The global popularity of Omet's award winning X-Flex line now includes Israel, where leading label converter S Lerner Ltd has installed a 9-colour 430mm version to help develop its share of the shrink sleeve market.  The new flexo press has 8 UV print units and one fitted with hot air dying.  Specification includes automatic register control with the company's Vision-1 inspection system, corona treatment on both sides of the web, and 'Peal & Seal' capability.  

Chosen for its fast make-ready capability: "The X-Flex impressed us with its technology and performance.  We found Omet to be an innovative company with a wealth of knowledge and expertise.  This was crucial when it came to choosing a supplier to take us forward," explained the company's CEO Doron Lerner. 

The X-Flex is Lerner's first Omet press, and the company sees it as a new and exciting technological solution for bottle and container packaging.  The shrink-wrap provides 360 degree packaging, which can be applied at speeds up to 1000 bottles per minute, with a lower cost per label than other solutions.  The wraps can be produced on white, clear or silver OPP, in up to 9 colours.

The finished product can be a mono layer with UV lacquer, or a double layer with the second layer being a lamination that coats the first layer for maximum protection.  "The qualities of the material allow for a 360 degree design, while the Omet press provides extraordinary printing results," commented Mr Lerner. 

Founded in Haifa in 1978 by Shmuel Lerner, the company, which is still in family ownership, moved to a new 4,000 sqm factory in Akko in 2000, where a staff of 100 and an annual throughput of 7,500,000 sqm of substrate generates a turnover of €10m.   

In addition to flexo technology, S Lerner has a digital print facility, a graphics studio, and in-house plate making.  "We like to control the production process from start to finish so that we are confident of the quality we offer our customers," added Doron Lerner, who explained that no work is outsourced. 

Today, S Lerner is one of Israel's leading suppliers of labels, self adhesive tapes, and shrink sleeves to the country's food and beverage, cosmetics and healthcare, agro-chemical, and detergent markets.