“The market for in-mold labels is set to grow over the next few years and we want to be there when this happens,” explained Sandeep M. Lal. The president of Toronto-based Metro Label decided to invest in the Alprinta 74V and a diecutting machine from Schober primarily to allow the company to focus on in-mold labeling. “Of course, we won't just produce in-mold labels on the new printing press,” explains Sandeep M. Lal. “We also want to use this equipment to break into other market segments. And this was why we chose the flexible solution from Muller Martini.”

From right: Sandeep M. Lal (President of Metro Label), Narayanan Venkatesh (Plant Manager at Metro Label), Gary Hughes (Managing Director of Muller Martini Canada) and Bernhard Schmid (Member of the corporate management at Muller Martini) in front of the new Alprinta 74V at the Metro Label plant in Toronto.

Flexible and Efficient
The flexibility and efficiency of the new web offset printing press were the two main advantages that convinced the innovative company to go ahead with the investment. “When it comes to label printing, our margins are very tight. That's why rapid setup times and high production speeds are an absolute must.”

Metro Label Group Inc. operates a grand total of 16 printing presses at its plant in Toronto, and the company also owns another two plants in Vancouver (Canada) and in the Napa Valley (California, USA). The new Alprinta 74V is a nine-color combination printing press featuring seven offset printing units and two flexo printing units. The press also comprises an in-line laminating station for surface finishing plus automatic flying splicers for unwinding and rewinding. The processing unit with non-stop disposal of punch scrap is equipped with magnetic cylinders for the manufacture self-adhesive labels. The printing ink is hardened via an integrated UV drying process: The UV heaters are mounted on chill cylinders, allowing temperature-sensitive substrates to be processed.

Sandeep, whose father Narinder founded the business in 1974, chose Muller Martini for the first time when he invested in the nine-color Alprinta 74V. And it was a choice that proved to be justified as early as the installation phase: “I've never seen such commitment or been so impressed with an installation team from any other machine manufacturer.”

Live Demo at the Open House Event
Thanks to its excellent reputation, Metro Label has a large customer base that extends beyond Canada and the USA into the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Thanks to a live demo at the company's open house event in Toronto in mid-June, many of these customers saw first hand the range of package printing options offered by the new Alprinta 74V in combination with the Schober diecutting machine.

They also witnessed the emphasis Metro Label places on environmental issues at its 132,000 square-foot plant in Toronto. Company owner Sandeep M. Lal is especially proud of the fact that this modern production facility, which was opened six years ago, was the first printing company in North America to be certified in accordance with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.