PFFC - January 2008 - (Page 30) UV PRINTING Premium Quality Although Andrews has offered sheet-fed, screenprinted labels for more than 50 years, the EM 280 allows the company to deliver the enhanced quality of rotary screen printing and consistency it believes are available only with UV technology and the faster converting speeds of in-line printing. This should prove particularly valuable to end-users in upscale industries such as cosmetics. “Just getting into rotary screen printing was something special for us and our clients because of the advantages it offers over sheet-fed screen printing,” Gallas says. “The continuous press allows us to print, die-cut, and finish the job much quicker. It’s easier to maintain higher quality with that ink system as well. It’s less operator-intensive. You don’t have to maintain the inks as much. It’s just a better all-around system.” Although Andrews Decal had spot UV capabilities, the benefits of a full-UV press—such as the ability to leave standing inks in the print stations for longer periods—allow Andrews to maintain the consistently higher quality required by Fortune 500-type companies. “We’re sure that some additional major brand consumer product companies will look at us as maybe a way of getting premium products quickly, even if we only supply five percent to ten percent of their business,” says Gallas, noting that average turnaround on new orders is just two weeks or less. “If it’s the kind of thing they need quickly and it needs to be of premium quality, then we’re trying to build a synergy with that type of company.” 30 | JANUARY 2008 (Top left) Mark Gallas and screen printing pressman Jeremy Arbuthnot work to maintain a client’s brand image. (Top right) Precise registration is accomplished with a JM Heaford plate mounter. (Bottom left) A Heidelberg Polar cutter system is used for finishing screenprinted decals. (Bottom right) A press operator sets up the Gallus EM 280 for a new order. On the rare occasion when Andrews isn’t equipped to fulfill a specific customer request personally, the company has longstanding, confidential partnerships with select converters in the Chicago area that can deliver high quality, sheet-fed, offset labels and packaging, as well as digitally printed products. New clients, in particular, appreciate Andrews’ ability to offer alternatives to materials or converting processes they previously utilized to package and market their products. The switch typically results in higher quality or reduced cost—or both. The company’s new press gives both Andrews and its clients more material choices and therefore even greater flexibility in meeting their needs in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. “More and more, we’ve been finding ourselves offering our customers material options because they are used to a certain material, and it may not be the best choice for their product,” explains Gallas. “Sometimes they may bring in a label that looks okay, but maybe the press it was printed on or the printer that completed it didn’t maintain very high quality. There are so many options with materials that we can find that are better suited or add value.” Gallas carefully monitors ongoing developments in equipment, inks, materials, and technologies to guarantee that Andrews offers its customers everything they need to succeed. “Today’s business world is totally different than it was when my father started the company in 1947,” he says. “The dynamics of the market—everything—are changing so rapidly. It’s difficult to tell sometimes what’s happening down the road, but that’s what makes it a great industry.” Contributing editor Edward Boyle, based in Reading, PA, has covered the converting industry for more than 23 years. Contact him at EJB Communications; 610-6704680; ejbcomm@aol.com. uConverter Infot u Andrews Decal Co. Inc. | 6559 N. Avondale Ave., Chicago, IL 60631 | 773-775-1000 | www.andrewsdecal.com uSupplier Infot u Gallus Group | www.gallus.org PFFC-ASAP 301 u Propheeter | www.propheteerintl.com PFFC-ASAP 302 u Heidelberg USA | www.us.heidelberg.com PFFC-ASAP 303 uJM Heaford | www.jmheaford.co.uk PFFC-ASAP 304 u IST | www.ist-uv.de/en PFFC-ASAP 305 WWW.PFFC-ONLINE.COM http://www.andrewsdecal.com http://www.gallus.org http://www.propheteerintl.com http://www.us.heidelberg.com http://www.jmheaford.co.uk http://www.ist-uv.de/en http://WWW.PFFC-ONLINE.COM
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