With the emphasis more than ever on cost saving and environmental issues, Maarten Hummelen, marketing director of GSE Dispensing, cites ink consumption as an area worth targeting.
“There is no margin for error,“ he states. “When it comes to quality consistency, the pack must look identical from one job run to the next. Any mistake means rejection. Manually preparing ink recipes is a slow, haphazard process that requires a great deal of trial and error. Complex spot colours on a pack can take hours to get right, causing costly production bottlenecks. Excess ink is also deliberately prepared, to prevent the chance of a shortfall, which would cause production downtime.
“Automated ink logistics, featuring a gravimetric ink dispensing system, solve all these problems, and offer sustainability by focusing on reduction, reuse and recycling,“ he continues. “With an automated system, the exact volume requirements are calculated for each job, often accurate to within one gramme. The operator simply keys in the colour requirements, as well as variables such as order number and anilox roll type. The ink is then dispensed, within as little as four minutes.
“The ability to reuse inks is an equally important feature of an automated dispensing system,” he adds. “Should any excess remain after the production run, it can be retrieved from the press and re-entered into the system. It is then effortlessly recycled, by being calculated into future recipes. With a powerful software program, such calculations, are executed instantly.”
Over 40 label converters around the world have installed GSE’s ColorsatMatch system designed to dispense small batches of up to 5 kg. Backed up with IMS (Ink Management Software), it is claimed to have enabled some users to reduce costs by as much as 30 per cent.
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