Greg Hrinya, Editor10.10.24
Speed. Quality. Power. All are hallmarks of the latest finishing equipment designed to take label converting to the next level. Suppliers have ramped up innovation, which is providing solutions to some of the industry’s biggest challenges. Automation has emerged as a key factor of the latest product launches.
“Huge advancements have been made with automation, plant-wide IoT solutions, and Artificial Intelligence,” explains David Grenwis, marketing manager, Delta ModTech. “The demand for more advanced real-time reporting from production machines has led to an increased use of IoT systems. We’ve made great strides with machine data reporting and will be releasing our ModTech Connect analytic software this fall to meet demand.”
According to Andre Beaudoin, director of North American sales and marketing, LemuGroup, most label converters specifically struggle with their finishing departments. The newest equipment has been engineered to alleviate those issues, especially when dealing with a shortage of manpower.
“The biggest challenge in most plants we visit is, in fact, the finishing area,” notes Beaudoin. “This is usually due to slow and older equipment, like rewind tables or inspection slitter-rewinders, along with a lack of people to operate them. This is where profitability spends a bit of time in limbo, as the product needs to be inspected, rewound, boxed and palletized before it ever sees a truck. Our single pass system eliminates this logjam as the product is inspected, checked as in spec or out of spec, and boxed and palletized. There is no waiting or multiple handlers required. The product goes out faster, so your billing is in your customers’ hands faster.”
The finishing department, in particular, has been hit hard by the workforce challenge. “Staff shortages have also risen, creating a big obstacle for label producers, particularly in skilled staff such as those operating finishing equipment,” explains James Brennan, ABG Connect product manager, ABG International. “By digitizing and automating as much of the workflow as possible to create a machine-led process, efficiencies can be made by hiring lower-skilled staff.”
LemuGroup has also emphasized saving time with its latest product enhancements. For example, the company is now implementing the capability of roll mapping inline, which allows converters to print and convert at production speeds while performing their quality control product editing in one pass.
“This capability provides for the removal of non-spec material/product and the full automatic packaging of in-spec saleable roll product,” notes Beaudoin. “This eliminates the manual second pass logjam in finishing for product to be edited and rewound, and then packaged for shipment to the customer.”
“At ABG, our solutions are modular, which is something we take pride in,” says Brennan. “This allows us to tailor our machines to meet our customers’ specific requirements. We assess the available modules to determine the best fit for our customers’ needs, and then build a customized solution that delivers results from day one. With manufacturing sites across four locations, we produce a wide range of products, including converters, non-stop equipment, workflow software and more, offering end-to-end solutions that are designed to match our customers’ needs.”
Laser finishing has also emerged as a vital tool in converters’ arsenals, especially as digital printing has experienced significant growth. For example, GM has engineered the LC350 Laser finisher to serve as a compact, economical, and fully digital option. The unit has been optimized for any digital label press, as it eliminates tooling, thereby drastically reducing setup times and allowing full design flexibility.
“GM’s range of innovative solutions can be customized to handle every type of label finishing need. We even build custom machines to fit your exact requirement, nothing is off the table,” says Uffe Nielsen, CEO, GM.
Over the years, finishing equipment has seen a surge in innovation – as the inclusion of modular features, automation, and data allows converters to get the product that will best benefit their business.
“LemuGroup operates on the premise of being project driven,” remarks Beaudoin. “We focus on the particular customer’s needs at the time rather than simply offering an off-the-shelf solution. We offer simple solutions where simple will suffice, but we are able to dive into the complex, where complexity is required. It all starts with a conversation that is then followed up with an actual plant visit to assess feasibility, workflow, production capability, and the specific needs of the given customer. The customer is part of the process every step of the way as their input will direct us in fulfilling their requirement based on the needed outcome.”
Suppliers must also keep an eye on the future in anticipation of what customers might need down the line. “We’re not only looking at their current needs but exploring what they may need to be ‘future proof’,” says Delta ModTech’s Grenwis. “Our machines are the most flexible converting systems available and allow converters to pivot to meet the demands of new projects and emerging markets. Once we ensure current needs are met, we like to look forward to what they could need someday.”
