Due to extraordinary growth and needed capacity, a second superior, gearless, sleeved, central impression flexo printing press will be installed in Los Angeles 

This spring, KBA-Flexotecnica is set to deliver its second EvoXD 10-color press at Signature Flexible Packaging, Inc., a leading Southern California manufacturer of sophisticated flexible packaging since 1954.The additional press has become necessary, says Adrian Backer, Signature’s president, due to the firm’s extraordinary growth and much-needed extra capacity.

“Our first KBA-Flexotecnica EvoXD press has been running very reliably since we installed it in April 2014,” he says. “It is being used as our principal press for all of our products, but primarily for our high-end process work. Almost from the start, the EvoXD has been producing a clear majority of our printed products. In the last 12 months it has produced 73% of our total print production among three presses. It soon became clear that we can’t run our entire product on this one press even though it is more productive than our other presses. So the solution to this dilemma was to order another EvoXD, thus giving our production scheduling some symmetry. We feel that the new incoming EvoXD will nicely work in tandem with the existing EvoXD press.”

Backer notes that the KBA-Flexotecnica EvoXD has demonstrated three extremely important characteristics: quality, ease-of-use, and speed.

“That sums it all up,” he says. “Since its installation, the EvoXD has been printing commercial orders that are stunning. Print quality is superb and ease and speed of set-ups are amazing. Run speeds are double over those in our existing presses. We’ve produced several jobs on the press that have happily surprised us in terms of its productivity.”

It’s no wonder that the new EvoXD is currently the most installed press from KBA-Flexotecnica. A key unique feature compared to competitors’ presses is its highly efficient drying system co-developed with a team of experts from Milan University. The press thus meets even the highest demands in terms of quality with a high web speed of 500m/min (1,641ft/min). Its innovative operating concept facilitates minimal start-up times when changing jobs. The patented auto impression (AIF) and user-friendly register control keep start-up waste to a minimum.

Both Flexotecnica EvoXD 10-color presses at Signature feature a raft of new technology. Meeting the challenge to speed turnaround time and reduce costs, Signature chose time-saving components like the Speedy Clean® automatic wash-up system and in-line viscosity control with InkSpec viscometers, auto-impression setting, and click-and-drag zero-waste registration along with numerous quality control options such as a 100% inspection camera and in-line color control.

To differentiate itself from its competitors, Signature has selected a downstream coater and an electron beam curing beam to be installed on the incoming EvoXD press. Having this capability will allow Signature to use a mix of traditional inks and EB varnishes.

Now with a second KBA-Flexotecnica EvoXD press being added to its facility, Signature will be able to continue to grow and offer its customers some interesting design capabilities. The firm typically prints thin-gauge plastic film such as oriented polypropylene and oriented polyester on its EvoXD press.

“As customers try to differentiate their products in the marketplace, designs become more complex and varied,” says Backer. “One trend we are seeing is customers that require a matte look with a window.  So this requires us to reverse print on one side of the film and then print a matte varnish pattern in register on the opposite side. We have an insetter on this press from BST-Eltromat that allows us to do this. Our first EvoXD was configured with 10 units to give us more options on difficult jobs, and, when running jobs of five colors or less back-to-back to have the cylinders for the second job in press. The second EvoXD is configured the same way to give us maximum flexibility.”

Signature Flexible Packaging, a West Coast leader in flexible packaging since 1954, is a full-service flexible packaging converter that delivers virtually every flexible packaging solution and utilizes the latest technology. With two manufacturing facilities in the Los Angeles area, Signature has the capacity to support its customers with timely deliveries of high quality printed flexible packaging. The company is keeping a close eye on offering the highest level of quality coupled with sustainable, environmentally friendly production as it paves the way for growth.