Baker Labels has installed the UK’s first Durst Tau G3 Peak LED digital press at its Brentwood headquarters, expanding the company’s digital inkjet capacity as it responds to continued growth in its label business.
The 510mm-wide press was delivered on 24 August, with installation completed by Durst engineers three days later. Profiling, production trials and operator training followed, with the first customer work subsequently moved onto the machine.
The Tau G3 Peak joins Baker Labels’ existing Durst Tau RSC 340 LED, which was installed in October 2024. The addition more than doubles the company’s production capacity on the Durst platform and provides greater flexibility in scheduling, as well as additional production redundancy.
Tom Baker, of Baker Labels, said the investment was intended to support further growth in the company’s core label operation.
“Labels remain right at the heart of the business,” he said. “We are seeing plenty of opportunity for continued growth in that side of the company and we need to make sure the production capability is there to support it.”
Technical manager at Baker Labels Jamie Godson visited Durst’s headquarters in Brixen, Italy, earlier this year to see the G3 technology in operation before the investment was agreed.
The new press has a maximum operating speed of 79 metres per minute across all colours and has been configured with double white, Hawk AI, Material Edge Protection and the Durst Imaging System.
The Imaging System uses three cameras to monitor the web and assist with material calibration. Hawk AI provides automatic nozzle compensation and colour registration, while Material Edge Protection is designed to minimise the risk of substrate edges coming into contact with the printheads.
Mr Godson said the combined effect of the systems was more significant than any individual feature.
“The real strength is the collective package and the agility it gives us to deal with the changing requirements we see from day to day,” he said.
The installation also provides operational continuity, with the two Durst presses giving the company an alternative production route if one machine is unavailable. Mr Godson said the transition to the new press had been relatively straightforward because operators were already familiar with the underlying Durst platform.
Simon Cosh, UKI business development manager at Durst, said the second press represented an endorsement of the technology following the successful introduction of the RSC 340.
The Tau G3 Peak is now entering full production alongside the existing RSC 340 as part of Baker Labels’ digital operation. The installation forms part of a wider programme of investment in label printing and finishing technology at the Brentwood site, with the company continuing to increase capacity in response to customer demand.
