What does it do?
Intec’s LCF215 is a tabletop label finishing system aimed at short-run digital label producers. It can contour-cut, slit, strip the waste and laminate reels of labels on paper, polyester and metallised foils.
When was it launched and what market is it aimed at?
It was launched in February at the Packaging Innovations show. It’s aimed at anyone producing low volumes of labels on demand. Intec says it is suitable for manufacturers who want to produce labels in-house, as well as label printers.
How does it work?
At the heart of the LCF215 is a digitally controlled steel knife. Essentially it is a smaller – and Intec would argue more accurate – version of a plotter-cutter from the likes of Graphtec, Mutoh and Summa.
The engine is manufactured in the US by Allen Datagraph Systems (ADSI), a firm which produces a range of labels systems and cutters. Intec takes the base unit and adds some of its own elements, which it claims make it more suited to European customers. These include beefed up uptake rollers and inline slitting as standard.
Printed reels are mounted on the input roller and pass through the lamination unit, where the laminate is applied if required. From there, via the first of two accumulator arms, the roll passes to the cutting station and on to the second accumulator arm. After the second accumulator it passes to the take-up reel with any waste reeled separately onto the waste reel.
In addition to contour cutting the labels it can also slit the reels. Three slitter blades are supplied as standard, but a further two can be added as options.
How does it differ from previous products?
Intec business development director Mark Baker-Homes argues that price point, build quality and speed all set the LCF215 apart from its rivals. He says a laser system would start from £60,000, nearly four times the price of the LCF215, while other knife based-systems, although competitive on price, aren’t as robust or accurate.
How fast is it?
Speed will depend on the number of labels and the intricacy of their shape, with more complex designs taking longer to cut. The fastest designs to produce will be simple rectangular shapes. Intec provides two speed measurements, one for the knife, which can travel at up to 1,320mm per second, and a second for length of reel processed, which is a more modest but realistic figure of up to 3.5m per minute.
What is the USP of the product?
A three-point optical registration system that Intec terms SmartMark is a key differentiator. One printed mark is used by the machine to identify the location of the label on the reel and to register the cutter. To account for wander and skew it is also possible to add second and third marks.
“On digital label presses there is an issue with whether the job has been printed square, especially on the cheaper inkjet printers,” says Baker-Homes. “Even on more sophisticated presses there can be a bit of skew and wander.”
To compensate for that the second SmartMark is read to calculate any skew. Lastly, and primarily for inkjet printers where the printed length can be a problem, a third mark on the back edge of each label is read to correct for any distortion in the length of the job.
“SmartMark means we can adjust for the print position, skew and scale or any combination of the three,” says Baker-Homes.
How easy is it to use?
Operation is straightforward. The cutting outline can be created and exported from either CorelDraw or Adobe Illustrator via the supplied Direct-Cut plug-in. Once the cutter guide has been sent to the LCF215 the user webs up the machine and ensures the on-board sensor has read the cutting mark to make a test print. Once they are happy with the test print, it can be set for production.
“It’s a bit of kit that you don’t have to worry about,” he says.
What support is on offer?
Typically Intec will install the machine and train the operators, but Baker-Homes says there’s not much to go wrong.
There are two consumables; the cutting blades and the cutting strip that they cut onto. Blades should last at least 3,000m of cut and the strips 10 blades.
How much does it cost?
The LCF215 costs £17,999. Spare blades cost £29.99 and cutting strips £39.99
What is the sales target?
To date 40 units have been installed, which is ahead of the firm’s initial expectation of selling 60-70 per year.
SPECIFICATIONS
Cutter speed 1,320mm/second
Material width 102-216mm
Cutting technology Carbide-tipped knife
Max label length 335mm
Price £17,999
Contact Intec 01202 845960 www.intecprinters.com
ALTERNATIVE
Eclipse LF3
Impression Technology Europe is another UK-based firm that saw the need for finishing kit for short run digital label production and set out to fill it with a low-cost and easy to use machine. The LF3 uses a cutting head supplied by Summa.
Cutter speed 800mm/second
Material width 100-220mm
Cutting technology Knife
Max label length 304.8mm
Price £15,000
Contact Impression Technology Europe 01623 861173
www.impressiontechnologyeurope.com
USER REVIEW
“Previously we had to convert our digital print on our letterpress presses, which was time-consuming and disruptive. The LCF215 is far more accurate for tight register cutting and its ability to test for print skew on each printed image is extremely useful” 4/5
Mark Griffiths, production director, Last Bros
