BAKER Labels has installed the ‘UK’s first’ Durst Tau G3 Peak LED at its Brentwood headquarters.
The move significantly increases its digital inkjet capacity as the company continues to invest in the growth of its label business.
The new 510mm-wide press was delivered on August 24, with installation completed by Durst engineers on August 27. Trials, profiling, and operator training followed, before the first live customer work moved onto the machine.
The G3 Peak joins Baker Labels’ existing Durst Tau RSC 340 LED (installed in October 2024) and gives the company more than double its previous production capacity on the Durst platform, together with additional redundancy and greater flexibility when scheduling work.
For Bakers, the investment is a clear commitment to continued growth in its core label operation – supporting increasing volumes while maintaining the quality, agility, and fast turnaround times that have long been central to the business.
Tom Baker and technical manager Jamie Godson travelled to Durst’s headquarters in Brixen, Italy earlier this year to see the G3 technology in operation before agreeing the investment.
Tom Baker said, “There has been a lot of investment and growth across Bakers over recent years, but labels remain right at the heart of the business. We are seeing plenty of opportunity for continued growth in that side of the company and we need to make sure the production capability is there to support it.
“Our first Durst proved itself to us and became a very important part of the factory, so there was already a lot of confidence in the platform when we started looking at the next investment.
“The new press gives us considerably more capacity and resilience, but just as importantly, it gives the label team the technology to keep improving the way we produce work for our customers.”
The Tau G3 Peak is capable of running at speeds of up to 79 metres per minute across all colours and has been specified with double white, Hawk AI, Material Edge Protection and the Durst Imaging System.
The Durst Imaging System uses three cameras to monitor the web and plays an important role in material calibration. For Bakers, it is another example of Durst developing automation around the press not simply to increase speed, but to improve consistency and quality in everyday production.
Hawk AI supports automatic nozzle compensation and colour registration, while Material Edge Protection is designed to reduce the risk of the substrate edge coming into contact with the printheads.
Jamie Godson, technical manager at Baker Labels, said, “The G3 Peak is the next step in the evolution of the Durst Tau platform that we’ve been using over the past few years.
“It’s difficult to isolate one feature and say that is the most important. The real strength is the collective package and the agility it gives us to deal with the changing requirements we see from day to day.
“Bakers has always been associated with high-quality products and fast turnaround times. Being able to produce at higher speeds, with less downtime and without affecting quality, is something we’re constantly working towards.”
The increase in capacity is substantial. With both Durst presses available, Baker Labels now has more than twice its previous production capability on the platform, while the second machine also provides valuable redundancy should either press be unavailable.
The transition into production has been relatively straightforward because the core operating principles are already familiar to the Bakers’ digital team. Although the G3 Peak introduces an updated user interface and additional automation, operators who know the existing RSC 340 are working from an established base.
Jamie continued, “The RSC 340 had already set a high bar. I’m happy that the G3 hits the same levels, and the additional upgrades all work as advertised.”
Simon Cosh, UKI business development manager for Durst, visited Baker Labels following the installation and said the decision to invest in a second Tau was a strong endorsement of both the technology and the relationship between the two companies.
“It’s obviously a positive statement in terms of how successful the first press has been,” he said. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been discussing a second press.
“For us, it’s fantastic to have our technology endorsed by Bakers. Your reputation goes before you in the marketplace, so that endorsement is a massive boost for us.”
The Tau G3 Peak will now work alongside the existing Tau RSC 340 LED as part of Baker Labels’ digital production operation.
Its arrival follows a wider programme of investment in label printing and finishing technology at the Brentwood site, with the business continuing to build capacity around customer demand rather than moving away from the market on which Bakers was founded.
Tom Baker said, “This is a sizeable investment specifically in the future of Baker Labels. We see a lot more growth ahead in labels. The aim is to make sure we have the people, the capacity and the technology in place to take advantage of that.”
