Aztec invests in Activ LED-UV to lower energy costs and achieve more sustainable production

Label Solutions

A Fujifilm Activ LED-UV curing system is Aztec Label’s latest investment, following earlier adoption of the company’s Flenex water wash plates and ink.

Based in Kidderminster, West Midlands, Aztec Label is a family run business that has supplied high quality self-adhesive label products to a huge range of customers for nearly 30 years. Owner Colin Le Gresley founded the company in 1993, in his garage, and since then the business has grown rapidly.

Following recent investments in Fujifilm’s Flenex water washable flexo plates and Sericol JJ LED-UV inks, Aztec Label has now also invested in the Activ LED-UV curing system as part of a drive to more sustainable production. The new system was installed in October 2022.

‘I am always asking how we can do things better,’ said Colin Le Gresley. ‘Thirty years ago, I was a flexo print operator and the reason I left the security of that job was that I had a vision for a company that did things differently.

‘Giving our customers the best possible service and the best possible products has always been crucial to us and we are always looking for the latest technological solutions to help us do that, not just today or in the next few years, but in the decades to come. My three sons all work in the business and I want to see it continue to thrive long after I pass it over to them.

‘LED is the future – it is about reducing our energy use and our environmental impact, and it os about being more efficient. We are in the process of converting all our production lines to LED curing, and in Fujifilm, we have a partner that offers not only multiple solutions, but also invaluable strategic support. The Flenex plates are more reliable and more durable than the plates we were using before, and the LED-curable inks perform better on press than others we trialled. But more than that, it is the partnership and the support that Fujifilm brings, and the value of having the backing of such a respected and established brand, that really clinched it for us.

‘Fujifilm knows our market and our business, and it always put its hand up and takes responsibility if there is an issue. Because of that, I trust the advice and I can see this being a successful partnership for many years to come.’