EFI Highlights Inkjet Innovations at Labelexpo

At Labelexpo Europe, EFI is showing the first fully in-line LED inkjet digital printing system available with laser cutting and finishing for lean label production. The production line features the 13˝ (330mm) wide EFI Jetrion 4950lx LED narrow web press with a white ink module. To complement its high-productivity press, EFI is demonstrating a new Enterprise Packaging Productivity Suite custom configured to address the needs of three segments: label, flexible packaging and folding carton converting, as well as tighter integration with Esko's Automation Engine.

EFI Jetrion LED Press with White Ink and In-line Finishing

The automated Jetrion 4950lx press with integrated finishing has a superior, 720x720 dots per inch resolution. Plus, EFI is demonstrating a faster, 164 feet (50 meter) per minute speed, a higher level of throughput that can make digital inkjet label converting an even more useful option as a replacement for flexographic printing.

"We are one of the first label printers in the world to have digital printing and in-line finishing in one machine," said Richard Rensen, owner of The Label Collective Group in Haaksbergen, the Netherlands. "The new laser uses 95 percent of its power for diecutting and only 5 percent ends up in the substrate — this used to be 25 percent. The benefit is that our labels come off the roll much more easily and are more suitable for further processing using automatic labeling machines.

"With a 330 mm print width, we can print label sizes up to 250x470 mm, as needed, for nutritional supplements, for example. Or we can print two side by side, or if a label is 80 mm we can print four side by side rather than two as before," added Rensen.

Ken Hanulec, vice president of marketing, EFI Inkjet Solutions added, "The Jetrion 4950lx LED press on display is the culmination of years of advanced research in narrow-web production and LED inkjet technology. With nearly 200 Jetrion presses installed worldwide, EFI is the market leader in narrow-web inkjet technology and has helped customers worldwide achieve remarkable growth in digital label printing."

With the Jetrion 4950lx, label producers can reduce labor costs and makeready prep using a 1,000-watt in-line laser cutter. Plus, the white ink module for the press provides more flexibility in full-color imaging on clear, metallic and colored substrates. In-line varnishing and lamination are available as optional modules.

The press's LED platform offers a "cool cure" advantage, giving converters the opportunity to print on a broader range of substrates that cannot withstand the heat required with other curing or drying methods. Cool cure printing with the Jetrion 4950lx press also is a greener, more economical choice because it requires significantly less energy, and the press's LED lamps are more consistent and last significantly longer than traditional UV lamps.

EFI Jetrion users gain significant productivity improvements using the latest-version EFI Fiery software, which RIPs jobs up to 80 percent faster than the previous Fiery software for Jetrion presses. The software also offers new tools for improved brand color management.

Also featured on the EFI stand is the EFI H1625 LED printer, a 65˝ wide hybrid roll/flatbed printer suitable for high-quality label proofing and packaging prototyping applications.

EFI Enterprise Packaging Productivity Suite

Label converters looking for ways to improve their management and production workflow can view EFI's new Enterprise Packaging Productivity Suite. Each of EFI's Productivity Suites is modular, allowing users to configure the suite to meet their specific needs. The workflow solution optimizes scheduling for more on-time delivery, decreases waste, and provides better insight into the business for increased profit margins.

EFI Radius enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is at the heart of the Packaging Suite. This proven enterprise software with deep industry-specific functionality is the leading solution for converters with multi-company, multi-plant, multi-currency and multi-language environments.

Working alongside Radius is EFI's award-winning PrintFlow Dynamic Scheduling solution, which automates and intelligently schedules thousands of tasks and sequences them to minimize switchover and setup time. The industry's ultimate scheduling platform is based on the Theory of Global Optimization (TGO), which has taken lean principles and re-written them for the unique demands of the printing and packaging industry.

The Suite's Business Intelligence solution provides converters with comprehensive, real-time data in an intuitive point-and-click environment. What-if capabilities and simple drill-down functionality allow users to digest information at an enterprise-wide view or at a detailed level, looking at specific work centers, customers, vendors and more.

The Radius Portal and EFI eCRM application bring important ordering and RFQ functionality to remote employees and allow returning customers to easily place their own orders for repeat items.

"As a growing business we were looking to standardize our procedures across multiple locations, allowing real-time, consolidated performance data, with the added benefit of seeing site-specific performance information," said Dannielle Beattie, group business improvement manager at inspirepac (UK). "We opted for EFI due to the versatility of the software. It allows us to work with our different business units, be it display print or flexo corrugated, in a system that has been developed specifically for the print and packaging industry. The opportunity to have flexibility, but within a standard framework, has meant all areas of the business can be satisfied."

Radius-Esko Integration Demonstration

Building on the existing item-based workflow integration, the latest Radius release now contains enhanced integration for a job-based workflow. Once a production job has been created in Radius, details are passed to Esko's Automation Engine, which then produces a print-ready stepped PDF. Once complete, the file is linked to the job in Radius, ready to be sent to the print device. The Radius-Esko integration provides more visibility into prepress costs, the removal of manual touchpoints and greater accuracy, speed and more.

EFI GamSys MIS for Small to Medium-Sized Converters

On the Labelexpo floor GamSys MIS, winner of 2015 Graphitec Award for Innovation, will be fully integrated with EFI Digital StoreFront Web-to-print solution and EFI Metrix imposition software.

Developed for small and medium-sized businesses, GamSys optimizes the production process by creating visibility on the production floor, managing order and production information efficiently, while controlling costs. It improves the customer experience by allowing them to create web shops, provide online quotations and manage orders. Metrix is an automated planning and imposition solution that brings a unique blend of features to create cost-driven layouts. GamSys eliminates the need for manual data entry so short-run jobs can be produced profitably. It is an excellent fit for label converters looking to streamline and optimize their workflow.

EFI Jetrion digital press users can further improve digital print management by connecting the Fiery software used with Jetrion presses to GamSys MIS or Radius ERP software.

Source: EFI.