OPM Europa and DG press are collaborating to bring the former’s direct-to-object water-based inkjet printing technology to market.
OPM Europa, from Tilburg, the Netherlands, has developed LabelSaver as a system to print directly onto a variety of objects. LabelSaver integrates OPM Europa’s own robotics with the Memjet-powered TrojanLabel print engine and proprietary coatings to create a self-moving printer for label-less production. It can be used to print high-quality colour directly onto objects including metal paint cans, plastic containers and bottles. As an example, LabelSaver can print at a rate of 500 jerry cans per hour in full colour, 360-degrees. The system is also capable of printing on Memjet-receptive coatings for flexible packaging and films.
DG press from Hall, the Netherlands, is providing machine engineering, construction and installation expertise, and global aftermarket service.
The two companies have identified direct-to-object inkjet printing of cans and bottles as an application with strong growth potential.
DG press director Remko Koolbergen commented, ‘We are a well-established machine manufacturer of high end hybrid printing presses with an excellent service reputation worldwide. We know the label market very well, and the trend to eliminate pressure-sensitive labels is strengthening.
‘We believe in the near future labels will be increasingly replaced by inkjet direct-to-object printing. For our future business and our customers’ business, we want to build and support this unique featured LabelSaver. We engineer, install and service the machine and its controls in any place in the world. We believe the LabelSaver will give a strong positive contribution to the direct-to-object digital print business.’
With LabelSaver, OPM Europa is the first company that enables direct printing of jerry cans, paint cans and HDPE/LDPE bottles with aqueous inkjet inks worldwide.
Dursun Acun, owner and managing director at OPM Europa, said, ‘We have been researching the market for water-based inkjet technology for years and concluded that Memjet has the most sophisticated and suitable solutions for this application. With LabelSaver, we can 360-degree print up to 3000 cans per hour in full colour. Paint cans is challenging, as the demands to print quality and provide chemical resistance at the same time is extremely high. LabelSaver is versatile and can easily be adapted for other size and materials of containers.
‘The logistical cost savings for the customer are enormous; no need to order and wait for your labels, no need to align production volumes and number of labels of many kinds, and of course print design changes can be made on the fly with no need for new printing plates. Now you can print on demand and to order volume at the time you start filling your goods. Logistical savings allow a return on investment in less than six months.’
Donald Allred, vice president of packaging at Memjet, added, ‘We are delighted to see Memjet as the technology of choice for this type of application. Direct-to-shape digital inkjet printing provides many manufacturers with the flexibility and benefits of digital printing while providing a positive impact on their profits.’
LabelSaver is one of numerous direct-to-pack/shape/object printing systems currently being developed and commercialised. Dekron/Krones has worked with AB InBev for direct-to-glass digital printing, while SoluCan and BrewBoard are both utilising Tonejet’s Cyclone technology to digitally print directly onto beverage cans.
DG press will be showing LabelSaver at drupa 2020, currently scheduled for 16-26 June in Düsseldorf, Germany. Read more about the current state and prospects for print and/or packaging shows here.
