Big Picture - June/July 2018 - 34

HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY WITH UV LED
Essential Image (theessentialimage.com) of Kitchener, Ontario,
is a PSP that uses flatbed inkjet technology to print directly to
wood, metal, plastics, and acrylic. But the competition doesn't
stand still, so the company recently purchased a Jeti Tauro
H2500 LED with Auto Board Feeder (ABF) from Agfa Graphics.
"We knew we needed to upgrade and the Jeti Tauro LED
was a major step up," says Josip Tuka, Essential Image's operations manager. "The Jeti Tauro LED offers faster turnaround with
longer run lengths. We can handle a wider variety
of output for our customers, such as
fabric, aluminum, and corrugated.
This gives us the chance to grow our
customer base."
Essential Image's design team
is known for creating multifaceted
branding campaigns that also include
sturdy, eye-catching corrugated display bins that deliver a higher in-store
bang for the buck. The Jeti Tauro

LED's corrugated printing capabilities fit in well with Essential's
current work, and it offers expansion into new markets.
The Jeti Tauro LED is a 100-inch-wide hybrid UV inkjet
printer with an integrated roll-to-roll system, built for demanding
24/7 workloads. Offering speeds up to 2960 square feet per
hour, the Jeti Tauro LED features continuous and automated
feeding of a wide range of flexible and rigid media. The ABF
option can process up to four boards automatically, increasing
production efficiency by up to 30 percent. The UV LED lamps
offer faster startup, lower energy costs, and less maintenance.
"It's already bringing us new business we wouldn't have won
before," Essential Image Owner Tony Tuka explains. "On top of
that, the system offers a lower total cost of ownership thanks to
the Agfa-made inks with high pigment load."
Today, Essential Image is enjoying higher productivity with
their new Jeti Tauro LED and essentially winning new customers
with all-new inkjet capabilities.
agfagraphics.us

BIG PICTURE

June/July 2018

TIME TO UPGRADE

We purchased our first AGL machine used and it sat (unused) mostly
due to the main operator's lack of knowledge of the more industrial
AGL build... Old habits die hard and that particular operator knew
the GBC machine much better. When that operator moved to a
different department, I challenged the new lamination operators (we
now run two shifts/seven days a week) to try the old/used AGL 64.
It didn't take long for them to realize the AGL was a better machine.
I worked with Dan Haan to upgrade/refresh the old AGL. We now run
AGL lamination equipment exclusively at bluemedia and we couldn't
be happier. Our busiest months of the year are December and January as we produce graphics for several college football bowl games
as well as the NFL Super Bowl. This past December/January, we ran
more than seven miles of laminate through our old AGL without a
single issue. That experience led us to buy the new unit right away.
As our volume increased and turn-time decreased, we
needed more industrial and reliable lamination equipment. We
outgrew our old machinery and "graduated" to AGL equipment.
The design and build of the AGL machinery is top-notch. We're

able to laminate much longer runs on the AGL equipment, which
increases lamination efficiency, reduces laminator operator handling, and also increases the efficiency of the subsequent cutting
processes. AGL Support is quick and knowledgeable. They truly
service what they sell. Uptime is paramount for bluemedia and
AGL has allowed us to never worry about lamination processing.
AGL has been fantastic to work with. Dan and his team respond
quickly and have always helped us solve the very uncommon problem.
The robust design and industrial construction of the AGL machines has allowed us to lean out our lamination processes, which
reduces operating costs. This enables us to bid more confidently on
large runs as our lamination costs are very predictable and accurate.
"I wish bluemedia had converted to AGL years ago. Kudos
to Dan Haan and the team at AGL. They are true partners with
bluemedia." - Hayes Holzhauer, executive VP operations,
bluemedia (bluemedia.com)
aglinc.com

http://www.theessentialimage.com http://www.agfagraphics.us http://www.bluemedia.com http://www.aglinc.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Picture - June/July 2018