Positive ID Labels adds Daco TD350P flexo press
UK converter installs flexo press with in-line finishing and GEW LED curing
Positive ID Labels has installed a Daco TD350P 2-color flexo label press with in-line finishing from Daco Solutions. The new system is the first supplied by Daco with two integrated GEW AeroLED curing units, as requested by the UK-based converter.
The Daco TD350P allows automatic label production with little operator input. It has a high capacity U350L 1m (40in) unwind module to keep master roll changes to a minimum, while the SVT 4 spindle servo-driven turret rewinder offers quick changeover time. The press can be equipped with one or two servo-driven flexographic print stations and the option to add a UV inkjet system for variable data. The machine can be configured with one or two servo-driven rotary die station.
The Daco SVT turret rewind module uses a unique patented double-sided tape system for attaching the web to the cores. The finished rolls are closed using a label printed by an onboard thermal transfer printer, eliminating the need for hotmelt gluing systems. The operator can select from either length or a given number of labels per roll, and the machine will then automatically cut and transfer the web to the cores without stopping.
‘It allows us to move simple label jobs that were previously printed on our 8-color MPS EB370 flexo press and finished on a separate Daco SR slitter – a two-step process involving two operators – to the new Daco TD350P system, where a single operator can print, rewind and box labels in one pass,’ says Danny Carr, production director at the Melbourne, Derbyshire-based converter.
The installation has brought the added advantage of freeing up capacity on the MPS EB370 for advanced jobs requiring additional colours, according to Carr, while the integrated LED curing units from GEW require far less energy than the curing systems on the MPS press, helping the converter reduce costs and improve sustainability.
Jamie Neill, GEW’s sales manager – UK & Ireland, says: ‘GEW has been working with Daco Solutions for a number of years supplying UV systems for their machines, and was very happy to hear that Positive ID Labels had specified GEW LED on their new TD350P.
‘The installation of an GEW AeroLED system for Positive ID Labels means a reduction of up to 70 percent in energy use compared to a conventional arc UV system. This not only reduces their energy costs but also allows them to offer a more sustainable product to their customers. Positive ID Labels also gain from having improved process reliability, with predictable output for the duration of the LEDs’ life as well as no lamps or mechanical parts within the lamphead requiring change or maintenance.’
Around 20-30 percent of the work handled by the MPS press can be moved across to the Daco TD350P 2-color flexo press, according to Danny Carr. ‘We can also move around half of our plain label work, which was previously being done on a Daco PLD350 semi-automatic turret, to the new system with its fully automatic turret. For the jobs we do on it currently, it halves the production time – if not more in some cases.’
Positive ID Labels serves the food, beverage and logistics sectors in the UK, among a wide spread of markets which includes chemical and automotive. It also produces price-marking labels on a fleet of four Mark Andy 830 presses. Two are equipped with Arsoma turrets for in-line finishing. Further flexo capacity is provided by the MPS EB370 and the new Daco TD350P. The converter also runs a Xeikon 3030 toner-based digital press, a Jetrion 4900 UV inkjet system with laser die-cutting, and a Screen Truepress LV350 UV inkjet press. Alongside two Daco rewinders, and the in-line finishing capabilities of the Jetrion and Mark Andy machines, is a GM DC330 Mini to convert labels printed on the Xeikon and Screen presses. These are often utilised for craft beer or wine labels for the fast-growing local wine industry.
The converter began operations in 1997 with a single Mark Andy 830 press and has expanded significantly over the years, aided by multiple acquisitions of fellow UK label converters, including Limbus Labels, Banbury Labels and Dabbon Labels. In 2014, it acquired Danro Labelling Systems, and continues to sell its label guns, tooling and other equipment under the Danro name.
Long-standing relationship
Positive ID Labels has a long-standing relationship with Daco Solutions. A tabletop slitter rewinder bought in 2007 is still in operation, while the converter runs two PLD rotary die-cutters with semi-automatic turret rewinders, with web widths of 250mm and 350mm respectively. ‘The relationship we have built with Daco over the years means it was a natural progression to go back to them for the new machine,’ says Carr, who has worked at Positive ID Labels for nearly 17 years. ‘When we have a new project, we talk to them, they tell us what they can offer, and if it suits our budget and what we are looking to do then that’s generally the route we like to go down.’
‘The beauty of Daco is the usability of their machines,’ he continues. ‘They all work in the same way, so an operator with minimal training can move from one machine to another with ease – the interface is the same, the operation is the same.
‘Daco’s machines just work. They do everything you need them to do. Any time we have had an issue – and they have been few and far between – Mark [Laurence] and Dave [Benyon] are always on hand to sort it out. From an operator’s standpoint, the improvements that Daco have made over the years make things a lot more usable. They tend to think about where operators might have a day-to-day issue. Their machines just work, and that’s the best endorsement you can give to a manufacturer.’
‘It’s a landmark installation for Daco, as the first of our machines to incorporate GEW’s LED curing systems,’ says Daco Solutions’ sales manager Mark Laurence. ‘Positive ID Labels is a long-standing customer and we are delighted to help them increase capacity with their new TD350P system.’
