Inkjet & Digital Printing
MGI and ICA Announce Debut of Artificial Intelligence Print Registration Technology
Wednesday 12. October 2016 - 110 year-old French Printing Firm Chooses the New MGI JETvarnish 3D Evolution B1+ Enhancement Press for Precise Digital 2D/3D Varnish & Foil Applications
Leading French Printer, ICA (Imprimerie Courand et Associés), is headquartered in the scenic town of Tignieu Jameyzieu, near city of Lyon in the Eastern region of France. ICA was founded in 1906 by the Courand family and has remained a traditional family printing enterprise to the present day. The company is now managed by Remi Courand, who represents the 4th generation of Courand business owners, with the assistance of his partner for the last 26 years, Dann Ramstein. ICA generates approximately 11.7 Million Euros in annual revenue and employs a staff of 48.
As a trained engineer, Remi Courand has a dedicated focus on integrating the most advanced printing technology into his business operations. The acquisition of the new MGI JETvarnish 3D Evolution, the worlds first B1+ size digital enhancement press, is an example of his commitment to offering ICA customers the very latest and best printing solutions available in the marketplace.
The JETvarnish 3D Evolution is designed to embellish and decorate printed material from a wide range of digital, offset & flexo presses. It offers completely digital 2D/3D UV special effects, dimensional textures and variable data embossed foil, along with other digital benefits such as short run customization. Therefore, it is a natural complement to ICAs existing infrastructure, which includes 15 other finishing systems and 3 Komori H-UV offset machines that range from 5 to 8 color units with print sheet sizes up to 75 x 120 cm (29″ x 47″).
Courands business philosophy is to provide clients with 100% complete service and support by integrating all production press & postpress resources together at the ICA facility. Therefore, the unique power of the JETvarnish 3D Evolution and its AIS (Artificial Intelligence) SmartScanner technology to analyze and manage each printed sheet for optimal processing is a quality advantage that dramatically benefits customers. It also gives to ICA a strong competitive leadership position in the marketplace.
Rémi Courand explained, “Our business model is to ensure the highest quality on every job and meet the important delivery expectations of our clients. Therefore, our full-service commitment to printing and postpress finishing is at the heart of our corporate strategy. Our customers appreciate this fact and that is why ICA has been in business for over 110 years.”
“In all printing operations, there is always a challenge to finish work that is produced on different machines with different processes and technologies. This is especially true for high-value 2D/3D UV varnish special effects and embossed foil applications. The print industry has been searching a very long time for a solution like the MGI JETvarnish 3D Evolution. So, we are very pleased to be the first printing company in the world to offer such special services.”
Dann Ramstein, ICA General Partner, added “Prior to implementing the MGI solution, we could not achieve variable data finishing with varnish and foil. After comprehensive market research, testing and analysis, it was clear to us that the JETvarnish 3D Evolution was the most superior solution available. The superb quality and precise accuracy of the digital varnish application is much greater than traditional methods. The digital foiling process is managed and controlled to the finest detail. Also, the MGI system is the only solution currently available that can produce such special effects on printed sheet sizes up to 75 x 120 cm (29″ x 47″).”
Remi Courand continues “MGI was the natural choice for us. They are the world leaders in the digital enhancement technology and pioneered the field by inventing digital UV coating in 2008. Some of our best business partners have been using MGI digital solutions since 2009. They endorsed our decision to select MGI on the basis of hundreds of well-tested installations worldwide. Additionally, we appreciated the fact that MGI is a French company and could provide technical support from their headquarters outside Paris.”
Dann Ramstein summarized the ICA acquisition process by stating, “The decisive factor that influenced our decision was the presence of the AIS SmartScanner. This artificial intelligence registration technology is a revolutionary technical leap over existing systems in the industry. It is the only print registration solution in the world that individually makes adjustments and corrections for each printed sheet. It requires no registration marks and treats each sheet like a separate, unique job. The cost-savings are dramatic. It significantly reduces time-consuming, expensive setup processes and job monitoring work tasks. Increased operational productivity and improved quality on every piece produced are the result of MGIs major innovation in print registration technology.”
Remi Courand concluded, “With the JETvarnish 3D Evolution, we have an industrial finishing solution that produces consistent high-quality output and offers the digital advantages of variable data capacity and short-run customization with faster job completions. The MGI solution will help us devote more time and resources towards building our business by expanding our service portfolio and developing new revenue streams. The ability to offer 2D/3D UV varnish special effects and variable data embossed foil will set ICA apart in the marketplace and fuel new applications growth in the future.”