THERE have been three notable developments at Amalgam-based JMB Labels since PPM’s previous visit in March: a silver medal at the 2022 Gapp Awards, a retrofit installation of a Domino K600i one-colour digital print bar onto its MPS EB 370 flexo press and the launch of a new company website.
The team won silver in the Gapp Awards Flexo Printing: Paper/Board Uncoated category for the Desmondi Eggs carton sleeve printed in five colours on Dukuza 2 000g/m2 board with a UV gloss varnish finish, using its MPS EB 370 press.
The inline installation of a K600i one-colour digital print bar by ROTOCON’s Domino specialist technicians, Glen van de Merwe and Sachin Sukhlal, then transformed the MPS into a value-add hybrid press that can print variable data, including text, sequential numbers, barcodes and 2D codes at a native resolution of 600dpi.
JMB production manager Farhad Evans explains that the company specified an inline system fitted with two individual 108mm printheads that can operate individually or work together to print 216mm wide. This would speed up turnaround times and provide customers with the peace of mind of backup production should a printhead go down
To date, the team has produced more than three million labels with a unique sequential number for the traceability of fruit exports. ‘We’ve had this contract for many years and used to outsource it,’ Farhad reveals. ‘Management decided to bring this service in-house so that we can control all the quality parameters and ensure faster turnaround times.’
‘The K600i print bar also gives us the freedom to run horizontal and vertical barcodes. When overprinting variable data, you normally have to do the bars in the line of the direction of the web or they become staggered, but with the Domino system we can do it the other way.’
The management team also highlights two intelligent technology features as deciding factors in the company’s purchasing decision. The first is automated cleaning functionality, which is essential with such a significant investment in printheads to avoid time-consuming daily manual cleaning with the associated risks of damage and nozzle blockage. ‘The operator can switch on the i-Tech CleanCap automated printhead cleaning and capping station in the morning to perform a quick, consistent and controlled clean before the printhead moves into position for use. Another quick clean is performed at the end of the day before the printhead is capped ready for the next use.’
The second intelligent feature is the ActiFlow circulation system, which ensures the ink is always moving around the printhead, even when it has stopped. This degasses the ink, preventing air bubbles forming that can affect nozzle performance, and resulting in less maintenance and reduced downtime.
New-generation controller and software
ROTOCON’s sales director Patrick Aengenvoort adds that the other differentiator of the K600i digital print bar is the Editor Starlight inkjet and line controller’s powerful and highly flexible software. ‘It accepts all common industry standard data fi les and supports multi-language/Unicode requirements, which drives a toolbox that can create a range of job numbering sequences across various industries,’ he enthuses. ‘It is also futureproofed because Domino implements regular updates to the barcodes/graphics library.’
Patrick lists the controller’s other useful features as confirmation of data sequences, ‘Mark-Done’, and error and data integrity log fi les to verify that all data have been produced without errors. The confirmation feature ensures that with every message printed, the print bar confirms to the controller that the print function has occurred and the sequence is as expected. The ‘MarkDone’ feature marks each data record after printing for post-production reconciliation to ensure no duplicate records are printed.
As this was the fi rst next-generation Editor Starlight inkjet and line controller installed on the continent, ROTOCON’s technicians had a Zoom training session with Domino on the extensive changes to the user interface and software.
Training flexibility
JMB Labels’ production team members also received online support directly from Domino at the start of the project to assist with programming and technical input with regards to costing and security reporting from the system for their customers.
ROTOCON’s Domino-certifi ed technicians then assisted the operators with an initial day-and-a-half training session covering the type of sequential numbering jobs the team has been running for fresh produce exports. ‘These specialists will return to deliver training on how to adjust the software when we want to run additional types of products such as QR codes, or if a customer wants 1 000 barcodes per row on a run of 100 000 labels to show us how the system can create a void after every 1 000 labels to make it easier for our rewinding department,’ Farhad states.
Patrick agrees that training is an ongoing process because of the digital print bar’s versatile capabilities. ‘We are eager to support JMB in getting the most out of the unit to open new market opportunities. Plus, after-sales service is a fundamental cornerstone of our long-term partnership with every customer.’
Farhad reveals that the next frontier for JMB is customised orders of fewer than 10 000 monochrome labels (black on white paper) that don’t require plates, thanks to the digital hybrid printing capabilities. ‘The controller software allows us to download fi les from our designers straight onto the unit, which will save three to four hours on production turnaround time,’ he states. ‘Additionally, we will save 24 hours on the conventional platemaking outsourcing process and plate costs, which translates to savings for our customers.’
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