France-based independent label converter Stic Image has brought a Mark Andy press into operation for the first time at its Lyon site, choosing a Digital Series HD flexo/inkjet hybrid model.
Mach Global, Mark Andy’s approved distributor in France, is now responsible for after-sales service for the company.
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Founded in 1994, Stic Image has been active in the label sector for more than three decades.
Cyrille Roze acquired the business in 2015 and serves as president and managing director.
At the point of acquisition, the company’s equipment included three letterpress machines, one flexo press and one digital toner press.
Since then, letterpress has been phased out while flexo and digital toner capacity have increased.
Against that background, the move to a digital hybrid platform marked a change in direction, particularly as the supplier had not previously been used by the company.
The newly installed Digital Series HD (DSHD) combines a UV inkjet unit with Mark Andy’s Performance Series flexo platform.
The configuration at Lyon includes five digital colours, CMYK+W, and five flexo stations positioned on either side of the digital engine.
The press has a web width of 430mm and runs at 73m/min, a rate more than twice that of Stic Image’s toner-based machines.
It is fitted with turn bars, a Gizmo web translator and a die-cutting unit, allowing finished labels to be produced in a single pass.
The installation has also released capacity on existing flexo lines, supporting both current production and additional work.
The majority of Stic Image’s output involves five-colour jobs, and the specification of five colours on the inkjet engine together with five flexo units means the press can operate in hybrid mode, or as a fully digital or fully flexo line.
Most of the company’s business is in France, with limited export activity. Roze is looking to win more work from wine producers in the area.
Roze said: “We are a multi-specialist player in all sectors of the label market with a comprehensive range of technology to fulfil all requirements.
“The new Mark Andy setup in France with Stéphane Rateau has given us confidence that our investment in the company’s technology will be well supported by a reliable team, and I am keen to make use of the DSHD hybrid’s full capability to grow our business.”
