Winning Combinations
Combination presses continue to gain popularity. See what the experts say is the right combo for your shop.
By Chris Bauer
PACKAGERS can be on top of their market's mountaintop one day, just to find themselves outdated the next, with newcomers climbing up quickly. Competition for niche markets can be fierce, and you must have the equipment to win the battles for survival. This fight goes on in the package printing industry, as new packages demand new production methods.
According to Mark Herrmann, president and CEO of Comco, "We are part of an industry in transition. Today's printer is being asked to create more dynamic packaging faster, with higher standards of quality than ever before." To meet these demands, many plants are turning to combination presses.
Up until five years ago, J.R. Cole Industries (JRCI) of Charlotte, NC, was strictly in the flexo printing business. About that time, the company, which sits at number 71 on packagePRINTING's 2000 Top Tag & Label Converter ranking, was looking to make its mark in the clear label market for the wine and spirit, beverage, and personal care industries. But by offering only flexo, its chances were not good.
"We just weren't a factor in those markets before—but we are now," boasts Hollis Cobb, special projects manager. 1995 was the year JRCI turned to Nilpeter to set up the first of two combination presses the shop now utilizes to serve the clear label market. One Nilpeter combo includes seven-color letterpress, four-color screen, hot stamping, laminating, and diecutting. the other combination press, also from Nilpeter, features seven-color letterpress, with three screen colors mounted on top of the press, which are able to be moved to accommodate the needs of a job. This gives JRCI flexibility, Cobb says, which is key when receiving jobs from clients.
"In this day and age we get most of our artwork in electronic format," Cobb notes. He explains ad agencies don't always take the print process into consideration when designing a piece. But with the flexibility of mobile print heads, that concern is eliminated. "it is almost impossible to design a label that we couldn't print because we have the mobile screen stations. Depending on the print sequence, we can move the screen stations to any position we want," he says. That is an advantage JRCI did not have just a few years ago.
"The market is dictating to a lot of converters right now that in order to satisfy their particular market needs they have to have more than just one of the processes on their press," says Roy Webb, national sales manager for Mark Andy. He notes most Mark Andy presses are sold featuring eight colors, including UV and water-based flexo, with one screen unit and hot foil stamping.
Mobility makes moguls
Suppliers also feel mobility adds to the value of a combination press. "If you are going to invest in a brand new press, I think that [mobility] is extremely important," advises Bob Yates, sales manager for Gallus. "If you are looking to move up in the marketplace, portability is an issue that should be looked at." The mobility of print stations allows jobs with unique printing needs to be accommodated using one machine, with one pass through the press. This is commonly used in the world of health and beauty care as well as the wine and spirits market, Yates points out, where rotary screen heads may be required in several positions. That's not to say there is no method to the combination madness.
"Typically speaking, rotary screen is usually required at the unwind end of the press or within the first few print stations," Yates says. "Rotary screen is normally laid down first for the opacity on clear materials." Flexo (UV and water-based) has become the larger portion of Gallus' market in North America, he explains, with rotary screen, hot foil stamping, and embossing included as popular add-ons. These presses fall in the mid-range of web widths—between 10&Mac253; and 16&Mac253;.
To remain nimble and meet the needs of today's converter, Mark Andy has its rotary screen units mounted on a rail system that sits on top of the print stations. The operator can move the screen wherever needed and quickly bolt it into place. Webb notes that it takes less than ten minutes to move the screen unit. This is to keep up with short-run, just-in-time jobs.
Combination for many shops
Shops of all sizes are showing interest in combination presses, suppliers say. Customer inquiries point to combination presses becoming more and more appealing to both larger printing corporations and smaller printing operations as end-users seek greater quality and added versatility, says Gerry Nigg, sales director for Ko-Pack.
"Smaller printing operations in particular have reached maximum capabilities on their current presses," Nigg notes. "To ensure more long-term commitments from customers, they need to offer production of more value-added labels as sophisticated marketing directions become voguish. Splashier, shinier, and more detailed labels and packaging (cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, specialty plastics) translate into label printing presses accommodating this growing niche."
Nigg has also noticed some other industry trends driving the need for combination presses. "Film printing is catching up to demands to print on paper, requiring more specialized and versatile press designs," he says. "The driving force in combination presses is UV inks, as buyers focus on presses that enable future add-ons and enhancements as their printing needs expand."
The growth of combination presses in the market suggests it may not be prudent to limit yourself to offering strictly a single printing process. To get the most out of your business, you must be prepared to grab any and all opportunities—and suppliers agree combination presses fulfill that need.
