Viscose Closures: Major investment in state-of-the-art flexo printer boosts shrink sleeve production

We’re excited to announce a major investment here at Viscose Closures: the planned installation of a state-of-the-art Mark Andy Evolution Series E5 flexographic printing press at our Swansea facility replacing our old gravure printer. This new press will be fully installed and ready for customer orders by the beginning of October.

Why we’re investing in flexographic printing:

This investment represents a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to quality, innovation, and operational growth. It enables us to expand our offering as a leading UK shrink sleeve supplier and tamper-evident packaging manufacturer.

By replacing our older solvent-based gravure printer with the new flexographic press, we’re making a significant step forward in reducing our environmental impact. Flexographic printing uses low-VOC, water-based inks and produces far less waste during setup and production. Unlike gravure, which relies on large volumes of solvents and energy-intensive processes, flexo printing is cleaner, more efficient, and easier to maintain. This transition helps us lower emissions, reduce hazardous waste, and improve overall sustainability—supporting both our internal environmental goals and our customers’ demand for eco-conscious packaging solutions.

What this means for our customers:

As a trusted provider of tamper-evident packaging solutions, including custom shrink sleeves and secure caps, we’re always looking for ways to improve efficiency and product performance. Our new flexo printer plays a major role in achieving that goal.

This high-speed press offers:

• Full-colour, high-resolution printing
• Faster setup times
• Lower waste production

With print speeds increasing from 70–75 metres per minute to 170 metres per minute, and waste reduced from up to 400 metres to just 50 metres on a six-colour print job, we can now offer:

• Faster lead times
• Reduced minimum order quantities (MOQs)
• Consistent, high-quality shrink sleeve printing

All of this helps us stay agile and competitive while delivering the standards our clients expect. Learn more and explore our tamper-evident solutions here.

Enhancing our production line for the future

The flexographic press is just one part of a wider series of recent upgrades at our Swansea facility. We’ve also added a new welder and slitter as part of an ongoing operational improvement programme focused on:

• Increased speed
• Better sustainability
• Long-term efficiency gains

These investments reflect our commitment to offering sustainable, scalable packaging options to businesses across the food, drink, and pharmaceutical industries.

What are the benefits of our new flexographic printer?

• Faster print speeds: Up to 170 metres per minute
• High-resolution, full-colour graphics
• Up to 87% reduction in setup waste
• Lower MOQs and quicker turnarounds
• We can also print on PLA as well as PET and RPET- allowing us to expand our offering.

Looking ahead

We’re incredibly proud of this next step in our journey and deeply grateful to our amazing team and loyal customers who continue to push us forward.

We’re always here to discuss how our expanded capabilities can support your packaging needs—whether it’s for a product launch, brand refresh, or scalable production run.

This article was originally published by Viscose Closures.