GENIUS BOOST FOR ‘SUPER-GREEN’ PCS

Plastic Card Services Limited does exactly what it says on the letterhead - though, with products ranging from smart cards, photo ID cards and gift cards to key fobs and cashless catering cards... and in quantities from one-off to ten million, the service is anything but ‘limited’! 

The market for plastic cards knows no national boundaries and, seemingly, no limits... loyalty, membership and reward cards, library, casino, bingo membership cards, football clubs, bars and restaurant cards, calendar cards, gift cards, helpline cards, ID, information, insurance cards, key and access cards, banking and financial cards, privilege cards, telephone cards and asset tracking tags – it is estimated that more than 750 million are printed each year in the UK alone. With a production pedigree of more than 16 years it is hardly surprising that PCS appeals to the quality end of the market where accuracy is essential and their expertise adds value. This is where the GENIUS’s performance pays dividends, as PCS Joint Managing Director Rob Nicholls explains: 

“Printing on plastic substrates presents a series of challenges which conventional presses are not designed to meet. The concentrated image area and small point sizes of text - often reversed out of solid colours - demand high precision and the nature of the materials means waste at makeready, or when you stop to wash blankets, is costly both financially and ecologically. Because of the volumes involved conventional wisdom says to go for larger sheet sizes - B2 or even B1 - but, with normal litho, this only compounds the problems. The beauty of the GENIUS is that it has been designed and developed to print on these substrates; it is built with antistatic throughout and the anilox inking system gives reduced dot gain, sharper image and consistent vibrant colour across the sheet with very little run-up waste. There is a reduced problem of stretch on the smaller sheet size, so you can keep extremely tight register and, because it is waterless, the printed image is the same every time at every point. Most important, the difference is visible in the final product.” 

For PCS the print is just the beginning; their service encompasses every aspect of card generation, including design, data management and integration, personalisation, magnetic strip, mifare and contact chip technologies, branding, marketing and POS consultancy and direct mailing and fulfillment. For Rob Nicholls this only serves to underscore the importance of the quality of the print: 

“In most cases the printed card is the starting point so, for downstream production efficiency, it is essential that the quality is as high as possible and consistent throughout the set,” he says. “More important than that, though, the card is a brand representative for the client and that means it has to be perfect every time.” 

The efficiency gains generated by reduced waste, shorter downtimes and lower environmental impact also mean that the improved quality needn’t necessarily translate into higher unit costs. PCS supplies, on average, three million cards every month working through agencies and direct with end clients, and it is discovering that the environmental credentials of the KBA press is proving to be another plus factor in their decision-making process: 

“Our clients are becoming increasingly concerned with the provenance of the products they are responsible for commissioning,” explains Mr Nicholls. “They, quite naturally, equate that with the recyclability of the substrate and it is part of our service to work with them to find the most earth-friendly solution for their application. But they often do not realise that it is the production process - and, in particular, the printing - that impacts most on carbon footprint. There is a world of a difference between the GENIUS and the adapted, often pre-owned, larger sheet-size conventional litho presses operated by many in this sector; as buyers become more proficient in carbon auditing they are pleasantly surprised to discover that high quality, price efficiency and environmental-friendliness are not mutually exclusive.” 

PCS’s KBA GENIUS 52UV has five printing units configured in a ‘V’ around a central impression cylinder so that each sheet is printed without gripper transfers true to register; the anilox roller, blanket plate cylinder and printing cylinder all have exactly the same diameter to guarantee ghosting-free print. Ink density and printing stability are controlled by temperature adjustment of the plate cylinder and anilox rollers and a powerful dryer is built into the delivery unit to cure the UV inks. Printable substrates include carton boards, paper, PVC, ABS, PS, PE, PET and PC from 0.1 to 0.8mm. Operation is via a CIP4-ready touchscreen and typical job changeover time is no more than 7 minutes with about ten sheets of run-up waste. Another significant factor is a footprint of less than 12m2. 

“From the very first moment we saw this press we were astonished at what can be achieved in such a compact design,” says Rob Nicholls. “It’s perfect for our requirements but, regardless of the substrate, the quality of the image and the simplicity of operation make it a great option for any general printers looking to expand their offering and add value.” 

Many involved in the UK graphic arts sector, where KBA has long been associated with large format sheetfed presses and web presses, may be surprised to learn that the German manufacturer is responsible for the revolutionary B3 GENIUS. In fact, KBA can legitimately claim to be the inventor of the modern printing press (between 1803 and 1812) and has been involved in every major printing innovation since - including the development of the anilox printing system (in the 1980s, originally for newspaper presses) for which it still holds the patent. Trademarked as Gravuflow™ it also features on KBA’s B2 RAPIDA 74G and KARAT presses. KBA (UK) Ltd certainly proved itself completely at home with the smaller format: 

“Their back-up and support has been first class throughout the process - from our initial research and trials through to installation and training,” says Mr Nicholls. “The whole GENIUS experience has been fantastic.”