Finish at the End
Cell phone case embellished by the Roland DGA LD-80 Hot Foil Printing Machine & Laser Decorator.
By Howard Riell
The latest advancements in finishing equipment are progressing the
ways that printers are helping their customers work more profitably
and efficiently than ever before. The latest advancements in finishing
equipment technology “mostly all have to do with the reduction in
set-up times,” said Tim Simpson, President, DiggyPOD Inc. a self-publishing and
book printing company in Tecumseh, MI, which uses a Muller Martini Vareo
Perfect Binder. “In addition, another area of advancements is operator interfaces.”
Printers, in Simpson’s view want to see shorter make-readies and less
labor-intensive operation, “which is obviously driven by the increase in shorter
run print work. Intuitive interfaces and easier-to-use automated equipment
help hold down the price of operators, which is another interesting advancement
to printers.”
Laser Focus
A fine illustration of developments in
finishing equipment that help printers
do their jobs better than ever before
was recently launched by United
Kingdom-based DGSHAPE Corp., a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Roland
DG Corp. and a leading provider of
digital fabrication tools, including 3D
milling machines, 3D printers, and
engraving machines. The company
recently launched what it says is
the world’s first laser foil decorator.
The LD-80 Laser Decorator enables
adding text, logos, and graphics in a
variety of metallic and holographic
foils to provide a premium, personalized
appearance to small, off-theshelf
products including fountain
pens, cell phone covers, stationery,
or cosmetic accessories. The LD-80
uses proprietary technology to focus
a laser beam to transfer hot-stamp
type foils to plastic and paper items
to create a true luxury appearance.
Text, logos, and other vector graphics
can be transferred quickly onto
plastics such as acrylic, ABS, and
polycarbonate that usually perform
poorly under traditional hot-stamp
applications.”
“Th e special characteristics of the
focused laser supports the transfer of
very small text and fi ne lines in stunning
quality,” said Marketing Manager
Daisuke Satori. “In addition to gold
or silver foil, metallic or holographic
foils can be used to create a broad
range of vivid designs,” he continued.
16 Printing News June 2018 PrintingNewscom
/PrintingNews.com