Over the past four years, KS Scales & Labels has partnered with Rotocon, investing in three slitter/rewinders and a plate washing machine.
NATHAN NAIDOO exemplifies entrepreneurial spirit and determination, having branched out from repairs of retail and industrial scales to establish KS Scales & Labels, a label converting business in Alrode (South Gauteng), specialising in self-adhesive labels and price marking.
Five years ago, Nathan relates – after numerous requests from customers, predominantly smaller-scale butcheries whose scales he was repairing – he graduated from sourcing to producing labels.
‘Having no printing industry background, I gained about 10 years’ worth of experience within the first year. Although I look back on it as the worst year of my life, because every job I took on was a loss leader and I learnt things the hard way, it made me stronger and wiser,’ he now recalls.
In 2017, the slitting and rewinding department expanded with the purchase of a Rotocon Ecoline RCSI 330 finishing machine. Its automated tension control, including acceleration and deceleration, allows tension to be set at any required level and the machine reaches a maximum running speed of 320m/min.
Other features include a vertical inspection zone with a LED strobe light, dual rewind, waste rewinder, splice detector, and a cartridge slitting system with an accuracy of around 0.2mm on web widths up to 340mm.
This investment was followed in January 2019 by the commissioning of a Rotocon RSD Ecoline 330 die-cutter and slitter. Its robust servo-driven die station facilitates high-speed die-cutting while the semi-automatic turret rewinder enables operator, Adam Maxola, to prepare the next roll while the current one is still running – helping to speed up production times.
Read more about KS Scales & Labels Ecoline investments»» featured in the April 2019 issue of PPM
