GURNEE, IL—In February 2020, Abbott Label added the Domino N610i digital UV inkjet press to its label printing arsenal to complement its HP Indigo WS6600, and to expand its digital capabilities.
Upon that installation, John Abbott, president of Abbott Label said, “We have been completely satisfied with the HP, but we wanted to jump into the inkjet market as we believe it better serves the markets we sell into. We are presented with many consecutive bar code opportunities. In some instances, we are unable to capture those with the HP. Our costing models with the Domino have led us to believe we can be extremely competitive on consecutive bar code work. We expect that the Domino will make us better equipped to respond to our customers’ needs. We will be going after numbering jobs and high color long runs without needing plates.”
One year later, Abbott Label is further increasing its digital printing strength and capacity with the installation of the Domino K600i dual bar digital UV inkjet printer.
Domino spoke with John to learn about the Domino K600i dual bar, how COVID-19 has impacted the company’s business, and the drivers and trends for continuing to invest in digital printing for his business.
How has COVID-19 impacted your business?
“COVID-19 presented very unique challenges which we have been able to overcome through new policies and procedures. The health and safety of our team members is always our primary concern. We invested into new sanitation supplies to wipe down equipment between shifts. Required masks to be worn by everyone inside the building. And provided multiple tests to ensure the best quality workspace possible. We cannot thank and praise our team enough for their adaptability to keep each other safe and our customers happy.”
In the past year, have you noticed any changes or trends in the label jobs being run?
The demand for variable data printing (VDP) has increased. With the increases in e-commerce and logistics, especially this past year due to COVID, we see the VDP demand going up.
What type of variable data printing jobs are you running?
Consecutive bar codes, numbers, and QR codes.
Why Domino and Why K600i dual bar?
We purchased the Domino N610i a year ago for high color long runs, and to get our foot in the door in the variable market. We were quickly able to fill it up with work. With this success, partnering with Domino again was an easy decision. The K600i dual bar was an easy choice due to its variable printing capabilities and lighting fast print speed (up to 492 fpm). Adding the K600i onto our Mark Andy 2200 flexo press doubles our run speed and is perfect for large run VDP projects.
What benefits do you foresee the Domino K600i dual bar bringing to your business?
We expect the Domino K600i dual bar to provide three key benefits. One, with the increased speeds, it will allow us to capture more long run VDP work and produce it very quickly. Two, it will allow us to be even more competitive in this long run variable imaging market space. And three, it frees up the N610i for more custom work. We will be able to run more efficiently and grow at the same time.
Thanks, John. Anything else you would like to add?
Yes, I would like to send a message to our industry friends… our fellow label manufacturers… who like everyone else across the country and around the world are dealing with extraordinary situations in this unprecedented time. The team at Abbott Label are experts at assisting label manufacturing companies with their job challenges. These challenges may include a press being down, not having enough press capacity for the current workload, or needing assistance with a VDP project. Abbott Label strives to provide the industry’s best capabilities and speed of turnaround. During this stressful time, if label printer converters need any manufacturing assistance, they can contact me toll-free at 866-228-0100 or via email at [email protected]. They can also contact our marketing and sales director, Hayden Wier, at [email protected]. Please stay safe and be well.