“Our inspection and robotic packaging automation has truly impacted the market and solidified our place as a true Lean Manufacturing solution supplier,” says LemuGroup’s Beaudoin. “The combination of roll mapping inspection and robotic packaging automation has proven to greatly boost daily production output by removing the traditional second pass that normally creates a jam in any plant. In most cases, the need for sending the product to the traditional rewind tables and slitter-rewinders for editing is no longer the case. This has always been the way it was done and accepted, and as long as it did not go beyond that it was profitable.
“This is no longer the case and gives the converter the choice of reworking the non-spec rolls or simply throwing them out,” he adds. “We also have automated equipment that can work with the non-spec rolls and rerun them and remove and replace the defective label with an in-spec label. This is important where prime labels and RFID labels are being manufactured and inspected.”
In many cases, the demands of the market have prompted the inclusion of automated features in the newest equipment launches. “Automation has been driven by the increase in digital production and the growing presence of short-run jobs with many different variants/SKUs,” says ABG’s Brennan. “Traditionally, short jobs were very costly because they still required new tooling for each different variation, making them hard to produce and expensive to the end user. Tool-free, digital printing solutions have seen this type of work grow dramatically. This is also true from the finishing side, where typically this has always been the slow bottleneck in production due to the complex work. By automating as many features of a digital finishing machine as possible, we are minimizing touch points for operators, speeding up the slowest part of the process, reducing downtime and reducing the risk of human error.”
“Automation has had a huge impact on the market,” adds Delta ModTech’s Grenwis. “With workforce challenges, the easier it is to set up, operate and change over machines, the better. We have fully updated our IntelliMOD HMI and implemented changes to speed up the onboarding process for new operators and made it easier for experienced operators to set up and dial in their processes. This new control platform will be launched later this year.”
“Many of our machines now feature ABG Connect, allowing us to perform automatic job changeovers by simply scanning a QR code,” states ABG’s Brennan. “We also offer machinery, such as DigiLase and DigiJet, that provides embellishments and laser diecutting with no tools required, using digital processes instead of conventional tooled processes. This enables shorter jobs with faster turnaround times and the ability to change elements of the job on demand, which better meet customers’ needs.”
To satisfy demand for digital finishing solutions, Cartes has developed several equipment options. Cartes’ GE363WJL model, based on the Gemini Series, is set with Cartes’ own Digital Embellishment Technology, the JDS “Jet D-Screen,” combined with semi-rotary flexo technology and the well-known Laser Converting system. According to Enrica Lodi, this setup is the perfect match to produce high-end labels without tools. Plus, Cartes’ GT365HFSRH model, based on the GT36O platform, is set by hot stamping and embossing units, a semi-rotary flexo unit, a silk screen unit, a semi-rotary diecutting unit and “tuned up” with the company’s exclusive Labels-On-Label and Cut-Off window systems. Cartes also launched a new low-end laser converting equipment option, the GE361L Star Line, which has been engineered as a more compact model but with the same time-effective configuration.
Delta ModTech has emphasized some of the hottest industry trends, such as RFID, with its new releases. The company has been providing high speed, roll-to-roll laser cutting for over 20 years and continues to make advancements in process setup and workflow. Delta’s laser lab allows it to make quick turnaround test cuts to prove material and process with a variety of laser types and power outputs. The company’s RFID converting modules were also a key focal point at Labelexpo Americas. “Our patented placement technologies are proven and allow for accurate, consistent insertion of RFID tags into the label converting process with minimal waste,” says Grenwis. “We’ve also made great progress with our Turret Rewinding module, allowing for continuous running with minimum downtime.”
Delta ModTech has released a completely redesigned Flexo Printer module that provides enhanced repeatability to automated setup, which in-turn decreases changeover times and material waste. All settings are saved on the machine’s IntelliMOD HMI control and can be easily recalled with no manual “hand” adjustments. This module also allows the ability to print the top and bottom of the substrate without the use of turnbars.
Meanwhile, GM has debuted the DC350Flex+ Premium finishing line with high-speed diecutting. The DC350Flex+ features semi-rotary varnishing and diecutting at top speeds. Configured with a High-Speed Single Anvil (HSSA), it runs at up to 80 m/m (or 130 m/m when fitted with full rotary diecutting). The modular, flexible design allows converters to choose from multiple configurations, adding options such as digital embellishment, laser cutting, hot foil, and even integration with third-party technologies. For clients with specialized requirements, custom options can easily be accommodated.
