This investment will allow them to crease, fold and perf both paper and cardstock in-line with consistent accuracy.

Multigraf is a Swiss manufacturer of print finishing solutions.

“Our presence across the country, from Vancouver to Montreal, underscores our dedication to being close to our customers, understanding their needs, and delivering customized solutions with a quick time to market,” said George Boustani, managing director, ePac Canada. “The addition of the HP Indigo 200K to our Toronto plant allows us to scale our operations and continue providing eco-friendly, high-quality packaging solutions that meet the dynamic needs of our clients.”

Mensaha has also joined the Vulcan Foundation Customer Program, giving them priority for earliest delivery of Highcon’s next generation digital die cutting platform for corrugated production. Menasha is the sixth and final member to join this program.

The Vulcan has a maximum sheet size of 1.4 x 1.7 m and supports boards up to 5 mm, including microflute, B, C, and EB flutes. Like all Highcon systems, Vulcan will combine physical creasing with laser cutting.

”We are impressed with how fast we have started production ramp up. Within three weeks from systems delivery, we have commenced full ramp up on both systems and we are certainly off to a good start,” said president of Menasha Packaging Michael Riegsecker. “This has given us the confidence to move into the next phase and extend digital die cutting to corrugated.”

The TH 82 replaces two older buckle folders and is used for folding the company’s 16-page signatures. Heidelberg’s PFX Feeder is designed to feed sheets like the feeder of a printing press – with the sheets shingled and underlapped in the first folding unit instead of feeding them conventionally with a sheet gap. The underlapping of sheets (shingling sheets) on the infeed register table nearly doubles the number of sheets that can be processed versus conventional sheet gap feeding at the same running speed.

According to Cober, “With our older streamfed folders, we would have three people running two folders. Now it’s one person on one folder at twice the speed.”

Cober is also saving labour while increasing throughput with its new robotic P-Stacker – a six-axis industrial robot that autonomously places each signature pile from the folder’s delivery onto a pallet. This automation complements Stahlfolder’s Push to Stop function, where the system automatically changes from one signature to the next.

Stacking up to 300 signature piles per hour, the P-Stacker helps eliminate a very physical element of the folding process for Cober’s operators. “There’s an ease of onboarding new team members into an automated environment,” said Cober. “We can bring in operators with no printing experience and have them running equipment within a few weeks whereas before, that was completely a pipe dream.”

“This marks our second investment in a litho press from Koenig & Bauer within the past four years,” said Ron Harris, president and CEO of Jones Healthcare Group. “We’ve been highly satisfied with the performance and additional capabilities offered by our previous investment. By adding another Koenig & Bauer press to our lineup, we not only expand our capacity, but also enhance our ability to adapt to the diverse needs of our customers.”

This latest equipment acquisition coincides with the recent investments to enhance its finishing capabilities, and the U.S. compliance card sector.

“Jones Healthcare Group and Koenig & Bauer have a long-standing relationship that includes future R & D developments so that Jones always has the latest technology. For many years, we’ve had a special partnership with Jones that includes several strategic initiatives so that they remain the leading producer of folding cartons in the industry,” says Ralf Sammeck, CEO of Koenig & Bauer Sheetfed. “At Koenig & Bauer, we deeply value our partnership with Jones and congratulate them on this latest investment.”

Jones invested in ground-breaking features to enhance its operations and service and to develop customer-driven solutions. The new Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 seven-colour has integrated simultaneous processes to ensure non-stop operation of the press and custom capabilities to analyze all press parameters in real time, such as aligning the printed product with the customer-approved PDF.

“With the acquisition of the Colorado M5W model, the Impression XL team is enthusiastic about fully leveraging the potential of high-profit projects, particularly by utilizing the white ink option for a variety of applications in the retail and interior decoration sectors,” said a media statement.

This over 20+ years old company recently acquired a Canon Arizona 1380 GT, eight-colour UV-LED flatbed printer.

With this acquisition, the Lion de l’image team will be able to provide personalized and high-quality service for wall decoration projects.

The new Horizon line, which replaces an older Horizon perfect binding and trimming solution, will increase Graphiscan’s capacity as the BQ-500 can process up to 800 books per hour. The company will now also be able to handle both softcover book production and hardcover book preparation with the same system.

“Our business is expanding, and as we look to ramp up our case binding production, this solution is a perfect fit for our current job mix,” said Denis Gagnon, president at Graphiscan. “The system can easily switch between fully automated softcover production, which is still the majority of our work, and book block preparation for case binding when required, enabling us to offer our customers a wider range of capabilities and quicker turnaround. Standard Horizon has been a longstanding and reliable partner, so the decision to work with them on this upgrade project was an easy one.”

