What’s in the Crate?

September 12, 2008

On August 20th, 2008 Willington Nameplate received a few brand new additions to our Printing Department: Two state of the art flatbed graphic printing presses with automatic takeoff loading into our new curing unit. Our company-wide LEAN initiative, which has a focus on reduction of waste out on the production floor, allowed us with some minor changes to easily integrate this new machinery into the print department layout. These new additions only make the Willington Companies even more capable of achieving our standard of the highest quality custom printed nameplates and labels available in the industry today. In our line of business jobs can require the tightest of print tolerances & specifications, this new equipment is the perfect compliment for our press operators to ensure our ability to continue to meet customers challenging print requirements in the future.

The printing presses are M & R Screen Printing’s Saturn Platinum II’s series with plug and takeoff technology. The fully adjustable gripper-style takeoff adapts to virtually any substrate. The Saturn Platinum II sets the standard for high tolerance printing with features like automated registration to ensure print repeatability. It’s ideal for applications where absolute precision is critical and delivers exceptional results on nameplates, panels, back lit graphics, flexible membrane switches, glass and four-color halftone printing. It’s heavy-duty, chatter free design and flat metal-alloy vacuum bed provide the rigidity and stability necessary for high quality prints and long press life. The user-friendly control panel simplifies operation and even has an LCD touch screen with an alphanumeric display that simplifies programming and micro-registration with visual guides. This makes setup and adjustment on the Saturn Platinum II fast and simple. These presses both are CE & UL compliant, being built to specifications established by the European Committee for Standardization® (CE) and Underwriters Laboratories® (UL). In short, the Saturn Platinum II is the ultimate combination of speed, efficiency, flexibility and print quality. More pictures below:

The accompanying piece of equipment for these top of the line presses is M & R’s Switchback UV Curing System. The Switchback is hands down the finest UV cure system available. It features individually controlled, dual UV lamps with M & R’s patented dual reflector system. This secondary reflector redirects the UV energy onto the substrate, speeding the curing process while saving energy and prolonging lamp life. The dual-lamp allows operators to select the optimal curing source and intensity for even the most difficult ink/substrate combinations. This ability to easily select the right lamp and to fine-tune wattage enables the dual lamp Switchback to provide the optimal cure at the fastest possible speeds. It’s digital elapsed time meter and belt speed readout make monitoring lamp life and duplication of speed settings a simple task. Like the new presses the Switchback is also CE & UL compliant, being built to specifications established by the European Committee for Standardization®(CE) and Underwriters Laboratories® (UL). More pictures below:

If there is anything that LEAN has taught us it’s that any successful company needs to strive for constant improvement. With that in mind, we were able to effectively free up room in our print department for these new pieces of equipment. Ultimately these new additions will enable us to serve our customers even better by being able to output more work, more efficiently. Enthused about the new equipment our Surface Department Team Leader Rick Bailey said, “The new equipment was a great investment for the Willington Companies. Not only will they improve quality, but productivity as well.” Here at Willington Nameplate we focus on adding value to your printed materials for product identification, decoration and promotional advertising. We take pride in the diversity of our products and our ability to deliver with the speed, flexibility, dependability and responsiveness so often demanded in today’s business environment.

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