US printer K-1 Packaging Group has taken delivery of a new Landa S10 nanographic printing press.
K-1 Packaging is a provider of custom packaging options for consumer products. The Landa S10 is currently being installed at the company’s California headquarters in City of Industry, outside of Los Angeles. The S10 will produce short to medium run static and variable jobs that consume too much time and material when run on conventional equipment. Work to be printed on the Landa S10 consists primarily of jobs that total 5000 sheets and under, which make up much of K-1’s production schedule. The work includes folding cartons, countertop displays, labels, and litho-lam corrugated boxes.
The speed of the Landa press when producing back-to-back, short to medium run jobs was an important factor during K1 Packaging’s assessment of the press, particularly when compared to conventional equipment production times, including make-readies. With a Landa S10 running at its rated speed of 6500 large format (B1/41in) sheets per hour, the press handled what would be eight make-readies on a conventional press, but achieved in only 70 minutes on the Landa S10. Landa added that this makes the nanographic printing press three times faster than any digital option, and six times faster than a digital press closest to the 41in format.
K-1 Packaging president Mike Tsai commented, ‘The 40in press is Landa’s domain. No one is able to run static or variable jobs as quickly. In a manufacturing environment, this means that we will be more productive, and able to give our customers greater flexibility on run quantity and SKU count – an important competitive edge. What’s more, the S10’s scalability and upward compatibility gives us confidence that we will meet customer demands well into the future.’
Mr Tsai identifies the Landa press as allowing K-1 Packaging to bring its holistic, integrated approach to bear in being a full partner with its clients. One such job involves processing and printing a client’s one-to-one variable product codes, supporting traceability and other supply chain requirements. ‘This is part of the future that Landa is helping K-1, and our client, to exist in today,’ according to Mr Tsai.
Nachum Korman, vice president and general manager, Americas at Landa Digital Printing, said, ‘We are elated that K-1, one of world’s most progressive companies, has made Nanography central to its production strategy. K-1’s production team is well known for their work in optimising every device, tool and process they use, so we will also be fascinated to see how they leverage the S10’s capabilities and explore its full potential.’
