Optimizing the print production flow
Belgian based Labelor started out in 1975 as a small plastic bag importing company. Today they are a label converter with a wide focus on small to middle-run jobs – foods, common beverages, packaged meat and luxury alcohols, to name but a few. “Our goal is not to sell just any label – we want to print labels that shine on the shelf”, owner Jean-Marie Peters insists. Labelor have just recently acquired their third digital printing press, Xeikon CX3 with a 2nd Xeikon DCoat330. All the more reason to have a chat with them.
Twitter
"Thanks to Xeikon its converting line, we can now supply high quality #labels within a short timespan at an affordable price."
How did you get to know Xeikon?
By accident, really. We started exploring new technology that would enable us to do small and middle run, yet high quality jobs at an affordable price. With the increased demand for urgent and short production came the need for a digital press. Our choice went to Xeikon, as it was in all regards the perfect fit.
We saw Xeikon at Drupa 2008 and were immediately impressed by their level of expertise. The facts speak for themselves. Xeikon is among the most reliable suppliers on the market. Another reason we chose the Xeikon 3300 is its productivity and running costs. The press works without more expensive pre-coated substrates. The cost structure is based on real toner consumption, rather than on click prices, which is easier to check and calculate.
Twiiter
"The press works without more expensive pre-coated substrates. The cost structure is based on real toner consumption."
What was the biggest challenge when you purchased the Xeikon 3300?
Actually, we were very confident that we had made the right choice. Xeikon was always there to support us offering technical and strategical advice. The only thing we had to do was convince our customers that digital was the way to go. For them, it was a big change too. In the end, though, it worked out for the best.
digital label printing
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So how would you describe the purchasing process?
It was at Drupa 2008. For us, it was a big jump but thanks to Xeikon’s support we felt really confident. Even though they are selling technology, they have a very human business approach. We were never pressured to buy – all they did was give us sound advice, which was exactly what we needed to make up our minds.
What about the implementation process? Any complaints there?
The machine was installed in December 2008. At that time, we already had received orders from customers to be delivered that same year. On December 20 installation was completed, a few days later we delivered our first digitally printed labels – without having received any training yet! It’s safe to say that the implementation process went flawlessly.
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"We didn't recieve any training yet, but managed to deliver the first print only a few days after installation."
What has changed since then?
Everything. Going digital has really changed the way we approach printing. We really went all the way. When we invested in our first Xeikon press, its 1200 dpi resolution, the highest on the market, really impressed us, as well as the brightness and the large color gamut. Xeikon helped us to step up our game in terms of quality, turnaround times and printing costs. Moreover, the Xeikon 3300 offers possibilities that were inconceivable before because of printing plate costs and machine down time. The strongest evidence is that since 2008 we are growing double digit numbers every year. Throughout the years we have also departed the analogue production processes to become a much more digital shop or beter service selling label printer.
