With six production sites across northern Europe, Nordvalls Etikett is one of Scandinavia’s leading suppliers of labels. To improve production efficiency, it has consistently chosen Martin Automatic unwind/splice technology for its printing presses.
Established back in 1907 by Victor Hugo Olsson, Nordvalls now employs more than 350 people at its production facilities in Sjöbo, Bjuv, and Mölnlycke in Sweden and at Trondheim in Norway. In addition, Watermill Press in Bradford, UK and Kölle Etiketten in Esslingen, Germany, are constituents of Nordvalls, which itself has been part of the German Possehl Group since 2017. Altogether, the Nordvalls plants account for a turnover in excess of EUR 300m/year, supplying labels to the food & beverage, pharmaceutical, snus, e-commerce, chemicals, cosmetics and logistics sectors.
Efficiency over speed
According to Group CEO, Patrik Jenemark, the decision to fit Nordvalls’ presses with Martin Automatic technology was not about speed. “What we value most of all is the reliable efficiency they bring to our production. By allowing us to run the presses non-stop, we produce more per shift, maintain consistently higher quality, and significantly reduce the level of wasted substrate.”
Praised for the simplicity of their design, the Martin MBS non-stop unwind/splicers, of which Nordvalls has installed six in the past decade, are fitted to a variety of Mark Andy and Gallus narrow web flexo lines and ABG Omega machines around the Group. “They give us a perfect splice every time, which improves press uptime and reduces operator fatigue. And not having to stop the line to change rolls manually and then ramp up speed afterwards, gives us a more consistent quality,” he added.
With today’s printed packaging market in a constant state of flux, Nordvalls is keen to stay ahead of the demand curve and the move towards digital production. Its commitment to what it calls ‘Nordvalls 2.0’ is showcased by the most recent Martin MBS installation that sees the unwind/splicer fitted to an ABG Omega line to clear a bottleneck in production that the Omega was creating by running slower than the printing presses.
Four trends for the sector
“We see four clear trends in our sector: personalisation/customisation; niche brands; sustainability; and regulatory compliance – and our investment strategy is designed to fulfil all of those requirements going forward,” said Mr Jenemark. His plan is to combine the company’s long history of craftsmanship and experience with the latest that technology can offer to help customers grow their business. “There is so much more to a label than pure decoration and product identity, and requirements will continue to increase, so it’s vital we can respond to all of them,” he added.
Speaking for Martin Automatic, Sales Manager Chris Chappel explained: “As pressure grows on converters to supply top quality products with shorter lead times, the more the production process can be automated, the better. Our relationship with Nordvalls goes back many years, and the reason it continues to flourish is the simple efficiency of the MBS machine and the quick ROI it offers.”
At Nordvalls, as with most packaging manufacturers today, sustainability is at the core of what they do and how they do it, and the company is aware that its ecological, financial and social consciences are inextricably linked. “Sustainability that lasts achieves results. What we are working to ensure is that future generations can satisfy their needs. Sustainable solutions are essential to survival, both in life and in business, and we work hard to offer a range of environmentally friendly and climate-conscious materials that are as wide as possible,” Mr Jenemark concluded.
Caption: Moritz Osthoff with Patrik Jenemark at Nordvalls’ plant in Bjuv