GM has also designed smaller yet equally powerful solutions such as the DC350Mini compact or the DC350Nano ultra-compact label finisher.
Most recently, LemuGroup unveiled the new glueless GTU HD model, which has been designed to produce rolls up to 19.7" in diameter. This versatile offering includes hot-melt glue or glueless start options. The GTU HD is servo-driven and fully automatic, allowing jobs to be completed efficiently and quickly. In addition, the GTU HD has the capability to work with linerless materials. It is equipped with a roll label closure system, which also has print capability for customer specified data or QR codes.
“With the HD Turret, we are addressing the converters’ needs for larger roll diameter that are often seen with new, larger capacity inline printers and applicators embedded within packaging lines,” says Beaudoin. “Converters who like our glueless capability have asked us for a larger roll diameter capacity. We have given them just that in glueless and hot-melt glue abilities.”
As part of the Labelexpo booth collaboration, LemuGroup highlighted its GTU-26 rewinder and the new Ultra Compact Robotic end-of-line boxing and palletizing system. The GTU-26 system can reach production speeds up to 820 fpm (250 m/m), ensuring a perfect rewind and high production process.
“We are not striving to be another ‘me too’ manufacturer with identical products that address and reinforce doing the same old thing the same old way,” adds Beaudoin. “The industry is truly pushing for technological solutions above and beyond the status quo. LemuGroup is focusing on the solution concepts that converters have been thinking about as a primary need and looking for someone to develop those solutions and deliver them at a fair price. Our engineering has turned converting technology inside out and put product in the field that vastly improves label converters’ production capability with higher line speeds and the need for less human interaction.”
“Huge advancements have been made with automation, plant-wide IoT solutions, and Artificial Intelligence,” explains David Grenwis, marketing manager, Delta ModTech. “The demand for more advanced real-time reporting from production machines has led to an increased use of IoT systems. We’ve made great strides with machine data reporting and will be releasing our ModTech Connect analytic software this fall to meet demand.”
According to Andre Beaudoin, director of North American sales and marketing, LemuGroup, most label converters specifically struggle with their finishing departments. The newest equipment has been engineered to alleviate those issues, especially when dealing with a shortage of manpower.
“The biggest challenge in most plants we visit is, in fact, the finishing area,” notes Beaudoin. “This is usually due to slow and older equipment, like rewind tables or inspection slitter-rewinders, along with a lack of people to operate them. This is where profitability spends a bit of time in limbo, as the product needs to be inspected, rewound, boxed and palletized before it ever sees a truck. Our single pass system eliminates this logjam as the product is inspected, checked as in spec or out of spec, and boxed and palletized. There is no waiting or multiple handlers required. The product goes out faster, so your billing is in your customers’ hands faster.”
The finishing department, in particular, has been hit hard by the workforce challenge. “Staff shortages have also risen, creating a big obstacle for label producers, particularly in skilled staff such as those operating finishing equipment,” explains James Brennan, ABG Connect product manager, ABG International. “By digitizing and automating as much of the workflow as possible to create a machine-led process, efficiencies can be made by hiring lower-skilled staff.”
Jim Kehring and the ABG International team talk to attendees at Labelexpo Americas about the company’s newest finishing solutions.
LemuGroup has also emphasized saving time with its latest product enhancements. For example, the company is now implementing the capability of roll mapping inline, which allows converters to print and convert at production speeds while performing their quality control product editing in one pass.
“This capability provides for the removal of non-spec material/product and the full automatic packaging of in-spec saleable roll product,” notes Beaudoin. “This eliminates the manual second pass logjam in finishing for product to be edited and rewound, and then packaged for shipment to the customer.”
Tailor-made solutions
As labels have become more intricate and complex – and customer demand for shorter turnaround times has become quicker – converters rely on equipment that has been optimized for their markets.“At ABG, our solutions are modular, which is something we take pride in,” says Brennan. “This allows us to tailor our machines to meet our customers’ specific requirements. We assess the available modules to determine the best fit for our customers’ needs, and then build a customized solution that delivers results from day one. With manufacturing sites across four locations, we produce a wide range of products, including converters, non-stop equipment, workflow software and more, offering end-to-end solutions that are designed to match our customers’ needs.”
