Durst-Modagrafics Partnership is a two-way street

Eighteen months ago, the first of two Durst Rho 312R UV inkjet digital roll printers were installed at Modagrafics. It has reshaped and led to a tighter partnership between the two companies, where both parties are experiencing benefits.

“Modagrafics is a model partner. We pride ourselves on fast response time, but our true calling is to help customers find new ways to become more efficient in its operation,” stated Tim Saur, Managing Director/CEO North America, for Durst Image Technology.

Saur indicated early dialogue between the two companies led to installation of the first printer in late 2016, followed by adding another 312R in mid-2017.

“In our discussions, it was clear Modagrafics had a well-defined vision and the Durst 312 was ideal to help accomplish those objectives. It can run the longest rolls in the industry and is the only roll printer capable of running unattended. The ink/substrate combination – a very important component to the Modagrafics’ solution – was very effective with fleet decal applications. It was the perfect merger of need meeting product capability.”

Saur said Modagrafics is taking advantage of the printers’ many benefits. The Durst Quadro Array print head remains the industry benchmark and separates it from the competition. The 12-picoliter drop size is now capable of producing 1200 dpi and production speed for many applications improved from 2,500 to 3,000 square-feet per hour.

“The more efficient a customer becomes, the more success they will have, which in turn drives more print demand followed by greater demand for print capacity. It is a long-term focus on shared problem solving.”

A good example occurred recently that impressed Modagrafics Operations Director Dan Donegan. “A two-day training session between our lead operator and Durst technician Mark Ellingsworth was so productive, it dramatically changed our approach going forward with the 312R printers.”

Ellingsworth said he observed and listened to what the operator did before determining a cause-and-effect based solution.

“Modagrafics does a good job of pushing the printer to its capability. In the end, we decided to fine-tune their process from start to finish. It’s all about material handling and using the cutting blades to reach maximum capability. The high precision required – between 1/32 and 1/64 of an inch – needs to be done simultaneously on both rolls, the one on the left side and the one on the right.”

Summed up Saur, “By understanding feedback from Modagrafics, we can improve any areas that perhaps cause bottlenecks or simply allow them to run quicker. This type of feedback is instrumental in short-term solutions and long-term product platform evolutions.”