Linney Invests in Focus Proflex 330SE Hybrid press

Linney, based in Mansfield, is one of the UK’s largest independently owned print & packaging companies, encompassing a wide range of marketing and communication services, alongside large-scale print, warehousing and fulfilment facilities. 

Having originally installed a Six colour flexo press for label production from Focus Label Machinery several years ago, the company has recently invested in the latest Focus Proflex 330SE Hybrid press in order to handle a growing percentage of short-run, digital full colour label requirements, as well as more high volume flexo jobs. 

Executive director Charles Linney commented ‘Our Focus flexo press has been a great workhorse, giving us reliability and consistent quality across a range of different label types for all our medium and long run label jobs. In recent years however, we have seen a steady increase in the requirement for short-run work, so we decided to incorporate digital inkjet capability to give us greater efficiency.’ 

Mr Linney continued ‘The Focus Proflex Hybrid really is a true hybrid press, in every sense of the word - successfully combining flexo, single-pass inkjet technology, and in-line converting - giving us optimum flexibility.’ 

The Proflex SE Hybrid is a full colour (CMYK), digital inkjet press, with four in-line servo driven flexo print heads, plus converting facilities, available with web widths of 250mm and 330mm. 

Die-cutting can be either FULL rotary, or SEMI rotary. Both UV and LED drying systems are available. 

Incorporating the very latest, high-quality piezo drop-on-demand inkjet heads from Konica Minolta, the Proflex Hybrid offers facilities for in-line flexo printing/coating, corona treatment, cold foil, laminating, varnishing, and die cutting, either in roll-to-roll or roll-to-sheet applications.

The modular inkjet system is available in 149mm, 223mm & 297mm wide versions, with running speeds of up to 50 metres per minute. In addition to process colours, a white option is also available, with LED pinning, for printing onto transparent or metallised substrates, aluminium foil or for overprinting dark background colours. The high-end GIS software & RIP, with variable information and colour management system is included as part of the overall package, whilst global support comes through Focus & Industrial Inkjet. ‘Hybrid Pacz’ software is also available to facilitate easy handling of artwork files, either pre-press or on-press. Standard native resolution is 600dpi with KM1800i heads. 

Unlike a number of other digital formats, there is no click charge and no mandatory service contract. Inks are readily available, with pricing dependent on order quantity. A wide range of substrates can be printed, including paper, PP, PE, cartonboard and aluminium foil - with no need to purchase specially coated materials for digital printing. For those few substrates which do benefit from pre-coating, this can be applied using a flexo print station, supplied with either UV, LED or IR drying. In-line corona treatment is also available, for surface treatment of filmic substrates. 

The flexo printing & converting section of the press also enables high-speed four-colour, flexo production, for longer runs and can also re-register to pre-printed web, with accurate re-registration, at speeds of over 120 metres per minute. Semi-rotary die-cutting is also offered for increased convenience and to save on tooling costs. 

James Thomas, Head of Sales & Business Development for Focus, commented. 

‘For Focus, Linney represents a major UK PSP investing in our products and services. This says a lot about the Focus brand and quality of products designed and built with our customers’ businesses in mind. We are delighted to be part of Linney’s ongoing investments programmes’ 

Focus Sales Director, David Lee commented. 

‘Linney is a very innovative and highly respected company. We are honoured and delighted that once again, it has selected Focus to be its trusted partner for this latest installation. 

‘The Proflex Hybrid model provides both flexo and high-resolution inkjet single-pass print technology, with an industrial performance, suitable for label and packaging manufacturers alike. 

With increasing pressures from buyers to order lower quantity at more regular intervals, our hybrid technology offers an effective method of producing short and medium-run, digital print on affordable equipment, without click charges or obligatory service contracts’.