Spanish label converter Mirmar SA has installed a second Mark Andy Digital Series HD hybrid press after reporting increased production flexibility and capacity following the first machine’s introduction in 2023.
The family-owned company, based in Valencia, operates six Mark Andy Performance Series flexo presses alongside the two 430mm Digital Series HD presses. According to Mirmar, the second installation is intended to support growing volumes of short- and medium-run work while releasing capacity on its flexographic presses for longer production runs.
CEO Jaime Mir Pastor said the company had been looking for a solution to address declining run lengths and increasing numbers of SKUs.
“Our Mark Andy flexo presses are very efficient and quick to make-ready, but in today’s market of declining run lengths and increased numbers of SKUs, we needed to find a better solution for our short to medium run work,” he said. “The concept of single-pass production appealed more than digital printing with offline converting, and the compatibility of the DSHD with our existing equipment, and the familiarity of the flexo units to our operators made the decision to commit to the Mark Andy press quite straightforward.”
The second Digital Series HD has the same configuration as the first, featuring a seven-colour UV inkjet engine (CMYK plus orange, violet and white), two flexo stations for spot colours, cold foil or varnish, and equipment for peel-and-reseal applications. The press prints at up to 1200dpi and speeds of 73m/min.
According to Mirmar, the first hybrid press handled 35% of its jobs during its first year in operation. With both presses now in production, that figure has increased to 50%, representing less than one-fifth of total production volume but allowing longer-run work to remain on the company’s flexo presses.
Mr Pastor said the investment had also prompted the company to bring pre-press operations in-house, employing two full-time staff, while the simplified workflow supports ongoing recruitment and training in response to the industry’s shortage of experienced flexo operators.
He added that both presses entered commercial production within a week of installation, crediting Mark Andy’s training and after-sales support.
Mirmar supplies customers across a range of sectors including food, home care and cosmetics. The company said demand has been growing in the home care and cosmetics markets, where shorter runs, multiple SKUs and high-opacity white printing have increased the appeal of digital production.
Mark Andy sales manager Josep Balcells said the company expected its long-standing relationship with Mirmar to continue as converters respond to increasing productivity demands, shorter lead times and more complex production requirements.
