Esko launches new label workflow software

The pre-configured workflow products address the many challenges that constrict throughput and cause inefficiencies in the label manufacturing process. Label converters are increasingly challenged with the growing number of shorter runs, faster cycle times, more SKUs and stricter regulatory compliance requirements and a mix of conventional and digital printing processes. There is zero margin for error or time loss, and on top of all of this, there continues to be severe margin pressure.

‘We are committed to simplify packaging,’ said Udo Panenka, Esko’s president. ‘In bringing these pre-configured workflows to the label converter community, Esko is responding to a growing industry need for easy-to-use and easy-to-deploy yet robust and proven workflow solutions. These simplified turnkey workflow solutions, based on decades of experience, take complexity out of the supply chain in areas where major bottlenecks and time losses often occur.’

To help label converters address these challenges, Esko builds further upon its workflow automation software and will introduce a range of packages that are pre-configured to meet the needs of specific applications. They are designed to be easy to implement and deploy. At Labelexpo Europe, Esko will be demonstrating two such products for label converting: WebCenter Essentials for Labels and Automation Engine Essentials for Labels.

WebCenter Essentials for Labels is a turnkey, out-of-the-box product with pre-configured process flows. The built-in graphical viewer coupled with approval tools allows for the review and approval of both 2D and 3D assets. The software manages a database of centralized digital assets, allowing easy search for assets and re-ordering of existing labels. It also comes with a dashboard and built-in operational reporting. Once installed, WebCenter Essentials for Labels drives a true paperless process by making it easy for both converters and their customers to always know exactly where jobs are and at what stage they are in the process.

WebCenter Essentials for Labels can be integrated with Automation Engine to both smoothly integrate the prepress workflow and standardize the entire process. WebCenter Essentials for Labels can be a SaaS solution or deployed on premise. Since the product comes with a pre-configured setup, onsite deployment, including go-live assistance, can be achieved in less than one week.

Automation Engine Essentials for Labels offers an out-of-the-box pre-configured workflow that addresses most of the essential prepress tasks for all labels, no matter what printing technology is used. The software can be installed and implemented and put to action with full operator training in three days at the customer site.

Automation Engine Essentials for Labels allows label converters to ramp up their prepress productivity in an easy and cost-effective manner. The Automation Engine Essentials workflow is scalable and can grow with the customer’s business. The software can be upgraded with more functionality, such as automated quality control, color management and output device control, which deliver higher throughput and can be plugged into the customer’s existing business system.

By Labelexpo Europe 2017, Automation Engine will be further enriched with a powerful color preflight function. This automated tool is built on patented Esko color technology. It analyzes the artwork and determines the best color space and ink separations to print the job at the right quality. Automatically this tool determines whether if the job will standard process colors, extended gamut and/or spot colors, and as such drives jobs for the right output device.

‘With these turnkey workflows dedicated to label production, we make it really easy for label converters to deploy fully-featured automated workflows that come with unique functionality and connectivity no one else can offer today,’ said Bernard Zwaenepoel, SVP software business for Esko. ‘Based on more than 30 years of packaging and labels industry experience, we are once more leading the way with a compelling offering. Our first customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and has encouraged us to develop similar turnkey workflow packages for other packaging, sign and display applications.’

Esko is making the Automation Engine Essentials for Labels and WebCenter Essentials for Labels commercially available on a worldwide basis in the second quarter of 2017.