Japanese press builder Miyakoshi has developed its first inkjet digital press for flexible packaging, MJP30AXF.

MJP30AXF is a 750mm-wide, water-based inkjet press that can run up to 50m/min. A resolution of 1200 x 1200dpi can be achieved, with digitally printed white enabling high quality colour reproduction. Automatic registration control and missing nozzle compensation minimise printing errors.

Miyakoshi noted that the printing of flexible packaging is dominated by traditional analogue printing technologies such as gravure and flexography, with both enabling very high productivity as well as low costs for long-run printing jobs.

‘However, since each consumer has their own individual tastes and requirements, the marketing focus has shifted from a mass to a more personalised approach,’ Miyakoshi noted, ‘meaning vendors need to create an ever increasing variety of products but of smaller quantities, a phenomenon which has led to a constant reduction in the size of production lots.’

The company added that with long run analogue printing technologies, inventory and waste management of printed film, ‘are both indisputable issues.

‘To date the consumption of plastic films has undoubtedly been excessive, so much so that it has raised environmental concerns particularly in relation to ocean pollution.’

While the use of water-based inks makes MJP30AXF safe for food packaging applications, digital printing minimises inventories and waste levels, helping to achieve sustainable goals. Water-based inks are also claimed to offer the ‘most cost competitive solution’, compared to the other main digital printing technologies.

MJP30AXF features in the 2020 technology preview, to be published in the May/June issue of Digital Labels & Packaging; register here to receive the magazine for free