Most, if not all, products need a label, and Friedheim International exclusively represents one of the leading names in this sector in the UK and Ireland. The name of this particular company is Blumer Maschinenbau AG, and with its many decades of experience, it is well known for its extensive range of die-cutting, strip die-cutting and counter-pressure machines for producing high quality labels, as well as cards of all shapes and sizes!
Blumer die-cutting machines range from the manual D-18.M to the fully automatic production line Atlas 1110. Compact in design, the D-18.M is the core of the modular Atlas die-cutting system, and stands out for those entering the label and card market for the first time by its user-friendliness, operational safety and above-average performance. It is ideally suited to the following applications: labels for packaging of food, beverage and cleaning agents; labels for pharmaceutical and beauty products; lids for ice cream tubs; booklets enclosed with medical and cosmetic products; telephone, loyalty and playing cards; plus a range of other products.
The Atlas 1110 is the powerful, complete system for either part-process or fully automated label and card production, and offers a new dimension in flexibility, enabling users to adapt production processes to specific requirements at any time. Its production sequence is as follows: strip stack infeed; cross-cutting; die-cutting; and separating and banding. With its quicker set-up and changeover times, the Atlas 1110 is the right investment whether offset, digital, rotogravure or flexographic printing from sheet or roll is concerned.
Pre-cut labels are regarded as a particular challenge, but one that Blumer tackles with its Atlas 115 and Atlas 200 machines. The automatic 115 is particularly suited to work with pre-cut stack packages, and excels when it comes to handling large guillotine-cutting capacities, average production runs and combination sheets with the same die-line. The fully automatic 200 is ideal for handling smaller formats (minimum 14 x 45 mm) or Maxipack packaged items, right up to the finished banded product. Application areas include the food, beverage, hygiene, alcohol and tobacco industries.
Blumer also offers a wide variety of options when it comes to counter-pressure systems. The counter-pressure principle involves the compressed stack when it is held in position under constant pressure and then pushed through the die. 
In conventional die-cutting, the cushion formation (known as pillowing) before the actual cutting process can lead to fluctuations in size from the top to the bottom label. Blumer’s counter-pressure process avoids this cushion formation, improves the quality of the cut and can reduce the dimensional deviation in most cases to less than 0.1 mm. This enhanced quality is regarded as essential in particularly fast production operations.
Besides its die-cutting options, Blumer offers a wide selection of peripheral equipment and other accessories. These include the Atlas OLS (Off-line Loading System), the VCH600 Traypacker and the Band-All Labelbander, plus die-cutting tools, banding systems for either standard or Maxipack banding, and the Favorit table-top grinding machine.