"Barcodes West saw a great opportunity to
expand our digital print offerings with the high resolution and fast speed of
the Colordyne Production Class line," said Glenn Allen, general manager of
BCW. "We have been digital in one form or another for over 25 years. With
our demanding customer base, we always have to be on the look-out for better,
faster and unique printing and converting technologies. The Colordyne
Production Class is that technology."
BCW purchased a CDT 1600-PC Sprint in May
2012. The company highly valued the 1600 x 1200 dpi resolution the Memjet™
print engine presented with its four printheads containing 70,400 nozzles each
giving the print quality a true flexo-like look and feel. The CDT 1600-PC
Sprint runs at print speeds up to 160 feet per minute (49 m/min), which at that
time, was the fastest speed at the lowest capital cost.
After a year into using the CDT 1600-PC
Sprint, BCW needed to further enhance its manufacturing capabilities and in
June 2013, elected to add in-line rotary finishing leveraging its current
inventory of rotary dies and years of experience with rotary equipment. This
decision turned BCW's existing unit into a CDT 1600-PC Rotary Pro. This model
expands the Sprint into a full-featured, in-line digital label and tag system,
including printing, laminating, varnishing, rotary die-cutting, slitting and
rewinding.
The addition of the in-line finishing on the
CDT 1600-PC Rotary Pro resulted in BCW being able to deliver jobs to customers
faster by eliminating the need for off-line finishing. The Rotary Pro could
also maintain its fast print speeds and high resolution, making it even more
cost efficient.
BCW's decision to upgrade its existing
Rotary Pro to the CDT 2600-PC Laser Pro was seen as a key business strategy.
The CDT 2600-PC Laser Pro gives BCW capabilities that set it apart from
competition. The 2600 Series print engine is Memjet's latest, most advanced
technology that increases the print speeds to 225 feet per minute (69 m/min)
and the print resolution to 1600 x 1375 dpi. It also delivers improved print
quality and usability driven by industry-standard Harlequin RIP (HDS) Frequency
Modulation (FM) screening and an improved PDF workflow.
"The Laser Pro's ability to add
high-end color graphics and high density variable barcodes at the quick speeds
of the Colordyne equipment keeps us in a great position to expand our offerings
for our customers," said Allen.
BCW is able to deliver improved services to
its customers at lower costs because the CDT 2600-PC Laser Pro complements the
other digital manufacturing capabilities available at the shop. Overall
turnaround time is reduced when moving from rotary die-cutting to laser
die-cutting, especially when it comes die maintenance and rework. The Laser
Pro's capabilities greatly increase BCW's opportunities because it instantly
brings a wider range of finishing options for its customers.
"Barcodes West took a somewhat unique
approach with its adoption of Colordyne technology as they have been able to
gradually increase their investment in the technology while simultaneously
realizing increased revenue and bottom line profitability," said Gary
Falconbridge, president and CEO at CDT. "With the recent transition to the
CDT 2600-PC Laser Pro, they have acquired an even stronger platform for
Colordyne digital technology going forward."
Based out of Seattle, Wash., Barcodes West
is the label, tag and systems industry leader providing high performance print,
identification and data collection solutions to its customers globally. BCW
offers integrated software, scanners and on-demand label systems to many
industries, including retail, electronics, manufacturing, warehouse, automotive
and medical.
