Solutions that cut costs and boost profitability showcased by Esko at Sign and Digital UK 2014
Investing in numerous hardware systems will enable operations to add more strings to their bow, services to their portfolios and increase turnover. But efficiently and cost effectively managing the numerous short run jobs these systems can handle is essential to ensure profitability. This is the essence of Esko’s (www.esko.com) message on its E36 stand at thisyear’s Sign and Digital 2014 show, taking place April 29 to May 1 at the Birmingham NEC.
“Creating a smooth production workflow is critical if operations are going to maximise their capabilities,” comments Paul Bates, Esko’s Regional Business Manager. “Wasted time, effort and materials all add up. We have a number of software solutions we will be demonstrating, including the re-developed 64-bit application i-cut Layout+ running on both Mac and PC platforms, that help customers create the most efficient flow of jobs from pre- to post press.
“Although adoption of software is still relatively new compared to Esko’s traditional markets, we see a growing interest from the sign and display sector year after year. It's true that not everything can be automated but as we can enable business to automate 90%, we are saving them an awful lot of work,” Mr. Bates continues. "This approach also has a significant impact on staffing. Because the onset of digital systems printers have grown quickly, companies considered the only solution was to put more people in their studios to prepare the files but there is no need to do that.”
Solutions that save time, effort and material
This is the role of Esko's i-cut Suite of pre-production software that automates the entire production process. Other key solutions are Automation Engine to streamline and automate high volume production and WebCenter that delivers end-to-end manufacturing process management, creating a competitive advantage by specifying requirements, managing assets and overseeing the entire design and production process.
These are supported within the Esko Software Suite of future oriented and sustainable solutions which are inspired by trends in the industry, and designed to help companies better meet the challenges of today's dynamic and rapidly changing industry. One example is complete integration with non-graphical systems. “A day to day application could mean a workflow set up for packaging based on the weather forecast. For example if it is hot there might be greater demand for more strawberry containers or salad packaging. This addresses the need for more and more Just-In-Time delivery. This level of integration is something we see becoming increasingly important to the customer base, ” Mr. Bates explains.
For the first time, Esko will have two Kongsberg digital cutting tables on display at Sign & Digital UK.
The company's highly popular Kongsberg XP24, the best-selling Kongsberg system amongsign and display companies designed to operate 24/7, will be showcased on Esko's stand E36. In addition, the most versatile Kongsberg XN24 will be presented on stand of UK reseller Graphic Printing Technologies (GPT).