ARNHEM, Netherlands—MPS opened its doors at company headquarters in Arnhem, The Netherlands during drupa 2016 on June 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7, and reports a rewarding, well attended event. Open house visitors were treated to live demonstrations on the MPS EF multi substrate, EB label solution and the hybrid flexo/digital EF SYMJET presses, and a factory tour that included an impressive 91.86-ft. offset combination press: the largest ever built by MPS.
During the five day open house, MPS received more than 150 visitors representing 24 different nationalities. Aakon Schüssel, sales and marketing director of MPS, said: “We are pleased to have had the opportunity to welcome so many visitors from all over the world, who took time during drupa to visit our Technology & Expertise Centre in Arnhem. This open house surpassed all our expectations.”
A private MPS Express bus brought drupa visitors to Arnhem where they were welcomed in the pristine Technology & Expertise Centre. After an opening greeting delivered by Schüssel, MPS Print Manager Hans Poortinga kicked off the live demonstrations with a presentation of advanced workflow integration and efficiency benefits between the Label Traxx MIS/ERP module and AVT 100 percent inspection system. The first press demonstration was the EF multi substrate press, on which a three ply, multilayer label was printed. This unique and complicated print job was demonstrated in perfect register with speed reaching 393.7 fpm.
Demonstrated next was the EB label solution press, running a job of self adhesive labels with print on the glue side on 14.17-in. print width material, using delam/relam. Shown were the differences and similarities between the two presses, as the identical image was printed.
MPS operators quickly changed the substrate on the EF press to a thin 40-µ. BOPP mono film, to prove its capability to print on any substrate. After enjoying a lunch buffet, the program continued with a demonstration of this foil job on the EF, showing the perfect register of this press under extreme circumstances such as low web tension. Last but not least, a live demonstration was given on the new hybrid EF SYMJET press, which MPS recently launched into the narrow web label market. Hans demonstrated the advantages of hybrid flexo/digital printing by running a self adhesive label with cold foil application, and a variation in color, using the integrated digital Domino N610i unit.
The open house program was completed with a factory tour where visitors saw first hand the impressive 91.86-ft. long offset, flexo, gravure and screen combination press; the largest ever built by MPS. A bag with the latest MPS product brochure and appreciation gifts was handed to visitors before boarding the MPS Express bus back to drupa.
A memorable moment during the five day open house event was the on site signing of a new MPS flexo press order with a Polish customer.