South Korea-based label converter Ji Sung has installed the first Mark Andy Digital Series HD press in the country.

Founded in 1996 by Kim Jong-Chul, Ji Sung T&I (Technology & Industry) has specialised in label production from the beginning, with most of its current work coming from the pharmaceutical and bio-product industries. Until its recent investment in digital print technology, Ji Sung had always used narrow web flexo presses. This has included a 330mm, eight-colour Performance Series P5 flexo press with UV drying, and more recently a 330mm, seven-colour Evolution Series E5, both from Mark Andy. Investment in the company’s hybrid technology marks the start of a new era at Ji Sung, as founder and CEO Kim Jong-Chul explained.

Mr Kim said, ‘We are using the hybrid technology for short- and medium-run production. The Mark Andy Digital Series HD offers single-pass production, so is more efficient for these kinds of jobs than a flexo press. Because of this, we can process orders faster and offer our customers a higher level of service. We are also looking for new customers with the hybrid technology and hope to grow business for the whole company.’

Ji Sung’s management is especially pleased with the press’ Stitch AI automatic alignment system, as well as its UV inkjet module that gives 1200dpi resolution printing.

Mr Kim continued, ‘The Digital Series HD has taken around 20-30% of the jobs we previously printed flexo, and we plan to fill the rest of its capacity with work from new customers.’

All three presses were installed and commissioned by Mark Andy Europe, although the three sales were each handled by Phil Tech International, which represents Mark Andy in the Far East.

Phil Tech International owner Chi Bum Park said, ‘It is very special for us, as Ji Sung became the first user of Mark Andy’s hybrid press not only in South Korea, but in the whole Far East region.

‘The local market is becoming increasingly conscious of the opportunities offered by this technology, especially for short and medium length runs, as well as variable data and versioning of the same job. The investment in three Mark Andy presses was a breakthrough for Ji Sung. In the past three years the company has grown dynamically and become very well-known across the region.’

Ian Pollock Mark Andy Europe service director, who was responsible for delivering, installing, and commissioning the press, added, ‘I should like to take this opportunity to thank Kim Jong-Chul for his trust in Mark Andy. It was a brave decision to invest in two advanced presses at such a difficult time.’

Mark Andy is pushing its hybrid technologies, having recently confirmed its will use Labelexpo Europe 2022 to showcase such systems, as well as contributing heavily to the hybrid printing technology update in the January/February 2022 issue of Digital Labels & Packaging.

Tom Cavalco, vice president at Mark Andy, concluded, ‘We are delighted to announce the first sale of our hybrid press in the Korean market, and especially pleased that it’s the third Mark Andy press delivered to Ji Sung in a very short time. We hope all three Mark Andy presses will support Ji Sung to continue its dynamic growth and enable the company to attract business from new markets, both local and international.’