Reflex Labels has installed four FTS plate mounters from JM Heaford across three of its UK sites to improve the efficiency and sustainability of its production.
The four machines are identical in specification, while differing from the first FTS installation at the company’s facility in Newcastle-upon-Tyne back in 2015, which included a specialised micro-gap cutter to provide consistent plate joining accuracy for continuous design printing without the need for ITR (in-the-round) sleeves.
The FTS uses high-magnification cameras situated below a cushioned table to line up with the register marks through a viewing slot on the table. Once the operator has positioned the plate on the table and verified alignment, the machine takes over the mounting process, eliminating any further operator contact to reduce the risk of plate or cylinder damage and prevent any incidence of human error.
Paul Sefton, operations manager, said, ‘We invest in technology for continuous improvement and our day-to-day experience of the FTS has provided hard evidence that it delivers considerable efficiency improvements. It mounts plates more than twice as fast as a conventional mounter. Then, when you factor in its accuracy, easy operation and the minimal human intervention required, it all adds up to a huge advantage for production on the kind of scale we are handling at each Reflex site.’
