UK-based finishing equipment manufacturer Bar Graphic Machinery (BGM) has introduced Compact, a new range of finishing lines for digitally printed labels, with commercial availability expected shortly.
Compact and Compact Pro are designed specifically for finishing labels produced using inkjet, toner, and LEP digital print processes. According to the company, the range addresses a gap in the market where label printers are running digital work through finishing lines that are overspecified for their needs.
BGM managing director Adam James said, “The digital label printing market continues to grow strongly. To support this growth and allow label printers to take advantage of the opportunities, finishing must grow with the market.”
James noted that, based on customer conversations and internal research, as much as 80% of digitally printed label volume can be finished using a standard gloss varnish or lamination combined with semi-rotary die-cutting. He said many label printers are running such work through finishing lines equipped for high-value processes such as foiling, embossing, or laser die-cutting – creating bottlenecks and suboptimal equipment utilization.
Both Compact and Compact Pro are built on a heavy-duty, small-footprint frame – Compact measures 2.5 m in length and Compact Pro 3.5 m. Both models offer speeds of up to 100 m/min and a web width of 370 mm. Features include overlamination (self-wound with backing or wet lamination), a flexo unit for rotary flood varnish at 360 mm width, semi-rotary die-cutting at 360 mm width, crush or razor slitting, matrix waste stripping and removal, and dual rewind. A corona treatment unit and additional slitting systems are available as options.
Compact Pro includes a second flexo station for light embellishments and added-value processes such as spot varnish or cold foil.
All BGM-manufactured parts are covered by a 36-month warranty. James said the machines were developed in collaboration with BGM’s engineering team, drawing on his own experience operating and managing finishing lines for digitally printed labels.
Compact was formally introduced to the market during a three-day open house at BGM’s headquarters and manufacturing center in Bradford, UK, in mid-May. The event welcomed approximately 50 guests, including label printers, press manufacturers, ancillary equipment suppliers, and partner companies from the UK and Europe.
Franck Vitali, technical manager at GIC – a distribution partner for BGM in several French-speaking territories – attended the event and said, “It is always a pleasure to share these moments and to see how BGM is moving forward and constantly reinventing itself to offer new products. These new products will enable us to offer customers machines that combine robustness and productivity.”
James added, “It was great to see the appetite and interest in Compact. There is a clear need for this type of solution and we are delighted to bring Compact to market. My experiences running equipment on the shop floor and managing printing businesses give me a unique perspective on what works operationally and commercially for converters.”
