Aurora, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/10/2011 -- The Label Printers’ investment in ESKO CDI (Cyrel Digital Imager) Spark digital flexo plate system, ESKO Suite 10 design and preproduction software, and DuPont Cyrel FAST thermal developer will give them the capability to make high precision digital plates – which will improve label and label proof quality and repeatability, while, at the same time, reducing the company’s environmental impact.

Joe Kane, Prepress Manager, has been looking at the technology for years. “We were at a point where we had to decide if we were going to replace worn out pieces of equipment from our analog system with new analog equipment, or make a wholesale change to digital. From my perspective as Prepress Manager, the ESKO and DuPont digital systems were unquestionably the better choice, as it would allow us to eliminate the variability and control issues that are inherent in analog equipment. By investing in this scaleable digital equipment, we can produce labels that are virtually identical from job to job. We can standardize our press set ups. We can produce proofs that are a more accurate representation of how the final product will look. We can use the automation engine to track workflow and improve process control. And, we can do all of that, while at the same time eliminating the use of solvent-based chemicals, as well as consumables that we used to have to recycle.”

Lori Campbell, Chief of Operations, is both pleased about the investment, and its anticipated benefits to the company’s quality system, operating system, and sustainability program – as well as the fact that the suggestion and homework came from within the organization. “We’re very proud of our workforce and the care and attention they give to our quality – which our ISO Registration and 99.6% quality rating back up. But I’m equally proud that our manufacturing team was actively looking for ways to make our quality better and reduce our carbon footprint, with equipment that makes us better able to keep our processes in control and capable – a hallmark of Continuous Quality Improvement environments.”

One of the important features in The Label Printers’ cost/benefit analysis was DuPont’s third-party-verified life cycle assessment (to ISO 14040 guidelines) to evaluate the environmental footprint of the Cyrel FAST thermal developer. This life cycle assessment examined all of the upstream and downstream products and processes, as well as their materials, energy consumption and environmental releases. The assessment indicates that there is a 63% reduction in energy consumption and a 53% reduction in greenhouse gas generation (vs. solvents). And, DuPont’s TR3 Recycling Program was also an important aspect in The Label Printers’ decision.

George Tommasi, Director of Human Resources, says that The Label Printers will be taking full advantage of the TR3 program, and that the new equipment will positively impact a couple of the sustainability measurements used in the company’s L.I.F.E. program (the Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute’s “Label Initiative For the Environment”), for which he is the team leader. “It will improve employee safety by eliminating the previous material handling processes. And, it will eliminate the environmental cost of gas consumption and emissions from outside trucking firms that the company previously used to haul away trash and recyclables generated from the previous [analog plate making] equipment. From an environmental perspective, this investment in digital equipment is a significant improvement. The company’s forward thinking achieves environmental and operational objectives, and is beneficial to both.”

Bill Kane, Chief Executive, has a very straightforward view of the investment. “It’s a good decision. We can be efficient and ecological at the same time. We’re projecting that our VOCs (Volatile Organic Compound) will drop by about 30%. We’re really glad we made the investment.”

The Label Printers is a leading custom label and packaging manufacturer, serving a widely diverse customer base around the globe – ranging from Fortune 100 to start-up businesses. The company serves industries as varied as wine, pharmaceutical, and electrical. The Label Printers takes special pride in their quality, which is backed up by their ISO 9001 Registration (with an acceptance rating which has stayed at a consistent and nearly perfect 99.6% since 1989).

About The Label Printers
The Label Printers, Aurora, IL, started in business in 1967, manufacturing simple label constructions in a 1,000 square foot space, with 1 employee, serving the local Chicago market.

Today, the company has evolved into one of the 100 largest converters in the United States. The Label Printers owns and operates two facilities in Aurora, Illinois, manufacturing and distributing labels and packaging products to thousands of customers in 25 countries around the world. The company’s packaging products are certified to ISO 9001 standards, and their quality is backed up by their 99.6% Quality Acceptance Rating.

The Label Printers is a member of NASPO (North American Security Products Organization), CACP (Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy), TLMI (Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute) and the FTA (Flexographic Technical Association).

About EskoArtwork
EskoArtwork is the worldwide market leader with software for artwork creation, pre-production, automation, quality assurance and collaboration targeted at brand owners, retailers, designers and packaging manufacturers. The CDI flexo computer-to-plate imagers, Kongsberg short-run converting and signage finishing systems complete the portfolio for the packaging, label, signage and display industries.

The company provides a range of workflow, automation and quality assurance solutions for the commercial printing and publishing market. For graphic designers and print production professionals there’s also the Enfocus suite of PDF tools.

EskoArtwork employs around 1050 people worldwide. Its global sales and support organization covers Europe, the Americas and the Asia Pacific and is completed by a network of distribution partners in more than 45 countries.

EskoArtwork is headquartered in Gent, Belgium, and has R&D and manufacturing facilities in five European countries, the United States, China and India. The consolidated full year financials ended for 2010 with revenue of EUR 184.1 million.

About DuPont
DuPont is a market-driven global science company focused on meeting the world’s needs through the power of our people, innovation, technology and collaboration. Founded in 1802, our company has grown to 58,000 employees working at more than 210 sites in more than 90 countries around the globe. Our vision is to be the world’s most dynamic science company, creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. In 2009, we achieved $26.1 billion (USD) in sales.

Major societal changes, such as population growth, are creating four significant needs that we see as megatrends, including increasing food production, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, protecting people, assets and our environment and supporting growth in emerging markets. Today, thousands of DuPont employees are collaborating with stakeholders and partners – including customers, governments and communities – to meet these complex challenges that will define the coming decades.