PDQ Labels installs second Screen press

PDQ Labels has installed a second Screen Truepress Jet L350UV SAI at its Sydney facility, becoming the first label converter in Australia and New Zealand to operate two machines of this type and doubling its inkjet output capacity.

The installation, completed by Jet Technologies, follows PDQ's first Screen L350 integration in 2021 and reflects a structural shift in customer ordering behavior toward shorter runs, higher SKU counts and just-in-time inventory models that have placed growing pressure on traditional flexographic workflows.

'Since installing our first Screen a number of years ago we have noticed a massive shift in how people are ordering and the limitations that flexo was putting on us,' said Paul Bentham, managing director of PDQ Labels. 'Customers are increasingly working with a just-in-time approach and don't want to worry about how artwork changes will affect plate costs.'

PDQ regularly produces jobs comprising 40 to 50 product variations in the same format. Under a flexo model, each changeover can result in five to 15 minutes of downtime and significant substrate waste. With two L350 presses operating side by side, the company can now transition between SKUs without stopping the press. The L350's plate-free digital workflow enables job transitions and inline variable data printing at speeds of up to 60 meters per minute.

The second press expands PDQ's capability across flow wrap, shrink sleeves and other flexible packaging formats in addition to adhesive labels.

'Ten years ago, running a 10,000-meter job digitally would have been unconventional. Today, for much of the label market, it's standard practice,' noted Darryl Wilson, print and finishing product manager at Jet Technologies. 'The addition of a second Screen L350 positions PDQ to be at the forefront of this change.'

'Digital inkjet has moved beyond being an alternative to flexo,' added Jack Malki, director of Jet Technologies. 'For many converters, it is now the production backbone.'