Acorn Labels installs print and finishing unit from Daco Solutions

The UK label printing company has bought 17 Daco machines over the past 17 years, with two more to come. With multiple technologies all inline, a two-color TD350 Label Converter with a fully automatic turret rewind module, two die-cutting stations and a mono UV inkjet module is the latest investment.

Acorn Labels is going through a growth period with plans to double the size of the factory in Huntingdon in the next six to eight months. Having just moved into the current premises last year, the company is also investing heavily in machinery to keep up with demand for labels. The new TD350 from Daco Solutions is already at capacity; another two rewinders of the same type have been put on order.

‘We installed the Daco TD350 only one month ago, and it has been a real life-saver for us,’ said production manager Sam Heneker. ‘We were looking for something faster to keep up with demand and expand our capacity, and Daco had a great solution. I have to say the machine has not disappointed – the speed is incredible, and the print quality is second to none.’

The long-term partnership between the two companies began in the early 2000s, when Acorn Labels first met newly formed Daco Solutions at Labelexpo Europe in Brussels.

‘Over the last many years, we have built a great deal of trust with the Daco team. They are always at the end of the phone, if there are any issues or we need advice on anything label-related,’ said Heneker, ‘This is one of the main reasons why we have stayed with them for so long, plus of course, the great quality, reliability and modularity of their machines. Why go anywhere else?”

The new TD350 Plain Label Converter at Acorn has taken over the work of two older machines, cutting running time by 25 percent. The 350mm-wide machine has been specified with two full rotary flexo stations with turn bar for printing and coating, and two servo-driven die stations along with a Daco DBS-350ES back scorer with two knife holders for edge trimming and winding.

The machine also features Daco’s SVT inline turret module – an automatic servo-driven four-spindle turret rewinder – which has a double-sided tape mechanism to secure the edge of the roll, rather than the traditional hotmelt method. Using a laser, the machine automatically positions the mandrels to align with the tape. When a roll is finished, the onboard Toshiba Tec thermal printer produces a label with all the job data, which is then used the secure the roll end.

‘The auto turret rewinder is a very clever innovation and this is what really speeds up production to increase output enormously. All the operator has to do is load the new cores, add a strip of tape with the handheld dispenser, then stack the finished rolls when the automatic roll eject system spits them out, and this is all done while the machine is running,’ said Heneker.

Commenting on the new machine, Mark Laurence, Daco Solutions sales manager, said: ‘The TD350 converter at Acorn Labels harnesses all our technologies in one machine for fast, inline converting of labels, and it has been a real success for them already. The next TD350 will be delivered later this year, and there is a third 430mm machine in planning too. We look forward to continuing this great partnership with one of our longest-standing customers.’