An Impala simplifies and accelerates printing of user interface products.

Meeting extreme requirements

Anne points out: “Anyone who supplies to automotive will know the extremely stringent requirements involved.” Butler Technologies previously produced automotive gauges and dials by screen printing, which required many screens, all perfectly aligned if the printed result was to be successfully thermoformed. Thermoforming in particular ruled out digital printing – until the Impala arrived. “We were set in our screen-printing ways before purchasing this flatbed printer,” says Anne. The team ran extensive thermoforming tests with the Impala. The swissQprint ink provided the necessary flexibility and passed with excellence. “Now, we produce automotive parts in mass quantities and the digitally printed parts have met with glowing praise,” Jason adds. On top of that, the digital process means a tremendous efficiency gain for the company.

100 percent registration accuracy

Highly accurate registration is crucial to this line of products, and the Impala has two features ensuring just that: Firstly, it can do multilayer printing in one go – layers align 100 percent. Secondly, the unique swissQprint registration pins provide three-point registration of media. Size is immaterial, as the pins can be set accordingly. Thus, the print bed is used to its full width.

Jason stresses how much he appreciates the way the Impala’s features all work in harmony and how this interplay sets the machine apart from others. If he had to pick one of his favorite features it would be the registration pins: “The way we can utilize the tandem print mode with them, meeting the tightest tolerances from sheet to sheet, still amazes us.”

Substantial savings

Apart from a high level of usability that in turn contributes to efficiency, Anne explains that the Impala has helped to save substantial amounts of money: “The ink is less expensive than with our other presses and ink consumption is low.” She also knows that the system is power-saving, not only due to LED curing, but also to underpressure-controlled vacuum pumps. Indeed, the printer is certified for its outstanding energy efficiency according to ISO 20690:2018. In end effect, Anne says: “The Impala has allowed us to be much more competitive in pricing, quality and turnaround times.”

Meeting sustainability goals

The Impala’s energy-efficiency also helps to reach ecological goals defined by the Butler Technologies’ sustainability policy. So do its low maintenance requirements, minimizing the need for spare parts and service calls with their resultant CO2 emissions. Anne confirms: “Other presses have lots of unnecessary down-times, and we cannot afford to be down.” By design, the system is user-friendly and safe in operation. Jason calculates that waste of material and time is down 20 percent compared to the previous UV printer.