When brand owners seek a supplier for printed roll stock and stand-up pouches, many look no further than FTA member Signature Flexible Packaging, a Southern California-based leader in the manufacturing of sophisticated flexible packaging. Here, beautifully printed roll stock becomes bags, wraps and pouches used for cookies, crackers, candy, confections, dried fruit, nuts, coffee, tea, frozen foods, snack foods, spices, powders, condiments, meats and cheeses.
In-Plant Positioning
- Printer: Signature Flexible Packaging
- Commerce, CA
- Carson, CA
- Press: Koenig & Bauer (Flexotecnica) EVO XD
- Installed: January 2017 (similar model positioned in 2014)
- Print Stations: 10
- Applications: High-end process color, laminated roll stock—bags, wraps, pouches—most all its core products
The printer claims it delivers every flexible packaging solution utilizing the latest technologies. Two manufacturing facilities, located in Commerce and Carson, CA, ensure it has the capacity to support customers with timely deliveries of high-quality print.
Two in Tandem
Nineteen months ago, in January 2017, extraordinary growth resulted in the need for more capacity, so Signature Flexible Packaging installed its second Koenig & Bauer (Flexotecnica) press—an EVO XD. This gearless, sleeved, central impression (CI) 10-color press joined a similar unit that was installed in 2014. Since its installation, the new machine has been tasked with producing the printer’s core business jobs—laminated roll stock.
“Our first EVO XD press has been running very reliably since we installed it in April 2014,” says Adrian Backer, Signature Flexible Packaging’s president. He recalls, “From the start, it was producing a clear majority of our printed products. In its first 12 months, it was responsible for 73 percent of total print production among three presses. Since we couldn’t run our entire product on this one press, the solution was to order another, thus giving our production scheduling some symmetry. Ever since it was installed, both presses have worked in tandem together.”
Signature Flexible Packaging chose to have both presses configured with 10 units for two reasons. “First, we wanted to have the available decks to give us more options on difficult jobs,” explains Adrian. “Second, when running jobs of five colors or less back to back, it allows us to have the cylinders for the second job in press.”
Adrian emphasizes that the new cutting-edge machine has demonstrated four extremely important characteristics:
- Quality
- Ease-of-use
- Fast, easy changeover
- Speed
“That sums it all up,” he says. “Since installation, the press has been printing commercial orders that are stunning. Print quality is superb, and ease and speed of setups are amazing. Run speeds are double over those in our existing presses. We’ve produced several jobs on the press that have happily surprised us in terms of its productivity.”
“Our new machine is built with high-caliber steel and exacting craftsmanship that allow us to produce highly precise jobs. We’re able to achieve excellent results.”
Press Features & Functions
A key unique feature is its highly efficient drying system co-developed with a team of experts from Milan University. The press meets even the highest demands in terms of quality with a high web speed of 1,641 fpm. Its innovative operating concept facilitates minimal startup times when changing jobs. The patented auto-impression (AIF) and user-friendly (ARF) register setting control keep start-up waste to a minimum.
Both 10-color presses at Signature Flexible Packaging feature a raft of new technology. Meeting the challenge to speed turnaround time and reduce costs, Signature chose time-saving components like the Speedy Clean automatic washup system and inline viscosity control with InkSpec viscometers, auto-impression setting and click-and-drag, zero-waste registration. That was paired with numerous quality control options, such as a 100 percent inspection camera and inline color control. All of the important automation and control functions are integrated in the new touchscreen panel, assuring intuitive press operation.
Fast job changes for short-run, variable, just-in-time work are key, as is color management control for the high-end brands to which Signature Flexible Packaging caters. “The fully automatic impression setting system is a great feature,” says Jeff Sewell, Signature Flexible Packaging’s vice president of sales and marketing. “It needs no ink during the adjustment process. We specified the press with the Grafikontrol Lynex 100 percent TQC Inspection with Matrix web viewing and print inspection and downstream CR34 registration. Our new machine is built with high-caliber steel and exacting craftsmanship that allow us to produce highly precise jobs. We’re able to achieve excellent results.”
Photo courtesy of Signature Flexible Packaging
Evolving with Demands
According to the team of executives, since it added the latest press, Signature Flexible Packaging has been able to continue to grow and offer customers interesting design capabilities. The firm typically prints thin-gauge plastic film, such as oriented polypropylene and oriented polyester.
“As customers try to differentiate their products in the marketplace, designs become more complex and varied,” says Adrian. “One trend we are seeing is customers who require a matte look with a window. This requires us to reverse print on one side of the film and then print a matte varnish pattern in register on the opposite side. We have an insetter on this press from BST eltromat that allows us to do this.”
Looking forward to the future, the printer recently installed an electron beam curing unit manufactured by Energy Sciences Inc on its newer EVO XD press. The ESI E-Beam curing unit allows Signature Flexible Packaging to use a mix of both traditional solvents inks and electron beam varnishes, as well as the new family of GelFlex-EB inks from Siegwerk.
Siegwerk’s GelFlex-EB inks deliver a myriad of benefits. Cost reduction is realized through ink savings, waste savings and productivity gains. GelFlex-EB inks achieve what the firm says is better image quality, due to smaller dots/less dot gain. These inks also deliver a reduction in carbon footprint with up to 90 percent fewer emissions because no solvent is required for printing. An additional sustainable benefit is inks are dried via renewable electricity, versus non-renewable natural gas.
Using the new ESI E-Beam unit, Signature Flexible Packaging recently launched its EBGloss nutritional bar wrap. With EBGloss, no lamination processing or adhesive is required, resulting in a decrease in energy consumption. Single-substrate EBGloss also allows for downgauging, providing additional reductions in carbon footprint and packaging costs. Signature Flexible Packaging also recently introduced its EBPrint RecycleReady line of printed high-barrier PE films and pouches. It describes them as the most attractive and cost-effective flexible package option available.
EBGloss delivers beautiful retail-ready graphics printed on Signature Flexible Packaging’s CI presses, using Kodak NX printing plates. The nutritional bar wrap is available in a wide array of barrier properties, functions well on virtually any automatic flow-wrapper and is available in cold-seal. Aside from the wrap, EBGloss is suitable for snack foods, frozen foods, baked goods and RecycleReady stand-up zipper pouches.
“Print quality is superb, and ease and speed of setups are amazing. Run speeds are double over those in our existing presses. We’ve produced several jobs on the press that have happily surprised us in terms of its productivity.”
Training Is Tantamount
In the past four years, Signature Flexible Packaging has formed an important partnership with Koenig & Bauer to gain the most productivity and efficiency from its two EVO XD presses.
The firm has utilized one-on-one contact between the manufacturer’s technicians and its operators to become familiar with the new interface on the latest press, as well as the additional tension zones with the second chill roll and downstream station. Signature also appreciated that its press partner provided three drawings—one for each web path—which were enlarged and posted by the machine for easy training.
“Technicians are always able to remotely connect to the press and diagnose issues quickly,” says Jeff. “Grafikontrol can also remotely connect for software upgrades.
“We feel our EVO XD presses are the best value in the super high-quality, wide web flexo press market,” he adds. “We’re very satisfied with our two existing machines. When it comes to performance and quality, nothing comes close. Service and training has been superb. Our business continues to grow.”
Editor’s Note: This article was developed in association with Koenig & Bauer and Coastline Public Relations—the author. Inquires on the equipment discussed can be directed to Eric Frank.
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