Visiting a Labelexpo trade show for the first time proved an eye-opener for Konica Minolta New Zealand production print specialist Wade Marriner with the graphics giant showing its latest solution for digital label printing.
He says, “The show ran for three days, welcoming visitors from over 70 countries; truly an international event. Konica Minolta had a significant presence at the show with a stand that was second largest in size.”
The graphics giant unveiled its new AccurioLabel 400 press at the show.
Offering a 330mm web width, the AccurioLabel 400 prints at 39.9 metres per minute in CMYK, and 20 metres per minute in white. Achieving resolution equivalent to 3,600dpi x 2,400dpi and many automated control features for highly productive output, it boasts a monthly running volume of between 50km to 500km. Konica Minolta has designed this press to do longer run lengths with a maximum job length of three kilometres.
Wade says, “This new solution addresses the need for digital label printing at higher volumes than the popular AccurioLabel 230. Until now, we have not had a press in that particular segment. It is ideal for label printers looking to increase capacity; offset label printers looking for digital; and commercial printers looking to expand their offering.”
The AccurioLabel 400 incorporates Konica Minolta’s innovative technology, including the Intelligent Quality Optimiser IQ-520 colour management functionality for real-time colour stability and registration control. Engine wise, it is based on the flagship AccurioPress C14000.
The new press features a fifth well for white toner to expand creative label applications. Wade says, “The high opacity white saves time and money. Previously, when you ran white, you needed to run two or three passes but the high opacity white means you can do it in a single shot. This is better than competing technology, which requires more than one pass.
“The high opacity white toner also enables the colour and registration features to be used on clear and coloured metallic media. If you don’t have the white, you could not read the colour bars.
“The new IQ520 offers inline colour and registration control and auto calibration and density adjustment colour management. This saves an enormous amount of time and energy.
“The press places colour bars in the slug area of the web and reads them at rated speed. As a result, the engine gets real time feedback to keep colour and registration consistent.
“We can a run a wide range of media on this press. The white means we can run clear media as well as metallic media. We don’t require any pre-treatment of the media, and no printing or corona treatment. Also, you don’t have to pay for costly extraction systems.
“It also has an overprint sensor which can be placed anywhere along the web. This allows you to run pre-printed media, for example, you can run it in a different print process and overprint CMYK or white.
“Danish company GM makes the winders. The machine will hold a roll up to 800mm. The winders will also run in reverse, so you can print on the reverse of the web. Both the winders have an easy to use touch screen and both have pneumatic clamps, which makes web splicing easy and fast. You can operate the main control panel from anywhere, using a tablet instead of the main touch panel. The machine has grooves in it to sit the tablet in.
“It handles a range of media such as paper, PP, PET, tack or non-tack; more or less any substrate you can run through a Konica Minolta press. Media thickness ranges from 96 microns to 270 microns or 81gsm to 256gsm. The press will run at full rated speed on most substrates.
“Other benefits are that you don’t need three-phase power and the press has a relatively small footprint of 9.7m by 3.2m. Ease of operation is extraordinary and minimal operator maintenance is required
“I think it is a great machine and we are looking forward to the first one arriving in New Zealand.”
High volume digital
Also at the show, Konica Minolta featured the new PKG 1300 aqueous inkjet packaging press, which runs at up to 27 metres per minute.
Wade says, “For high volume and high speed work, the PKG 1300 offers a range of innovations. It handles a maximum sheets size of 1.3m by 1.6m and it 1mm to 50mm media thickness. You can also run pre die-cut media through it, which is a huge benefit.
“It will happily find a home with a commercial printer with high demand for printing cartons right through to specialist packaging companies. So if you are running cartons in an offset press, you are using it for low quality offset work. The PKG 1300 can change that situation.
“Of course, being digital you can print anything on it. Each box can be different.”
He concludes, “Konica Minolta is walking the walk in digital labels and packaging. It is an exciting time to be printing.”
