At Pack Expo, the Variable Sleeve Offset Printing press receives welcomed response from packaging professionals seeking a competitive edge.

With this year’s Pack Expo delivering its largest increase in attendance, exhibitors and show size, Muller Martini took the opportunity to present its all-new booth display which showcased the Variable Sleeve Offset Printing press (VSOP) and the myriad of products it can produce. A host of influencers—including printers, brand managers and package designers—were impressed by the VSOP’s flexibility and high quality, and how it could play a significant role when printing their packaging.

The VSOP’s revolutionary packaging technology offers an impressive complement to traditional flexo and rotogravure processes. That’s because it enables printers to cost-effectively manage image changes—a welcomed benefit as brand managers increase SKUs in order to satisfy consumer demands for greater choice. In addition, the VSOP can be integrated with in-line web processing capabilities such as die-cutting and hybrid printing. What’s more, Muller can configure customized systems featuring offset, flexo or rotogravure towers to handle more complex packaging. That makes the VSOP a very powerful, complementary technology for packaging suppliers that utilize dedicated and less flexible high-volume systems.

Commented Gary Hughes, Muller’s Director of Global Packaging, “With the addition of the VSOP, a printer really gets the best of three worlds—offset, flexo and rotogravure. There’s a big advantage in terms of the low cost of changing images—significantly less than it costs with gravure plates. But what printers are also excited about is the fact that the VSOP brings the unmatched quality of offset into the flexo world.”

The new generation VSOP web offset printing press features a number of functionality and operational advancements, including a modular design philosophy that enables flexible machine configurations for a wide range of hybrid packaging printing applications. It’s in keeping with Muller’s business-building “Investment Protection” pledge which allows components to be added to the machine as opportunities arise and budgets allow. Currently, there are over 100 VSOP installations worldwide.

Muller also presented its other packaging solutions during Pack Expo: the Alprinta and Concepta web offset presses. The Alprinta is particularly effective when dealing with pharmaceutical inserts that feature a large amount of information in an ultra-compact design. The Concepta offers superior print quality and convenient operation, and can produce even the smallest job cost-effectively.