The project took the best of Esko, provider of integrated software and hardware solutions that get packaged goods to market, and CERM, which specialises in management information systems for labels and packaging converters. The result was a solution that would both simplify processes and expand the product range of Asteria company, Accent, which manufactures self-adhesive labels using advanced techniques.
‘Accent wanted to improve workflow efficiency with its front-and-back-printed labels, hybrid labels combining several printing technologies, and multilayer labels such as duo- and tri-labels,’ states Esko global solutions manager, Ken Polspoel.
It was a challenge the two partners could not resist and it led to the development of a solution that automated and streamlined the production process.
CERM provided the business logic, which was then fully automated in Esko’s Automation Engine, with the integration being completed in late-2021. The new capability has since been adopted by other Asteria group operations and by various businesses in Europe, Asia and the US.
Christophe Beke, the group’s chief technology innovation officer, who managed the project for Accent, said the pilot was primarily to automate the various flavour and multi-label runs for one of its customers. This work accounted for only 5% of total orders, but its complexity required that an art specialist and prepress operator be employed full time to oversee it.
‘Previously, different files were needed for the various job stages, but now that it’s fully automated, there’s no risk of files being loaded at the wrong time,’ Christophe maintains.
Efficiency and productivity savings have been remarkable, he adds. Whereas a peel-off label would have meant around four hours of prepress work, it can now be done in fewer than 30 minutes.
The legislative requirement for ever-more information on labels makes developments such as this significant, Ken adds, particularly as these demands must be met without compromising a brand’s image and identity.
‘Hybrid or combination printing is also a factor, for example combining digital and flexographic or silk-screen printing on the same product,’ he states. ‘With Automation Engine and information system integration, the characteristics of each print method can be combined and, rather than split the print files, can be done as one – fully automated.’
‘Production of higher-end labels, such as those with a foil finish, is also easier, as is producing more complex labels for marketing and customer campaigns,’ Ken maintains.
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