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Label congress

Label Congress

See you at.....

Label Congress 2021 is the new event from the Labelexpo team. It has been designed to give the label and package printing industry its first opportunity in over a year to safely meet in person.
 
Set over two days the show will feature a conference program filled with high-level speakers, a #labelreunion party, and an expo where you can connect with the largest suppliers in the industry and source their latest technologies.
 
#labelreunion is a networking party that allows you to access opportunities that have not been available in some time.  It has the potential to provide you with advice and direction from those you haven’t seen in the last three years. It allows you the chance to gain insight and develop your business.
 
Please join CARTES and CARTES-USA teams at booth #59.
 
CARTES-USA.
 
CARTES_GEMINI_LASER ILC-ENG

Laser Die Cutting Labels with No White Edges

CARTES first developed Laser Die Cutting Machines for the manufacturing of labels back in 1999, since then we have installed over 400 Laser Die Cutting Machines Worldwide. While being the pioneers of laser die cutting technology for the past 22 years, we now want to show you some new innovations we have developed, our patented Invisible Laser Die-Cutting Technology. With Invisible Laser Cutting (ILC) you can Laser Die Cut Labels without having “White Edges” this is common when Laser Die Cutting dark-colored materials. Our Laser Die Cutting Machines work with all Digital Printing machines such as HP, Xeikon, EPSON, Domino.

 

Please lets us know if you would like to see some Laser Die Cut Samples that have been produced on our CARTES Laser Die Cutting Machines. Please email us at michael@cartes-usa.com or call us if you have any questions at 732-933-4865.  

Contact Page

 

CARTES USA, Inc

230 Highway 35

Red Bank, NJ 07701

Phone: 732-933-4865

www.cartes-usa.com

CARTES_GE362WL_CON TURRET

CARTES Laser Die Cutting Machine

Since 1999, CARTES Italy has offered Laser Die Cutting Machines for the manufacturing of labels. We manufacture our Laser Die Cutting Machines in Moglia, Italy. We have installed over 400 Laser Die Cutting Machines Worldwide. For decades now our Laser Die Cutting Technology surpasses all others. In the picture above we presented one of our GEMINI laser converting machines. It was built to work in line with HP Indigo digital press for labels. In our offer, we have both configurations “left to right” and “right to left”.

Please lets us know if you would like to see some Laser Die Cut Samples that have been produced on our CARTES Laser Die Cutting Machines. Please email us at michael@cartes-usa.com or call us if you have any questions at 732-933-4865.

Digital embellishment, Free labels samples , laser die-cutting

Please contact us to receive a FREE sample label pack.

Laser Die-Cutting, Foil Stamping, Digital Embellishments

Our Samples are amazing and they show you what your company could be producing with our CARTES Laser Die Cutting Machines, Embellishment Machines (Foil Stamping & Embossing) as well as our Newest addition to the CARTES family, our JET D-SCREEN fully Digital Embellishment and Finishing Machine for labels. Also, we would be happy to send you an amazing sample book that shows you the manufacturing steps to create some of these amazing Laser Die Cut and Embellished labels. Don’t wait just send a quick email with your company information to michael@cartes-usa.com and we will get a package sent right out to you. Cartes USA, Inc. is waiting to hear from you.

Also, have a look at this short video showing you our new Jet D-SCREEN fully Digital Embellishment and Finishing Machine for labels……

CARTES JET D-SCREEN.

Cartes_production_floor

The precursors to laser die-cutting innovate, aiming to rewrite the future of labels converting

..a bit of CARTES history Laser die-cutting

Since the ’70s, Cartes has been an expression of technological vitality, in a skeptical and conservative sector. Today, the manufacturer is focusing on automation and digital finishing.

 
Cartes_production_floor

Like many Italian manufacturing companies, Cartes has a history linked hand in glove to the industrial district where it was born and to the contribution it brought to the supply chain for the creation of a specialized product — as well as, of course, to the personal history of a brilliant entrepreneur and his family. Cartes’ story, however, is one with a rather special flavor. So, to discover it and tell you about it, we traveled to the province of Mantua, where Lombardy borders Emilia-Romagna and the Mincio River dives into the Po. The Italian manufacturer moved its headquarters here in 1990, and, from there, its business took off — to the point that the company later opened a subsidiary in France. But Cartes has always chosen to remain anchored in its home territory, as well as to the values and people that have made it mature and respected in Italy, Europe and the most advanced global markets.

