Since 1975, Kennesaw, GA-based Fabrico has been addressing the needs of its customers by providing customized design and manufacturing services for flexible materials. In addition to printing, services include design, prototyping, laminating, diecutting, performance packaging, assembly, kitting and slitting. Supplemental processes such as embossing, UV-coating, mirror imaging, and hot- or cold-foil stamping, as well as custom finishing options (fan-folding, sheet finishing, and roll-to-roll label rewinding) are provided as well. Starting out as a three-person operation in a 7,500-sq-ft facility, the company was expanded into three other locations in Ontario, CA; Mequon, WI; and Monterrey, Mexico.

“To satisfy customers, converters must often do more than expertly perform core functions like laminating and diecutting,” the company says. “In many cases, for example, flexible products require some type of printing before they leave the plant.” To meet these needs, Fabrico recently added the Aquaflex ELS 2200 (www.aquaflex.com) to its stable of state-of-the-art presses.

The Aquaflex lets the company continue to offer multiple printing options. The 13-in. press is a multi-step printing system capable of four-color printing using water-based or UV-cured inks. The servo-driven machine holds tolerances under 0.015 in. and handles a wide range of thin and thick materials. It can even print on unsupported film, though it requires the addition of special clutch and braking systems that allow the film tension to be highly controlled.

Fabrico offers a broad range of printing capabilities, handling everything from basic one-color printing to intricate multicolor designs. The company prints on tapes, foams, laminates and other materials up to more than a foot wide and ranging in thickness from 0.003-0.015 in. It can also print on one or both sides of pressure-sensitive and non-pressure-sensitive materials.

“Our alliances with world-class vendors allow us to offer customers many material options, including a wide variety of films, papers and label stock. Our ISO 9001:2000 processes ensure high print quality on everything from the tamper-evident labels found in the medical market to their high-durability counterparts used in harsh environments,” the company explains.

Fabrico also assists customers in creating custom inks. Instead of obtaining a special color from an ink supplier, Fabrico produces it in-house, using a set of basic mixing inks and a customer-provided color formula. This recipe is stored via computer so that the color can be easily reproduced when necessary. In-house production of custom colors results in faster, less expensive printing operations, Fabrico says.

“To expedite preparation of printing files, compatibility with both PC and Macintosh formats is critical,” Fabrico explains. “We can speed up file preparation by creating artwork in-house.”

Besides printing with ink, Fabrico also uses its presses to lay down precise adhesive patterns. For example, adhesive can be deposited only on the area of a label that comes in contact with the top of a lid rather than on the entire label. The presses can also be used to “deaden” adhesive in certain places to prevent sticking, Fabrico explains. This is done by depositing silicone-based varnish on areas of material that are left exposed by a printing plate. After exiting the press, the material goes to a UV station that cures the varnish, which effectively deadens the adhesive underneath.

With the latest printing technology, Fabrico can add inline printing to multi-step manufacturing processes that include sheeting, laminating and rotary diecutting.

“Combining printing processes with other manufacturing steps increases efficiency and reduces set-up time and production costs,” the company says. “Inline printing can also produce better print quality than offline operations involving hand stamping and inkjet printing. Ink deposited in these operations sometimes runs, following the surface patterns of fiber-filled materials. But water-based ink does not run, leaving top-quality print patterns even on fibrous surfaces.”

Of course, there is more to successfully combining complex processes in a production line than simply acquiring an advanced printing press and putting it on the factory floor. Firms adding printing equipment to a line must also have in-house engineering resources that can integrate printing and converting machines to produce efficient processes that yield high-quality products, Fabrico advises.

Adding the human touch can improve customer results as well, the company says. For instance, Fabrico personnel recommend the best ink or adhesive for a printing job as its experienced personnel know what materials will and will not work with different materials and printing processes.

The choice of printing ink must also be based on environmental factors, such as the anticipated exposure to heat and sunlight or contact with harsh surroundings. Collaboration with outside laboratories can provide testing for high-performance applications or environments that are particularly challenging.

As for printing materials, the converter says, manufacturers will often specify only a general material type, such as vinyl or polyester but leave the exact choice to their converting partners. This flexibility allows converters to shop around for the least expensive material that best meets application requirements. “By utilizing our extensive network of material suppliers, we determine the most comprehensive list of substrates, inks, and adhesives that will work for particular applications,” Fabrico explains.

Fabrico provides added value for customers by handling a variety of printing-related tasks. In a number of these, the company is aided by state-of-the-art equipment as well as in-house expertise to produce high-quality and economical printing results, united in effective integration of converting and printing processes.

“So when it comes to printing, it is the human factor as much as the latest machines that separates top converting firms from the competition,” Fabrico concludes.