Magnetic Attractions buys Omega Digicon

Magnetic Attractions, of Durham, North Carolina, USA, has purchased an Omega Digicon S digital printing and converting system with sheeting capability, from AB Graphic International. The 15-year-old company manufactures promotional magnets for a wide range of customers with particular emphasis on the real estate, restaurant, pharmaceutical and health care industries and has now set its sights at the digital label market.

John Dowling, general manager at Magnetic Attractions, said: ‘In the production of our promotional magnets we employ the latest in digital print technology and high quality flexographic printing featuring CTP capabilities. Standard runs are from 500 to millions of pieces with four color process printing and spot colors with laminating or UV varnishing. When we decided to expand our digital printing and finishing capacity and expand into the label market a thorough survey was conducted on what was available. When we saw the high level of integration AB Graphic International has accomplished with the HP digital print head, our decision became obvious.’

Wes Harrington of AB Graphic International added: ‘This project was well conceived and structured from the very start. The Omega Digicon S is a natural progression for Magnetic Attractions that compliments its current magnet producing operation as well as allowing it to expand into the digital label market. The line provides single pass printing and converting and also permits high quality label production. The Omega Digicon S includes servo driven web tension control, electronic web guidance with splicing table, hot air drying/ UV curing and waste matrix stripping and sheeter, all controlled via touch screen. Four color printing is obtained from an HP ws4000 digital print engine.’

Dowling concluded: ‘The addition of the Omega Digicon S, with its many capabilities and productivity, enables us to better serve our customers and further grow our business. We are in the process of starting up a digital label manufacturing division of the parent company to produce and supply pressure sensitive digital labels to high end niche markets and the primary reason for the purchase is to expand our activities into label production. As it happens the Omega Digicon can also convert magnet so from that premise we also get a 2 for 1 situation. Our new label division, Digitalabel, will be fully operational by the end of 2006.’