Packaging Solutions
Adding to its digital capabilities, Direct Labels UK in Nottingham has installed a Konica Minolta AccurioLabel 230 toner press to work alongside an established inkjet machine. The new press will ensure that the label specialist can offer the flexibility needed in the current climate and deliver any quantity of high quality labels in just a few days.
In response to changing label buying trends, Direct Labels UK has continued to invest in more printing and finishing equipment. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the company has seen demand for more flexibility grow, with customers reducing the number of labels in each order but ordering more frequently. By adding the Konica Minolta AccurioLabel 230 toner press to its digital print inventory, which already includes a Domino inkjet press, Direct Labels UK is now unique in its label offering in the UK.
‘Out of adversity comes opportunity, and we are taking that opportunity and extending our offering to cover all possible label needs for our customers, whether they are small start ups or bigger companies,’ said Chris Eveson, who took over as managing director four years ago.
Chris has over 30 years’ experience in the printing industry and is full of praise for the AccurioLabel 230 press, which he says is making jobs – including ultra short run orders – more profitable. ‘We can now take on very small jobs that we would previously not have been able to look at, because it is so cost efficient to print on the AccurioLabel 230. We are also moving work over to the press simply because of how quick it is to run the jobs on it.’
For Direct Labels UK, the Konica Minolta press was the missing part of the puzzle. News of its arrival has already gained a lot of interest and landed the company several new high value jobs.
‘Our unique combination of digital toner and inkjet presses, along with flexo, makes us extremely competitive. We now have the capacity to print digital labels at 100 metres per minute and print anything from 25 labels and upwards on-demand. As our motto states, we are ‘Digitally Adding More Shelf Appeal’ for our customers,’ continued Chris.
The toners featured in the AccurioLabel 230 are TÜV Rheinland compliant, making them suitable for food packaging labels. The international product certification service has tested the toners according to the Proof Criteria Catalogue for Printed Papers in Contact with Foodstuff.
The compliance aspect was important for Direct Labels UK, when making the decision. ‘Investing in the AccurioLabel technology will allow us to extend further into new markets, such as food packaging, and find more customers,’ said Chris. He also highlighted the ability to print on textured materials as a major advantage of the press.
More finishing machines that will help maintain production speeds and add more embellishment options have also been installed at Direct Labels UK, as the company gears up for more growth.
Chris explained, ‘As a result of all our investments over the past four years, which amount to some £1.2 million, customers can expect us to keep to our usual three to five day turnaround despite a big increase in workload.’
The AccurioLabel 230 from Konica Minolta is making an impact on the market, as more and more label printers recognise how this small footprint press, which comes at a very attractive price point, delivers on quality and consistency.
For AccurioLabel owners, work has not slowed down during the pandemic, rather many have been working round the clock and increasing production runs on the digital toner press to meet high demand.