Exploring Cartes

A small collection of old spinning looms, printing presses and type cases welcomed us to the building that houses the Cartes demo center. It’s something unexpected that, however, helped us to better understand the company. “Ours has been a family of printers since 1936. Cartes was founded as a printing company, in the knitwear district of Carpi, a few kilometers from here,” says Mario Lodi. “When, in the 1970s, the labeling of garments became compulsory, our printing volumes exploded. Thanks to our expertise, we started producing impact printers, which indelibly imprinted texts on labels, using a matrix and an inked ribbon.” Knitwear labeling has quickly become a thriving business, which has led Cartes to exhibit its innovative machinery at trade fairs and sell it successfully to knitwear manufacturers, first in Italy and France, then in the rest of Europe and around the world. The quality leap in the company’s industrial history took place, as mentioned, in 1990, when Cartes moved to its current headquarters in Moglia. Here the spaces are finally adapted to the company’s growth objectives. In the wake of the self-adhesive label’s rapid growth, Mario Lodi invested in machinery, production capacity and research and development. Small impact printers were soon joined by new narrow-web presses for printing and converting, mechanics gave way to electronics and the company began a campaign to recruit engineers and technicians capable of supporting innovation. These efforts were so successful that, already in 1999, Cartes presented its laser-based digital die-cutting technology for self-adhesive labels. “We were the first to introduce laser technology to the label industry. It was a technology successfully used in surgery, but never used to make cuts and half-cuts with millesimal precision,” says Enrica Lodi. “Thanks to a close collaboration with the laser source manufacturer, we have made the process more accurate and faster.”

Mario_Enrica_Lodi

After selling its printing operations in 2005 to focus on manufacturing, Cartes concentrated all its 40 employees in the Moglia headquarters. In terms of commercial activities, however, the company has continued to develop a network of agents present throughout the world — from the Americas to Australia and Japan. And it is in the latter country that the second Cartes demonstration center is located, set up at a partner’s premises. To date, the company has installed 4,000 machines in 90 countries worldwide.

Laser precursors

But the Italian manufacturer’s path of technological innovation has not been limited to this; Cartes machines include, in fact, unique solutions (including some that are patented) for screen and flexo printing, for foiling, and for flat and semi-rotary die-cutting. Everything is designed to offer concrete operational advantages to users, and everything is built to last.

 
modular_concept_cartes

Modularity and solidity of construction

The largest and most impressive area is dedicated to the assembly of the lines. Here the machines of the GT, Gemini and CE160 series are set up; workers first build a machine’s basic structure and then position the individual modules on it. At the end of the assembly, each line is subjected to intensive production tests by the company’s team of printers, before testing with the customer. What makes Cartes’ construction paradigm original is the adoption of a basic module, which includes a complete electrical panel, for each printing or converting group. This allows the customer to expand the machine at any time, without carrying out major overhauls of the system, safeguarding the investment. “Many just talk about system upgradeability, while for us adding modules to machines already installed in the field is a consolidated reality,” explains Enrica Lodi. “To further improve the efficiency and usability of the systems, we have introduced new user interfaces and technology that saves 30% to 40% of the energy used compared to a machine with conventional electronics. This is similar to the KERS used for braking energy recovery.” Although the production is equally balanced among the various models, during the visit, we were surprised to see a large number of screen printing machines in production, including a 7-color 22-meter-long line. One of the challenges that Cartes has faced with determination is, in fact, developing screen printing technology capable of combining high speed, quality and precision. Finally, the research and development department is internally coordinated, but also has the support of external designers and developers. This allows Cartes, which owns patents in the field of laser and semi-rotary die-cutting, to benefit from original solutions applied in other sectors of industry.

GT_line_with_laser

A company within the company, beyond the “traditional” demos

“Here, customers can come with their files and produce an entire job. Or test their screens, dies and foiling plates on our machines. In fact, our units are designed and conceived to be versatile: to accept screens, dies and foiling plates of different formats, as well as using different types of ink, from any manufacturer,” explains Ivan Spina.

In the demo center, an offset machine and the latest releases of the GT and Gemini series are permanently installed, equipped with automatic inspection systems. One of Cartes’ flagships is the patented ILC technology, which allows the material to be delaminated, die-cut from the back and re-laminated, making it possible to cut dark materials without the formation of unsightly white edges.

A great demonstrative effort is also dedicated to hot stamping and, of course, screen printing. The latter is an area in which Cartes manages to combine extraordinary quality and speed, thanks to ultra-precise mechanics and a very efficient drying system. “To develop machines and applications, we spend a lot of time listening to our customers. It’s up to us to understand, indulge and try to industrialize their needs. This is why our demonstrators are not mechanics or salesmen, but experienced printers,” continues Spina. Employing professionals in the demonstration activity, in fact, allows Cartes to reproduce, analyze and solve even the most complex cases.

