Finishing

After the labels have been printed they are processed, inspected and packaged before shipping and delivery. All of the processes that occur after printing are referred to in the industry as finishing. Finishing may include die-cutting, perforation, waste stripping, slitting inspection and packaging. Some finishing may take place in-line as with flexography which incorporates laminating, die-cutting, stripping and even visual inspection in some cases. Other printing methods may need off-line techniques requiring specialized equipment.

Die Cutting

LGI offers die-cutting in both sheet and roll forms. For high volume jobs, precision steel rule dies are employed which ensure reliable cutting over a long period of time. Steel rule dies last for millions of impressions and can be sharpened for continued use. For shorter runs that will only be printed a limited number of times, more economical magnetic dies may be utilized.

LGI also offers digital knife and laser-cutting. providing a low cost alternative for short runs or unusual shapes. Both digital knife and laser-cutting methods employ digital files, thus eliminating the need for costly dies. Digital knife-cutting can produce perforations, cut to the liner, strip waste in-line or even cut through the liner.

Laminating

In many cases, a protective covering is added to the labels to provide additional protection from abrasion, ultra-violet radiation, moisture and chemicals. Laminates are applied by means of pressure rollers ensuring an air-tight permanent bond. Protective coatings may also be applied as a liquid form through an inking station on the press; while slightly less effective these typically UV cured coatings are more economical and are ideal for minimal exposure applications. Labels may also be coated with a crystal dome known as polydoming for added visual impact in addition to protective qualities, often used for logo and branding elements.

Slitting

Labels are usually printed across the web to maximize material usage, resulting in many labels printed across the width of the material. When labels are printed in multiple rows across the web, slitting into individual rolls may be required. Slitting is accomplished by means of specialized equipment with adjustable rotary cutting blades, tensioning rollers and label counters.

As the material passes over the slitting cylinder, it is cut into multiple rolls and may also be counted in-line by the linear foot or by number of labels. Automated 100% visual inspection is available for defect management and verifying barcodes as the labels are slit and rewound.

Quality Inspection

LGI employs a multi-tiered inspection process to ensure reliable quality throughout the manufacturing process. As previously mentioned, visual inspection equipment is utilized on presses and rewind stations for automated inspection. After a label is set up and ready to run, each job requires a multi-point quality check by a trained quality assurance inspector prior to final printing. Throughout the run, floor inspectors periodically check consistency to specifications throughout the run. Finally, after processing, labels undergo a rigorous quality inspection before packaging to ensure that labels meet customer specifications and LGI's quality standards. LGI's team of inspectors are specially trained to industry parameters and ISO standards as well as utilizing blueprints and print-to-cut specifications.

LGI maintains regularly calibrated equipment including calipers, photo-spectrometers, densitometers, a tensile strength peel tester and a video X Y coordinates comparator. LGI's inspection team is able to provide the most accurate quality inspection available in today's market with data to back it up.

Contract Manufacturing, Assembly and Packaging

With our global manufacturing facilities and increased supply network, LGI now provides exceptional product assembly and packaging as well as marketing and collateral distribution. By decreasing the number of outsourcing channels and leveraging LGI's efficient management of resources, our customers enjoy exceptional added value and significant cost savings. LGI is perfectly positioned to efficiently manage your product assembly and packaging in the most cost effective manner possible making us your perfect choice for contract manufacturing.

Vendor Managed Inventory

LGI also offers vendor managed inventory and supplier owned inventory for qualifying customers, allowing for just in time delivery, reduction in inventory and guaranteed supply. These programs reduce time, paperwork and cost for our customers.