Iban Cid, CEO of Germark

Spanish label specialist Germark extends its partnership with BOBST by investing in a new DIGITAL MASTER 340. As the fourth machine from BOBST in just three years, the All-in-One modular label press is being brought in to expand digital printing capacity and produce fully finished labels in-line for Germark’s high-end customers in the beauty and cosmetics market.

Always a trailblazer when it comes to new technology, Germark S.A., in Barcelona, seeks out the best to serve its customers with exceptional label quality. The company operates a large fleet of flexo and digital presses which already includes three pieces of BOBST equipment: two MASTER M5 inline flexo presses and a BOBST inkjet machine. The addition of a brand-new DIGITAL MASTER 340 is a key part of Germark’s strategy to increase the automation level in its workflows and deliver innovative, sustainable solutions.

“We started our partnership with BOBST in 2020 when we installed the first inkjet press, and subsequently bought two MASTER M5 flexo machines,” said Germark CEO Iban Cid. “Our experience with these three investments has been excellent, so naturally we looked at the DIGITAL MASTER series as the next step in the evolution of our production capabilities, as we move towards closer integration between digital printing and finishing.”

Perfect labels delivered quickly
The BOBST DIGITAL MASTER 340 operates as a fully digitalized and automated production line, from printing to finishing, meaning Germark will simply load the material at one end of the press and then remove the roll of printed and converted labels at the other. Developed to offer printers full flexibility on their production floor, it comes fitted with BOBST’s proprietary quality control system, ACCUCHECK, as standard for the calibration of the Digital Printing Unit and 100% inspection of label quality throughout the run. At Germark, it operates with a turret rewinder for further reduction in operator intervention.

“We chose the BOBST DIGITAL MASTER 340 because it offers the possibility of manufacturing printed rolls of adhesive labels in a single pass,” continued Iban Cid. “Moreover, the ACCUCHECK system guarantees 100% quality which was an important factor in making our decision. This will also help us to cut waste of materials and time, so we can deliver perfect labels with faster turnaround time and sustainable operation, which is what our customers demand.”

Despite its versatility and multitude of options, the DIGITAL MASTER 340 can easily be run by just one operator and will reach a speed of up to 100 m/min at full native resolution of 1200 dpi. Featuring seamless integration between the inkjet print engine and the finishing, the unique press design means that each module comes with a high level of automation making job startups and changeovers fast and simple. This will give Germark the ability to profitably produce shorter runs of multiple SKUs according to the just-in-time principle requested by brand owners.

“The objective for Germark is to automate more of the processes in our label production, so we can be more efficient, reduce waste and provide the best possible service to our customers. The BOBST DIGITAL MASTER 340 will allow us to meet these targets and grow our digital printing offering,” added Dr Cid. “BOBST is a preferred supplier partner for Germark and all four of our BOBST machines, both flexo and digital, play important roles in our strong future strategy for innovative and sustainable label production.”

DIGITAL MASTER 340 Openhouse at Germark in Barcelona
The purchase of the new DIGITAL MASTER 340 will soon be a success. Less than four weeks after installation, Germark is ready to welcome visitors to its 10,000 sqm large facility in Cornellà de Llobregat, on the western outskirts of Barcelona. Here, an Open House event will allow label converters from near and far to see the innovative BOBST technology in action as the DIGITAL MASTER 340 will run live throughout the day.

Germark is a growing family-owned company founded in 1958. Posting an annual turnover of €14.5mio, it employs 120 staff across the Labels and Systems divisions in Barcelona, Spain. Label production makes up 70% of the business, while the remaining 30% comes from developing labelling machines, coding systems, and RFID projects. Over 50% of customers are in the high-end beauty and cosmetics market, and 27% of production goes to export in Europe and Latin America.