(Left) Sonia Marra, (Center) Craig Labossiere, (Right) Clayton Hollett
The first ThermoFlexX 48 Catena in North America was installed by the Canadian flexible packaging specialist to improve its flexo print quality and productivity. Tempo, a leader in sustainability, chose XSYS’ UV LED exposure unit due to its advanced automation, lower energy consumption and faster operation.
Willstaett, Germany. 02 May 2023 – First established in 1970 as a poly bag manufacturer, Tempo Flexible Packaging Inc. has spent the past two years implementing a large-scale investment plan. The large facility in Innisfil north of Toronto has been expanded by over 10,000 square feet, and new equipment including a CI flexo presses from Germany, was installed. The ambitious project included upgrading the plateroom, which had already been equipped with a ThermoFlexX48 imager and Xpress thermal processor before the new CatenaE 48 exposure unit was introduced by XSYS late last summer.
The company, which is owned by a family, employs more than 170 workers and offers a range of flexible bags and pouches to North American food, pet, and lawn industries. Tempo is a vertically-integrated manufacturing facility certified to FSSC v 5.1. All processes are contained within the company, including extrusion and coating, printing, laminate, slitting, and final bag and pouch production. At the helm sit the children of co-founder Joseph Giglio; Lee-Anne Giglio is the company’s COO, while her brother Leonardo Giglio is the OPTIMIST & CEO.
Sustainability is the core focus for Tempo, and it is reflected in its drive for product innovation and commitment to environmentally-friendly production methods. “Our company vision is to be the preferred partner of sustainable and socially responsible flexible packaging solutions in North America,” states Lee-Anne. “And we always choose our partners, technologies and equipment with that vision in mind.”
The winner
Tempo Flexible Packaging strives to offer exceptional packaging solutions to every client. It continues to improve all aspects of its flexo print operation. In order to make the right decision when purchasing new equipment, it is important to thoroughly evaluate the different technologies from various manufacturers.
Craig Labossier works as the Print Technical Service Manager at Tempo. He explained, “We had a pre-existing relationship with XSYS since we purchased the ThermoFlexX imager and Xpress processor in 2020, but we still did due diligence to ensure we got the best machine. Ultimately, we were down to two contenders, and it quickly became clear that the Catena-E technology had a strong advantage.”
The Catena-E 48 thermal system can image plates in sizes up to 900 x 1200mm (35 x 48”), enabling precise image reproduction and fine relief elements at faster speeds, perfect for the type of flexible packaging applications that Tempo specializes in. The LEDs are more energy efficient than conventional lamps and can save even more when using smaller plates.
Instant improvement in quality
The Catena 48 LED exposure unit was installed to replace an older conventional bank-exposure unit that caused quality problems for Tempo. “Even though we are already an award winning printer, we were never really that satisfied with the old unit and had been aiming towards switching to LED exposure for a while, knowing that it would give us the quality push we needed,” said Craig.
The Catena, which was designed to work with ThermoFlexX48 and Xpress imagers and processors seamlessly, did not disappoint. “Right away, the new unit solved our problems, and there was a dramatic improvement in the print quality,” Craig said with satisfaction. “With the Catena-E 48, we can hold much smaller minimum dots, and they stay clean throughout the print run, so we can print for longer, which improves productivity and reduces waste. Our customers are also noticing the much cleaner print they’re getting.”
Tempo has applied ThermoFlexX Woodpecker-Sharp surface screening on their plates. This allows for a more consistent laydown and less ink usage, while enabling faster press speeds. The pattern isn’t embedded in job files but applied directly to the imaging process, simplifying the workflow.
Transition to LEDs is smooth
The team at Tempo, after observing the dramatic difference in productivity and print quality, was convinced the Catena 48 from XSYS would be the best choice. The ease of operation and the high level automation of the unit also made the transition to LED technology a quick and easy process.
“The installation of the Catena-E 48 was very smooth; it simply slotted into the existing setup with the imager and thermal processor. It took less than a day to get the machine up and running, including the print trials on the press,” commented Craig. He concluded, “We now have the best possible workflow in our plate room and can run our presses faster for longer. With higher productivity, better quality and increased sustainability, we have truly taken our flexo production to the next level.”