Thursday, October 26, 2017

IMPACT OF REEL LIFTING AND LABEL CONVERTING TECHNOLOGY ON YOUR PRINTING BUSINESS

Every industry from Automobile, FMCG products, Electronics etc. are going through a lot of advancement. Shorter product life cycle and increasing demand for new features are leading to new innovations in each field. It has also impacted the Label printing industry in a positive way and also surfaced new challenges for Label printers and converters. Demand has increased for Label printers but there is an increase in short runs jobs and orders delivery are more time bound. To succeed, Printers need to be more automated in their functioning and have to find new smarter ways to achieve the desired goal. Reel Lifting and short run label converting are the new trending technologies and both have an important part to play in successful journey of a Printer/Converter.

REEL LIFTING TECHNOLOGY

Reel Lifting doesn’t sound important to most press owners as because of the high cost of automatic roll lifters and no return on Investment. But Printers can invest in manual roll lifters which are easy to operate and are less expensive.
Reel lifting has an important role to play, even if it doesn’t produce ROI but it can save the already invested amount in paper rolls. It improves the manual handling operations of loading/ unloading/
transportation of rolls and helps to reduce workplace injuries. The high cost of Raw material and it’s fragile nature makes mechanization in reel handling all the more essential.


LABEL CONVERTING TECHNOLOGY

With all presses, whether Flexo, offset or digital getting geared up to produce short runs, converting systems are also needed to catch up. These machines can be setup inline or offline to the printing press and perform all the functions such as slitting, rewinding, die-cutting and other key embellishments. We would like to list some of the key advantages of the short run converting equipment:

 Reduced Total Cost of operation (TCO)
The most important factor while investing in any machinery is the total cost of operation. Good converting equipment ensures a lowest TCO irrespective of the printing process.

 Set up time
How much time do your operators waste on setting up the machine when they do a job change? As jobs are short run and changes are frequent, set up time becomes a key cost center. Also, this time is a significant portion of the total production time in case of Digital and hence impacts costs and well as job delivery turnaround times (TAT)

 Make Ready Waste
As digital is normally used for short runs, the make-ready waste also needs to be minimum. Keep in mind that the cost of printing per square meter of a digital process is much higher than conventional processes, hence any make-ready waste contributes significantly to the job cost and hence must be kept to a min. Finishing makes ready waste for a good digital finishing equipment should not exceed 8 to 10 linear meters.

 Turnaround time
When it comes to turnaround time (TAT), as a digital printer you will experience less time due to the need of plates, repeat formats etc. If you finish on the line itself everything in 1 pass, the TAT is even shorter. Customers expect a TAT of max 2 working days for labels workflow and hence the finishing process also needs to be quick and should not become a bottleneck in the workflow.

 Quality of Finishing
While using conventional finishing machines, there are some limitations when it comes to intricate die-cutting or generating pop-up features while cutting and creasing. But digital finishing including laser die cutting systems eliminate these limitations and provide an exceptional finishing to the packaged product or label.

 Variable Data Personalization
Often companies want to sell a limited edition of their products and services resulting in lesser copies. So, when they sell them, they send personalized products to end consumer for brand engagement. So in digital finishing, you can run lesser copies for VDP which is an added advantage.

 Laser Die-Cutting
With laser die-cutting, converters save thousands of dollars over the year as it completely eliminates the need for hardware tooling and die-making. Die-making is usually an outsourced function in the press room and it takes three to four days to get the die and you cannot even start with your job resulting in a delay.

 Low Investment on Manpower
With conventional finishing, converters have to invest in a number of operators. With the advancement of technology, connected stations, and more automated functions, digital finishing systems require lesser manpower. As many operations are automated and job storage and recall facilities exist, human labor requirement is much lower.
Investment in training an operator is very less. As a pressman operating conventional systems, it requires years of experience to handle machines effectively. But with digital machines, you can train an operator in 6 weeks as fewer functions are there to operate. All you need is that your printers know how to click, drag and drop.

 Advanced software capability
With no die required and software set-up, a converter can easily upload the design file into the machine and start producing its print job. Usually, the print workflow can be extended to the Finishing as well which reduces set up time, errors and enhances end product quality.

