Agfa’s :Dotrix Helps SMS Impressao Digital Cope with Short-Run Jobs

Packaging, label and POS/POP market printer installs Agfa's digital press to provide short run lengths and satisfy print buyers and /brand owners

Agfa Graphics today announced that SMS Impressao Digital, a new company formed out of three companies in Brazil, provides short-run printing solutions for print buyers and brand owners thanks to its new :Dotrix digital press from Agfa.

Unigraph, Gegraf and Insight combined to form SMS Impressâo Digital. Unigraph spent 15 years in the packaging industry as a service bureau providing plates, film and digital data for the label and folding carton market. Gegraf were a leading supplier of POS materials, displays, signage and some folding cartons. Insight offered banners and posters to food retailers and supermarkets.

The :Dotrix digital UV inkjet press

As the trend was heading towards shorter runs with greater flexibility, the combined company knew they needed digital technologies to help them out. They visited the UK to see the :Dotrix in a live production environment and then met the :Dotrix team in Belgium.

“We were a batter chance to compete as a unified company than as three separate entities. It became clear that our future profitability would hinge on our ability to implement digital press technology", said Mr. Michele, owner. ":Dotrix is the only way to deal with the requirements for short and medium runs. We can differentiate and make new products. We can do this with UV inks and new substrates to make unique offerings".

The :Dotrix gave SMS Impressao Digital increased production speed, improved capacity and the digital benefits that would allow them to produce lots of short and medium run length work profitably.

“SMS needed to improve their flexibility. They needed the flexibility to turn work around within shorter time frames. They also needed the flexibility to offer UV-quality print on a wider variety of printed substrates", said Claudio Gaeta, Dotrix Sales Manager Brazil at Agfa Graphics. "SMS work with the top brand leaders in Latin America, including Carrefour, Proctor & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson and others. Staying at the top of the market meant adapting to the changing needs. With :Dotrix, SMS can satisfy the demands of the top brands, growing while many other packaging printers are seeing eroding profit margins."

The :Dotrix digital UV inkjet press, with a printing width of 63cm, is the most productive UV, single-pass printing press in the industry. :Dotrix is the only digital press able to print with high production capacity on a wide variety of substrates ranging from flexible foils, 20 micron over self-adhesives, to folding cartons up to 600 micron. With its modular construction, traditional UV flexo printing stations that can serve as coating and varnishing alleys can be added to the roll-to-roll basic configuration. Slitting and die-cutting as well as sheeter installations can also be integrated to complete the system.