Epson has announced that A-Flex Label Corporation has installed the Epson SurePress L-6534VW UV digital label press in its Willowbrook, IL, USA facility. A-Flex Label, owned and operated by The Labeltape Group in Caledonia, MI, USA, is using the SurePress UV press for producing labels for larger volume industrial, medical and cosmetic/personal care markets.

“We’ve continued to see rapid growth in digital printing as it supports and complements traditional flexography,” says Tom Carroll, president, A-Flex Label. “We needed to invest in technology that was able to run at higher speeds and deliver higher capabilities. Based on our extensive work and trust in Epson’s SurePress water-based resin ink digital label presses, we decided the SurePress L-6534VW UV press was the right choice for us, and we haven’t been disappointed.”

The SurePress L-6534VW is designed to be reliable and easy to use, enabling high-speed printing ideal for producing labels and packaging with outstanding durability. The compact design integrates all the functions required for label production, including a Corona Treater, White ink, Digital Varnish, and an additional UV curing unit.

“We are using the Epson UV press for a higher volume of labels that have a lot of versioning to them – runs that we would have traditionally run on flexo because of the higher volume, but now can run digitally with the L-6534VW and not require printing plates. This has allowed us to modify copy on the fly,” continues Carroll.

Carroll notes they trust the quality and reliability they’ve come to expect from Epson. “The print quality is pretty amazing,” said Carroll. “The SurePress has taken quality to an even higher level. It looks and feels almost like offset, lithography print quality.”

“The SurePress L-6534VW was designed for shops like A-Flex that are looking to move work away from flexo machines and onto digital presses, which can provide more flexibility with the ability to print high-quality labels in one pass without the use of plates,” said Mike Pruitt, senior product manager, Epson America, Inc.

As a small/mid-size printer, A-Flex relies on comprehensive service and support. This was critical to their decision since Epson is able support them on-site. “Epson has done an excellent job for many years servicing our SurePress digital label presses. As we evaluated other UV technologies, we ultimately went with Epson because they have both the technology solutions we need and the service and support we know we can rely on,” adds Carroll.

“Overall, we’re so impressed with how well thought out this machine is,” he concludes. “It’s an incredibly sophisticated piece of equipment that prevents mistakes from being made and it is a great addition to augment production capabilities.”

The SurePress L-6534VW is available with Digital Varnish or Orange Ink. The print heads, inks, LED pinning and curing lamp units, media feeding, and control system are all developed, serviced and manufactured by Epson.