Friday, May 26, 2017

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHILE INVESTING IN RIGHT SLITTER REWINDER FOR LABEL FINISHING?

Global Label market is staggering at $35 billion and millions of printers & converters are competing with each other to increase their market share. But only some of them make it big in the long run because they believe in providing value added solutions with superior quality & functionality to their customers.
A lot of factors decide while supplying quality label solutions, some of them are affordability, value-addition, longevity, reliability, quality of print and substrate etc. But the label finishing plays the most important part of all as it depicts how perfect the label looks after printing. If not properly slit or die-cut, the printed label will lose its feel or will not dispense correctly onto the product hence reducing the appeal of the product. To obtain perfect finishing, converters have to invest in right slitter rewinder for finishing of labels.

What is a Slitter-Rewinder?
Slitter rewinder machines that are used to finish large rolls of printed material into smaller rolls of the slit, inspected and counted rolls which may be on a smaller core size to make them usable on automatic label dispensing systems on high-speed filling/bottling lines.
When choosing the precise slitter rewinder for the finishing purpose, converters should focus on the following:

 SPEED
The machine should be able to slit and die-cut on high-speed. Typical mechanical speeds vary between 200 to 350 Mts/min.

 WASTE
Some machines are cheaper, but they produce a large amount of waste which can affect the profit margins. Set up waste for each job must be below 5 mts and the time required to set up below 10 mins. Offline Vernier systems and removable shafts add to the efficiency of the whole process and improve the accuracy of the finished product. Automatic Set up slit stations are also available on European machines now.

 INSPECTION
A good label inspection system is required to find faulty and missing labels with 100% accuracy. By not having proper inspection system, inferior quality material may be dispatched to the customer

 Type of Slitting;
Typically slitting can be done by 3 processes
a) Scissor Slitting with top and bottom knives
b) Razor Slitting with Razor blades

c) Crush Cut Slitting rotary blades working on a hardened anvil
For Normal Label stock with Paper release liners, Scissor slitting is preferred. For cutting films or Self Adhesive materials with a Filmic liner, Razor slitting is preferred while when cutting thick papers or paper boards the crush cut is the preferred system.
Machines which can have the flexibility of having more than one slitting system installed should be preferred as they offer a wider flexibility of substrate use.

 Paper and Print Width
Depending upon their orders, a printer should invest in a machine which will accommodate all sizes. By not complying with this, the printer can lose orders which require higher print/slit width.

 Automation
It also plays an important task; a machine should have a mechanism for less operator interference. Systems with Auto-slit knife settings, offline knive settings. A wider HMI control integrating all operating functions and job storage etc. add to the reduction in human effort and better repeatability of jobs

 Upgradable
The machine should be upgradable to other finishing process such as die-cutting, inkjet, camera inspection, Lamination, embossing etc. depending upon the requirement.

 Service & Support
While investing, a printer should also consider the brand value and service support; he can avail from the manufacturer or supplier. Without an active service support, no system can provide optimum output.

What has VINSAK to offer?
To help printer/converters with the latest labeling technology and providing a solution to their specific requirements so that they stay at forefront of competition, VINSAK provides a different range of customized printing and finishing solutions to suit their job requirement.
Some of the advanced solutions are:

A) ABG OMEGA SRI 350/430/530mm

VINSAK provides Omega SRI (Slitter Rewinder) from ABG International better known for perfect handling, highest productivity with rewinding speed up to 350 m / min, latest servo technology, and an innovative SPS/PC operating system.
The Omega SRI fulfills all your label converting and web finishing requirements. It is having fully integrated fleyeVision inspection control with screen operation to detect faulty and missing labels connected with an integrated workflow for waste processing.

