Leading print finishing equipment manufacturer, A B Graphic International (ABG), has recently supplied long standing customer, Stratus Packaging - one of Europe’s leading packaging companies in the self-adhesive label, shrink sleeve and IML market, with an impressive 5 new finishing machines. The move will allow the award-winning French firm to increase capacity and quality, improve lead times and continue to provide its customers with the very latest innovations in label manufacture.

Both ABG and Stratus Packaging have a long 20-year history of collaboration that has resulted in multiple equipment purchases, including 7 Digicon digital finishing machines. Their ongoing relationship has resulted in extensive research and development in new technologies and, as a result of feedback from Stratus Packaging’s customers, ABG has been able to better align product development to evolving requirements.

This latest round of investments includes a Digicon Series 3 with a flat bed hot foil and embossing module with rotating head (unwind and rewind for foil); the new fast set up cassette for tooling and a high speed screen module; 2 Omega SRIs - high specification and configured to meet the requirements of the pharmaceutical industry; and 3 fleyeVision camera inspection systems.

Commenting on the investment, Isidore Leiser, Stratus Packaging’s CEO, said: “The Digicon Series 3 with Big Foot and silk screen modules will allow us to offer our customers increased finishing and effects, while the SRI’s will provide a focus on cost-efficient finishing of pharmaceutical labels to meet the increased demand in this market. And by integrating the fleyeVision camera systems, we will be able to deliver 100% print inspection to our customers, thereby guaranteeing them perfect results and quality.”

With the machines scheduled to be installed in 4 of Stratus Packaging’s 6 manufacturing sites in late 2020, the company envisages that they will be able to link the new purchases with their MIS systems, to help further increase productivity and efficiencies.

“Our ongoing collaboration with Stratus comes as a result of a long and fruitful association, based on our shared values of offering customers the very latest innovations in finishing technology, together with a joint passion for quality. We look forward to continuing to support Stratus Packaging’s ongoing growth in the European self-adhesive label market,” said Mike Burton, ABG’s managing director.