Multiple installations for US converter The Label Printers

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The Label Printers, an Illinois, USA-based converter of custom labels and packaging, has purchased four new pieces of manufacturing equipment: an HP Indigo WS6600 digital press, Domino K600i UV inkjet system, AB Graphic Omega HSR1300 inspection slitter rewinder, and DuPont EC/LF 1000 exposure unit.

The company says the new equipment will bring increased manufacturing capability, capacity and quality control while also contributing to ongoing efforts to reduce its environmental impact.

In 2006, The Label Printers purchased its first digital press, an HP Indigo 4050. Since then, the evolution of digital presses has continued and The Label Printers’ management decided to upgrade the digital capability and increase capacity. 

Joe Kane, pre-press manager, said: ‘The new WS6600 digital press improves our color management – it is now more predictable and repeatable.  It also increases our capacity, as the print area is wider and the repeat is longer – with the added benefit of giving us multiple manufacturing options for most orders, which can translate into better service for our customers.’

In 2011, The Label Printers switched its plate technology from analog to digital – investing in ‘scalable’ systems that the company can expand to accommodate growth. The company’s newest investment in the DuPont exposure unit offers improved consistency and will prepare the pre-press operation for future upgrades to improved technologies. Joe Kane continued: ‘Each upgrade in our plateroom equipment from old analog technology to new digital technology creates a corresponding improvement in our sustainability efforts.’

Domino’s UV inkjet system was purchased to give the company additional capacity for consecutive numbering, QR codes and other variable imaging requirements. The new system represents a significant improvement in resolution (and therefore quality and/or capability), which is critical for small size images – and of particular importance to the company’s anti-counterfeiting market.

Tom Erickson, plant superintendent, was part of the team that brought this investment option to The Label Printers’ management. ‘Certain features of our old inkjet system created a time consuming process, and a potential quality issue,’ he said. ‘The new Domino system gives us a smoother operation, with less down time. From a manufacturing perspective, it improves our product quality and gives our press operators better control of the process.’

Lori Campbell, chief of operations, said: ‘I am ecstatic to work for an organization that doesn’t preach continuous improvement as a worn-out sales pitch, but actively pursues it and backs it up by making these well-considered investments. I am very proud of our teams for their dedicated research and recommendations. We know exactly what each of these purchases will provide in terms of quality, efficiency, sustainability, and – most importantly – alignment with our customers’ needs.’

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