Joe Tuccido and Shelley Rubin of FTA present the 2013 Technical Innovation Award to representatives of Mark Andy
The in-line die cutting technology, Quick Change Die Cut (QCDC), has been awarded the 2013 Technical Innovation Award by the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA).
The award was presented to Mark Andy at the FTA Awards Banquet, held on April 28 in San Diego, California, and marks a back-to-back win in this category.
The award recognises companies that have the vision and perseverance to bring new products and technologies to the flexographic market place. Judged on six specific areas including technical achievement, impact on the industry and user testimonials, the award acknowledges the significant impact technology has on the future of flexography.
Accepting the award on behalf of the company was Bill McCroskey, principal mechanical engineer, and Joe Calmese, project manager, who had both spent considerable time on the design, development, and successful introduction of the technology to the market.
‘We see QCDC as a game changer in the flexo world,’ said Kevin Wilken, COO. ‘Our customers have reduced die changeover times by up to 80%, are no longer experiencing a bottleneck in high-speed matrix stripping, and are seeing more consistent cutting and minimal die strikes. All of these contributing to a more profitable bottom line.’
The technology was introduced to the market at Labelexpo Americas 2012. Live demonstrations showed the technology on both the Performance Series P5 and P7 presses. It will be demonstrated again at Labelexpo Europe 2 later this year, and is available for demonstration at both the Mark Andy USA and UK showrooms year-round.
Mr Wilken concluded, ‘Mark Andy has always partnered with our customers, analysing their needs and developing new technologies to make them profitable in an ever-changing world. The acknowledgement by the FTA of the Performance Series in 2011 and now QCDC in 2013 validates our efforts and motivates us to continue creating solutions to the daily issues confronting converters.’
