AICC Roundtable (CONT’D FROM PAGE 26)
Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY
that precision that we could hit with digital and the image quality. But it certainly hasn’t been easy. It hasn’t been “the product sells itself”, so to speak. We still have to do the hard work of getting out there with this new technology, showing our customers this is what we can achieve, this is what we can hit, and sending physical samples. I don’t think the sales techniques change at all with digital. But with the multiple art variations we can offer that short run capability. If a customer just wants to try out a new art de- sign because their marketing department thinks it will do really well on the shelves, we have the ability to start at low quantities and then scale. I think that’s a real sweet spot for us in our sales pitch. Jones: Do you want to comment further about people saying “litho-like” in their sales presentations? Perreira: There’s a community of digital printers, and as well as some of our OEM manufacturers, and we gath- er quarterly. We talk about challenges we’re facing in the digital printing space. One of the things that comes up is comments like “digital is litho-like”, or “digital is a litho re- placement”. But I drank the Kool-Aid in the beginning. Four or five years ago, I was convinced we would take down every litho operation. But what I’ve come to realize now after do- ing it for a while is that’s just not the reality. There is space for litho, and there is space for digital. And there’s a good opportunity for both to exist, and they are not like each other. They actually are quite different. They’re similar in appearance from a distance, but I wouldn’t say that they are alike. We’re trying to train our reps not to say “this is litho- like”. We’re trying to train our reps to say this is digital, and this is what you can get, as opposed to trying to convince them that they’re going to get the same thing because it’s like what they’re already buying. We’re trying to say, “this is what we’re able to offer you. It comes with some of these challenges, but these are all the benefits.” We’re just trying to change the verbiage a little bit. Jones: Chad, what operational or staffing challenges has digital brought to you that you were expecting? Wagner: As far as the machine and training the staff to run the machine, that’s been fairly simple. Actually, sur- prising, that our ability to train operators for the machine is pretty simple. We have as many operators in our plant for our digital press as we do for our flexographic press, but the digital has only been there three years, and the flexo press has been there eight. So it’s been very easy to train people. I think the harder part is upstream in the pre-press, in the selling. “It’s litho- like”. You can You can get yourself in a corner pretty quick if you’re not using the right words and you’re not taking the right approach. Those challenges have been interest-
ARC INTERNATIONAL www.ARCInternational.com
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AES (ADVANCED EQUIPMENT SALES) www.aesales.net
AES is a leading full-service provider of integrated convey- ance systems specializing in scrap, trim, and dust. AES en- gineers custom scrap systems and works as a partner in process improvement to help businesses achieve greater profitability, productivity, and sustainability. Products include balers, shredders/hoggers, core shredders, filters, fans, and specialized dust control and collection systems. AES is the ex- clusive distributor for the AirShark Rotary Material Separator. For a wide variety of new and used equipment on to- day’s market, visit our website at www.acm-corp.com. BAUMER HHS CORPORATION www.baumerhhs.com hhs is a global leader in advanced gluing, camera verifica- tion and quality assurance systems for the packaging indus- try. Zero-defect quality and elevated production speeds are key parameters in the manufacturing of corrugated boxes. With hhs Xcam Box Monitoring and non-contact flap gluing of corrugated board, hhs offers every option for quality as- surance in the production of boxes with flexo folder gluers. AMERICAN CORRUGATED MACHINE www.acm-corp.com BLOWER APPLICATION COMPANY (BLOAPCO) www.BloApCo.com BloApCo has served the corrugated industry since 1933 with a variety of scrap handling solutions, including Hori- zontal Floor Shredders, Trim Cutters, and Material Handling Fans and Conveying Systems. BloApCo Shredders allow for continuous shredding and pneumatic removal of sheet waste stacks of all sizes, roll slab, cores, and carton scrap.
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CORRUGATOR BELT SERVICE LLC www.corrugator.com
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October 27, 2025
www.boardconvertingnews.com
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