Cograf enhances productivity and reliability with BOBST VISION M1

If you’re familiar with Italian label market, you probably know the Turin-based Cograf converter founded in 1982.

Cograf began producing labels to small local companies, then invested to serve more clients across the wine, spirits, food, pet food and neutral labels markets, centralizing its production floors under one single company. Despite totaling only 35 employees, Cograf delivered a 2022 printout of 9 million m2 with a turnover of 8 million euros. The business has recently taken part in a business consortium called “Rete di Imprese 4.6”, together with four of the most important Italian label businesses.

Aiming to renew its press fleet and further expand its capabilities, Cograf has invested in a BOBST VISION M1 flexo press, bringing its rotary machine total to four. The installation marks the first BOBST machine for the business.

Roberto Cotterchio, Owner of Cograf, explains the company’s decision to purchase and install a BOBST VISION M1: “The decision was a very simple one for us. BOBST has long been a frontrunner in the printing and packaging industry, and I have seen the potential of VISION M1 for a number of years. For our production floor, it brings everything we need to stay ahead of the competition – simplicity, versatility, economy, and a compact footprint.

“It’s a fantastic piece of engineering and fits effortlessly into a more connected ‘Industry 4.0’ workflow. Ultimately, it boosts our capabilities and helps us to achieve more for our customers, making it an extremely valuable addition to our fleet.”

How does the VISION M1 fit into the production floor? Cograf Production Manager, Riccardo Giordana, said: “The VISION M1 has a fantastic register control. It can operate at high speed with lamination and cold foil, physically boosting our output volume without sacrificing precision or quality. From the very first run, the advantage was clear – and we couldn’t be happier with the result.”

The BOBST VISION M1 flexo press is designed for labels up to 420 mm web width and delivers excellent TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) for label production on almost any substrate.

Nadia Ounnadi, Production Coordinator at Cograf, said: “The presence of the M1 has allowed us to normalize and standardize production, entrusting the machine with long runs in four-color printing, and optimizing the production flow. We are really satisfied and impressed by its ease of use. Thanks to its reduced paper passage, we can also record a decrease in waste, and following the replacement of the previous machine, we have increased production by 50%.”

BOBST VISION M1 provides a host of advantages for narrow web converters looking for repeatable, high-quality printing labels, as well as in areas of operational efficiency and flexibility. Alongside the ability to print and convert in a single pass, VISION M1 comes equipped with a range of unique onboard technologies and is quickly moveable on its rail, always being compact and agile.

Mr Cotterchio believes that: “Cograf is evolving alongside the market, and connectivity will prove key. The technology we can access on VISION M1 helps our operatives to achieve more with their time, and as workforce challenges continue, that’s a huge benefit for us. We’re a business that proudly invests in the print operatives of tomorrow, and with leading technology at our fingertips, that becomes easier to accomplish.”

Focusing on next steps of label production
Cograf receives an increasing number of requests for labels requiring large amounts of legal information, and this trend requires a coupon label. “Given these incoming requests, we are thinking about evaluating a hybrid press, and we will surely visit BOBST Competence Center in Florence to learn more about the DIGITAL MASTER 340 or 510 solutions” says Roberto.

Roberto’s interest is also oriented towards “hybrid machines”. The BOBST DIGITAL MASTER series has captured his attention not only for the compactness of the machine itself, allowing quick configuration changes from one job to another, but also for the fact that the press is 100% BOBST across digital and flexo, leading to reliability and ease of use.

Last, sustainability is a primary focus for Cograf. They concentrate on supply chain energy consumption optimization, utilizing renewable energy and selecting machines that make best use of energy and resources, such as led lamps or more sustainable design and packaging. However, “there is still further to go,” said Roberto.

Header image: Left to right: Francesca Ricupero PL NMW Area Sales Manager North of Italy BOBST, Riccardo Giordana Production Manager Cograf, Roberto Cotterchio Owner Cograf, Steven VISION M1 operator at Cograf