South African flexo printer Advanced Labels has invested in a Fujifilm’s Illumina LED curing solutions to improve quality, productivity and profitability.
Image: The Fujifilm’s Illumina LED curing solution. Photo: courtesy of FUJIFILM Corporation.
The firm is engaged in producing high quality labels and flexible packaging for a range of sectors, including pharmaceutical, chemical, home and personal care and FMCG.
Advanced Labels managing director Richard Jones said: “Our customers demand consistently high quality, rapid turnaround times and excellent service at a good price.
“Furthermore, environmental concerns are becoming increasingly important to them, so we’re always on the lookout for ways to reduce our environmental impact – as well as improving quality, consistency and speed of delivery.”
In order to meet the customers demand, the firm invested and installed the new Illumina LED curing solution on to an existing press in March 2018. The firm also invested in the Fujifilm 300 Series flexo inks.
As a result of good success, Advanced Labels retrofitted two more Illumina units to its other existing presses and had a third fitted to a new Nilpeter FA press, Fujifilm said.
Jones added: “We have had the opportunity to run extensive tests for several months, comparing two identical presses, one curing with conventional UV and the other with Illumina LED.
“We have recorded an 87.5% power reduction in the LED curing press, which, as well as leading to substantial cost savings, brings our goal of being 100% energy self-sufficient, through solar, much more clearly into focus.
“Furthermore, waste is down, we’re creating less pollution and a huge reduction in VOCs (and in noise and heat) has made an immediate and very noticeable improvement to our workplace environment.”
The Illumina has improved the consistency of the cold foiling process throughout the production process and also stabilized the production of finished labels while eliminating the negative effects of heat and shrinkage on the materials and adhesive, according to Advanced Labels.
Last month, Austrian printer Estermann has invested in Fujifilm’s Jet Press 720S machine to meet increasing demand for short-run and personalized print work.