Laser finishing has also emerged as a vital tool in converters’ arsenals, especially as digital printing has experienced significant growth. For example, GM has engineered the LC350 Laser finisher to serve as a compact, economical, and fully digital option. The unit has been optimized for any digital label press, as it eliminates tooling, thereby drastically reducing setup times and allowing full design flexibility.
“GM’s range of innovative solutions can be customized to handle every type of label finishing need. We even build custom machines to fit your exact requirement, nothing is off the table,” says Uffe Nielsen, CEO, GM.
Over the years, finishing equipment has seen a surge in innovation – as the inclusion of modular features, automation, and data allows converters to get the product that will best benefit their business.
“LemuGroup operates on the premise of being project driven,” remarks Beaudoin. “We focus on the particular customer’s needs at the time rather than simply offering an off-the-shelf solution. We offer simple solutions where simple will suffice, but we are able to dive into the complex, where complexity is required. It all starts with a conversation that is then followed up with an actual plant visit to assess feasibility, workflow, production capability, and the specific needs of the given customer. The customer is part of the process every step of the way as their input will direct us in fulfilling their requirement based on the needed outcome.”
Suppliers must also keep an eye on the future in anticipation of what customers might need down the line. “We’re not only looking at their current needs but exploring what they may need to be ‘future proof’,” says Delta ModTech’s Grenwis. “Our machines are the most flexible converting systems available and allow converters to pivot to meet the demands of new projects and emerging markets. Once we ensure current needs are met, we like to look forward to what they could need someday.”
Age of automation
Automation has transformed the finishing capabilities now available to label printers. For example, LemuGroup, Martin Automatic, and ETI Converting Equipment showcased the power of end-of-line automation, as their three connected booths at Labelexpo Americas were intertwined – with one unit running to the next.“Our inspection and robotic packaging automation has truly impacted the market and solidified our place as a true Lean Manufacturing solution supplier,” says LemuGroup’s Beaudoin. “The combination of roll mapping inspection and robotic packaging automation has proven to greatly boost daily production output by removing the traditional second pass that normally creates a jam in any plant. In most cases, the need for sending the product to the traditional rewind tables and slitter-rewinders for editing is no longer the case. This has always been the way it was done and accepted, and as long as it did not go beyond that it was profitable.
“This is no longer the case and gives the converter the choice of reworking the non-spec rolls or simply throwing them out,” he adds. “We also have automated equipment that can work with the non-spec rolls and rerun them and remove and replace the defective label with an in-spec label. This is important where prime labels and RFID labels are being manufactured and inspected.”
Delta ModTech’s automation drew a crowd at Labelexpo Americas.
In many cases, the demands of the market have prompted the inclusion of automated features in the newest equipment launches. “Automation has been driven by the increase in digital production and the growing presence of short-run jobs with many different variants/SKUs,” says ABG’s Brennan. “Traditionally, short jobs were very costly because they still required new tooling for each different variation, making them hard to produce and expensive to the end user. Tool-free, digital printing solutions have seen this type of work grow dramatically. This is also true from the finishing side, where typically this has always been the slow bottleneck in production due to the complex work. By automating as many features of a digital finishing machine as possible, we are minimizing touch points for operators, speeding up the slowest part of the process, reducing downtime and reducing the risk of human error.”
“Automation has had a huge impact on the market,” adds Delta ModTech’s Grenwis. “With workforce challenges, the easier it is to set up, operate and change over machines, the better. We have fully updated our IntelliMOD HMI and implemented changes to speed up the onboarding process for new operators and made it easier for experienced operators to set up and dial in their processes. This new control platform will be launched later this year.”
New products
ABG offers a long line of products designed to meet demand in this area. The company recently launched the NSU Lite, a new addition to the company’s Non-Stop Winding range. This new system was demonstrated inline with ABG’s 4th generation Converter platform at Labelexpo Americas, along with the recently launched Vectra AutoSet Turret Rewinder, demonstrating seamless integration and non-stop capabilities. Additionally, ABG offers its flagship Digicon Series 3, which includes the ABG Connect workflow system. This system exemplifies ABG’s commitment to automation and streamlined processes, allowing users to experience significant improvements in operational efficiency.“Many of our machines now feature ABG Connect, allowing us to perform automatic job changeovers by simply scanning a QR code,” states ABG’s Brennan. “We also offer machinery, such as DigiLase and DigiJet, that provides embellishments and laser diecutting with no tools required, using digital processes instead of conventional tooled processes. This enables shorter jobs with faster turnaround times and the ability to change elements of the job on demand, which better meet customers’ needs.”