Designed for offset transfer, this B2 press has a digital printing capacity of 6000 sheets per hour. The new press will be operated in Graphiscan’s Montreal printing plant.

“Graphiscan is a long-standing customer of ours and has invested heavily in the latest technologies to remain a leader in its field,” said Steve Daigle, industrial sales business manager at Hewlett-Packard for Eastern Canada.

The HP Indigo 100K is designed for printers for whom short runs make up a medium to high volume of their volume. With this acquisition, Graphiscan is confident of reducing lead times, automating production and reducing the costs associated with the previous technology.

Drawing from her own experiences as a leader, Anika will share valuable insights and examples about how she learned to stand up to fear and embrace vulnerability to help navigate the challenges of building Grüvi. Her keynote presentation on “From Fears to Cheers: A Leader’s Tale of Resilience” will touch on the factors that have helped her build resilience as a young woman in a leadership position.

About Anika

Anika is known as a trailblazer in the non-alcoholic beverage manufacturing category. She is a sought after thought leader, speaking at events across North America about entrepreneurship, women’s issues, and opportunities for minorities.

Selected as one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30, Anika is a founding member of Adult Non-Alcoholic Beverage Association (ANBA). She prioritizes the creation of a female-led team with community goodwill initiatives as a major driver. Anika believes that growth and sustainability co-exist, and her team is transparent with their community about impact initiatives, community volunteerism and goodwill efforts. In June 2023, she was named as a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards. Anika has a degree in neuroscience and psychology from McGill University.

Join us at 1 pm ET March 6 to hear Anika and other leaders from the Canadian manufacturing sector. The half-day virtual event, organized by Annex Business Media’s manufacturing group, will facilitate conversations about breaking barriers, advancing women into positions of their choice and #InspireInclusion.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL AGENDA!

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with industry experts and thought leaders whose shared goal is to promote gender equity, diversity, and inclusion in Canadian manufacturing.

The 14 manufacturing media brands coming together to host the event include: Manufacturing AUTOMATION, Canadian Manufacturing Online, PLANT, MRO, EP&T, Canadian Plastics, Canadian Packaging, Design Engineering, Canadian Process Equipment & Control News, PrintAction, Frasers, Glass Canada, Fenestration Review and Food in Canada.

Cardston specializes in delivering high-quality sports, entertainment, and game cards (CCG). Jeff Houston, owner, Cardston, said, “At Cardston, our mission has always been to captivate collectors worldwide with exceptional pieces. The Scodix Ultra 6000, powered by SHD, digital enhancement press isn’t just a press; it’s a tool that empowers us to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of collectibles. This marks a pivotal moment for Cardston. The Scodix press enables us to turn imaginative concepts into reality, delivering truly extraordinary collectibles that resonate with enthusiasts.”

Owner Bhadresh Bhatt shared his excitement about this new addition, saying, “When we saw the AccurioWide 160 in action during a demo, we were blown away by its exceptional quality and durability. Our customers demand faster turnaround times without compromising on quality, and we needed a solution that offered low ink costs per square foot. The AccurioWide 160 ticked all the boxes. It has significantly reduced downtime and improved our workflow efficiencies, making it the obvious choice for us. This strategic move has allowed us at PrintPro to achieve substantial cost savings while delivering unmatched quality to our valued customers. We are excited about the impact this will have on our ability to fulfil your printing needs with excellence and precision.’’

Equipped with UV LED lamps, the AccurioWide 160 can print on a wide range of media.

The MBO CoBo-Stack is a cobot, a collaborative robot operating without a protective cage. Stacks of products, for example folded notebooks, are transported between the exit and the table of the CoBo-Stack. There, the cobot takes the piles and places them on pallets. This relieves the operator of any physical work and saves employee fatigue.

“We are excited to announce the sale of the CoBo-Stack MBO. This partnership demonstrates our commitment to providing industry-leading solutions and helping our customers achieve their automation goals,” said Brad Ranson, national sales manager at Komcan (Georgetown, Ont.), a provider of Komori offset press solutions and MBO advanced postpress cobots and folders.

“The entire Marquis team appreciates the professionalism and service of Komcan. Our new Cobo-Stack offers us production flexibility and is very appreciated by our operators because it helps limit the risk of injury or physical discomfort long-term. It allows them to concentrate more on product quality control and thereby increasing the production rate,” said Yannick Blanchette, Montmagny plant manager.

