Following a radical IT reorganisation in 2017, INSIGNIS-Etiketten is now taking the next leap of innovation and, as a pioneer of Industry 4.0., is investing in new printing technology. With the Gallus Labelfire 340, the Viennese company is introducing the perfect addition to its plant, thereby defining new capacities in digital printing. Not only does the implementation of this state-of-the-art label printing system ensure expansion of the company’s internal product portfolio, it also guarantees improved flexibility, quality and performance. With the first machine of its type in Austria and Europe as a whole, Insignis is showing itself to be a company that is moving towards a digital future.
Up to now, many label printers have not yet dared to take the plunge into digital printing. However, the market is changing. This is because, in the face of the continuously increasing need for shorter print runs or customised and versioned labels, increasing investment in machinery with digital printing technology is becoming apparent.
INSIGNIS-Etiketten investment
The Austrian label printer Insignis has now responded to these changes and invested in a Gallus Labelfire 340 with all the extras. This was preceded by an intensive test phase with special print jobs printed by Gallus in Switzerland. These tests were very successful and provided the key incentive for the decision to purchase. After a comprehensive reorganisation, the Vienna-based label producer Insignis is now showing itself to be full of energy and drive. As well as radically reorganising its IT set-up, the company also aligned its customer structure with the future orientation of its business. “We have also restructured our organisation,” said CEO, Managing Partner and Engineer Ferdinand Hager. In future, the company will consist of two independent business units: INSIGNIS-Etiketten and Insignis Digital. “In this way, we aim to give a clear indication of our new commitment to digital printing. A production facility, specifically orientated for this purpose, was adapted shortly before Christmas. This is the home of the new Gallus Labelfire 340 and also the place where other new innovative products will be developed. The equipment was delivered and installed in February 2018.
The investment in a Gallus Labelfire is the perfect addition to the existing plant, establishing additional printing capacity for Insignis. This is the first Gallus machine of its type in Austria and also the first Labelfire in what Gallus refers to as the Eastern European market. “This is a huge step towards the company’s digital future,” said Mag. Roland Spatt from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Austria Vertriebs-GmbH, which represents Gallus in Austria and is responsible for providing support and service. Insignis and Gallus/Heidelberg are cooperating very closely with each other on this project. This ensures huge development potential, as this investment sees Insignis functioning as expert partner and the new printing centre serving as a showcase for Gallus. Further boosts of innovation can certainly be anticipated from this cooperation in future. Heidelberg Austria thinks the same. “Heidelberg has included Gallus in its sales programme and that means our packing operation has become incredibly competent,” said Roland Spatt.
Swimming against the tide
Business is forcing printing companies to accelerate their production more and more. Rapid response times are required. Range releases are becoming increasingly varied and print runs increasingly shorter. In contrast, quality requirements continue to increase, as products need to stand out on the shelves. “With this machine, we are becoming extremely flexible whilst obtaining top quality. The expanded colour gamut with seven printing inks (CMYK + GOV) and digital white enables us to cover 96% of the Pantone colour space and, with a physical resolution of 1200 dpi, we achieve offset quality, sometimes even beyond,” said Insignis Managing Director, Erwin Pudek. He added: “That is absolute top class.” “This investment has sent a ripple of excitement through the whole team,” concurred Ferdinand Hager. Insignis’ corporate reorientation was also a crucial factor in making the decision to invest in a Gallus Labelfire. “We don’t want to go with the flow anymore; we want to swim against the tide instead and add value through differentiation, which this investment enables us to achieve,” remarked Erwin Pudek. “It is important for us in future to not just be part of a market; we want to develop a new market for ourselves.” This also involves trying to find another avenue to customers this year, with the Labelfire 340 serving as the catalyst. New field staff recruits will add to the sales force addressing the agency and creative sector to inform these areas about these new digital opportunities.
New technology and experience in harmony
The machine works with a speed of up to 50 metres per minute and offers seven colours plus white. “Speed is naturally always an issue, but with 50 metres per minute printed digitally, we can produce a fully finished and embossed label - and that is what sets this machine apart from the rest,” said Ferdinand Hager. “With this equipment in this system, we are seeing the wealth of Gallus’ experience with conventional printing processes coming into its own. Flexographic printing, screen printing, die-cutting, varnishing and inkjet printing are perfectly combined in one system.” Was the machine’s multifunctionality the criterion in the selection process? “Of course,” confirmed Hager. “For years, we have focused on Swiss quality, Gallus-style, and this combination is now being continued in digital printing. It’s a bit like a Swiss watch: a long-term investment that stands the test of time.”
The benefits of inline finishing
As a result of combining the advantages of digital printing with optimised inline finishing procedures specifically for digital printing, labels on the Gallus Labelfire can also be varnished, finished and processed inline. This stands in stark contrast to many of the digital label printing machines on the market that only print digitally and where label processing has to be completed as a subsequent process. Consequently, when it comes to digitally printing finished labels, faster production times and less waste paper can be guaranteed. For the label printer, this means a saving of time, cost and material compared with a multi-stage production process, as there is no need for any switch to downstream processing. By popular customer demand, these functions have now been extended to rotary screen printing. The fully integrated screen printing units can be positioned upstream or downstream of the machines. Before the digital printing unit, the customer benefits, for example, from the unparalleled opacity of white screening ink. Downstream, the full range of rotary screen printing finishing benefits come into their own, such as, for example, the haptic effect of spot varnishing or security applications with special screen printing colours.
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