In Pictures – Installing an @Xeikon 3300 digital label printing machine

Posted by Adrian on Jan 17, 2012 in Labels | 0 comments Have you ever wondered what happens when you install a digital label printing machine?  We took a few photos when we swapped out our  330 for the new Xeikon 3300 digital label printing machine in December 2011, shown below.  The whole process of decommissioning the old machine and installing and commissioning the new one took about 6 days, and went very well thanks to the expert team from...
read more

How can we improve in 2012?

Posted by Adrian on Jan 6, 2012 in A C Labels, Labels | 1 comment Its a simple question, and one that is often not asked enough to customers.  How can we improve?  In some of the business areas we operate in it is hard to interact with customers face to face regularly, and so the online medium is vital for us.  So to commence the year we would like to invite any and all comments and suggestions, positive and negative, on how we could improve. Questions we...
read more

The Mercian Labels Group are exhibiting in the Ecopack zone of The Packaging Innovations Show

Posted by Adrian on Jan 5, 2012 in A C Labels, business, Labels, Security Labels | 2 comments     We are delighted that all the divisions of The Mercian Labels Group are exhibiting in the Ecopack zone of  The Packaging Innovations Show at the NEC near Birmingham on 29 February – 1 March 2012. Mercian Labels will be showing its latest digital labelling capabilities from the new Xeikon 3300 with FDA approved food safe inks and fully deinkable and recyclable digital label...
read more

Sticker art like you have never seen before!

Posted by Adrian on Jan 4, 2012 in Labels | 1 comment   Wow – ever seen anything like this!  This is the work of artist Yayoi Kusama who is exhibiting at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art  with The Obliteration Room.  Take a whole load of kids and coloured stickers in a massive white room and see what happens – amazing!       Credits to: Queensland Art Gallery and photographer Mark Sherwood for the first...
read more

@Printweek report INGEDE’s confirmation @HPIndigo digital labelling inks should remain out of mainstream EU paper recycling

Posted by Adrian on Dec 22, 2011 in Labels | 0 comments       We have noted before the benefits of using Xeikon dry toner for digital label printing as its fully recyclable (known as deinking), where the competitive ink technology from HP Indigo is not. Printweek are today reporting the results of a trial where a used paper trial recycling trial containing 5% of HP indigo paper has been recycled, albeit in a specialist paper recycling...
read more

GENERAL MANAGER COOKS UP A STORM

Posted by lynne on Dec 22, 2011 in A C Labels, Labels | 0 comments AC Labels (2010) Ltd enjoyed a festive breakfast this morning cooked by master chef Peter Hartshorn enjoyed by all. Thanks Pete from all the staff at AC Labels.
read more

CHRISTMAS SHUTDOWN

Posted by lynne on Dec 20, 2011 in A C Labels, Labels, Security Labels | 1 comment We will be closing for Christmas from 1.00 p.m. Friday, 23rd December 2011, and will return on Tuesday, 3rd January 2012. May we take this opportunity to thank all our staff, customers and suppliers  for their support from each of our businesses (Mercian Labels, Security Labels International,  Label Lock and AC Labels...
read more

A decommissioning celebration of Mercian Labels’ Xeikon digital label printing machine using traditional English Morris dancers

Posted by Adrian on Dec 5, 2011 in business, Labels | 1 comment   On 1st December 2011 we decommissioned our Xeikon 330 digital label printing machine after many years of great service and upgraded to the latest Xeikon 3300 version.  Whilst the retiring machine was destined for recycling, we could not let the occasion pass without a celebration of its achievements over many years.  So we got our thinking caps on, and our sales team suggested we...
read more

New Youtube video – Label Lock™ tamper proof security tape for boxes & sealing tape for stretch wrapped air cargo

Posted by Adrian on Dec 1, 2011 in Security Labels | 0 comments     We are really pleased with our new video showcasing our Label Lock™ tamper proof security tape for boxes & sealing tape for stretch wrapped air cargo.  You can watch it here or on Youtube and see the original press release at launch this summer...
read more

Narrow Web Tech 3-2011 article on Xeikon QAi toner for digital label printing

Posted by Adrian on Nov 23, 2011 in Labels | 0 comments   One of the main reasons Mercian Labels decided to upgrade its digital label printing capability to the new Xeikon 3300 was the quality of the new QA-i toner.  Here, in the industry’s leading technical journal Narrow Web Tech 3-2011 you can read about the evolution of the Xeikon Toner, and the benefits of the new toner formulation.  You can download a PDF of the article...
read more

Tour around the @Xeikon digital label printing factory

Posted by Adrian on Nov 22, 2011 in business, Labels | 0 comments   Last week I presented a case study on the adoption of digital label printing at an event organised by Xeikon in Lier, Belgium, and enjoyed a tour around their factory where our new digital label printing machine is being made.     It was really interesting to see how the 100+ machines a year are build and tested to such high standards, and the fantastic technology that is able...
read more

Xeikon 3300 Digital label printer upgrade

Posted by Adrian on Nov 10, 2011 in business, Labels | 0 comments   At Label Expo 2011 we announced the exciting news that we are upgrading our digital labelling capability to include the new Xeikon 3300 – the fastest, highest quality, most environmentally friendly digital labelling solution available with fantastic lightfastness, no origination charges and brilliant colour resolution. The installation will take place during the first week of...
read more

2011 – an epic year of chilli growing failure

Posted by Adrian on Nov 6, 2011 in business, Labels | 0 comments   thats it – my final crop from 80 plants in 2011… Since I potted out all of my 80 chilli plants in May from the original batch, we have had a pretty cool summer, and it has not been a good year for chilli growing.  After a first small crop, the indian summer produced a second and final crop that I cut today before the frosts set in – its pictured above.  Compared to...
read more

Recycling resources for label industry waste in the UK

Posted by Adrian on Oct 24, 2011 in A C Labels, Labels, Open Source | 0 comments   I have blogged for years on the problems facing the labels industry in managing its waste streams, and to a large degree most of the problems are  still here, but getting closer to a solution. This is a summary of the options as far as I know:   Siliconised glassine paper release liner (“backing paper”) – this cannt be recycled with normal paper as you need a...
read more

We will be presenting new data on digital label printing at the BPIF Digital Label Printing Event on 2 November

Posted by Adrian on Oct 21, 2011 in Labels | 0 comments We are delighted to announce that Mercian Labels have been asked to present at the digital label printing technical workshop run by BPIF Labels on 2 November in Daventry, UK. Along with the usual suspects  from Xeikon, Xaar, HP, LabelTrax, UPM Raflatac, AB Graphics & Esko Artwork, we will be one of 2 digital labelling specialists presenting. To add a bit of variety to the agenda, we will be...
read more