Demand for digital

13 July 2015



Demand for digital


Demand for digital

There's no getting away from the march of digital technology. In practically every industry, the enhanced speed, capabilities and capacity of digital means companies and consumers alike are falling in love with it a little bit more every day. So what about the converting industry? How can digital technology help us do more with less? Emma-Jane Batey spoke to key players to find out.

As an industry that can quickly see the benefits of new-generation technology yet needs long-term investment to make it a reality, the converting sector is seeing the exciting potential of digital machinery. So how is digital converting already being applied, and what trends are coming our way?
For Tony Bell, sales director at East Yorkshire's AB Graphic International, UK market leader in fully modular digital converting, the move towards digital converting is a steady development. "Traditionally the market has been offline, but the trend is moving towards inline. Nevertheless, it is by no means mainstream yet. Automation is becoming increasingly important at the finishing end of the business, as digital printing can change instantly whereas a more conventional approach to the finishing process takes longer."
AB Graphic International offers a range of solutions that meet both the traditional and digital demands of the converting and printing industries, with Tony Bell well aware that staying one step ahead of technology must be balanced with the demands and expectations of the customer. "Our new Digicon Series 3 is available to run inline with different print engines by providing a buffer interface that allows for the different running speeds between the print engine and the Series 3 digital finishing machine," he says. "It also comes with an Autoslit option. Although diecutting is the conventional method of cutting, we will continue to see more laser-cutting in the future. But again, this is unlikely to be mainstream for some time. We already have the Digilase cutting machine for digital laser cutting to fulfil this increasing trend, and we are keen for customers to see how our new digital solutions can boost accuracy and productivity."

A taste for less waste
For brand-owners, it is not necessarily the type of technology used but rather the results they achieve that matter. While companies are not generally able to change methods or suppliers particularly quickly, if a trusted partner has invested in digital technology that allows them to offer more for less, it is usually well received. Ian Schofield, own label and packaging manager from frozen food giant Iceland, agrees. "Among the key advantages of frozen food is that it is easy to keep and use: no mess, no waste and no fuss. Our policy requires that all Iceland packaging is minimal, so we encourage our suppliers to reduce the weight and size of packaging as much as possible while ensuring the product is not damaged in transit and able to retain its full shelf-life. We work closely with our suppliers to minimise the amount of food waste Iceland generates while keeping our famous value, so any method of more accurately ensuring our packaging quality - such as using digital technology - that does not affect a higher product cost, is welcome."
Of course, in order for brand-owners to be able to benefit from the advantages of digital converting, the manufacturers and suppliers must first invest in the latest technology. Leading Yorkshire-based labelling manufacturer Watermill has recently invested more than £1 million in label converting technology to stay one step ahead of this trend. Managing director Dale Deacon explains how Watermill is one of the first companies in the UK to implement 530mm-wide machines, delivering the products of its three fully servo-driven digital converting lines to customers including Marks and Spencer, Britvic, Princes Food and the Robert McBride Group.
Mr Deacon says: "Our investment has given us three converting lines that are fully servo driven and have automatic tail and leader label stripping capability. We've also recruited six new members of staff over the past 12 months specifically to manage and operate the new machinery. Our investment is customer-driven after feedback from our clients highlighted their needs for quality products, faster lead times, more volume and lower production costs. Investing in technology is one of our key strategies for staying at the forefront of quality and price."

Money for something
Even when we're talking about the very latest in technological developments, it is clear that the age-old issues of quality and price are the key drivers. Digital converting and its enhanced capabilities in speed and accuracy are perhaps simply the latest way to make sure customers' demands are met. Daniel Carr, sales director from Bar Graphic Machinery, appreciates how the specific advantages of digital converting is helping his company to stay relevant. With BGM manufacturing narrow-web slitter rewinders, inspection slitter rewinders, rotary cutting rewinders, and converting and finishing equipment in the UK since 1992, its understanding that providing technically creative solutions that "meet customers' business demands today and anticipates their needs for tomorrow" is bound up in researching, investing in and integrating digital technology.
Daniel Carr tells Converting Today: "Quality is our main focus, so however we achieve it, that is what we will do. Perhaps the most important trend we're noticing is that inkjet is getting a lot faster; we tend to deal directly with inkjet companies as we create bespoke technical platforms, so we see that they want to be able to provide their own niche product to differentiate themselves in the market. Our most recent sale has been for a top-secret security printing application, which is a great example of how integrating digital converting helps our clients to stay one step ahead of the competition."
Carr explains how BGM's latest digital converting finishing system, called the BGM Elite Digiflex, is a full servo flexographic die cut that has been specially developed to convert and finish pre-printed digital, inkjet or flexographic media. He adds: "This system stands out thanks to its flexibility - the real buzz word in digital converting. The print or die station can be switched on or off independently and the result is the ability to offer multiple capabilities such as print-to-print, die cut to print, print to die cut, die cut to die cut, or slitting and rewinding - all in one process. It really supports our ongoing aim to boost our customers' ability to be niche players in their market."

Affording the advantage
As more players in the converting industry - and their customers - look to clearly label their unique selling point through providing a unique offer rather than a 'me too' service, the big issue of investment rears its expensive head. Debbie Waldron-Hoines, consultant director of the European Flexographic Industry Association, believes that digital converting has an important role to play in the predicted further upturns in the fortunes of the sector and continued consolidation of the print industry.
"Those who failed to invest in the recession are unable to compete in this new fast track economy," Waldron-Hoines says. "With the advent of high-definition printing, flexo printers are able to compete head-on with gravure, driving further success and recognition of the technology on a global scale. Digital will also continue to make further inroads. However, our members continue to use the technology as a complement rather than a replacement."
So perhaps this is the current state of play for the adoption of digital technology in the converting sector: a complementary addition to the traditional equipment that requires major investment. As ever, those relatively early adopters with the money to spend can, if they are smart in educating customers, enable their clients to stand out in a crowded market and get a desirable return on their investment.



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