Complete Design & Packaging Chooses Esko Software for Workflow Efficiency Boost

Leading full-service packaging provider, Complete Design & Packaging (CDP), has invested in dynamic automation software from Esko, bringing harmony to the company’s workflow in response to growing prepress demands.

After investing in hardware, including the Esko Kongsberg C64 digital cutting table, to handle complex print runs with quality and consistency, CDP, based in Concord, N.C., recognized the need to add new software technology to its assembly of tools.

"The additional production potential had unlocked workflow efficiency gains but the process had become unbalanced, creating a need for further enhancement of prepress capabilities," said CDP President Howard Bertram. "The table was so fast; we were trying to find work for us to do to keep up with it. I'd put a job on it and before I knew it, it was done. I found myself searching for things to cut to keep the table running — it was that fast."

The company worked with Esko, a global supplier of integrated hardware and software for customers in the label, packaging and wide-format sectors, to find a solution and has now invested in Esko Automation Engine software to achieve peak productivity and rebalance processes without increasing headcount.

By combining digital finishing technology with Esko Automation Engine prepress software, CDP has been able to streamline its workflow and accelerate throughput, creating less waste in terms of rework and energy use in the process.

“Most corrugated companies don’t handle prepress in-house, they rely on their flexo print plate suppliers,” noted Bertram. “Short-run production is changing this tradition. We decided to invest in Esko Automation Engine to handle this new and growing need.

“Automation Engine software has helped us set a new standard for prepress workflow, speeding up our processes and minimizing the need for operator intervention. With our productivity gains, we’ve been able to organically expand our capacity to produce quality products and pass the value along to our customers.”

Esko Automation engine is able to handle the volume of file preparation that is necessary to keep machines productive at CDP due to its ability to automate the workflow and compatibility with digital, flexo and offset print tasks, even in combination within a single job.

Each print run carries metadata identifying the right process for each of the separations, which is recognized by the workflow automation server taking each separation through a predetermined path to the output device, such as a platesetter or a digital print station, on a combination press.

With the right combination of leading hardware and software, CDP is now able to digitalize its products, automate repetitive prepress tasks and standardize the workflow — resulting in a faster, more efficient way of working and a reduction in administrative prepress errors.

Jan De Roeck, Marketing Director at Esko, said, "Digitalization transformation and automation is the direction the print and packaging industry is moving towards. CDP is committed to aligning with that mentality through continuous investment in the latest technologies available and by working together we can ensure production capacity is optimized without compromising on efficiency and quality."