Metalcraft Cuts Converting Times in Half AND Creates Award-Winning RFID-Enabled Solutions in the Process

Since its founding in 1950, Metalcraft has evolved to become a leading provider of property identification solutions. The company serves a range of companies, in particular those in the asset tracking industry who need highly durable steel and polymer label formats.

To that end, Metalcraft has managed to make RFID-enabled products a major business line. However, before the company could efficiently manufacture the kind of custom RFID solutions it does today, it first needed to find the right converting technology to help.

Challenge

Mark Maliszewski, Product Development Engineer at Metalcraft, says the company’s foray into the RFID market involved making its own RFID converting equipment from scratch. 

Once the RFID segment of our business began to grow, efficiency became a challenge.

Mark Maliszewski, Product Development Engineer, Metalcraft

It became clear that Metalcraft needed outside expertise in order to stay competitive in the RFID market.

Solution

In its search for finding the right company to help, Metalcraft eventually landed upon Delta ModTech, a relationship that’s now going on 20 years. 

According to Mark, the solutions Delta ModTech has provided have proven to be exceptional in a number of ways.

Inherent efficiencies in machine layout create “tremendous benefit”

“Delta machines have unwind spindles and rewind spindles both above and below deck,” says Mark. “That means within a very short amount of web travel, materials can be placed or laminated together extremely efficiently in a single pass. That’s a tremendous benefit.” 

That efficiency also extends to how Delta ModTech machines create inline encoding and RFID verification that can be done in line in one machine pass.

And then there’s the accuracy. Mark says, “The highly accurate way the Delta machine places cut parts in register with the rest of the label construction is a key advantage.”

Ongoing Delta support enables “highly customizable turnkey solutions”

Delta ModTech’s innovative approach has led to what Mark describes as “highly customizable turnkey solutions.” That’s crucial for Metalcraft, which needs its equipment to perform in specific ways that aren’t necessarily the norm in the industry. 

“If we need a unique function or want to integrate an auxiliary system from a different manufacturer into the Delta ModTech machine, the Delta team is very open and willing to help us do that,” says Mark.

Improved capabilities for roll label product line

Metalcraft’s relationship with Delta ModTech has also helped the company transform its roll label line of custom label products. 

Mark says compared to other label converting equipment, the Delta machine allows much faster set up and also minimizes material waste. “And since our roll label products are typically multilayered, being able to convert in one press pass with a Delta machine is another huge factor.”

Throughput

Delta has come up with RFID solutions for us that have cut in half the amount of machine time.

Mark Maliszewski, Product Development Engineer, Metalcraft

According to Mark, “Delta has come up with RFID solutions for us that have cut in half the amount of machine time. That’s what happens when you can do certain products in one machine pass rather than in two, at twice the speed.”

Improvements like that have helped Metalcraft continue to increase its capacity for the growing market segments in RFID. 

And with that capacity, Metalcraft has also had more opportunities to showcase its ability to create highly innovative RFID products – and receive accolades from industry peers in the process.

Take for example its recent award from the Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute (TLMI). Metalcraft’s double-sided registered RFID parking permit received first place at the TLMI Printing Excellence Awards in the category of “Innovation, Single Application, Linerless & Sustainability.”

To manufacture this hang tag product, Metalcraft overcame some formidable converting challenges, in particular keeping the four-color print on both sides in register with one another and completing RFID inlay all at the same time.

“Creating such a unique product is really outside the wheelhouse for a lot of converters,” says Mark. “It shows just how capable Metalcraft is at solving tough RFID challenges. And we couldn’t have done it without the help of Delta ModTech.”

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