To satisfy demand for digital finishing solutions, Cartes has developed several equipment options. Cartes’ GE363WJL model, based on the Gemini Series, is set with Cartes’ own Digital Embellishment Technology, the JDS “Jet D-Screen,” combined with semi-rotary flexo technology and the well-known Laser Converting system. According to Enrica Lodi, this setup is the perfect match to produce high-end labels without tools. Plus, Cartes’ GT365HFSRH model, based on the GT36O platform, is set by hot stamping and embossing units, a semi-rotary flexo unit, a silk screen unit, a semi-rotary diecutting unit and “tuned up” with the company’s exclusive Labels-On-Label and Cut-Off window systems. Cartes also launched a new low-end laser converting equipment option, the GE361L Star Line, which has been engineered as a more compact model but with the same time-effective configuration.
Delta ModTech has emphasized some of the hottest industry trends, such as RFID, with its new releases. The company has been providing high speed, roll-to-roll laser cutting for over 20 years and continues to make advancements in process setup and workflow. Delta’s laser lab allows it to make quick turnaround test cuts to prove material and process with a variety of laser types and power outputs. The company’s RFID converting modules were also a key focal point at Labelexpo Americas. “Our patented placement technologies are proven and allow for accurate, consistent insertion of RFID tags into the label converting process with minimal waste,” says Grenwis. “We’ve also made great progress with our Turret Rewinding module, allowing for continuous running with minimum downtime.”
Delta ModTech has released a completely redesigned Flexo Printer module that provides enhanced repeatability to automated setup, which in-turn decreases changeover times and material waste. All settings are saved on the machine’s IntelliMOD HMI control and can be easily recalled with no manual “hand” adjustments. This module also allows the ability to print the top and bottom of the substrate without the use of turnbars.
Meanwhile, GM has debuted the DC350Flex+ Premium finishing line with high-speed diecutting. The DC350Flex+ features semi-rotary varnishing and diecutting at top speeds. Configured with a High-Speed Single Anvil (HSSA), it runs at up to 80 m/m (or 130 m/m when fitted with full rotary diecutting). The modular, flexible design allows converters to choose from multiple configurations, adding options such as digital embellishment, laser cutting, hot foil, and even integration with third-party technologies. For clients with specialized requirements, custom options can easily be accommodated.
GM has also designed smaller yet equally powerful solutions such as the DC350Mini compact or the DC350Nano ultra-compact label finisher.
Eider Lizarbe and Andre Beaudoin discuss the benefits of LemuGroup’s Labelexpo booth partnership with Martin Automatic and ETI.
Most recently, LemuGroup unveiled the new glueless GTU HD model, which has been designed to produce rolls up to 19.7" in diameter. This versatile offering includes hot-melt glue or glueless start options. The GTU HD is servo-driven and fully automatic, allowing jobs to be completed efficiently and quickly. In addition, the GTU HD has the capability to work with linerless materials. It is equipped with a roll label closure system, which also has print capability for customer specified data or QR codes.
“With the HD Turret, we are addressing the converters’ needs for larger roll diameter that are often seen with new, larger capacity inline printers and applicators embedded within packaging lines,” says Beaudoin. “Converters who like our glueless capability have asked us for a larger roll diameter capacity. We have given them just that in glueless and hot-melt glue abilities.”
As part of the Labelexpo booth collaboration, LemuGroup highlighted its GTU-26 rewinder and the new Ultra Compact Robotic end-of-line boxing and palletizing system. The GTU-26 system can reach production speeds up to 820 fpm (250 m/m), ensuring a perfect rewind and high production process.
“We are not striving to be another ‘me too’ manufacturer with identical products that address and reinforce doing the same old thing the same old way,” adds Beaudoin. “The industry is truly pushing for technological solutions above and beyond the status quo. LemuGroup is focusing on the solution concepts that converters have been thinking about as a primary need and looking for someone to develop those solutions and deliver them at a fair price. Our engineering has turned converting technology inside out and put product in the field that vastly improves label converters’ production capability with higher line speeds and the need for less human interaction.”
