Offset Printing

MPS introduces UV flexo press to North and Latin American converters with choice of plate rolls or print sleeves

Monday 01. September 2014 - Company to showcase its North and Latin American presence at Labelexpo Americas, Booth 1321, September 9-11 in Chicago

MPS today announced the introduction of its flagship EF flexo printing press that features a choice of either plate rolls or print sleeves to North and Latin American printers. The technology will be presented at Labelexpo Americas, where local MPS organizations MPS America and MPS Latin America are joining forces in booth 1321.
According to Denny McGee, president of MPS America LLC, the EF press is an extremely high-quality production press that features both UV and hot-air drying technology, allowing users to print diverse substrates including film, paper, shrink sleeves and flexible packaging.
McGee says the EF press is unique to the North and Latin American market, and is the result of MPS listening to the needs of customers. “Our goal at MPS is to help printers excel. We listen closely to their needs and challenges, and develop solutions that specifically address them, that is for example why we made the EF available for both plate rolls or print sleeves at moment of order” he said.
The EF press is particularly geared at enabling press operators to maximize their performance.
“The key for success in today’s label and packaging industry is the press operator,” said McGee. “His or her skills, experience and motivation determine more than anything else the productivity and printing quality and, ultimately, the return on investment. It’s all about people. However, finding and keeping these operators is one of the biggest challenges printers face. While we can’t help them find those people, we can develop printing presses that enable printers to get the most out of their press operators.
Our EF press is a great example of this – combining choice of plating with automation, superior print quality and ease of operation.”
Automation
McGee cited three automation features of the EF that help maximizing the performance of the operator: job memory, AutoTeach technology and iStop technology. With the use of the servo-drives, all press settings are automated in the EF, which reduces set-up waste and offers simpler machine operation. The AutoTeach technology, he says, enables operators to determine the desired web path and the machine teaches itself automatically the web path being used. The iStop technology optimizes stops and starts during printing, allowing the operator to stop the machine at any point during the production run with no additional waste occurring when the press is restarted.
Superior Print Quality
The EF’s second major differentiator is its print quality. With its patented Crisp.Dot printing technology, which features a unique, free-running rubberized impression roller and temperature control system, the ink dots don’t stretch or streak. This results in the print dot retaining its round shape, the ink coverage being solid and small fonts being sharper. “Our customers tell us that with the EF press, the pressroom manager can trust that whoever is doing the job, the result will consistently be at an extreme high quality and productivity level,” said McGee.
Ease of Operation
The EF’s third major differentiator is its ease of operation, which McGee illustrated by citing three features: iSet technology, iControl technology and quick change dies. “The iSet is a print pressure setting that enables the operator to do fine adjustments with a simple turn of a dial,” he said. “The iControl button enables the operator to control all servo adjustments very easily, with LED lights providing instant feedback, which simplifies machine control and operation. And the dies can be changed in a matter of seconds.”
McGee added that other important features of MPS’ EF press are its reliability, robustness and flexibility. “A printer wants to focus on printing, not on the mechanics of the press,” said McGee. “The EF is a workhorse. With MPS’ robust engineering philosophy this press is designed to run all the time.
This enables the operator to focus on his real job, and not how to keep the machine running. Our North American customers tell us they experience this reliability every day.”
McGee says MPS’ introduction of its new EF press is the first phase in a strategy to establish a strong presence in North America. The company is also expanding its sales presence with more demonstration sites and service presence by expanding the geography of its service providers. The effort is being led by McGee, President of MPS America and Kees Nijenhuis, vice president of North American operations, MPS. They are joined by Eric Vandenberg, who is responsible for sales in the western United States. MPS America LLC is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis.
North and Latin American MPS organizations join forces for Labelexpo Americas 2014
MPS recognizes the importance of strong local organizations in both North and Latin America. The company is strengthening its North American organization by expanding its sales, installation, service and assembly operations. MPS Latin America is expanding its sales organization into the Colombian and Andean regions. Together, these organizations are joining forces at Labelexpo Americas 2014, taking place September 9-11 in Chicago. Visitors can visit their joint display at Booth 1321 to learn more about the benefits of MPS’ flexo and offset printing presses.