LCY CHEMICAL CORP partners with ISSI to modernize their printing, improve efficiency, and lay the foundation for production expansion by implementing Matthews’ VIAjet™ V-Series and MPERIA® controller.
Industry: Petrochemicals, performance plastics
Application: Automated Marking, Bag Marking
Products: MPERIA Controller, V-Series drop-on-demand (DOD)
Summary
Founded in 1965, LCY CHEMICAL CORP is a petrochemical company with branches around the world including their headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, and locations in China, Japan, the U.S., and Canada. The company’s 50+ year legacy of quality, innovation, industrial safety, and environmental protection has made them Taiwan’s biggest producer of electronic-grade isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and acetone (DMK), as well as one of the top three thermoplastic elastomer producers in the world.
After twenty years, LCY needed to update the out-of-date marking solution in their Baytown, Texas facility. They reached out to Industrial & Shippers Supply, Inc. (ISSI) to find a solution that could not only provide the best quality and efficiency for their current operations, but which could also support their efforts to scale their business.
ISSI assessed LCY’s current situation alongside their plans for future production operations. After considering a variety of solutions that would meet both the current need and upcoming goals, ISSI chose a Matthews Marking Systems solution of VIAjet V-Series drop-on-demand (DOD) printers driven by an MPERIA® controller. This solution delivered on all LCY’s objectives, setting them up for future success.
The Challenge
In 2004, LCY established its first United States facility in Baytown, Texas. At this facility, their production line process included printing on Kraft Paper Bags with an inkjet printer. After twenty years of heavy usage, that legacy inkjet printer was due for a major upgrade. Not only had the system simply aged beyond its life expectancy, it also lacked key capabilities that LCY needed to continue upholding their high standards while growing their business.
One issue was that the legacy software was no longer compatible with their more modern production lines. From an operational efficiency standpoint, LCY wanted to shorten lead times for system parts and ink, and also reduce costs with more efficient ink usage. In addition, they needed a system with a more robust feature set and the ability to scale to accommodate further expansion of their production line.
The Solution
LCY chose to work with Industrial & Shippers Supply, Inc. (ISSI) a distributor based in Houston, Texas that serves a variety of industries, including oil and gas, petrochemical, industrial manufacturing, food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, and the general industrial trade. LCY had worked with ISSI in 2004 when the Baytown facility was initially established. ISSI is part of the Product Identification Network (PIN), a group of forward-looking distributors serving forty states, and a Matthews Marking Systems partner. To modernize LCY’s printing capabilities and make it possible for the company to easily scale their operations, ISSI installed the Matthews Marking VIAjet V-Series with an MPERIA® controller.
V-Series V16 marking industrial kraft bag with lot code and product data.
The ultra-reliable V-Series inkjet printer is considered the fastest and most reliable in the industry, making it the perfect solution for LCY’s harsh industrial environment. The printer runs 9 billion cycles before tuning is required, runs up to 780 ft/min (240 m/min), and its precision valves set in a stainless steel printhead faceplate provide unbeatable efficiency, which helps LCY lower cost-per-mark. The V-Series is designed to deliver optimal ease of use with user-friendly hardware and software. The touchscreen MPERIA® controller provides an intuitive user interface that integrates seamlessly without specialized server software or hardware and centralizes control of all marking and coding equipment across lines and across plants.
The Results
Only weeks after the installation of the Matthews Marking solution of the V-Series and MPERIA® controller, LCY was already seeing positive performance results:
- The rugged design meets the demands of the plant’s extreme environment
- Ease of use has significantly reduced training time
- The system’s large range of printing allows operators to make precise edits
- The solution has improved efficiency in terms of ink usage, reducing costs
In addition, LCY now has the ability to scale with ease since the Matthews solution is designed to support expansion into marking and coding on new production lines as well as third-party equipment like vision systems and even competitive equipment. These benefits combined with Matthews’ excellent remote software support and ISSI’s local support and service have set LCY up for future success with their existing Baytown operation and beyond.
About LCY CHEMICAL CORP
Founded in 1965 and headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, LCY CHEMICAL CORP has been in the petrochemical business for more than 40 years and became listed on Taiwan Stock Exchange in 1977. LCY integrates its operations into the business divisions of methanol, solvents, electronic-grade chemicals, rubber, performance plastics, and energy. To enhance competitiveness, and increase revenue and profitability, each business division formulates their own future business strategies in the aspects of raw material procurement, production integration, product marketing, customer service, technological development and future development based on their short, medium and long-term needs.
About Industrial & Shippers Supply, Inc. (ISSI)
Founded in 1954, Industrial & Shippers Supply (ISSI) is an Industrial Packaging and Marking company providing packaging, shipping, and labeling solutions to a wide variety of clients in Houston and the surrounding Gulf Coast area. ISSI’s unique turn-key approach combined with their pride in being a local supplier has made them the leader in Houston shipping for more than 60 years. Their full range of services includes packaging equipment, corresponding supplies, and the parts and service equipment maintenance, making them a one-stop-shop for comprehensive solutions.
Originally posted on Product ID Network by ISSI.