Chicago-based printer Nosco is entering the digitally-printed flexible packaging market in the US with investment in an HP Indigo 20000 and Karlville Pack Ready lamination system, to be installed at the company’s site in Carrollton, Texas.
Nosco plans to deliver on-demand digitally-printed flexible packaging using the digital press and Pack Ready. Nosco will focus its flexible packaging applications in segments such as natural health with products including resealable and child-resistant pouches, sachets, stick packs and new product trials.
This move makes Nosco the first US print provider to adopt HP Indigo technology for labels, folding cartons, flexible packaging, and lamination using the Pack Ready Laminator by Karlville. The Pack Ready system consists of the Pack Ready Laminator and thermal lamination films.
Nosco is seeking to deepen its digital footprint in the US, as company president Craig Curran explained.
‘We believe digital printing is the print method of the future, which is why we are pursuing all available HP Indigo digital products. It is a big growth engine to add new customers,’ Curran said.
‘After the success in labels and folding carton with HP Indigo, the HP Indigo 20000 is the right solution to expand our high-quality digital printing to flexible packaging, enabling our clients to gain print consistency and precise colour matching across all platforms.’
Over the last 10 years, the flexible packaging market has taken off, doubling in size to $228 billion in 2019. Smithers Pira forecasts the marketing will continue growing by an annual rate of 3.3%, reaching $269 billion in 2024 with digital printing a key market growth driver.
Nosco was an early adopter of HP Indigo technology 15 years ago. Today, more than half of Nosco’s orders are printed digitally at three of the company’s six US facilities. The new HP Indigo 20000 for flexible packaging will bring the number of HP Indigo digital presses operating at Nosco to nine. At the Carrollton site the new investments join an HP Indigo WS6600 and AB Graphic Digicon Series 3. The company will also install and utilise Karlville slitting and inspection equipment to further its position in the flexible packaging space.
Alon Bar-Shany, HP Indigo general manaer, said, ‘It’s amazing and rewarding to see how Nosco has grown and developed new business with HP Indigo digital printing, while extending the benefits of more sophisticated and sustainable packaging to its clientele.’
In line with the company’s flexible packaging endeavours, Nosco has recently installed an HP Indigo 8000 digital press for labels in Gurnee, Illinois. This addition will allow the company to convert more flexo printing business to digital, especially longer runs, as well as add to its product redundancy for digital labels and overall digital growth. The company will also use the HP Indigo 8000 to continue its ongoing efforts of providing customers with anti-counterfeiting and diversion support by utilising the machine to implement various security-related solutions.
