Skanem, a leading multinational labels provider, has installed a new BOBST MASTER M5 Flexo press at its Nairobi site in Kenya. The MASTER M5 is the ultimate press for converters keen to automate their production line, through outstanding productivity enabled by a digital workflow with integrated printing and converting technologies.
The main priority for Skanem is the guarantee of quality labels. The MASTER M5 ensures very high-quality consistency at very low operating costs. Skanem prints a wide variety of substrates on this press, including pressure-sensitive labels, BOPP wraparound labels, shrink sleeve labels and in-mould labels.
‘For us, everything is about quality,’ says Mr. Sachen Gudka, MD of Skanem Interlabels Nairobi Limited. ‘Our customers rightly demand quality and we want to be able to provide them with the highest quality labels available on the market. With the MASTER M5, we can feel confident about being able to give our customers exactly what they want.’
Sachen also cites speed and ease of use as crucial factors in the company’s decision. ‘With current packaging trends, run lengths are getting shorter and SKU proliferation is getting larger,’ he says. ‘This is where the production workflow with the MASTER M5 is very appealing. In addition, printing and converting speed along with ease of use are important factors, as well as the quality and speed of service support. BOBST ticks all these boxes.’
Sustainability is another major focus for Skanem, with a stated aim to create growth for its customers based on sustainable labelling and packaging solutions in evolving markets. This is another area where the MASTER M5 can support, with systems and solutions that reduce downtime and waste.
Skanem in Nairobi exports labels across 13 countries in Africa, servicing a wide range of customers across the beverage, food, personal care, home care, pharmaceutical, automotive and industrial packaging industries. The partnership between Skanem and BOBST goes back several years.
‘We know that if we buy cheap machines, they tend to be more expensive in the long run,’ Sachen states. ‘We know we can trust BOBST. It’s a strong name, with a strong history of packaging machinery and a strong pipeline filled with innovation.’