KBA North America, a global press manufacturer based in Dallas, Texas, announces that Accurate Plastic Printers LLC, a custom plastic printer in Clifton, New Jersey, has expanded its usage of its KBA Genius 52 UV press by exploiting new premium markets in high-end lenticular and plastic printing.
 
"Since we installed our KBA Genius 52 UV press in June 2008, it's been running non-stop," says Carlos Agudelo, founder and president of Accurate Plastic Printers. "We produce a variety of plastic business cards, promotional items, shelf talkers and danglers, signs, tags, door hangers, rulers, and circular calculators. Our customers require very high quality and fast turnaround times. In the past two years we've learned that we can develop new premium markets and applications with the KBA Genius by adding new profitable techniques such as lenticular and other motion-type marketing tools."
 
Lenticular is a special technique that involves printing an image on the back side of lenticular plastic, allowing the eye to simultaneously view alternating sections of multiple images to give the impression of 3-D, flip, or motion.
 
Although lenticular takes a little bit more time and diligence, Agudelo emphasizes that the end result is phenomenal. His first application was a 14 x 20-inch 3D image of tropical fish swimming. The image was created by his brother, an artist, who designed it.
 
"We succeeded right away and couldn't believe how well it turned out," he says. "That had us hooked. We knew our customers would want lenticular. "And we were correct. There's been a growing interest in lenticular and our customers want to see samples of morphing and motion. They are intrigued with what it can do for them," says Agudelo.
 
Since then, Agudelo and his press operators have been producing many different types of lenticular. "Customers are very interested in the process and how it can set their product apart," says Agudelo. "We've been working on offering morphing and motion lenticular products that are proving to be very popular."
 
Additionally, the Genius provides Accurate Plastic with the ability to produce these premium products with 10 times faster speeds, much higher resolution, superb print quality, and a larger print area. The Genius boosts the firm's productivity, provides flexibility, and increases its cost efficiency.
 
"We're always intrigued with what jobs our customers bring us," says Agudelo. "Being able to demonstrate new marketing techniques, such as lenticular, has expanded our repertoire and supported our growth commitment. The Genius has certainly raised our profile and allowed us to develop new niches."
 
The Genius 52 UV, which received the prestigious PIA InterTech award in 2006, is the world's first waterless UV sheetfed offset press. The maximum sheet size is 14 3/16" x 20", and it can operate at 8,000 sph. The unique press features keyless inking, waterless technology, extended delivery, and integrated dryers. It is designed to print on a variety of paper, board, and plastics, including lenticular surfaces, PVC, Styrene, Polyethylene, static cling vinyl, low tack vinyl, and others. It features an automatic plate-changing device that guarantees short setup times, reliable reproducibility, and brilliant offset quality. The Genius 52 control console features a touch-screen display that can slide from one end of the press to the other for easy press operator access. The press prints in five colors with UV curing inks that rapidly and completely harden through an efficient integrated drying system, which allows further processing, such as laminating or punching, immediately afterward.
 
Accurate Plastic Printers was established in 1996 as a purveyor of high-quality custom plastic printing and silk screening services. In its 10,000-square-foot facility, the firm produces plastic business cards, membership cards, ID cards, benefit cards, library cards, promotional items, shelf talkers and danglers, signs, tags, door hangers, rulers, and circular calculators. It offers a range of services, including litho printing, silk screening, die cutting, embossing, foil stamping, laminating, magnetic striping, signature panel application, heat bending, eyeleting, wire-o-binding, UV inks with invisible inks, d.s.i. products, and any other type of plastic printing or finishing service.
 
KBA North America is located in Dallas, Texas and a member of the KBA Group. Established 194 years ago in Wuerzburg, Germany, Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA), the parent of the KBA group, is the oldest and second largest press manufacturer worldwide. KBA's banner, 'People & Print', reflects its dual focus as a leading innovator for print entrepreneurs. The group's product range is the broadest in the industry; its portfolio includes commercial and newspaper web presses, sheetfed offset presses in all format classes, special presses for books, inserts, banknotes, securities, metal-decorating, smart cards; CDs and DVDs plus inkjet and other coding systems. For more information visit the company's web site at www.kba.com