This year has witnessed a number of landmark investments in digital technology across all packaging markets.
Those on the cutting edge include: SoluCan of Canada as the owner of the world’s first Tonejet Cyclone direct-to-can digital printing system; Italy-based Poligrafica with a Rainbow² variable data printing system from DG Italia; and Hans Kolb Wellpappe with the first Koenig & Bauer CorruJET inkjet post-print press for corrugated packaging.
Also in corrugated, global packaging company Smurfit Kappa has opted for a Barberán Jetmaster 1890 single-pass inkjet press at its plant in Mexico in response to the growing need for high-volume digital corrugated printing. US-based Valley Container has added a Durst Delta WT 250 corrugated printer to offer speciality display and packaging products. Hinojosa of Spain has upped its fleet of EFI Nozomi C18000 presses to four, while US digital corrugated converter Visual Impact PrePrint now has three. These are supported by two Highcon Euclid IIIC digital cutting and creasing machines. Also investing in Highcon has been Texas-based Virtual Packaging with a 5000sph Beam machine.
Further success for EFI was UK-based corrugated packaging manufacturer Durham Box taking the next step in its digital journey with the investment in a Nozomi C18000. This follows the installation of its first digital press, a Wonderjet WD200.
Elsewhere in the UK, Colourfast has used the country’s first AccurioJet KM-1 inkjet press to launch getitprinted.com, an online service, offering print products including bespoke packaging, perfect-bound books, large scale format printing, flyers, business cards and photobooks.
Further afield, Kyoshin Paper & Package chose the Heidelberg Primefire 106 press as the next step in the expansion of its web-to- pack business. The new B1 press, which is the first of its kind in Japan, has been installed at a new dedicated plant.
HP Indigo’s order book has seen US printer Fort Dearborn doubling its digital capacity with a combination of 6900 and 20000 models, and Slovenia’s LabelProfi signing up for the 200th 76cm-wide 20000 digital press since its introduction in 2012. French converter Imprimerie de L’Éperon has installed its second HP Indigo 8000 digital press, after reaching full capacity with its first and requiring a second unit to keep up with the demand for labels from its clients, mostly in the agri-food industry.
Long-standing Xeikon customer Limo Labels in Denmark has reinvested in dry toner as it looks to expand its digital capabilities and meet demand for growing volumes. A Xeikon CX3 has been installed, complementing more than 25 production lines in action at Limo Labels’ main plant in Stevnstrup in Denmark. These include other dry toner presses and inkjet.
Another customer reinvesting is UK-based chemical specialist Vickers Laboratories with two further Epson ColorWorks printers to take its portfolio up to three – two C3500 models and a C7500 – in order to enhance the flexibility and quality of its label printing activities.
Konica Minolta has reached the landmark of 450 units sold since their introduction to the market in 2015. This is likely to accelerate towards 500 sooner rather than later, especially given the level of interest reported at Labelexpo Europe 2019 in the new AccurioLabel 230. This has seen Germany’s Graphic Druck, Maschinenbau Sobkowiak and MultiPrint investing, as have France’s Etiquettes Pierre Foucher and Imprimerie Coste & Fils, a commercial offset printer.
Taking on inkjet this year include Papier-Schäfer, with Germany’s first Screen Truepress Jet L350UV+LM, and Label-Pak International, which added Domino to its equipment portfolio. Having previously invested in digital printing technology, Label-Pak chief operating officer Xavier de Vos, noted, ‘We knew that it was time to invest in digital inkjet. To meet our customer demands, we needed a label press that could deliver an extensive range of vibrant colours. The seven-colour Domino N610i UV inkjet label press provides the perfect solution, enabling us to deliver the wide gamut of colours our customers require.’ Papier-Schäfer CEO Jürgen Schäfer affirmed, ‘With over half a century’s industry experience, we need to meet the ever-increasing demands of our customers and that requires quality with the quickest turnaround times. As such, it’s imperative that we continue to invest in solutions that ensure we remain at the forefront of the label market. The L350UV+LM will enable us to do just that by expanding our remit into the food labels segment.’
