I.D. Images was so pleased with their Lundberg Tech MatrixCompactor they bought a second one
The backstory
Since 1995 I.D. Images has developed trusting long-term relationships in order to make their customers’ lives easier. Their stated mission is to “improve the way information is shared. We provide labels and other products to businesses seeking to improve their marketing, supply chains, and overall productivity via improved information flow.”
I.D. Images is led by president and majority owner Brian Gale and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio with additional facilities in Cincinnati, Chicago, Charlotte, California, Tennessee and Arkansas. Their product offering is constantly expanding and includes thermal labels, printers and ribbons, laser labels, and integrated labels and cards on various substrates including papers and films. In addition, I.D. Images offers significant custom label capabilities including spot and digital printing, flexographic printing, multi-web laminations and custom die-cutting.
The challenge
A visit to the I.D. Images webbsite (www.idimages.com) quickly reveals the fact that the company is “dedicated to improving the environment with best practices.” They feature an Environmental Management System document and environmental commitment front and center. The company received ISO 9001:2015 Registration in 2018.
So with large amounts of waste filling their bins on a daily basis, Tom Kubris, Director of Production, knew he needed a solution for applications where “you need to be able to get the matrix away cleanly and easily.”
The solution
In 2016 Kubris saw a precision-engineered MatrixCompactor 140 from Lundberg Tech at Labelexpo Americas and was quite impressed with its functionality and how quietly the unit ran. He notes that, “a wind-up system doesn’t always work and you don’t really want to go to the expense of outfitting the entire plant with a trim system just to cover specific applications. This was a really nice way to try it and see what happens.“
I.D. Images purchased the unit at Labelexpo and installed it in their Charlotte facility where it compacted waste from bulk stock, thermal transfer, and direct thermal applications – essentially, large volume, big runs.
The unit was so effective that they purchased a second unit in 2018 and installed it at their Arkansas facility, which runs prime labels as well as shelf vinyl applications.
The results
Although I.D. Images has in-house trim systems in some of their plants, this was the first time that they purchased stand-alone systems to support specific applications. Kubris adds, “I liked the cost, portability and functionality of these two units – they are a great way to compact waste without going overboard and having to do the entire plant.”
Kubris believes that the return on investment of the Lundberg Tech MatrixCompactor 140 will be less than three years. He notes, “The waste you pull away is impressive and it pays for itself just in the reduction in waste hauling – let alone my internal time, people handling and the mess. We used to fill up our dumpster in a day and a half – and now we get it dumped once a week.” And his team loves it because it takes away non value-add work. Soon after the installation, one of his experienced operators exclaimed looking into the dumpster, “Look in there – you can see jobs from three days ago!”
