by Cassandra Balentine
Digital print technologies enable capabilities like customization, shorter turnaround times, and reduced waste. As marketers look to test new markets, these capabilities are in higher demand than ever in the flexible packaging space.
Above: HP Indigo offers an end-to-end digital pouch factory, including an upstream workflow solution, the HP Indigo 200K digital press, Karlville and Nordmeccanica solvent-less and thermal laminator, slitter from Karville with optional JetFx digital selective coating unit, and the Karlville pouch maker. Photo by HP.
“Rapid turnaround time does not merely get products to shelves faster; it also empowers consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies to innovate and execute with greater agility by leveraging digital technology. By enabling more efficient A/B testing and shortening feedback loops, companies can make more informed decisions and iterate products more swiftly, maintaining a competitive edge in the market,” shares Ryan Chai, strategic account solutions specialist, Nobelus.
Eli Mahal, head of L&P Marketing, HP Indigo, says market trends such as the rise of smaller brands, growth in the number of SKUs, consumer need for personalization and convenience, demand for sustainability, and fast delivery are shifting volume from the flexographic sweet spot into the digital sweet spot. “The main driver for digital is a brand’s need for supply chain agility, including on-demand delivery, sustainable with low minimum orders.”
Giselle Robeson, senior product marketing manager, Fiery, agrees, noting that more brand owners are pushing converters to offer digital printing. “It’s a cost-effective way to produce short-run, seasonal, or limited-edition packaging. With recent advances in digital printing technology, digital presses and hybrid digital presses have emerged as a full production alternative to flexography.”
Robeson adds that flexographic print providers that invest in a 100 percent digital press or a hybrid digital-plus flexographic configuration are able to expand service offerings and improve profitability while reducing makeready costs.
Windell McGill, digital launch manager, BW Converting – PCMC, points out that while speed to market and faster turnarounds drive users to digital, second generation digital presses are now wider and faster, offering operational efficiency for medium to short runs.
“Flexible packaging is a mainstream technology suitable for more, if not most of the market,” attests Simon Buswell, sales and marketing director, Eco Flexibles. “The days of digital being seen as a technology for short runs and personalization are a distant memory. Of course, runs keep getting shorter and SKU proliferation is making the ability to print variations a valuable tool but these are part of digital’s overall toolbox. Rather, digital today benefits a broad spectrum of customers and flexible packaging applications in several ways.”
Buswell says optimization is now the best term used to describe the holistic and intrinsic impact of digital on flexible packaging production. “For example, immediately actionable proofs optimize the prepress and approval process; non-contact printing optimizes the production process; by only printing what is needed and ganging varieties, material usage is optimized and waste minimized; a water-based inkjet process reduces and optimizes the use of consumables; and clever machine design and specification optimizes drying and curing.”
Increased Digital Adoption
The adoption of digitally printed flexible packaging is steadily increasing. Chai expects it to continue to grow in volume, much like how commercial printing expanded decades ago. “The advantages of digital printing, including customization, quick turnaround times, and reduced waste, are driving this ongoing growth and solidifying digital printing’s place in the industry.”
More of the market is hearing and seeing the potential of digital to optimize the manufacture of recyclable flexible packaging. “You can see from the headlines around the recent Drupa trade show the number and profile of companies investing in digital for flexible packaging. This increases capacity in the market and helps raise awareness and adoption. We are delighted to be at the forefront of this and will continue to lead the way in using digital to manufacture recyclable and environmentally friendly flexible packaging,” shares Buswell.
While digital presses for flexible packaging have been commercially available for about ten years, they have captured less than one percent of the market, says McGill. “As more wider and faster targeted to mainstream run lengths are available the adoption will accelerate and more of the market will be digitally printed. The next ten years are shaping up to be an exciting time for digital print for flexible packaging,” he predicts.
Addressing Challenges
Challenges associated with digital adoption in the flexible packaging space include material compatibility, higher cost, and color consistency. Modern technologies work to address these challenges and are less restricted when it comes to material compatibility and color consistency.
For example, Nobelus actively provides in-depth and engaging training to help converters address concerns about materials, cost, consistency, and many other issues. “Regarding higher costs, it is important to consider the overall value proposition of digital flexible packaging. Just as those who purchase a luxury car do not typically complain about higher costs because they understand the premium quality they are receiving, converters and CPG companies that prioritize innovation find digital printing to be a worthwhile investment. If cost is the primary concern for a converter, digital printing may not be the best fit,” says Chai.
Investment cost is a consideration, but this is expected to evolve as capacity and demand grows in the market. Reducing the price of inks is an example. “Cost must also be framed within the context of what digital can do and does for your business. This is an issue of education and is one of the things we are championing in conversations with the market as we push digital into the mainstream. We’re fast approaching the nexus point between the old ways of buying and selling flexible packaging by volume, and the modern method of digitally manufacturing functional pouches and packs that also work as high-value brand ambassadors and impactful marketing materials fit for the 21st century,” asserts Buswell.
Mahal feels the main concern is digital print productivity and cost versus central impression flexography. “Market trend push growing amounts of volume from flexo/roto to the digital sweet spot.”
New digital presses such as the HP Indigo 200K are more productive, allowing digital to be more cost effective. “For the foreseeable future digital and conventional will co-exist, allowing converters to be more productive by using the right press for the job,” adds Mahal.
Finishing also plays an important role in the success of digitally printed flexible packaging. Roy Burton, managing director, Eclipse Label Equipment, points out that roll-to-roll finishing systems bring a savings on both financial and waste for the user by being able to digitally cut blank labels, on an as- and when-needed basis. “This brings a massive stock holding reduction. Many of our customers have enjoyed a payback return on investment in as little as 12 weeks.”
Robeson says the challenges in flexible packaging are similar to those faced in the cutsheet market 20 years ago. “Customers demand fantastic color that meets brand owner expectations, productivity to keep presses running at full capacity, integration with their other systems, and a system that’s easy to use. This is where a digital front end (DFE), or RIP, can play a big role in driving inkjet presses and addressing challenges around color and image quality.”
Fiery brings RIP and workflow innovation to digital packaging printing with Fiery Impress, a DFE designed for industrial inkjet applications. Fiery Impress includes imaging technology combined with integrated color management tools to help match industry standards and customize color to brand specifications. “Flexographic printers can optimize print quality such as font and barcode edge enhancement to compensate for ink drop spreading and integration with inspection systems for on-the-fly imaging correction. Integration with prepress and color workflows from Esko gives printers the confidence that digital capabilities can be added to existing analog workflows,” says Robeson. “Investing in a digital or hybrid press and its accompanying DFE is a strategic move. The role of the DFE and supporting workflow software helps flexographic printers hit the ground running with new investments and start profiting immediately.”
“We are happy to see suppliers investing in the development of the next generation of digital printing technologies to make sure that the widest range of materials can be converted and the broadest range of end-use applications served,” comments Buswell.
McGill believes there is still some work to do. “The existing technology has not fit the mainstream market because it’s been too narrow and slow. The next-generation technology—wider and faster—is addressing more of the mainstream market. It’s cost competitive at longer run lengths, which is what the industry needs,” he adds.
Digital Growth
Certain flexible packaging applications are primed to enjoy the benefits of digital print technologies, like customization, shorter turnarounds, and reduced waste. The adoption of digital continues as more marketers demand these capabilities.
Oct2024, DPS Magazine
