Digital demands

3 August 2006



Case studies at corrugated, label and POS producers demonstrate the wide applications growth potential for digital presses


According to new research from InfoTrends, use of inkjet technology in the corrugated packaging market is expected to increase dramatically over the next five years. Overall revenues from inkjet based systems used in the field are expected to rise from just $3.25B in 2005 to more than $5.9B in 2010. And it is non case coding applications that are driving growth.

The value of these applications, including proofing, converting, in-line packaging, post packaging and POP is expected to climb from $72M in 2005 to more than $4.1B by 2010, representing a 97 per cent compound annual growth rate. InfoTrends’ new forecast, ‘Inkjet Applications in Corrugated Packaging: 2005-2010’, discusses the corrugated packaging market in detail and projects growth of inkjet through to 2010.The report also includes supplier profiles such as 3M, Agfa, Dimatix, DuPont, Xaar, Eastman Kodak, and Fuji.

When at drupa 2004 Sun Chemical Digital and Inca Digital announced the joint development of the 100m/min FastJet inkjet printer, Kevin Hennessy, managing director at Jardin Corrugated Cases (JCC), of Ely, UK, expressed lively interest.

Last autumn the independent corrugated converter became the first user of the FastJet. Kevin Hennessy does not regret his decision. On the contrary, digital printing on corrugated boards and POS products has shown him “the future of our industry. I am convinced that one day this technology will be replacing flexo post print,” he explains. The FastJet can print four colour plus varnish on corrugated boards as well as on special polyester laminated boards developed by JCC at a speed of 6,000m2/hour, it is claimed.

This is made possible by various technologies, some especially developed for the device. The feeder can handle stock between 1.5–9mm thick. It draws sheets into a flexo primer from where they glide underneath the fixed UV printheads and through the UV dryer.

This single pass system achieves a resolution of 300dpi. It comprises a battery of stationary print heads, which print CMYK plus varnish on sheet sizes up to 1,200 x 1,700mm in one pass. To achieve this 480 printheads with over 60,000 nozzles have been integrated into the FastJet. Each colour is printed by four print modules – each equipped with 24 printheads – mounted on a fixed beam. Each one of the drop-on-demand Spektra SL printheads comprises over 128 nozzles that apply the colour from a distance of between two and five millimetres onto the board. As the system is modular in design and each of the array beams can be individually extracted from the machine, it is easy to replace heads or parts should there be a malfunction, boast the suppliers.

According to calculations by Sun Chemical Digital approximately 7.5g/m2 ink is used by printing over its entire surface. Kevin Hennessy confirms these numbers. Within the RIP software is a function that calculates each drop of ink required for each job. “It’s a real advantage for us as we can calculate exactly how much ink is used for a job. Thus we can improve and simplify our accounting and calculation.”

The ink itself has been a challenge for Sun Chemical. The pigmented inks have to be stable in terms of dispersion and viscosity so as not to clog up the nozzles. Once on the stock the ink has to cure within a split second. Sun Chemical developed SunJet UV inkjet ink, which is claimed to cure instantly, but does not block the nozzles in the printhead. Ink components are the same as those already used in UV flexo inks. They conform to existing regulations, so can be used for printing on food packaging.

“The quality is already better than any flexo post print,” says Kevin Hennessy. “In addition the lack of origination charge and costs makes digital printing so attractive. A flexo post print set up could take several hours. This is now eliminated. Also we can efficiently and effectively proof directly on the machine. Plus, we can produce personalized runs of one. In particular, the growing market segment of producing branded products in short runs can be supported profitably.”

He continued: “Jobs up to about 4,000m2 can be produced much more cost effectively with the FastJet. As quality improves it could eventually replace offset and litho. I am convinced that during my lifetime digital will become the only way of printing.”

Comparison of costs between the FastJet and flexo show that the current crossover mark ranges between 1,200-4,500m2. Explains Stefan Slembrouck, director Digital Packaging Solutions Sun Chemical Digital: “When comparing costs it is important how often a set of flexo plates is used on average. In comparison to preprint offset the breakeven point is over 2,000m2. This results from relatively high lamination costs. Nonetheless it needs to be born in mind that the FastJet currently cannot achieve the same print quality as offset.”

“It is only a question of time before reliable greyscale heads with variable drop size will be available. We and Inca Digital are looking forward to these developments as they enhance print quality even more.”

When French label converter Eurogriffe sought to rationalize the label handling process for Balta, a leading global floor covering manufacturer, it opted for digital colour print solutions from Xeikon.

