Phenix Label boost capabilities with OMET iFLEX with LED UV from GEW

Phenix Label of Olathe, Kansas have installed an additional OMET iFLEX printing press with LED UV to boost reliability and production speed.

Phenix Label Company, Inc. is a business with a longstanding tradition in the manufacture of self-adhesive labels with headquarters in Olathe, Kansas. It was originally founded in 1896 and today continues to be a family-owned business run by Hans M. Peter, the founder’s great-grandson. Their product range includes innovative labelling and packaging solutions for the food and beverage sector, for beauty and personal products and the pharmaceutical and automotive industries with a strong emphasis on exceptional service and rigorous quality management.

In 2016 Phenix Label installed a brand new OMET printing machine with GEW UV curing: an X4 10-colour flexo press with ten 40cm-wide GEW-designed LW1 LED UV-curing stations, intended for self-adhesives label stock, shrink sleeves and thin film substrates.

Todd Fatino, Vice-President of Innovation at Phenix Label, explains: “We choose LED UV for faster run speeds, deeper curing, instant on-off, no mechanical shutters and energy savings. And yes, in every instance LED UV has lived up to our expectations!”

The decision in favour of the GEW UV system was largely due to Phenix Label’s desire to ensure important investments go only into reliable high-performance technologies. “Our objective was to improve productivity at increased press speeds with the extra benefit of ease of operation and reduced downtime,” Fatino adds, “and GEW offered us a convincing package of efficiency, reliability and consistent cure.”

Phenix Label also operate and OMET iFLEX with 6 GEW LW1 LED stations and they retrofitted an Aquaflex Instaflex press with 8 GEW LW1 LED stations, replacing an older system. All of the printing machines at Phenix Label are now fitted with GEW UV curing systems.

With the GEW LW1 LED system Phenix Label are able to operate full hybrid UV curing, working with both mercury arc and LED lamp technology on the same press. Mercury arc cassettes and LED cassettes both use the same lamphead casing, the same RHINO power supply and the same touch screen control. The operator simply swaps the required cassette and the RHINO power supply automatically recognises which type of cassette is installed in the machine, switches from low voltage DC power for the LEDs to high voltage AC for the arc lamps and changes the display on the control panel accordingly.

“The GEW UV system based on the high efficiency LW1 LED unit offers us the ability of hybrid operation combining conventional UV lamps and LED UV on the same press with a single straightforward user interface.” Fatino adds. Printing presses with GEW’s hybrid technology can be operated with mercury arc lamps and LED to fully exploit the advantages of both technologies with the same power supply and the same control panel.

Fatino concludes: “Modernising our plant and investing in high performance machinery ensures we stay competitive in the future. The GEW LED lampheads combined with the RHINO power supply bring us consistent curing with low migration inks, at high speeds and with no downtime.”

Thanks to GEW for the authorization to publish this article.