This is a landmark deal for Highcon, as it’s the first occasion in which a customer has acquired two Highcon Beam systems in a single transaction for installation at a single site.

“I am excited about Menasha’s focus on modernizing their network, and their intent to build a more strategic relationship with Highcon with these efforts. We hope the end result is multiple Highcon systems being installed across Menasha’s production facilities” said Shlomo Nimrodi, Highcon’s CEO. “Our partnership with Menasha is recognition once again of the important role that Highcon can play in the evolving and growing paperboard packaging market. I am very proud.”

Konica Minolta Business Solutions installs its Jetvarnish 3D Evolution press at Print Panther Direct, a commercial printer in Oakville, Ont.

Print Panther Direct purchased Konica Minolta’s Jetvarnish 3DS embellishment press in 2017, and after five years deemed it a natural step to upgrade to the Jetvarnish 3D Evolution. The new press has a sheet size of 29 x 47 in. and 800 GSM stock compatibility.

“Adding the Jetvarnish 3D Evolution will increase the value we provide our customers and provide new opportunities to expand our business,” said Christine Yardley, president, Print Panther Direct. “The press is one of the world’s most productive B2 digital embellishment solutions, complementing our existing line-up of digital presses and supporting our mission to provide customers with beautiful print and packaging.”

“Our industrial print group is committed to offering the best technology with our digital embellishment solutions. Our customers look to our solutions and services in order to produce the best overall design and quality,” said Bill Troxil, president, Industrial Print and Production Print Business, Konica Minolta. “We work with clients to continually help them develop their businesses, and as a result they are realizing profitable growth and competitive capability opportunities.”

“I am absolutely thrilled to announce this order from Best Deal. They approached Komcan with an idea to have a true Swiss-army knife press. From 5/1 packaging work to 5/5 commercial work with coating on both sides of the sheet, and Komori was able to design the perfect press” said Brad Ranson, national sales manager at Komcan.

“Best Deal Print and Packaging has been in business in Toronto for 35 years. We are dedicated to investing in the latest technologies to maintain our position as an industry leader. The acquisition of the Komori Lithrone GX40RP advance 10c double coater press from Komcan aligns perfectly with our strategy to elevate our production capabilities,” said Benson Hong, CEO, and Steven Hong, owner, at Best Deal Print and Packaging.

Best Deal Print and Packaging is a trade printer. Founded over 35 years ago, it offers several print solutions. They are dedicated to their clients and strive to perform beyond the clients expectations.

“We saw an increased demand for label printing and made a strategic decision to assess the ROI of bringing label printing in-house after previously outsourcing it. Given our longstanding partnership with Konica Minolta, we approached their team to discuss our needs, and it soon became clear that our production volumes justified investing in an in-house label press and finisher. This move has allowed us to gain control over our label production, streamline operations, and capitalize on significant cost savings while delivering high-quality labels to our valued customers,” said Ashraf Jaffer, president, Budget Printing.

“Tauro UHS maximizes our effectiveness and efficiency for our growing client base. The high-speed Tauro H3300 UHS meets tight project turnarounds for our CPG clients and offers us the necessary flexibility to produce unparalleled food and beverage, retail and cosmetics end-to-end solutions,” said CEO Todd Godin.

The heavy-duty, ruggedly built Tauro H3300 UHS is suited for a wide variety of rigid and flexible substrates up to 3.3 m wide with speeds up to 9,741 sf/h.

Godin optioned an extended automatic unloader for semi-automation and faster media processing on their Tauro UHS.

“We are a very tech-driven company. We specified features on our Tauro to amplify high-speed file processing to meet the efficiency standards of our clients. We operate with the best interests of our clients and sustainability in mind,” added Godin.

“We are thrilled to announce the sale of our Komori Lithrone GLX 6 colours advance series 41-in. press to LMI Packaging. This partnership exemplifies our commitment to providing industry-leading solutions and supporting our clients in achieving their production goals,” said Brad Ranson, national sales manager at Komcan. 

“At LMI Packaging, we are dedicated to investing in the latest technologies to maintain our position as an industry leader. The acquisition of the Komori Lithrone GLX 6 colours advance series 41-in. press from Komcan aligns perfectly with our strategy to elevate our production capabilities,” said Gerry Bonneau and Josée Debien, owners of LMI Packaging.

This was Print Digital Solution’s first install of the product.

]]> PrintAction Staff https://www.printaction.com/multi-bookinding-strengthens-capacity-with-new-production-line/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=multi-bookinding-strengthens-capacity-with-new-production-line Mon, 13 Nov 2023 14:44:36 +0000 https://www.printaction.com/?p=134510 …]]> Multi Bookbinding successfully integrates a new production line for hardcover book casing. With an investment of $4.5 million, the company installs a Diamant MC 60 casing-in line, manufactured in Germany by Muller Martini.