With the Xeikon 330 (based on contact fusing technology) it provided Balta with a single carpet label that holds all the required information previously contained in three labels. Some 30,000 different labels are printed every day, with every label being defined by 180 different parameters. JIT delivery has been on time and without interruption since the start of the project in 2003, says the company.

Reports general manager at Eurogriffe Wim De Buck: “Originally each carpet required a set of three different labels before it could be shipped to customers all over the world.” The set comprised a ‘decoration label’ showing a colour image that identified the carpet; a ‘product information label’ and a ‘logistical label’ containing information such as customer name, price, bar code and delivery address.

“The first label was usually printed by an external flexo printer, while the other two printed at Balta on pin-fed matrix printers. This complex operation required a stock of 200 different decoration labels, several matrix printers and a considerable amount of co-ordination and manual handling. As you can imagine, the intricacy of this set-up led to cumbersome operation and frequent mistakes.”

“Although digital printing is often referred to as a technology for short run applications, we quickly understood that its true value lay in making optimal use of the unique advantages to create genuine added value for the customer,” states Wim De Buck. Two Xeikon 330s produce the 30,000 Balta labels ordered each day. Every afternoon Eurogriffe downloads automatically generated information from the Balta ERP system available on its FTP server. This is fed into an automated prepress workflow linked to a local image database, compiling the files for printing the 30,000 different labels. Next the label files are transmitted to the Xeikon X-800 digital front end, which prepares the data for printing. Labels are printed on paper stock produced by Eurogriffe. And before 10:00h the next morning they are delivered to Balta.

“Choice of press was based on five key points,” says De Buck: “The flexibility in length thanks to the full rotary printing process; the possibility of using a wide variety of substrates such as paper, synthetics and textiles without pre-coating or pre-treatment; the productivity and its digital front end; the service and support offered by Xeikon in the set-up of the production workflow; and the fact that the company offers continued technological updates.

“Digital printing will never replace flexo printing. But with benefits such as variable data integration, JIT, quick response and short run printing, it offers new opportunities for which there undoubtedly is a place in the label market.“

Coffee time

Delhi based Indian digital printer JMD has installed a Vutek PressVu UV 200/600 W+ digital print system. Its new rigid and flexible printing capabilities were recently used to print high quality images onto hessian and other rigid POS substrates for the launch of Italian coffeehouse chain Costa in India.

By using a local Indian printer, Costa was able print high quality interior wall graphics and POP signage on unusual substrates, while saving itself 60 per cent over the cost of using a foreign supplier, it is claimed.

JMD’s managing director Anupam Gupta comments: “The objective of this job was to tell the history of coffee in a unique and creative way. Costa needed to print images and text directly onto hessian sacks, traditionally used to transport coffee around the world. But due to the textile’s loose weave and coarse fibres hessian proved difficult to print from a roll.”

“By mounting the 1m2 substrate to a three centimetre thick wooden frame, we were able to stretch the hessian flat and minimize the effect of fibres standing proud and distorting the print. Once mounted, the substrate was simply fed through the PressVu UV and the high resolution graphics imaged to the surface.”

JMD also produced a variety of POS graphics. The printing took half a day for each coffeehouse, with on-site installations taking a further day. JMD is currently in negotiations to print the graphics for another 280 Costa coffeehouses across India, Europe and the Middle East. Gupta continues: “We chose the press for its high quality print, 600dpi resolution and wide colour gamut. What’s more, when combined with the flexibility provided by its white ink capability, we believed that it offered phenomenal future market opportunities for us.”

HP reports an impressive number of sales at IPEX. Spearheading the company's activity was its best selling digital press, the HP Indigo press 5000, but the company also took a number of orders for its label press, the HP Indigo press ws4050.

"Our success at Ipex 2006 should send a clear message to the market that HP's digital printers, presses and partner solutions represent the best opportunity for commercial printers to carve out a strong competitive advantage," said Stephen Nigro, senior vice president, graphics and imaging business, HP. "The growth of digital printing has doubled in the last decade and that growth trend will continue at an even faster pace.”



Contacts

InfoTrends
Tel: +1 781 616 2100 ext 207
Sun Chemical Digital
Tel: +49 6127 701 228
Inca Digital
Tel: +44 (0)1223 577800
Eurogriffe
Tel: +33 (0) 3 20 23 84 94
Punch Graphix (Xeikon)
Tel +32 (0) 3 443 13 11
Vutek
Tel: +1 603 279 4635
HP
Tel: +44 (0)1344 360000





External weblinks
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InfoTrends
Sun Chemical Digital
Inca Digital
HP
Vutek
Punch Graphix (Xeikon)
Eurogriffe

FastJet offers 100m/min digital print FastJet offers 100m/min digital print
Hessian printed with PressVu Hessian printed with PressVu


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