Durst, a manufacturer of advanced digital printing and production technologies, has solved waste and digital capacity issues for Wagner Prestige Labels with the installation of a Tau 330 RSC E inkjet label production press.

Wagner’s choice of Durst’s RSC technology was driven by speed, quality and environmental considerations. “We decided to ramp up digital color capacity to the highest we could, and the Durst Tau 330 RSC E came up trumps,” says John Galea, managing director of Wagner Prestige Labels of Wetherill Park, Sydney, Australia. “In only six months it has really proved itself, to the point that digital is now between 30 and 35% of our business. The quality of the labels is right up there with flexo and letterpress.

“Another important benefit is that waste is greatly reduced, with the threaded meterage on the Durst Tau 330 RSC E even being able to be drawn back and printed. Waste is a big issue for label printers, especially with multiple versions, so anything we can do to reduce it is good for the environment,” he adds.

The Durst Tau 330 RSC  E is central to Wagner Prestige Labels’ one-stop solutions business, which has diversified into new areas and is also part of the JV Group, which brings together label, printing and embroidery companies to provide customers with a complete promotional service. Web inspection devices and processes, including flexo, letterpress, screen, thermal paper, hot and cold foiling, diecutting, laminating and – elsewhere within JV Group – dye-sublimation and embroidery for textiles plus general commercial printing.

“We do everything in-house, and, if a customer wants a fully-embellished label with embossing, foiling, spot varnishing, fancy diecutting, we have the equipment to do it,” says Galea. “You have to keep up with changes – change enables growth and diversity but you also have to make sure the right job goes on the right machine. Before the investment in Durst’s RSC technology, we were falling short on digital capacity. Our customers – trade, print brokers and end users – are tending to order shorter runs, more frequently, so we carefully researched all the available options. The Durst has proved to be the ideal choice.”

Helmuth Munter, Durst’s segment manager, labels and package printing, explains, “The Durst Tau 330 RSC E was originally launched to bring affordable digital production to increasing numbers of small converters and sets the base for the future of industrial digital inkjet printing in the label industry. In line with our ‘We Keep You Printing’ strategy, it’s also proving to be a real attractive prospect for forward-thinking companies like Wagner Prestige Labels that need variable, versatile, adjustable and configurable digital printing systems to expand their business reach while enjoying other benefits such as waste reduction and a significant jump in production capacity.”