“North American printers face significant pressure from American publishers to meet required production volumes and avoid being ‘forced’ to print in Asia,” said Yvon Sauvageau, the company’s president. “During the COVID pandemic, demand far exceeded production capacity in North America. The addition of a casing-in production line is a direct response to this demand.”

To enable the integration of this cutting-edge technology and optimize its production capacity, Multi Bookbinding had to expand its facility. This 18,000-sf expansion brings the total area to 80,000-sf with a capacity for nearly 800 skids of work in progress.

“We’ve found that Koenig & Bauer has the unique ability to listen to our needs and work with our entire management team to customize a one-off printing press that will allow us to serve our current customers, develop new markets, and grow our organization,” says Darren Carlson, CEO, Carlson Print Group.

Carlson’s new Rapida 106 is a sheetfed offset press with eight colours and two coating units with a colour control system. The Rapida 106 will also be equipped with two modules from Eagles Systems: one for cold foil applications and the other for cast ‘n cure applications.

The new Koenig & Bauer press is custom configured with a package for board, plastic, and lightweight stocks. This configuration allows Carlson to offer to their customers more material options.

Mercury will use the new Prosper 7000 Turbo press for a wide range of print jobs, including educational, trade and children’s books, personalized direct mail, marketing collateral, transactional documents as well as short to medium-run packaging requiring variable print.

John Place, CEO of Mercury Print Productions, explained, “Our primary goal with this investment is to enhance our production capabilities, improve efficiency, and offer our customers a broader range of printing options. We aim to provide faster turnaround times, greater substrate flexibility and capabilities, and consistent print quality across various substrates. We needed another press as we have experienced a significant increase in demand for digitally printed products as our customers continue to look for solutions that offer offset quality while allowing for the flexibility that inkjet provides. It enables our customers to order what they need, when they need it.”

The Prosper 7000 Turbo press is designed for monthly print volumes of up to 239 million A4 pages, print speeds of up to 410 mpm (1,345 fpm) and a throughput of up to 5,523 A4 or U.S. letter pages per minute.

“Our ability to drive on time solutions continues to grow and adding a fourth SwissQPrint to our line-up was never in question when it comes to ensuring the highest caliber quality.  The new Kudu is an outstanding addition to our high speed evolution,” said Carla Johanns, president, Simpson Print.

“The 10-colour system is equipped with neon inks which alone are impressive, but when mixed with process colours, offer pastel that are not possible with standard ink sets. This super wide colour gamut and high-speed capability will elevate an already impressive production environment at Simpson Print, running now four SwissQprint flatbeds,” added Kevin Graham, sales territory manager – Canada, SwissQprint.

The Gallus One will help the St. Louis, M.O.-based printer tap into new markets and expand its sticker and label business.

PrintFlex Graphics began its business in 1995 with just three employees, and today has grown to employ roughly 35 and occupies two large buildings in St. Louis. For the better part of its history, the company, who primarily serves the CPG market, has strayed from traditional label and sticker production – focusing on more complex applications like peel and reseal coupons and folded promotional booklets, which are applied on or inserted inside of a package. As it did with many companies, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted certain weaknesses in PrintFlex’s business. Consumers “scrambled” to purchase whatever they could find in stores, and companies did not have a need to produce specialty promotional materials to sell their products.

“After years of growing our business,” said Liz Pecha-Poelker, CEO of PrintFlex, “it became a little static. We’re looking for new markets that we can grow into. The pandemic really highlighted that need for us.”

The company, equipped with a 14-unit Gallus EM 280, then began tracking the amount of existing work it could move to a digital press.

“We realized it’s just not efficient producing the short run sticker and label work we do have on our current press,” said Pecha-Poelker. “We frequently use all 14 units. We’re doing all this crazy peel and reseal and using different varnish plates here and another varnish there. It just doesn’t make sense for our less complex jobs.”

Needing to diversify its customer portfolio and a better way to produce short run labels, PrintFlex will install its first digital press, the Gallus One, later this year.

The company is hopeful the machine will help attract more local, smaller businesses that it currently struggles to effectively serve as well as provide more services to its current customers.

“The Konica Minolta AccurioPress C12000 greatly advances Resource Integrated’s digital printing capabilities, elevating short-run printing to unprecedented heights. We are elated to continue offering new and innovative opportunities to our customers,” says Tony Rubino, president at Resource Integrated.