Completing the demonstration area are the compact machines of the CE Series, which have stood the test of time, even if they’re less flashy to look at than Cartes’ newest lines. The CE Series can combine hot stamping, screen printing, braille, flat die-cutting, numbering, and also a laser unit, thus lending themselves to countless traditional and specialized processes.

Tailored construction, ready for Industry 4.0. And digital

 
one of the first impact printers made by Cartes
one of the first web-fed machines made by Cartes
historical printing presses

Interview with Mario Lodi, Founder and CEO of Cartes

Next year Cartes will turn 50. What are the most important stages of your business and personal journey?
Let’s say I followed the course of history, with a confident and serene attitude. I remember the Gulf War in 1990: we were moving to the new premises, we had machines already built and half paid for, but customers were terrified. Then there was the financial crisis of 2008, which created a major disruption. Finally, the earthquake of 2012, which forced us to move to rebuild part of our headquarters.

How do crises and business development come together?
Pretty well, actually. We have always seen the years of the great crises as an opportunity to devote ourselves to innovation. Of course, we had to inject financial resources, but we certainly had more time. I go so far as to say that the best things came precisely in times of crisis, because we had the stimulus to do, without the burden of producing.

Can an earthquake also bring good things?
Yes, when there are no casualties. In good times, there is plenty and you lose sight of reality and priorities. The upheavals, on the other hand, force you to look inside. If you’re forced to back down, you start taking a hard look at yourself and find the hidden imperfections, and you start refining yourself. A great difficulty can become a small trampoline. And our situation, also thanks to the crises, has improved a lot.

How much do people count in Cartes? And how do you find the right collaborators?
As for employees, we are in the middle of the industrial districts of Modena and Mantua, so it is not too difficult to find good resources. I have always been surrounded by young people, and in Cartes, it is they who stimulate innovation. I come to the office every day because I like to participate and support this innovation. Besides, I’d like to devote myself to flying. I got my first flight license in the 1960s and now fly ultralight aircraft.

The label market is growing, and Cartes is a company that innovates. There are all the prerequisites for an acquisition…
I confess that we have had proposals from some funds, interested in investing in innovative technology for the label. And also from builders. Together with Enrica and Stefano, however, we believe that our family still has much to give to this company. And then we have a new anti-seismic building, 5,000 square meters of land to build and a lot of innovation to consolidate. I do not rule out the possibility that, in the future, association will be a must — especially if it becomes a priority to grow rapidly.

Digital printing has also become a catchphrase for the label industry. How do you live it?
Certainly as a stimulus, but without anxiety, and with a positive attitude. After all, we are mainly involved in finishing and embellishment. We started working with Indigo when it was not yet part of HP, and we put our machines online with Xeikon when it was tied to MAN Roland. We are working on inkjet finishing, but in digital printing, we work with everyone and we see no reason to enter an arena already crowded with specialists.

WRITTEN BY Lorenzo Villa Follow Co-founder & CEO at Density, Lorenzo is a publisher, journalist, analyst and engineer in the Printing and Packaging industry.
L&NW_magazine_art

Digital embellishment

Digital embellishment makes labels shine

 
 

This is mostly true with alcoholic beverages and luxury goods, writes Lorenzo Villa in discussing Cartes’ Jet D-Screen. 

 
 
 
Lorenzo Villa04.20.21
 

In the production of labels, embellishment is an almost indispensable ingredient. This is mostly true with alcoholic beverages and luxury goods, where labels have always been embellished with selective varnish and metal foils.

With the increased importance of packaging as “media” for engaging and influencing consumers, brands are now commissioning increasingly rich, rigid, and flexible packaging. Metal foil and special effects are also being used more and more for food, confectionery, cosmetics, and personal care packaging, where small runs represent both a production challenge and a business opportunity.

At the same time, converters are looking closely into digital technologies as a value option to make printing, embellishment, and label converting more efficient, reliable, and profitable.

In 2019, Cartes, which boasts over 4,000 narrow web lines installed in 99 countries worldwide, started researching digital embellishment and developing a new technology that they finally launched in December 2020, naming it Jet D-Screen.

“In October 2019, upon returning from Labelexpo, we paused to discuss the advances of in- and off-line digital finishing technology,” says Mario Lodi, CEO of Cartes. “What we were
seeing fascinated us, but we sensed its limitations, starting with the prohibitive costs to access the technology. So, we decided to develop our own solution.”

