What Roll Handling Equipment Does Martin Automatic Offer?

Updated

Martin Automatic builds automated unwind/splice and rewind equipment for web-fed printing and converting lines. Its featured products include the MBS Butt Splicer, ECP Lap Splicer, and LRD Automatic Transfer Rewind — the first two handle roll changes at the infeed so a press never stops, and the third handles roll changes at the outfeed so finished rolls can be removed without stopping the line. These are continuous-run automation devices for narrow-web and wider web production, not standalone printing presses.

Unwind and Splicing Equipment

The splicers sit at the unwind end of a press or converter and join the end of a nearly spent roll to the start of the next one while the web keeps moving.

MBS Butt Splicer

  • What it does: Makes a butt splice — the two web ends are joined edge-to-edge with no overlap.
  • Why it matters: A butt splice keeps web thickness consistent through the join, which suits presses and downstream processes sensitive to bumps or thickness changes.
  • Evidence of use: Römer Etikett in Germany installed an MBS Automatic Butt Splicer as part of an investment plan to increase productivity, according to Martin's news page.

ECP Lap Splicer

  • What it does: Makes a lap splice, where the new web overlaps the old one.
  • Where it fits: A lap splice is a common, robust choice for many label and packaging webs; the right splice type depends on substrate and what happens to the splice downstream (die-cutting, coating, rewind).

Both splicers are part of the same job: swapping rolls without stopping the press. Martin's customer testimonials describe the payoff directly — Barthel Group's managing director credits the units with higher saleable output and less physical effort from production teams, and Peters GmbH's managing director describes replacing manual roll changes of heavy 60-inch-diameter, 400-micron paper that took about 10 minutes each, typically twice an hour.

Rewind Equipment

LRD Automatic Transfer Rewind

  • What it does: Transfers the finished web from a full roll to a new core automatically, so the line keeps running while rolls are changed out.
  • Where it fits: The outfeed end of a press or converting line, where manual roll removal would otherwise force a stop.

How Non-Stop Roll Changes Support Continuous Production

The logic is the same at both ends of the line: every manual roll change is unproductive time, and the heavier or more frequent the rolls, the larger the loss. Automation converts those stops into brief, machine-timed splices or transfers.

The Peters GmbH example makes the arithmetic concrete: two manual changes per hour at roughly 10 minutes each is a large share of running time, and heavy rolls also carry handling risk and fatigue. An automatic unit performs the same change without operator intervention and without stopping the web.

Matching Equipment to the Production Line

Consideration Points toward
Splice must not create a thickness bump Butt splicer (MBS)
Standard label/packaging web, overlap acceptable Lap splicer (ECP)
Manual roll removal at the outfeed is the bottleneck LRD Automatic Transfer Rewind
Small or space-constrained production environment Compact units — Martin notes its MBSC and STR are designed for smaller production environments while still offering fully automated roll handling
Wide, heavy rolls (e.g., 60-inch diameter) Higher-capacity unwind automation, as in the Peters GmbH installation

Martin also points to real-world integrations beyond standalone units: Desmedt Labels in Belgium was the first to install a Mark Andy digital hybrid press fitted with Martin non-stop unwind/splice technology, and Nordvalls Etikett, with six production sites across northern Europe, has consistently chosen Martin unwind/splice technology for its presses.

What to Check Before Choosing

  • Substrate and splice tolerance: Confirm whether your downstream processes accept a lap splice or need a butt splice.
  • Roll size and change frequency: Heavier rolls changed often give the fastest payback, as the Peters GmbH case illustrates.
  • Line speed and web width: Match the unit's capacity to the press, not just to current output.
  • Footprint: If floor space is tight, ask specifically about the compact MBSC and STR options.
  • Integration: For digital hybrid or specialty presses, confirm the splicer has been fitted to your press model before — the Desmedt/Mark Andy installation is a precedent worth citing in that conversation.

For full specifications, Martin offers a downloadable product brochure from its site, and the featured product pages for the MBS, ECP, and LRD are the place to confirm dimensions and capabilities against your line.