It is easy to blame the current labor shortage on the pandemic, but in reality, COVID-19 was a small piece of the much bigger economic problem.
Turns out, the pandemic highlighted a problem that had been brewing for quite some time. Other pieces in this labor shortage puzzle are an aging workforce, declining population, increased immigrant workforce bureaucratic red tape, health of the workforce and lastly, lifestyle choices.
That being said, this labor shortage is actually a wakeup call to our industry. With production demands rising, this industry is forced to meet those needs without the typical workforce numbers. Those needs will be met by automation and technological advances.
Flexo Wash offers a solution to your labor problem.
Consider that by automating a cleaning process, you are freeing up valuable labor to help in other areas of the printing process. For example, instead of one person manually cleaning press parts for an entire shift, automate the cleaning process and let that valuable employee setup for the next job or perform another more valuable task.
First, evaluate your cleaning systems.
- How much of your cleaning is manual?
- What are your points of pain in the production process?
- Do you have a lot of downtime?
Second, evaluate your return on investment that automating your cleaning process would bring. Flexo Wash machines can pay for themselves in a matter of months, with production increasing exponentially along the way. Flexo Wash has return on investment calculators to assist with determining the payback on your investment.
Third, nothing works in this production process if the integral parts of the printing process are not clean. Anilox rolls, plates, parts, and sleeves only work if they are 100% clean and ready to go.
While nothing can replace a valuable employee, automating parts of your printing production cleaning process can maximize your production.