The Konica Minolta bizhub Press C71cf
Hampshire-based Scott Labels has installed a Konica Minolta digital label press, helping it to win new business, as well as cater to existing customers’ changing needs. The investment in the bizhub Press C71cf has been partly funded by a European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development grant.
Established in 1994, the company specialises in design and printing of self-adhesive labels, sachets, unsupported film and light cartonboard for a wide range of industries including food and drink, healthcare, pet products and chemicals.
Prior to taking delivery of the new press, Scott Labels was a flexo only print shop with two six-colour presses, alongside a one-colour printer and a die-cutting machine used for plain labels. The presses were running to good capacity, but with increased demand for short-run, multi-colour, multi-version labels, the company needed to look for a more effective way to process these orders. ‘We had to constantly change the plates and it was difficult to match both the quality and price of digitally printed labels. We were missing out on lots of potential new business,’ said managing director David Scott.
Rather than outsource or turn the work away, Mr Scott recognised that in order to compete and innovate in a crowded marketplace, they needed to look at digital technology to complement the flexo offer. ‘We seriously considered inkjet and that still appeals, however the Konica Minolta press can produce a wider range of labels and can print on many different substrates – that was a key advantage for us.’
After trying it out first-hand, the company made the decision to invest in the bizhub Press C71cf as well as AccurioPro Label Impose software. The press is also equipped with Color Centro technology, which enables the operator to edit colour with visible adjustments on screen.
The company has been marketing its new offer alongside its traditional business and has had some really good feedback. ‘We’re speaking to lots of potential new customers about our ability to offer high quality digital labels on-demand. The fact we can now meet their requirements for short runs and turnaround these jobs in a day is paying dividends. It’s still early days, but we’ve already picked up at least half a dozen new accounts,’ said Mr Scott. Existing customers are also benefitting from the expanded offer.’I’d say that digitally printed jobs now account for about 20% of the work we do for our existing customers,’ he said.
