Eighteen years ago Pacific Southwest Container (PSC) in Modesto, Calif., installed its first GFI Innovations ink formulation dispenser to save prep time producing spot colors supplied by longtime ink system partner INX International. Today, the premier independent provider of packaging solutions in the western United States counts its two formulation dispensers as key tools to meet their sustainability goals and exceed customers’ expectations.
The patented formulation dispensers – another was added in 2010 – have since been rebranded as AccuBlend HV. They are part of an INX high-performance ink system which includes AccureX Precision Dispense Cylinders filled with INX base colors, and Colorbook software. Combined, they improve color consistency and have eliminated clean-up time, reduced waste and any lost press time waiting for ink to be delivered, and substantially decreased substrate waste.
“The GFI ink dispenser is the best thing that’s happened to our ink lab,” said Joel Soto, a veteran PSC ink technician. “It’s like having an extra team member who doesn’t need a break.”
A Packaging Leader with family roots
Pacific Southwest Container has grown dramatically since being founded in 1973 as a small family business serving local businesses in Modesto. After fifty-one years and three generations of ownership, it is one of the largest privately held packaging companies in the U.S. with over 1,000 team members working from four locations.
More than 400 of them are stationed at the Leckron Road complex on the city’s east side. The two building operation totals 730,000 square-feet of space and produces packaging solutions ranging from folding cartons and corrugated/flexo, to retail displays, basket carriers, and protective packaging. PSC is also the largest single face lamination producer in North America.
The company services an international client base involved in the agriculture, consumer electronics, craft beer, wine and spirits, medical devices, pet care and personal care products, retail and snack food, and technology industries. They produce box sizes designed for small confectionary items, up to large store displays.
One facet important to their success is the seven member offset ink group, led by team leader Bryan Redding. He began working at PSC 29 years ago as a manufacturing associate, earning promotions to become the pressroom shift supervisor and later as the planning/scheduling and ink room manager. He currently leads the pressroom, sheeting, and ink departments, so he knows all about longevity.
“I worked in prepress when we still used film, and worked every position on a litho press,” he recalled while mentioning the litho department runs seven days a week. “The GFI dispensers are the same machines we’ve used over the years. We have performed regular maintenance and replaced wear parts, too. Otherwise, we’ve only made software updates to them.”
Day-to-Day Durability, Precision, and Speed
PSC began formulating their own inks when they installed the initial GFI formulation dispenser. Utilizing INX’s expertise as their sole provider of conventional and LED base colors, they were ahead of the curve in achieving correct color. By having access to an infinite amount of color matching inks, they were already onboard when corporate customers began demanding brand-specific colors and custom color consistency for every production run across all media.
The formulation dispensers are used to mix spot colors for batch sizes in the 5-30 pound range. Redding said by having more color control capabilities and services in-house, including G7 master certified press operators, it allows PSC to offer unparalleled quality and speed to market.
“Our average run length is 15,000 sheets and our range is pretty broad, from 300 sheets to 300,000. Our dispensers are used mainly for production efficiency,” he acknowledged.
“The dispensers have helped with turnaround speed, and their accuracy and ease of use is good. It is particularly nice to be able to perform other tasks while dispensing a batch. We can efficiently blend spot colors as needed on site without having to wait for order processing and delivery from vendors. When we do purchase large batches, we can supplement it with the dispensers if more is needed to complete the job.”
“I have worked in our ink lab since before the GFI ink dispensers were installed,” added Soto. “When I first started, everything was done by hand and even our formulas were done on a spreadsheet. The GFI ink dispenser calculates all the math for us, which helps maximize our performance, production time, and efficiency, all while eliminating waste. It also manages our inventory so we do not over produce.”
Sustainability in Action
This insight supports PSC’s commitment to sustainability. The ISO 14001:2015 environmental management system certification they adhere to requires them to measure and improve environmental performance by reducing, reusing, and recycling 100% of their paper waste. Keeping up with customer demand requires consistent use of the ink formulation dispensers to feed PSC’s fleet of offset presses.
“The dispensers reduce waste and allow us to benefit from several things,” said Redding. “With the ability to make ink on demand, we can reduce excess overages and address any work off ink that we may have into other like-color batches. Thus, we have also decreased our waste ink disposal fees.”
Reliable Support, Minimal Maintenance
With INX ink and GFI formulation dispensers circling the bases by meeting speed, accuracy, and efficiency requirements, Redding said they knock it out of the ballpark when it comes to reliability.
“We don’t interact with GFI personnel very often, which is good. When we need support, they are easy to reach and help us find a fast solution,” said Redding, adding the dispensers are “wonderfully low maintenance machines. All we do is clean the dispenser carousel every three months and perform regularly prescribed greasing.”
Soto, who uses the formulation dispensers on every shift he works, marvels at the number of hours saved.
“When it was first installed,” he recalled, “I noticed a huge difference and could focus prioritizing my time on other tasks. We used to weigh everything out by hand, and it has saved us so much time and money. I would recommend any ink lab, no matter what size, to have a GFI ink dispenser.”
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