Four letters symbolize the success of Orbo Labels in Belgium: LPDE. They stand for low-density polyethylene. LDPE foil feels softer and thicker and has lower density than traditional foils made from HDPE (high density polyethylene). In addition, it barely rustles. Thanks to these specific qualities, it is ideally suited to the packaging of frozen foods.
Therein lies one of the greatest secrets of the success of Orbo Labels, which was established in 1994 and employs 65 people. The area surrounding the company's site in Kortemark is known for the cultivation of a wide range of vegetables. The numerous vegetable producers provided an ideal niche market for Orbo Labels. All that was then needed for frozen food packaging were first-class suppliers of the highly challenging LDPE foils and the right web printing press.
30 ?m Foils
After entering the flexible packaging business six years ago, Orbo Labels, which has made a name for itself in Flanders and beyond and has customers in both the food and non-food segments, printed exclusively using the flexo method. "Our total printing volume is rising steadily. However, our runs for the various products were decreasing owing to the sales campaigns of our customers and increasing product variability, so I searched for alternative printing methods," says Sales Manager Rik Pappijn.
Orbo Labels found what it was looking for at Muller Martini's Print Technology Center in the German town of Maulburg. "We performed tests on the VSOP web printing press from Muller Martini with LDPE foils with 30 ?m thickness, although we normally print on foils with 50 ?m thickness," says Pappijn." The results were perfect. The printing quality using the VSOP is just as high as in rotogravure printing, with the difference that the pre-press costs with the VSOP are markedly lower than in rotogravure printing."
A few months after the successful test runs, Orbo Labels put its VSOP with six printing units and a flexo unit for opaque white and lacquer into roll/roll operation. Currently, 95 percent of the products printed using the new web printing press are foils. Growing numbers of firms rely on the considerable expertise of the Belgian foil specialist, be it in duplex or triplex laminates, which are increasingly in demand because of their prevention of migration, printing on polyester or color sealing by means of OPP (oriented polypropylene foils)."We have received a lot of positive feedback from our customers and are continuing to strengthen our position in this market segment," says Pappijn with pride.
"EB is the Perfect Solution"
Orbo Labels, which leaves the sleeves and in-mold business to other printing plants, is currently using only four of its six VSOP printing units. "We can produce all our products using the four process colors of cyan, magenta, yellow and black so we don't need any specific Pantone colors," says the Sales Manager. "That means we never need to wash our printing units, which saves us a lot of time, as do the quick changeovers between the various sizes thanks to the convenient operation of the VSOP."
Orbo Labels, which also uses six label printing presses, two digital printing presses and a flexo printing press and has British Retail Consumer certification, benefits from two other key advantages of the new web printing press, in addition to the high printing quality and the quick make ready. First, the large roll width of 850 mm, which provides a high degree of flexibility and productivity. And, second, electron beam hardening. "I consider EB the perfect solution, since it prevents contamination and odor," says Pappijn
