Company Profile
L-TEC Co., Ltd. (https://www.ltecinc.jp/)
Based in Sabae City, Fukui Prefecture, L-TEC is a specialist in specialty printing and processing. Backed by technologies cultivated in Sabae, the “City of Glasses,” the company offers laser marking and specialty printing on a variety of materials, including metal, resin, and glass.
L-TEC handles numerous decorative and display printing projects for industrial products that require high precision and durability, such as home appliances, precision instruments, and automotive parts.
Equipment Used
- The GOCCOPRO QS2536
GOCCOPRO QS2536
It supports high mesh counts, such as 250 mesh, and faithfully reproduces the fine text and logos required for industrial products. It enables the in-house production of precision screens, which previously relied on outsourcing, in a speedy and cost-efficient manner.
Case Study
- Reason for Introducing GOCCOPRO
- Effects of Introduction
- Comments from the Customer
Background Behind the Move to "In-House" Screen Printing
In the past, the company relied entirely on outsourcing for its screen making. It commissioned local vendors, but the biggest challenge was “lead time.” Even for modifications where only a single digit of a product lot number or part number changed, outsourcing meant that delivery would take one to two weeks.
Driven by a management policy that values speed, the company began exploring “in-house production” to complete the screen-making process internally.
The company’s president learned about GOCCOPRO through platforms such as YouTube and decided to adopt it as equipment that could be controlled in-house.
Multi-Product Adaptability for Precision Parts and the Effects of Introduction
The company’s main printing targets include panels for home appliances and precision instruments. Because these require the reproduction of fine text and logos, high-resolution 250-mesh screens are used for screen making.
Before the introduction, there were cases where the company had to decline small-lot, finely detailed jobs due to constraints related to screen costs and delivery times. By achieving in-house production through digital screen making, the company has successfully prevented such missed opportunities.
Elimination of "Work Stoppage" during Troubles and a Drastic Reduction in Work Stress
Under the outsourcing-dependent system, screen damage or defects directly resulted in “several days of work stoppage.” The introduction of GOCCOPRO has fundamentally eliminated these manufacturing risks and enabled smooth process management. Ms. Sasaki, who handles on-site operations, describes this change as follows:
Ms. Sasaki: “Previously, if a screen tore or a defect was found during printing, we had no choice but to stop work for several days until a remade screen arrived. Having operations halt while deadlines were approaching was extremely stressful for us on the production floor. Since introducing GOCCOPRO, even if a problem occurs, we can immediately remake the screen on the spot simply by sending the data from a computer. The peace of mind that comes from ‘not having to stop work’ is truly significant.
With in-house production, the processes of screen making and screen stretching have increased. However, by using the dedicated ‘Quick Frame A,’ we can easily stretch the screen without needing large equipment, and the tension is just as good as that of outsourced screens.Regarding durability, initially the screens tended to break easily during wiping, but now that we apply ‘RISO Master Hardener Blue’ after screen making, they almost never break even when scrubbed vigorously with solvent. In fact, we have achieved up to 12,000 prints with a single screen.
Because digital screen making is easy to operate and allows for immediate recovery, I feel that the benefit of eliminating the wasted ‘waiting time’ far outweighs the increase in workload caused by bringing the process in-house.”
Conclusion: Reducing
“Outsourcing Time Lag” to Zero and Minimizing Manufacturing Risks
For workplaces that require high-mix, variable-volume production like L-TEC, in-house production using the GOCCOPRO QS2536 brings “business agility” that goes beyond mere cost reduction. Digital screen making, which combines mass-production durability exceeding 10,000 prints with the ability to instantly recover from troubles, is a powerful solution that enhances the competitiveness of manufacturing operations.