The company produces optical logos and shrouds for some of the biggest beverage brands in the world
East Midlands-based ADS2 Brands has invested in two Fujifilm Acuity Select flatbeds in the last 18 months, dramatically cutting turnaround time and costs in the production of optical logos and beer font shrouds.
Based across two East Midlands sites, ADS2 Brands is one of the oldest and largest producers of beer dispenser fonts, taps and handles in the world. The company produces optical logos and changeable beer font shrouds for some of the biggest beverage brands in the world, including Tennent’s, Stella Artois, Heineken and many others.
ADS2 Brands’ first Acuity Select investment in the summer of 2016 brought immediate benefits. Dan Wilce, printing manager, ADS2 Longborough commented, ‘The methods we previously used for producing both shrouds and optical logos were complex, time-intensive and expensive. We had to print the shrouds initially onto clear film – very slowly to ensure the requisite quality and density of colour – and then back them up with white self-adhesive vinyl before thermoforming and trimming. The printing process for the optical logos was equally slow, as we had to use a special adhesion primer and we experienced very high wastage due to static issues.’
‘The Acuity Select revolutionised the whole process. We slashed our typical turnaround times from four weeks to one, cut our per-unit production costs by more than 60%, massively increased our capacity for large orders, and substantially reduced our waste. Not only that, it allowed us to add another string to our bow with the ability to print ultra-short run lengths.’
The flatbeds use Uvijet KV inks in a CMYK plus two white channels configuration. Mr Wilce has been equally impressed with the inks, ‘They are perfect for thermoforming, they’re extremely high-quality and incredibly robust. We’ve had no issues with cracking and our customers have been delighted with the quality.’
With the original Acuity Select running at full capacity, ADS2 Brands invested in a second press in the summer of 2017. ‘We have a huge range of large brewers among our clients and a second press has enabled us to offer the same high quality products at high speed to all of them, as well as giving us the opportunity to branch out into the water dispenser and soft drinks markets to a much greater extent,’ said Mr Wilce.