The Cartes R&D team, led by Carlo Stefano Lodi, began to explore inkjet technologies compatible with the required application, talking with the leading printhead manufacturers and specialized integrators. The geographic proximity to the ceramic district of Fiorano Modenese finally proved to be decisive.

“In the ceramics industry, it is necessary to lay down high thicknesses of glaze to reproduce the grain of the wood and the surface of the stone,” explains Carlo Stefano Lodi. “Similarly, optical and tactile effects of sufficient thickness to reproduce the effects of embossing and braille are required for label embellishment.”

Cartes’ engineers conducted initial tests with an integrator specializing in digital ceramic decoration, using printheads designed to lay down high-viscosity fluids. They had an opportunity to purchase a turnkey solution, including inkjet heads, electronics, software, and ink supply, to quickly introduce the product. Although attractive, such a package proved incompatible with Cartes’ manufacturing philosophy.

“We demand to govern our research and development and be in control of what we bring to market,” continues Carlo Stefano Lodi. “That’s the only way we can be sure to overcome any gaps, meet the needs of today’s customers and prepare the technology for their future demands.”

So, Cartes has focused on developing proprietary electronics and testing ink pumping, feeding, and recirculation systems. On the software front, Cartes also draws on its team of specialists. For this project, the company then entered into a partnership with an internationally-renowned inkjet printhead manufacturer.

“This has been an exciting adventure. While we’ve always been writing software for our machines, we had never dealt with waveforms and print presets for fully digital output,” says Matteo Marastoni, Jet D-Screen project manager at Cartes.

The next challenge concerned formulating a varnish suitable for the application, capable of guaranteeing full compatibility with inkjet printheads, high adhesion, and resistance, as well as the high thicknesses required for print embellishment. Using a laboratory machine designed and built in-house, Cartes tested numerous pre-formulated varnishes and finally
developed a custom formulation in collaboration with one of the world’s leading inkjet ink manufacturers.

“We worked day and night to optimize varnish density, jet frequencies, printhead temperature, and setting up an automatic cleaning system to prevent gelation and nozzle clogging,” says Carlo Stefano Lodi.

The printing carriage, which holds the staggering inkjet heads and the UV LED pinning lamps, is designed to move and print width-wise across the substrate. Making one or more passes (in bidirectional mode), it progressively increases the thickness of the laid down varnish that – after going into the drying process – can also be embellished by metallic doming effects. Using high-laydown printheads capable of producing drop sizes between 25 and 150 pl, Jet D-Screen makes it possible to achieve a varnish thickness of up to 230 μm in one pass, which can be increased to 650 μm in four passes. The final result and the number of passes required to achieve it can vary depending on the substrates’ absorbency rate. High levels of coverage are possible even on untreated, uncoated papers.

The first three Jet D-Screen beta units began field testing in July 2020 in collaboration with two leading Italian label converters. At the end of 2020, after certifying the machines’ performance and reliability on long runs and fragmented jobs, Cartes concluded the beta program and started a cycle of closed-door demos for label converters and online printers, some of whom are already accustomed to digital embellishment.

Jet D-Screen has been conceived with full modularity and scalability in mind. Therefore, it is possible to insert multiple digital modules on the same production line, before and after any analog printing and converting units. By deactivating the line’s analog printing units, the Jet D-Screen can also be used solely to embellish prints produced on other presses, whether traditional or digital.

“Most prospects for new lines are interested in Jet D-Screen as the last unit, immediately before the foiling,” points out Ivan Spina, sales manager at Cartes. “This configuration gives them operational flexibility and ensures flawless die-cutting results, even with very high-thickness varnish.”

Among the various options, Cartes also offers the Jet D-Screen as a standalone finishing system. In that configuration, the digital unit is combined with an unwinder, drying and foiling modules, and a rewinder.

In the packaging industry, the label sector was the first to embrace digital printing and implement hybrid presses. Despite the variety of processes used in creating flexo photopolymers, offset plates, and screens, which require countless manual interventions, almost every advanced label converter has partially digitized its workflows. To this end, Cartes has equipped the Jet D-Screen with a proprietary PDF-compatible application and an intuitive user interface. Using the touch panel installed on the machine, the operator can load substrate presets and PDF files containing the varnish layout. Each color can be matched with a different thickness of varnish, and Jet D-Screen can simultaneously manage up to three varnish thicknesses within the same job.

The system can also interpret gradient fills, from white to black, to achieve smoother, more controllable varnish gradients. The software automatically associates black with the maximum thickness and white with the lowest thickness.

