The e-Flex machine cost a six-figure sum and its full servo-drive technology is good for longer runs and heavy-duty card.
The new 430mm-wide kit went into the 40-staff business based in Huntingdon, Cambs, last month and replaced a 330mm-wide Edale machine.
Production manager Sam Heneker said: “We wanted a wider machine to get more profit out of our runs. It will add to our turnover and make us more competitive.
“With paper prices going through the roof, we can't pass all of that on to our customers: we have to find ways of saving money in house. The e-Flex is one way of doing just that.”
Acorn Labels makes £5m turnover and runs four Edale Beta 330mm-wide machines, one of which is a six-colour model.
“We've been with Edale for 20 years and they have always been great. It was sad moving away from them, but this machine was tailored to our exact needs and was perfect.”
The e-Flex is being used to produce board tickets for the food sector. Heneker said the jobs weren't overly complex but needed to be done quickly on kit as wide as possible to squeeze out more proft.
“Tickets may be cheap, throw-away items, but we can roll out 150m to 160m per minute and the kit absolutely keeps registration. Once it's set you can do a 1,000m run with hardly any adjustment.”
Acorn Labels serves fresh produce, bakery, meat, trade, distribution, contract packing, toiletries, pets, automotive and retail sectors.
The kit, from Focus Label Machinery, includes full UV, die station and sheeter, turnbar with delam/relam and reverse print, functions.
It boasts 1,000mm unwind and twin 700mm rewinds to slit and split reels plus an extended 1,000mm rewind to support the longer runs and heavier cards.
Heneker said the kit's modular construction would allow growth when required and offered future proofing for the company to expand its core business.
“The press has been a game changer, enabling us to up production speeds by over 20% - this will grow as we bed the press in further. We want to use the e-Flex to increase our capacity and growth.”
Focus' business development and marketing manager James Thomas said the e-Flex was built to Acorn's exact specifications.
Focus Label Machinery meanwhile has announced a new partnership for Spain including the Balearic and Canary Islands with Sercoyse as an agent.
Sercoyse is a mechanical and electrical engineering business with knowledge in the narrow web, offset, packaging and labels market place.
The company will offer installation, service and support to customers and will sell partner products and consumables. The team includes owner director Javier Albiac and sales director Javier Belmar.
Focus managing director David Lee said: “Our new representatives will be invaluable in advancing our growth within the European territories.”
