Label Link continues digital journey with second Screen press

South African converter Label Link has taken another step on its digital transformation and invested in a second Screen Truepress Label 350UV SAI-S press through its partnership with Rotocon, the regional Screen distributor.

Established in 2003, Label Link has been one of the key players in Cape Town's wholesale label printing market, serving resellers primarily in the fast-moving consumer goods sector.

In 2018, Label Link took a significant step towards modernizing its operations by partnering with Rotocon to acquire a Screen Truepress JET L350UV+ inkjet press and a Rotocon Ecoline RDF 340 finishing machine. This investment marked the company's initial foray into digital production, laying the foundation for Label Link's digital future.

‘We focus primarily on short-run label production,’ said Wiaan Stemmet, owner of Label Link. ‘While flexo still remains a big part of our business, we've found that for limited, efficient and accurate label printing, digital makes a lot more financial sense.'

The increasing focus on short-run label production prompted Label Link to shift its workflow further towards digital in 2023 with a second Screen inkjet press.

‘We realized that our capacity could only meet our increasing demand by investing in the latest and best technology,’ added Stemmet. ‘Compared to analog printing, digital inkjet's on-demand printing functionality eliminates minimum order quantity (MOQ) while reducing ink and substrate set-up waste, perfect for precise short-run label orders.’

According to Stemmet, the new Truepress Label 350UV SAI-S press has also been transformative for the company’s productivity.

‘What I love most about this machine is its flexibility and automation features. The Equios, Screen's proprietary workflow management software and seamless integration with finishing equipment enables multiple jobs to be run on the same printed reel, all while running at print speeds up to 60m/min. With these and many more processes automated, operators are free to begin working on the next printing job sooner, streamlining the production process to improve lead times and productivity. With this press, everything is instantaneous,’ said Stemmet.

Label Link's success has been significantly bolstered by its partnership with Rotocon under the guidance of CEO Michael Aengenvoort and sales director, Pascal Aengenvoort.

‘Nothing is too much effort for them,’ added Wiaan. ‘Fully trained local technicians have consistently delivered stellar service from installation to training, bringing the "know-how, knowledge, experience, and expertise needed to make the transition to digital printing seamless. They're more than just a machine supplier. I genuinely enjoy working with them because they're always ready with solutions.’