We have them on the Rotacontrol stand on their hybrid die-cutting line and it has generated some good responses, said Gavin Rittmeyer, vice president, sales and marketing at Martin Automatic.

Martin is also displaying the Martin NBS 06 1740 butt splicer and the Martin LRD 06 1831, automatic splicing rewinder. “Capable of handling a variety of materials, including labelstock and unsupported lightweight films, both units will be installed on a Gallus Labelmaster LM440 press at All4Labels Group in Europe after the expo,” said Rittmeyer.

Martin Automatic has 24 of its machines installed in India, the last one was installed in December 2018 at Essel Propack.

According to Rittmeyer, in the machine which Martin manufactures, his company continues to see a push towards 660-, 670- up to 720mm wide web, as well. “Because label converters are looking to enter the flexible packaging market for shrink sleeves or wrap around labels. We have also seen, especially in the United States approach towards sachets or what we call as pouches,” said Rittmeyer.

He added, “So wider web and filmic web for the flexible packaging is what you may see, and our machines are designed nicely to be able to do that. In fact, you can run PS label stock, as well as the flexible packaging on machines without any changes.”

Pouches have been the flavour of the Labelexpo show because converters are looking at it for a lot of reasons. Some are environmental reasons. There’s this age-old discussion as to when is the label the package and when is the package a label. “With the sachet or pouch, you have answered the question, said Rittmeyer. “I think that there’s going to be more of them in the years to come. “As you see flexible packaging, shrink sleeve and wrap-around today, I think in several years from now, you'll start to see an equal amount of sachets and patches talked about at the show.”