With multiple industry-leading brands, Maxcess has the ability to provide a scope of quality, end-to-end, unwind-to-rewind solutions for the label and package printing industry. To learn how the company delivers for its customers, L&NW recently sat down with Devin McCart, Global Product Manager, RotoMetrics – A Maxcess Brand.

L&NW: What are the challenges you see converters facing today?
DM: In our conversations with customers, we have been hearing consistent industry challenges facing converters. Price pressures continue to be a concern. Whether from inflation, the need to change materials, increased costs of operation, or other factors, converters are looking for better ways to control expenses. Many customers are engaging outside consultants to drive continuous improvement efforts.

Maxcess offers a variety of aftermarket add-ons and upgrades, plus on-site, press-side services and support to help customers identify continuous improvement opportunities to improve performance, productivity, and output. From press audits to technical training to the installation of innovative solutions, we can help converters optimize press performance from unwind to rewind, minimizing waste and reducing downtime.

L&NW: What are the specific press side operating challenges converters are dealing with?
DM: With the continued challenge of having to replace press-side experience and knowledge due to the retiring or soon-to-retire Baby Boomers and Generation X employees, there is a definite skills gap in the market. That loss of institutional knowledge can lead to increased operator error, resulting in more waste and scrap. The issue requires a greater focus on onboarding, training, and educating new employees to ensure presses run correctly and tooling does not get damaged.

Customization is another trend we hear a lot from our customers. This results in shorter press runs, the need for quick changeovers, and the ability to work with new or varied materials, inks, and adhesives. Converters and operators need to find ways to minimize downtime, setup, and changeover times.

These factors also impact many converters’ sustainability initiatives. Shorter runs and new materials create efficiency issues, increasing waste and scrap. The need to find ways to operate better, faster, and smarter to reduce press setup time, material setup, and eliminate potential product returns is critical.

L&NW: What solutions can help converters and press operators overcome these and other challenges you see in the market?
DM: We have spent a lot of time listening to our customers and invested in R&D to create solutions to conquer these challenges:

• Increased Emphasis on Automation: Many of our products launched over the past year include automated customer solutions to enhance press performance. From Tidland RD AutoScore, where changeovers are measured in seconds vs. minutes through fully automated score depth and trim width control, to fully automated score depth and trim width control. Additionally, like many of our products, we have integrated digital interface touchscreens to offer intuitive, easy-to-set-up products that also store data for easy job recall. The Fife GuideLine is another example of the expanded use of automation. We have also used automation internally to improve our manufacturing processes, especially in the production of our new flexible die portfolio.
• A priority on Industry 4.0 solutions: Maxcess has invested heavily in R&D over the past few years. This investment has brought several innovative solutions to help converters work better, faster, and smarter. Our Maxcess VisionMax Inspection Systems offer 100% print and surface inspection. The systems also utilize AI to train the system to identify and categorize defects and errors for future efficiencies. Our RotoMetrics RotoScan Smart Anvil will be the first fully automated Intelligent Die Station that automatically corrects die strike errors resulting from pressure changes and other variables to reduce waste and increase die life.
• A Continued Emphasis on Product Improvement: Given the market changes we have seen in customization, materials, inks, and adhesives RotoMetrics spent the last year re-engineering and remanufacturing our flexible die portfolio to better customize our dies to the needs of the market. We know that the universal  approach  to die cutting does not work. Customers require a dedicated solution to paper, film, abrasives, thin liners, intricate patterns, and other applications. Our new flex die portfolio has the right die for each and every application, plus exclusive durability, and performance coatings like RotoRepel that extend die life up to 2x what the competition can offer. Combining our flexible dies, magnetic cylinders and AccuAdjust Adjustable Anvil creates an intelligent die station solution providing the versatility for variability converters need to meet today’s challenges and changing market.

L&NW: What new opportunities are you working with converters outside of Tag & Label to help them grow their business?
DM: In the traditional T&L business, we have helped converters move from paper materials to an emphasis on film. This evolution has allowed converters to expand beyond the core business and utilize materials not traditionally converted to create new business opportunities with a broader customer base. We are helping our customers expand into new converting opportunities in RFID, Microfluidics, Nonwovens, Security, Tamper-proof, Braille, and other industry applications. With decades of experience in guiding, tension, tooling, and more, we are partnering with our customers to grow their businesses in all new ways.