Muller Martini Launches New VSOP Printing Press with Sleeve Technology

Since the acquisition of the patents for the VSOP model series from Drent Goebel last year, Muller Martini has been able to offer a comprehensive range of equipment in offset printing.

Aug 7 2010 --- It only takes a second for a consumer to choose a product when browsing through a store, which means eye-catching and relevant packaging is the key to successful sales. More and more food manufacturers are therefore choosing shrink sleeve labels particularly for beverages and milk products. This year, Muller Martini is launching the new VSOP printing press with sleeve technology to establish itself as the market leader in web offset printing presses for package printing.

Unlike other sectors in the graphics industry, order volumes in package printing are currently quite good. And the reason: even during economically difficult times, the consumer sector has shown itself to be relatively stable. One sector showing strikingly good production figures at the moment, despite the economic slump, is shrink sleeve printing.

The annual growth rate of shrink sleeves in the food industry (beverages in particular) in the European Union is around 10 percent. Christian Steeb, General Manager of Nyco Flexible Packaging GmbH, which has 170 employees in Kirchberg near the Swiss capital of Bern, has also noticed the trend: “In 2009, we printed 700 million shrink sleeve units. This year, it will be more than a billion.”

Deciding in Seconds

One of the main reasons why more and more food manufacturers are choosing shrink sleeves for their beverages, yogurts or salad sauces is the sheer limitless number of design and labeling possibilities. This is to account for today’s stressed-out shoppers, who decide whether or not to buy a product in a matter of seconds. This is particularly true of kiosks or similar sales outlets such as gas station shops. Marketing specialists call this the “moment of truth” at the point of sale.

“With classic labels, there are limits as to the possible types of imprint,” says Christian Steeb. “With shrink sleeves, on the other hand, you have more room for maneuver.” According to Matthias Roth, Strategic Buyer at renowned Swiss beverages manufacturer Rivella AG in Rothrist, the increasing number of brands also has a major influence on packaging, and therefore on how packaging is designed and printed. “Products bought straight from the shelf are almost always chosen for their packaging.”

Investment in Packaging

While Rivella – a whey-based soft drink unchallenged in its market segment – traditionally has a paper label, the Michel fruit drinks that are also filled by Rivella AG have the better quality shrink sleeves. Ten years ago, Rivella only sold two products that used shrink sleeves. By 2005 this number had risen to seven, and now 13 products have shrink sleeves. And they are no longer called simply Michel Orange or Pineapple, but Michel Bodyguard, Tinga, Beauty Colada and Power Coffeeberry. “Shrink sleeves convey emotions better,” says Tatiana Giorgi, Project Manager, Marketing, Rivella AG, “and in such a hard-fought market as fruit juices, this is critical, particularly among the younger generation.”

Just as important as quality, in fact. “Good design isn’t just about the appeal,” stresses Tatiana Giorgi, “it’s about positioning the brand and creating a positive link to the drink and its manufacturer.” According to Tatiana, it is precisely because Michel is a premium brand in the upper price segment that neither can nor wants to compete with the cheaper products in the supermarket that Rivella is prepared to add extra value to the product and invest in the packaging.

An aspect that, according to Samuel Fueter, Head of Product Management Team Fresh at Switzerland’s largest dairy producer, Emmi, also believes is key for premium product Caffè Latte. “However,” says Fueter, “the packaging must always match the overall concept.” For this reason, shrink sleeves seem almost tailor-made for the conical containers of Caffè Latte, which since its launch in 2004 has become the most successful product introduction in Emmi’s history.

New (Price) Dimensions Thanks to VSOP Technology...

The manufacturing costs in the printing plant and processing costs at the filling machine are higher for shrink film than for paper labels. However, the new VSOP technology (see box on page 32) makes shrink sleeves an increasingly attractive form of packaging, even in terms of price. Nyco, Europe’s number 1 in printing PET covers, produces food packaging using all three technologies – UV flexo for small orders, rotogravure for high-volume runs, and VSOP for small-volume and high-volume runs. VSOP has been in use for one year, originated from Drent Goebel, and is now managed by Muller Martini. “This allows us to compare the three variants with each other perfectly,” says Christian Steeb.

And according to the General Manager of Nyco, the new technology fares well in the comparison for three reasons: “First, we have much less production waste with the VSOP machine. Second, the machines mean we need much less changeover time. And third, the printing method costs with VSOP offset technology are much lower than with rotogravure.”

…A Delight for Customers

In turn, customers also benefit from the lower square meter price during printing. “For us, it is of course a major advantage if we are able to reduce initial costs,” says Matthias Roth from Rivella. “Our run volumes today are much lower than they used to be due to the wider range of products, and the large number of sales campaigns and competitions.”
“In the last ten years, the job volume has halved,” says Christian Steeb. With an upward trend, a job printed on the Nyco VSOP today has an average of 10,000 running meters. The smallest job is 500 running meters, while the largest is 40,000.

And then there’s the print quality. Christian Steeb thinks that “his” VSOP, on which up to 99 percent of shrink sleeves are printed, produces better print quality than rotogravure: “In terms of printing inks, the two technologies are at about the same level. But the register accuracy is better with our VSOP.”

According to Matthias Roth, perfectly printed labels and shrink sleeves are an absolute necessity for established brands like Rivella and Michel: “The packaging is our company’s business card. So we need the best print quality, and we therefore only work with the best printing houses.”

New Business Models Thanks To VSOP

Since the acquisition of the patents for the VSOP model series from Drent Goebel last year, Muller Martini has been able to offer a comprehensive range of equipment in offset printing. The Muller Martini range of printing presses covers the requirements of a wide and unique customer base – from (traditional) forms and paper labels to extensive and versatile film wraps, film labels and shrink sleeves.

“Our solutions,” says Hanspeter Pfister, Managing Director of Muller Martini Printing Presses GmbH in Maulburg, “allow customers to implement promising new business models in the growth market of flexible and carton packaging.”