Accurate registration between print and embellishment is guaranteed by the MHPS (Multi-Head Positioning System) technology, which automatically corrects substrate advancement variations using data collected by a photocell. The operator can quickly adapt the embellishment layout using the touch panel to handle the print’s dimensional variations. Software included with the Jet D-Screen allows creating hot folders that the prepress department can use to optimize job queues. Cartes has also preloaded the software with a database of standard substrates presets (which the user can customize) to reduce setup times.

The unit is designed to integrate into third-party software ecosystems — such as those of Esko, EFI, HP, and Xeikon — but can also operate standalone. Furthermore, Jet D-Screen can exchange production data in XML format with any MIS software and is compatible with Industry 4.0 guidelines.

To lower Jet D-Screen’s running costs and encourage its intensive use, Cartes defined an aggressive consumables price policy: customers receive increasing discounts as they exceed agreed consumption thresholds.

“The price of our inkjet varnish is comparable to that of screen-printing consumables,” says Spina, “with the added benefits of zero waste, predictable consumption to the gram, and not having to make screens.”

Jet D-Screen’s software includes an estimation tool, which allows accurately forecast the embellishment cost. Depending on each job’s settings, it also shows the time required for processing.

Tests carried out by Cartes have shown the complete compatibility of Jet D-Screen with the most common kinds and brands of foil on the market. As proof of the system’s robustness, Cartes does not require Jet D-Screen customers to subscribe to a service contract and offers a one-year warranty on the printheads. Routine maintenance is limited to the periodic replacement of filters and membranes.

“We are accustomed to providing solid durable technology and when designing the Jet D-Screen, we eliminated everything superfluous, enabled remote assistance, and defined a straightforward maintenance routine that customers can perform themselves,” concludes Enrica Lodi, marketing, manager at Cartes.”

This article first appeared in print in the March 2021 issue of Italia Publishers.

 
CARTES USA

Cartes- USA

CARTES USA CARTES Srl Italy, has announced the opening of their new North American facility that is located in Red Bank, New Jersey.

CARTES designs, engineers and manufactures label machinery over the past 50 years offering the widest range of label machines that are modular in their design and can be built in many different configurations with; hot foil stamping, flatbed silk-screen printing, UV flexo printing, and varnishing, cold foil, UV cast and cure, flatbed die-cutting, embossing units and with our exclusive Patented semi-rotary die-cutting and LASER Technology units for die-cutting and converting of labels.

This expansion in North America gives CARTES the ability to now offer its amazing products with the very same high level of Service and Support that the company offers around the globe in over 90 countries.

CARTES USA Inc. began its operations on January 1st, 2020 in Red Bank, New Jersey in collaboration with a new partner company Diversified Graphic Machinery.

“By affiliating with Diversified Graphic Machinery, CARTES USA, Inc. is able to hit the ground running in North America by providing service, spare parts, and technical support to our existing and future North American customers, said Mario Lodi, Chairman of CARTES. A family in the World of Labels since 1936, CARTES machines are built on the core principles of reliability, technology, innovation, and customer satisfaction.
Along with DGM, CARTES USA, Inc. will be able to deliver on promises which are fundamental to our goal of being a credible and reliable partner for your business.”

“CARTES recognizes the importance of the North American label manufacturing market, said Virgilio Micale, Sales Director of CARTES USA, Inc. “I look forward to meeting with companies all across America to understand their individual product requirements.
I want to work together with customers to study their projects and offer new cost-savings solutions that utilize our technology.
We introduced our laser die-cutting technology to the market over 21 years ago and we have installed over 300 plus machines in 45 different countries around the world. We have pioneered laser technology for die-cutting of self-adhesive labels and we are very proud to be the innovators of this technology”.

Said Michael DeBard, President of Diversified Graphic Machinery, “It’s wonderful to partner with a company like CARTES because they are committed to continually investing the required resources to advance the technology for Embellished Labels to the next level. We look forward to working together with CARTES USA, Inc. as together we can bring our clients the most innovative, cost-effective label machinery solutions that are backed by a Company that is willing and capable to stand behind it.
We welcome the opportunity to share and discuss how our innovative Embellishment Technology, with our exclusive Patented semi-rotary die-cutting and LASER Technology for die-cutting and converting of labels can add value to your next projects.

CARTES’ World-Wide Headquarters and Manufacturing facility is located in Moglia (MN), Italy.
CARTES has affirmed its success in 90 countries where more than 4,000 machines are installed and recognized for their quality, mechanical strength, precision, and high production speed.
We constantly aim to find innovative technical solutions for the reel label market!