“High-quality products are an integral part of Resources Integrated’s commitment to delivering best-in-class outputs for their clients,” said Dino Pagliarello, senior vice-president, portfolio management and planning, Konica Minolta. “We are delighted they have continued to invest in Konica Minolta technology to grow their business by acquiring the AccurioPress C12000, a flagship model that enables superior print quality and productivity, offering brilliant colour, amazing media flexibility and the highest degree of automation.”

The label finisher enables Modern Printing to produce a wide array of finished labels in-house, eliminating the need for outsourcing and reducing production lead times.

George Efford, president at Modern Printing Group, expressed confidence in the new equipment, stating that it positions the company to not only meet, but also exceed customer expectations in label finishing.

The company also owns a Konica Minolta AL230 printer.

“We are thrilled to introduce the first SCR35X2 label finishing system to Canada,” expressed Hassnain Abbas, owner at Soho Business Solutions. “This installation represents a significant milestone for us, and we believe it will be a game-changer for businesses across various industries. With the SCR35X2 and Konica Minolta AL230, our clients can expect to experience unprecedented levels of turn around time for their jobs.”

This press can transform a roll of paper into a book block primed for the binding line in 80 ft, managed by just one or two operators.

“Two of the biggest challenges when launching new technology and equipment are understanding how it will impact our customers, and which products will run best on this new technology. We spent a lot of time getting customer feedback, working with vendors, and analyzing our product types to ensure the investments we are making line up with the current and future needs of our customer base,” said a company statement.

“There are always pros and cons, and with efficiency and speed come challenges. For example, the price of ink can be a variable when comparing presses. The cost of ink for a conventional press would be a fraction of the total printing cost while ink prices for the inkjet press may account for approximately 30 per cent of the total cost. Still, the ability to print ‘on demand’ so-to-speak, makes the inkjet press a true gem,” added the statement.

The era of longer print runs might be evolving. Friesens foresees a shift toward shorter runs and more frequent reprints, enabled by technologies like the inkjet press. The press’s flexibility becomes a tool for publishers to adapt to this new normal, printing smaller initial quantities and adjusting as needed.

Minoh offers a large range of products and services including a-frames, banners, billboards, hoarding, acrylic lettering, stickers, cut vinyl, and custom projects.

They were driven to invest in the Canon Colorado M-series due to the “simplicity in the printer and the ability to print white, which allows them to step outside their comfort zone and offer out-of-the-ordinary printing services, and more custom jobs, while being a true solution provider to all clients,” said a company statement.

“We purchased our first label press in the spring of 2019 to create labels for customers in a timely fashion,” said B.J. Chandler, founder and partner, Mountain View Printing. “When the pandemic started in 2020, we had customers approaching us with requests for hand sanitizer labels, and from there, the business really grew. We started printing beer, cannabis and food labels, and the original machine we had purchased simply couldn’t keep up.”

Chandler and his partner, Gary Fairgrieve-Park, started researching leading label printing solutions on the market and decided on the Epson SurePress L-6534VW.

“Between the digital varnish enhancement capabilities, ease-of-use, speed, and small footprint, we felt the SurePress was the best solution to fit our needs and support our ongoing growth,” said Fairgrieve-Park, owner and partner, Mountain View Printing.

Mountain View Printing started in 1985 in a 500-sf warehouse with two people. Today they have more than 40 employees and an 18,000-sf space. Serving brands across multiple industries, including pharmaceutical and manufacturing, Mountain View Printing partners with local brands to help them grow with print, which helps them run their business, market their services and package their products.

“Businesses like Mountain View Printing rely on SurePress because it is a purpose-built digital press that is able to handle the multitude of customer label requirements,” said Mike Pruitt, product manager, Epson America. “SurePress helps empower our customers to elevate their label printing capabilities and stand out in a competitive marketplace, and we are delighted with the success that Mountain View Printing has seen and the future growth they expect to experience.”

The company acquired an Arizona 250 in 2006. That helped it move from a traditional screen print shop to a fully digital shop. As the business grew, IDent bought an Arizona 550 to increase their capacity.

“The Arizona line of printers have been solid investments for us and fit our process flow very well,” said Dany Babakhanian, IDENT’s president.

When it came time to look at new technology it was difficult not to consider another Arizona and the 2340 with Flow technology checked off all the boxes in terms of speed, features and capabilities for IDent.

With the 2340, IDent is expanding its traditional energy focused line of business and pursuing opportunities in commercial graphics and signage including flat panel printing, polycarbonate illuminated faces as well as tackling the specialty print applications others struggle with.