Packaging company Rafael Hinojosa’s premises in Xátiva, Spain
Rafael Hinojosa, a technological leader in integrated packaging product development and converting, has signed an agreement to install the first unit of the new EFI Nozomi C18000 single-pass LED inkjet corrugated board press.
Scheduled for installation in the March-April timeframe, the new press will be the latest digital printing advancement for Hinojosa, a company that installed one of Europe’s first single-pass corrugated board packaging production systems in 2013. The EFI Nozomi press, a breakthrough technology platform that EFI introduced at the drupa 2016 tradeshow, is a wider, faster technology that will enable Hinojosa to move its digital inkjet packaging printing operations further into full-scale production runs.
Hinojosa’s new press will include an advanced, new EFI Fiery digital front end that gives the company the processing power to ability to develop a broader range of even longer-run, multi-SKU and versioned production applications. Hinojosa will use technologies from the EFI Corrugated Packaging Suite manufacturing execution system software workflow to streamline and automate job-preparation tasks as the company grows its volume of short- to medium-run jobs.
‘For nearly 70 years, Hinojosa has stayed on the forefront of packaging innovation, helping our customers develop better, more-creative solutions, including advanced pre- and post-print digital inkjet technologies, to help customers create more value for their brands,’ said Hinojosa’s CEO. ‘EFI’s single-pass corrugated board technology continues that tradition by establishing a new level of high-quality, higher-volume inkjet productivity that will give our customers a distinct competitive edge with reduced waste, just-in-time supply chain efficiency and greater opportunities to grow sales with multi-SKU marketing.’
Exceptional productivity and versatility in corrugated manufacturing
The Nozomi C18000 press helps corrugated manufacturers and brands access a wide color gamut and broader design options in corrugated board work with fast turnaround times, all while maintaining low production costs. The press can print up to 75 linear metres per minute, producing up to 7,224 sqm/hr.
The press will give Hinojosa remarkable substrate versatility as well. It can print on materials from 14-point card stock to triple-wall board, including traditional Kemi, model, bleach and kraft materials, at full press-rated speeds.
Additional features on the press include:
A 100% in-line image quality inspection system that actively manages and optimises inkjet nozzle, alignment and uniformity errors for the highest possible imaging quality.
Production in up to seven colors, including white (standard CMYK with optional orange, violet and white ink stations) for high-quality, accurate output in resolutions up to 360 x 720 dots per inch with four-level grayscale imaging.
High productivity with a permanent head architecture that eliminates the downtime associated with replacing consumable printheads
A fully integrated, programmable top- and bottom-feed system that also handles media separation, lift, transport and alignment at full press speeds.
Leaner, greener digital print
Hinojosa is a pioneer in the use of digital print operations to eliminate warehousing routines for analog-printed packaging with leaner, just-in-time inventory. Digital print increases packaging sustainability and environmental responsibility by reducing the need to scrap pre-printed, stored packaging due to obsolescence. With the Nozomi C18000 press, Hinojosa also will have a new level of recyclability for inkjet-printed packaging; output from the press is unique in having certification for OCC recyclability and repulpability from the Western Michigan University Recycling, Paper and Coating Pilot Plant – a leading certification organisation for corrugated recycling.
‘Hinojosa has already established itself as one of the industry’s most progressive adopters of digital print technologies for corrugated board packaging,’ said José Luis Ramon Moreno, vice president and general manager, EFI Industrial Printing. ‘It is an exciting development to have this market innovator partner with EFI in a progressive effort to accelerate digitalisation with the Nozomi C18000 single-pass press.’
EFI announced the upcoming Nozomi press installation at Connect, its annual users’ conference in Las Vegas.
EFI’s complete printer portfolio, which in addition to industry-leading LED and UV inkjet narrow-, wide- and superwide-format technologies includes aqueous textile and ceramic decoration printers, gives customers profitable opportunities for the ‘Imaging of Things,’ delivering greater product customization and appeal in everything from signage and packaging to décor, apparel and industrial manufacturing.
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