Key Features:

 Adjustable web clamps allow a variable splicing area to glue in even large labels without a problem.
 An arrangeable splicing table after the rewind with an operating stroboscope simplifies the visual control.
 Pneumatic expandable mandrels, for unwinder and rewinder
 Roll diameter at the unwinder up to 800 mm
 Roll diameter at the rewinder up to 500 mm (600 mm as an option)
 Efficient web tension control during highest acceleration at unwinder and rewinder site
 Electronic web guide including an ultrasonic sensor for paper and clear on clear material

B) VINSAK USAR 250 to 530 mm

The USAR(Universal Slitter Rewinder) is flagship product from VINSAK. Along with high speed precise slitting with rewind and unwind option, it can be upgraded to provide the die-cutting unit with servo re-register (10”-24”), 100% inspection system and inkjet unit for barcode, QR-code, and variable data.
Benefits:
 Automatic stop of complete roll; at diameter: at label count or meter count.
 Electronic web guidance with ultrasonic sensor suitable for opaque and clear substrates.
 Max. Rewind up to 450 mm & efficient web tension control.
 Adjustable splicing table with pneumatic clamps for removal of the waste product.
 Quick release/removable nip roller with pneumatic pressure control.
 Standard Scissor slitting unit including 3 sets of knives
 Matrix stripping section, Air mandrel, Matrix break sensor, Bulk Waste Rewind and Venturi trim extraction (16mm max)

C) ABG Vectra ECTR Turret Rewinder 330/430/530

The other slitting solution is ECTR Turret rewinder ideal for slitting and rewinding of standard self-adhesive labels. The ECTR with closed loop servo drive is capable of handling a huge range of substrates including delicate, perforated or punched products. The turreter has auto roll eject system and adjustable core stop with constant torque tension control. All these features lead to web speed of 100m/min with 25-38mm diameter mandrels and 150m/min with 40-76mm diameter mandrels.
Conclusion
“A RIGHT INVESTMENT ALWAYS PAYS HIGH RETURNS IN FUTURE”
A printer/converter has to invest in slitter rewinder to provide optimal label finishing and they should invest after considering volume & type of job orders they are fetching from the market. They should think of finishing solutions which have less wastage, high speed to reduce job time, inspection system, and automated solutions with less operator interference, value added solutions and active service & support for their machines.

Friday, April 21, 2017

WHY INVEST IN SECURITY INKS?

Security of important documents and packaged products is becoming a necessity for Brand owners. As without the proper security measures, paper as well as products, both are prone to tampering or forgery which amounts to brand implication, financial & information loss.
Due to this advance efforts to protect, track and authenticate the document/ products are becoming more critical for both printers and their customers to stop security infringements.
A useful and efficient anti-counterfeiting measure is the entire range of Security inks that Vinsak has to offer.


Security Inks are having complex information encrypted into their DNA. They are designed to reduce or even eliminate the fraudulent use of products/documents. Security Inks are having excellent covert anti-counterfeiting features which make it difficult to gauge by a naked eye whether the item is printed by security ink.

Advanced counterfeiters who can locate the image of the security print, still find it difficult to replicate as they wouldn’t be able to access the codes stored in Ink’s DNA.
Security Inks can be used for applications such as Degrees Diplomas, transactional, govt. documents, passports, cheques, labels, product packaging etc. Theses inks can be printed using most commonly used printing processes such as Flexo/offset/digital/Gravure/Intaglio.

To help printers/converters fight counterfeiting, VINSAK-one of the prominent player in world’s printing and packaging industry is supplying a range of security inks such as
Water Fugitive, Fluorescent, Erasable, Phosphorescent, Inactinic, Photochromic, Iridescent, Pearlescent, Watermark, Sympathetic, Thermal, Black-paint, Seri-Paint, Coin-Revealable, Conductive, Numbering, Magnetic, Invisible, Thermochromic and Reactive Inks
The security inks supplied by VINSAK are the preferred choice for Printers & Converters because of the following reasons: Cost Efficiency, Compliance with all printing technologies/ Substrates and Capabilities such as Overt, Covert, Forensic, track & trace features.
We wish awareness about security infringements and its measures should increase in the packaging industry and more people should opt for secure packaging for their products.

About VINSAK
VINSAK is a pioneer in manufacturing and supplying printing and packaging solutions in India, Africa, and the Middle East. VINSAK has enabled many businesses to succeed financially by providing them customized solutions that were well integrated and supported. These include manufacturers of print that extend from large and well-established brands to entities that are in their nascent stage of growth. The vision of VINSAK has brought solutions that were innovative, high quality and more critically an ideal fit for businesses to succeed in today’s competitive environment. These and the commitment to serve the customer’s business interested have enabled VINSAK’s growth that now spans extensively across the nation