UK-based finishing equipment manufacturer Bar Graphic Machinery (BGM) has launched Compact, a new range of finishing lines tailored specifically to the needs of those digitally printing labels.
Compact and Compact Pro feature specific characteristics and capabilities that make them uniquely positioned as the most efficient and effective way of finishing labels that have been manufactured using all industrial digital print processes – inkjet, toner, LEP.
BGM managing director Adam James explained, “The digital label printing market continues to grow strongly. To support this growth and allow label printers to take advantage of the opportunities, finishing must grow with the market.
“Through conversations with customers, internal research, and my own experience, we know that as much as 80% of the volume of labels printed digitally can be finished using a standard gloss varnish or lamination coupled with semi-rotary die-cutting.
“In reality, many label printers continue to run work down finishing lines that are overspecified for the needs of the digital label printing market. These finishing lines can offer high-value foiling, embossing, or laser die-cutting. This causes bottlenecks and costs printers time and money as equipment utilisation is not optimised to match their job basket.
“With the Compact range, we address this imbalance.”
Devised and developed by BGM’s engineering team in collaboration with Adam, who directly has decades of experience operating and running lines to finish digitally printed labels, Compact and Compact Pro are built on a heavy-duty, small footprint frame; Compact is 2.5m-long and Compact Pro is 3.5m-long.
Both versions of Compact offer – up to 100m/min machine speed; A web width of 370mm; Overlamination – self-wound (with backing) or wet lamination; A flexo unit for rotary flood varnish at 360mm width; Semi-rotary die-cutting at 360mm width; Crush or razor slitting; Stripping and removal of matrix waste; Dual rewind; and Optional corona treatment unit or additional slitting systems.
To back up the robust build quality and reliability that BGM machines are renowned for, a 36-month warranty is offered on all BGM-manufactured parts.
Compact Pro has a second flexo station that can be used to do light embellishments and added-value processes, such as spot varnish or cold foil.
Compact was formally introduced to the market during an exclusive Open House at its headquarters and manufacturing centre in Bradford, UK.
The three-day event in mid-May welcomed around 50 guests, including label printers, press manufacturers, ancillary equipment, and partner companies from the UK and across Europe.
One of those in attendance was Franck Vitali, technical manager at GIC, a long-standing distribution partner to BGM in several key French-speaking territories, who said: “It is always a pleasure to share these moments and to see how BGM is moving forward and constantly reinventing itself to offer new products.
“These new products will enable us to offer customers machines that combine robustness and productivity.”
Adam added: “It was great to the appetite and interest in Compact. There is a clear need for this type of solution and we are delighted to bring Compact to market.
“My experiences running equipment on the shop floor and managing printing businesses give me a unique perspective on what works operationally and commercially for converters. This is realised in Compact and Compact Pro, which are designed for fast and efficient finishing of digitally printed labels with no fuss.”
With Compact and Compact Pro going through final development and testing, they will shortly become commercially available. Label printers should register their details via sales@bargraphic.com.
For more on BGM and its range of finishing solutions for labels and packaging, please visit bargraphic.com
