A year-and-a-half after investing in Fujifilm’s Flenex FW plate technology, Spanish printer, Adhesivas Ibi has recorded marked improvement in its overall print production and quality, as well as seeing significant time and cost savings.
Located in the town of Ibi, Alicante, Adhesivas Ibi specialises in adhesive labels for bottled wine, spirits, oil and vinegar. Founded in 1979 by current owner and manager, José Luís Iváñez, Adhesivas Ibi turns over between €5 million and €5.5 million annually. With a staff count of 40, the company combines the latest technologies with a skilled creative team to offer a wide range of bespoke finishes, giving each of its customers a unique, creative proposal to dress their products.
“Bottled products require labels that attract attention and accurately promote the product,” explains Iváñez. “Customer requirements have evolved over time, and Adhesivas Ibi has adapted to the changes and the demands of its customers. Our present infrastructure has allowed us to incorporate a wide range of printing services, including serigraphy, flexography, offset and digital.”
The company has grown steadily ever since its founding, with plans in place to grow the business still further in the coming years. Iváñez explains: “In the next three years, our objective is to double our business volume. Alongside continuous team training, there is between €2 and €3 million worth of investments in technology planned for this period. This will enable us to constantly provide innovative solutions to our customers in the long term.”
Prior to its Flenex investment, Adhesivas Ibi relied on subcontractors for the majority of its plate production. One of the major attractions of Flenex for Luís was that he saw in it the potential to bring a significant quantity of this production in-house, speeding up production, reducing costs and gaining more control over the whole process.
“We now use Flenex for fifty per cent of our flexography plate production,” Iváñez continues “Its stability and consistency throughout the production and printing process means we are able to supply our customers with the very high quality products they have come to expect from us. A year and a half on from our initial investment, we remain very impressed with the durability of the plates, and the quality of the printed products we can deliver with them. “We’ve seen reductions in overall production and processing times, which combined with the added durability we get from the Flenex plates, means we can keep providing the same prints over a much longer period of time, all the while making sure we are getting the most out of our printing presses.”As well as taking great pride in the quality of its work, Adhesivas Ibi is also proud of its environmentally friendly and cost-effective production methods. “Reduced environmental impact and waste reduction were key factors in our decision to invest in Flenex technology,” says Iváñez “As Flenex plates are water-washable with no chemicals involved, we have been able to remain true to our environmentally friendly credentials.”“Overall, we’re delighted with our decision to invest in Flenex. Bringing plate production in-house has led to significant time and cost savings. This, on top of the quality, ease of use and simple maintenance, makes Flenex a reliable, cost effective product that fits in with our business model perfectly.
Iváñez concludes: “Fujifilm has been our partner for many years – in fact, our first serigraphy equipment used Fujifilm Sericol ink. They have helped us grow, develop and implement new technologies that are aiding us in our attempts to expand our portfolio.
“As well as providing us with products of a very high standard of quality, the advice and support they gave us in implementing the Flenex technology into our processes was excellent. It was a seamless transition, and we look forward to continuing our work with them into the future.”Says Joan Casas, Manager, Fujifilm Graphic Systems Spain: “With Fujifilm’s Flenex plates, Adhesivas Ibi is able to provide a label service that meets the varied needs of modern brands. With care for environment, and exceptional quality both being so important to its business philosophy, Flenex has been a perfect fit within Adhesivas Ibi’s portfolio. We look forward to working in partnership with them as the business continues to develop and grow.”
