Innovation drives leading label company with unique INX International inkjet UV digital narrow web press

Schaumburg, IL – Diversified Labeling Solutions (DLS) has carved an interesting and successful path since opening its doors in 1985 as a producer of pressure sensitive tapes. Headquartered in Chicago’s western suburbs and owned by Bob Hakman, DLS expanded their business to include pressure sensitive labels when they purchased their first label press in 1989. Today, they are one of the largest privately owned label providers in the industry.

With over 200 employees and four other facilities in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Dallas and Reno, DLS produces high definition and consistent color quality marketing and digital labels. Their narrow web UV digital press, manufactured by INX International Ink Co., offers label options to their distributors. Visit www.inxinternational.com/product/digital-systems-integration/single-pass-web to watch the video.

DLS began its business partnership with INX in 2012 when it was among the first companies to beta test the INX NW140 narrow web digital press. It performed so well they installed it at their plant in Itasca and later relocated it to Dallas. Two years later, the company purchased the first INX NW210 inkjet UV digital narrow web press before it made its debut on the floor at the 2014 Labelexpo Show in suburban Chicago.

“With the NW140, we were very interested in the fact that it had laser die cutting. It was a nice, compact machine and it fit the needs of our company at that point in time,” recalled Hakman. “After we bought it, we started a new product line that required us to print the UV ink in a wider format than what the machine allowed us to do. At the same time, we were getting expanded demand for the digital press with larger runs. We needed a wider format to produce the product and be competitive in the marketplace.”

The technology and efficiency of the NW210 inkjet UV digital narrow web label press made it a perfect match for their distributors’ needs. Producing best-in-class image quality performance with UV LED advance curing technology, it has a maximum printing width of 210mm with easy separation of printed labels on any kind of stock. 

The NW210 is also extremely fast, providing single-pass output up to 80 feet per minute since the machine incorporates the powerful JetINX™ Printhead Drive Electronics and Ink Recirculation System. The press supports media up to 5mm thick on 3-inch cores up to 2 feet of outer diameter.

DLS marketing director James Cirigliano said the source of their success with the NW210 begins on the front end. “Our operators really enjoy running this press because it is very easy to use the system. Twenty minutes is the normal setup time. Once the art is set, we can be on press in about 15 minutes.”

DLS has found flexibility to be another key asset of the press. The typical job run is usually in the 500 to 10,000 foot range, but as Hakman points out, some runs are as long as 20,000 and 30,000 feet. That type of volume usually involves many variations, which the NW210 can handle without much adjusting.

“We’re seeing more longer run jobs. In the two years we have run the NW210 press, we’ve been lucky it is so robust. We’ve discovered it can handle almost any substrate; it prints anything from a matte paper material to foils and it prints them all beautifully.”

“It handles a lot of different jobs,” concurs Cirigliano, “because there are so many materials that we can run through it. A majority is running films for more durable type labels that are going into warehousing, or on products intended for outside use and must endure abrasions or temperature or the weather. The press is certified to run UL labels, and we also run all types of different synthetics without having to run a topcoat that many other digital presses would need in order to perform well.”

The wow factor punch the NW210 delivers gives DLS the ability to cater to its strengths. It’s made possible with Xaar patented technology. Fifteen Xaar recirculating printheads, with seven drop sizes and five color ink channels – CMYK and white – set the table for impressive results.

“We’re very happy with INX and their ink colors are really amazing,” adds Cirigliano. “The colors are very vibrant and we can pull a much wider gamut than a lot of other inks that are offered in the industry. We can print on clear material and we have an opaque white that gives us a lot of flexibility in the types of labels we can run through this press. And the fact we have a laser die cut is a tremendous advantage because we can run these labels very quickly and cost effectively for our customers.”