Some decisions are easy, even if expensive. For Sean Kennon and David Power the decision to buy the first Gallus Labelfire in the region was defined by two basic parameters speed and metallic ink. The new inkjet press, first presented at Labelexpo in late 2015, outputs at 50 metres per minute, well up near the top of the digital engine board. It’s hard to beat, especially when it maintains the same speed no matter how many colours or processes are being employed. The throughput compares well with the actual factory floor production speeds of most narrow web flexo presses, no matter what the manufacturers may say. With a full production schedule, an increasing number of shorter runs plus the need to boost productivity by eliminating time-consuming make readies, speed was a crucial factor for the Rapid Labels directors.

Australia’s first Gallus Labelfire 340 inkjet press is going to leading Melbourne converters, Rapid Labels. The technology investment heralds a new era in label production as the landmark press is set to fire up in production by April. Patrick Howard went along to ask the owners of the Bayswater based business, Sean Kennon and David Power, what’s in it for them?

But there was more. Many high end labels specify silver and metallic inks. The exclusive domain of flexo presses, metallic inks have proven a step too far for digital. True to its Gallus heritage the Labelfire 340 is an end-to-end label production system with flexo stations included as part of the line-up. There are flexo units before and after the digital print unit that in addition to printing metallic can also do spot colours, making it a very flexible machine system. In addition it’s eight-colour digital inkjet printing can be varnished, laminated, embellished with cold foil and die-cut, all in a single pass. This single pass productivity proved to be the tipping point for the two experienced directors, who began their working lives as qualified printers.

Know your strengths

Rapid Labels is a 63-person operation spread over four factories in the outer Melbourne suburb of Bayswater. It has an impressive if eclectic array of label presses, a testimony to the owners’ confidence in their own understanding and skill of the industry. “We buy what we need, what we think is the best solution at the time,” said David Power.

Pride of place is a HP Indigo 6600, the latest in a digital experience that began five years ago and a technology brand for which Power has nothing but praise. A new Gallus ECS340 is along one wall next to a Gidue M5, facing a Mark Andy P7 8-colour. In the corner is one of the first presses the two bought, an Iwasaki 8-colour. Over the years it proved to be a versatile utility press but its 15-mpm speed simply cannot compete in a digital age. It’s set to go to make room for the Labelfire 340, to be installed early April.

According to Power it’s practically a perfect mix of presses and gives Rapid Labels all the production fire power it needed, until now.