In our last post, we talked about the effect retrofit solutions can have for label converters. As we learned, by integrating a digital print module with a third-party piece of printing equipment or converting platform, label converters are able to add full-color digital inkjet printing to their flexographic press while making use of their existing tooling inventory.
In this post, we’ll take a look at a real-world example of retrofitting in action.
Prairie State Group is a full-service printer of packaging materials. Its pressure-sensitive labeling division produces labels for customers in a range of industries, with a specific focus on food labeling.
Prairie State Group was considering the move to digital but instead chose to integrate a Colordyne 3600 retrofit digital printing platform with its eight-color Mark Andy 2200. This retrofit solution gave the company a way to move into digital printing at a lower cost of entry than buying a stand-alone digital press.
After using the press for nearly a year, the Prairie State Group is impressed with the way the solution easily integrates into its operation and with the quality of the labels it produces.
As Dan Doherty, executive vice president of operations and principal at Prairie State Group, notes, “Retrofitting our Mark Andy press with a Colordyne 3600 made it easy for us to integrate digital into our operation. We didn’t have to buy offline finishing equipment or put the press in an environmentally controlled environment. These were key benefits for our operation.”
In addition, he was impressed with the results the retrofit press could produce.
“The speed is impressive, and the color gamut is superior to other four-color options we had seen.”
Doherty concludes, “For us, one of the key benefits of the retrofit press is being able to start jobs on the digital press and then move them over to flexo as the volumes increase. That capability has allowed me to grow my overall printing business and ensures I can meet my customers’ needs in the future.”
Make the Move on Your Terms
To capture opportunities in the new era of label production, printers know they need to move to digital solutions.
But the high capital cost of turnkey digital presses, combined with the workflow and organization transformation needed to make the move to digital successful, is often beyond the capabilities of many label producers.
Retrofitting a flexo press with a color inkjet solution gives printers an affordable, flexible way to capture the opportunities associated with inkjet label production and better serve their customers’ needs today—and grow into the future.
Join us for an educational webinar
Memjet is offering an educational webinar that discusses the retrofit solution in more detail. At the webinar, you’ll hear from industry experts and printers like the Prairie State Group who have successfully implemented a retrofit solution.
Webinar Details:
“Your Digital Solution is Closer Than You Think: The Retrofit Opportunity.”
Date & Time: Tuesday October 25, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. EDT
Featuring:
Dan Doherty, Executive VP of Operations/Principal, Prairie State Group
Bob Hakman, Owner, Diversified Labeling Solutions
Kevin Karstedt, CEO, Karstedt Partners, LLC
Learn how retrofitting your existing flexo press lets you capture the benefits of digital printing – without the cost and challenges of stand-alone digital solutions. Click here to register.
