Domino Digital Printing Solutions set themselves a tough production challenge during Labelexpo Europe 2019, held at Brussels Expo last September. This was conducted on a hybrid press including a Domino N610i digital ink jet integration module integrated within an AB Graphic International’s Digicon 3 finishing line. Designed to set a completely new standard in label converting productivity, the challenge was to demonstrate in a single print, finish, slit, inspection and turret rewind process, the production of three different jobs with a total of ten SKU changes, a substrate change, three die cut changes, foil change and varnish changes with output all produced and boxed ready for shipment in less than 20 minutes.

It was wonderful to witness the delight on the faces of Tom Couckuyt, Domino’s Digital Solutions & Demonstration Centre Manager and Ben Gregory, AB Graphic’s Training Coordinator, in the video link below when they successfully completed this challenge in just 13½ minutes!

After watching this demonstration during the show, Mr K H Lee, President of Yum Kwang Ind, a label printers based in Ansan, South Korea was so convinced that a digital hybrid label press was the solution for his business that he ordered a 5 colour Domino N610i system at the show, becoming the first Korean label printer to invest in a Domino digital hybrid press.

“We wanted to demonstrate to label converters that, by using digital hybrid technology, they can create a competitive advantage, enabling them to produce multiple short run jobs, in minimal time with lower costs, facilitating just-in-time lead times whilst creating the absolute minimum of production waste, meaning less impact on the environment. We were delighted to achieve, and beat, the challenge that we had set ourselves.”

Philip Easton, Director of the Domino Digital Printing Solutions

Philip concludes: “There is an ongoing debate about how digital is best deployed by a label converter, whether as a stand-alone press with separate near-line finishing, with inline finishing, or in the form of a hybrid digital press. Although the job book profile is a major determinant of what is best in each case, we see a growing trend towards more hybrids.”

Domino recently shared the second video in a series of interesting and informative discussions, where a panel of label industry experts explore the different types of job structure that are best suited to off-line, in-line and full hybrid digital printing.