FORT WORTH, TX—Forum 2016 tackled the topic of digital printing head on Tuesday morning, with the Enhancing Digital Print with Flexography session. Chaired by Andy Knapp, Flint Group Flexographic Products and John Hickey, Domino Printing Sciences, the session provided testimonials from two printers who have combined digital with their existing flexographic operations, seeing both formats take on particular jobs and drive overall growth.
Mike Gore, VP of operations at Discount Labels, began with a look at how his company has used the “power duo” of flexography and digital. Gore revealed that Discount Labels prints more than 400,000 orders each year, “so we definitely see some trends,” he said. He named a few:
- Converter outsourcing
- A shift to prime labels
- A focus on color management with expanded gamut (EG)
- Personalization and variable data
- Multiple SKUs
- Security
Listing off several typical customer demands, Gore proudly said his company can often say “yes” because of its usage of flexography and digital in tandem. The “Three Ps”—process, products and people—are Discount Labels’ “success drivers.”
Gore then offered eight case studies, providing specific instances and unique circumstances where the combination of flexography and digital enabled his company to meet customer needs and, in one case, win back an account. They included:
- A digital, flexo, cold foil combination to implement variable data
- Adding scratch n’ sniff with flexo, to a label printed digitally
- A small quantity, high end wine label that was printed on a digital UV inkjet press, then run through a traditional hot stamper, then run through a laser die cutter
- A 30-in. tall bourbon bottle for a floor display, with neck, front and rear labels, each printed in its own way and needing to be color matched
“Our people are the difference makers,” he noted, saying all the technology and machinery in the world is not useful without a trained and talented workforce. Investing in new technology, like digital printing, has always led to growth.
Gore was followed by Sharon Zampogna, VP of sales at McCourt Label Co., who offered a look at why her company brought on digital to its flexographic operation. With more than 100 years of history, attendees saw a brief run through McCourt’s backstory, from printing in the rear of a grocery store to, in 2013, adding a 4-color digital inkjet press.
“We listened to our customers, and they said they wanted things better, faster and cheaper,” Zampogna noted. Combined with an interest in printing more in the prime label market, the company examined itself, its existing segments and areas it could take a slice of the pie. Offering a look at product mixes in 2006 and 2015, Zampogna revealed the addition of digital printing has allowed a successful transition to more profitable segments. “It didn’t happen overnight,” she cautioned, and, echoing Gore, said employees were instrumental in the shift.
Payoffs from the utilization of digital included:
- Significantly reducing scrap
- Reducing labor per job
- Increasing number of jobs produced per hour by 250 percent
- Opening capacity
- Decommissioning an older machine
The two process setup has enabled McCourt to let each focus on jobs that cater to its strengths. “Our flexo presses have never been busier,” Zampogna said. Subsequent investments have included moving to a 6-color digital press. Customers have taken notice, she revealed, sharing a particularly glowing piece of feedback from a client. Zampogna wrapped up by quoting Socrates to drive home the idea of embracing the new, rather than fighting to resist it.