EGM Colour Laboratories has expanded the range of materials it can utilize following the installation of Kongsberg digital finishing tables from Esko. The investment by the Spanish integrated photographic laboratory that offers a comprehensive range of photographic services, has also helped it maintain a competitive advantage with its greater ability to deliver a wider range of production capabilities.

Founded in 1971 by Enric Galve Montero and Joaquim Canal Brunet, the Barcelona-based business has more than 50 employees. It began life specializing in developing slides, prints and copies. In 1987, the company moved into digital imaging. Continuing its evolution in 1994, EGM Colour Laboratories integrated its analogue and digital services to provide a fully comprehensive photographic system. It is a founding partner of the Catalan industrial photographic association ALFIC and a partner in the Spanish photographic laboratories association ALFE.

The company invested in its first Kongsberg XN40 digital cutting table in 2013, replacing it two years later with a Kongsberg XN44 and adding a second XP44 with High Power Milling unit at the same time. EGM also invested in structural design software ArtiosCAD to support a wide range of sign and display capabilities.

General manager Enric Galve says, “With Esko’s systems, we have been able to use a wider range of materials and increase our service offerings. We strongly believe that working with Esko will allow us to continue expanding our possibilities into the future, in particular our focus on fine art.” Galve was pleased with the ability of its Kongsberg tables to complement its digital printing on rigid and flexibles materials. “They allow us to expand the range of printed materials we can work with, including Dibond, PVC and foam, and more,” he commented.

Esko’s Kongsberg X versatile digital finishing tables offer unlimited versatility with their ability to operate on vinyl, boards or wood. They bring the best quality to any job or application and come with a wide range of specialty tools offering speed, power and flexibility to automatically handle a wide variety of materials, including corrugated, folding carton, solid board, foam, coating blankets, wood and a long list of plastics. They combine MultiCUT-HP (High Power) with a super-strong, water-cooled milling spindle delivering up to three times faster milling speeds.

Galve continues, “We chose Esko’s solutions because Esko offers very reliable machines and because the cutting head allows us to be much more versatile. At drupa 2016, we also learnt more about Esko’s workflow solutions. And we will further explore this field in the near future.”

Galve concludes, “Thanks to Esko’s solutions, we have been able to increase productivity and expand our catalogue of services. The performance of our Kongsberg tables has allowed us to increase the number of jobs we can manage within tighter and tighter production schedules, critical to maintaining our competitive advantage.”