light board stocks will be crucial as Reflex looks to manufacture differentiated products.
Referring to the combination of Martin Automatic splicers, Boult says, “Obviously, we bought them for continuous running, and our material waste has reduced to nearly nothing. With the excellent registration capabilities of the MPS presses, we throw out just the one product with the splice in it.”
The simplicity of the Martin splicers is also an advantage in training. “It’s easy equipment to learn how to use, easy to train our operators—30 minutes and they’ve got it, and they can concentrate on the other parts of the line. I highly rate them,” he adds.
Although the package printing operation is connected to the labels section, it is run as an independent entity. Even the press operators were not transferred from the labels side but were brought in specifically for this side of the business.
In addition to food-on-the-go product lines like sandwich packs, known as “sandwich skillets” in the trade, Reflex Labels Plus is looking at new products focused on sustainability.
“Sustainability is big here. We’re all about promoting products for less landfill, easier recycling, and total compostability,” he says.
Speaking for the Reflex Group, CEO Ian Kendall adds, “The biggest thing we look for at Reflex is customer support – and I cannot fault Martin in this respect. They are always quick to respond, and their equipment is reliable and consistent – everything you need for continuous production.”