Package Inkjet Press Market Overview 2021

Label printing is the most mature packaging segment for inkjet printing, with full-color equipment now on the market for more than 10 years and a variety of presses available. Launch activity continues in 2021, but the pace has slowed down, indicating that the market is more mature. The lack of major trade activity in 2021 will not help to urge suppliers to launch more models.

A new entrant to the label inkjet market is Fujifilm. The company introduced the LP350/230 in 2021. Available in two widths, 9" (230 mm) or 13.8" (350mm) and 50 m/min (164 fpm) speeds. The printer uses UV ink and has the option of 6 colors or 2 white channels. Head and transfer from partners, Fujifilm added DFE and connectivity. The LP350/230 will be available in the U.S. in early 2022 and in Europe and Asia shortly thereafter.

Sycon remains very active in listening to the market and improving their range of models. In 2021, the company also upgraded its label products. In addition to two new toner presses (medium capacity CX30 and Xeikon CX50), new Panther 2.0 UV inkjet models are introduced: the Xeikon PX2200 and the Xeikon PX3300. Replacing the PX2000 and PX3000. The new model has been improved with several improvements to provide more substrates and higher quality. In addition, the X-800 DFE has been upgraded and The Sycom's new interface means that the Sycom PX2200 and PX3300 can communicate with other devices, such as the company's finishing and decorating units. Both models are now available in Europe and North America

The UV inkjet presses of 220 and 330 mm widths and 50 m/min speeds introduced in 2021 are mainstream, which is where the demand and competition are the most. Other vendors are also constantly making smaller improvements to their devices to ensure that users have plenty of options in competing devices.

Flexible packaging inkjet printing machine

Several inkjet printers for flexible packaging have already been introduced in 2020. This momentum continues in 2021. Considering that few inkjet systems were available a few years ago, the market has changed dramatically. Keep in mind that even on systems launched last year, only a few beta installations exist. Models launched in 2021 will have an equally long upgrade.

The Truepress PAC830F is the latest addition to the SCREEN inkjet portfolio and pushes the company into flexible packaging. With a printing speed of 75 m/min (246 fpm), suitable for materials up to 830 mm wide and a resolution of 1,200 dpi, the Truepress PAC830F is a very efficient flexible packaging press that, like most other flexible packaging inkjet printers, is a complement to the flexographic unit for lower operating lengths. Therefore, the goal of this press is to use the same substrate as the flexographic press and offer the same conversion options. The press is using water-based inks for CMYK and white, and employs a new technology that guarantees opaque whites all at once. Primers are used to provide good adhesion to the water-based inks used. The first installation in Japan is scheduled for December 2021. It is expected to be available worldwide in 2022. Unlike other inkjet presses offered, the PAC830F will only be sold by SCREEN.

The FP790 is not Fujifilm's first foray into inkjet flexible packaging printing. In 2016, the 540WV (also known as EUCON) was introduced and several presses were launched in Japan. The technology uses UV ink, and while it has had some success in Japan, UV ink technology has proven to be unsuitable for U.S. and European customers. The FP790 was developed on the basis of 540WV. It is crucial to use water-based inks now. With a resolution of 1200 x 1200 dpi, the press uses a Samba printhead with a maximum speed of 50 m/min and a maximum bearing width of 790 mm. Presses are said to achieve more than 90% Pantone color gamut using CMYK ink sets. Using two white ink channels, it should be possible to achieve good white opacity. Since the product is still in the early stages of release, Fujifilm did not disclose much product details.

Comexi's upcoming offerings are a bit more comprehensive. Comexi is an Italian manufacturer of flexographic printing machines for packaging. At Virtual Drupa 2021 in April, the company announced their first digital offering. Digiflex inline inkjet strips are designed to be available for flexographic, laminating and slitting machines where embossing options are already installed. In addition to numbering and encoding, large areas should also be possible, although Digiflex may simply supplement flexographic printing with some variable images. Due to the space limitations of the existing production line, the company is using UV ink, which may limit the scope of application. There will also be a dedicated flexible packaging inkjet printing press. In contrast to Digiflex, the Comexi D4 inkjet press uses water-based inks. It will be configurable in 4 to 8 colors with CMYK plus OGV and white. The press will print at high and low resolutions of 75 m/min (246 fpm) and 150 m/min (492 fpm), respectively. The development partners for the two systems are ink from Sun Chemical, inkjet heads from Fujifilm and integration with Meteor Inkjet. Digiflex announced testing this summer, but so far hasn't installed it. The D4 is still coming out for more than a year.

The new product is ideal for inkjet flexible packaging presses that are becoming mainstream, with a speed of approximately 75 m/min, a width of 80 cm, high imaging resolution and the use of water-based inks. They are expensive and are aimed primarily at established processors who want to unload small batches from flexographic presses.

Folding carton inkjet printing machine

Despite the release of several prototypes and announcements at DRUPA 2016, very few dedicated inkjet folding carton presses were released. A major obstacle is the B1 format, which is necessary for efficient folding carton production and very high quality requirements.

In addition, the Koenig & Bauer VariJET 106 concept was originally presented at Drupa 2016. However, for development to roll out in September 2021, the new partner Durst took some time. The VariJET 106 is a 7-color water-based inkjet press in B1 format. Feeder, conveyor, paper transfer, primer and glazing units were developed by Koenig & Bauer and are based on the Rapida 106. Durst offers inkjet imaging units, as well as inks, workflows, and RIP. The Dimatix Samba printhead has an impressive resolution of 1,200 x 1,200 dpi. The press comes standard with primer and glazing. Additional printing and retouching units may be added in the future. The first appliance will be installed at an unnamed test site in early 2022. It is scheduled to be fully available by the end of 2022 or early 2023.

Despite Heidelberg's exit from the B1 folding carton inkjet market, Koenig & Bauer is optimistic that it has the right combination of higher speeds and lower operating costs to attract processors. The goal is to print up to 5,000 sheets of paper, with the aim of unloading unprofitable short-run prints from the offset press for profitable printing on the VariJET 106.

The VariJET 106 is not a small press and doesn't fit on everyone's budget. Given the lack of short-term solutions for the B1 format (and landa S10) for markets that require short-term printing and fast turnaround, any B1 digital press that offers high quality and productivity on a folding carton substrate should be of great interest.

Corrugated inkjet printing machine

Several models were launched in 2020, and now the products are shipping. For example, TriState Container Corporation, a U.S. company, became the first to install Sycon's new Idea one-way corrugated inkjet printer in 2021. The number of launches in 2021 has slowed somewhat, but there is still good activity.

HP has upgraded the T1100 Series to the HP PageWide T1195i Press. The new HP thermal inkjet printhead is used on a 2.8m (110-inch) wide press. The basic specifications have not changed, but hp is designed to provide a more powerful and economical production for web presses. Georgia-Pacific's Hummingbird will be the first to deploy the new HP PageWide T1195i Press at a new site in Phoenix, Arizona.

In 2020, new players in corrugated inkjet presses joined the market. Spanish company Kento launches the Kento Hybrid press, a system that combines inkjet and flexographic stations. A single-pass inkjet printing unit prints short-term color images, while one or more flexographic printing units can be used to print backgrounds or spot colors. Kento is a newly formed company focused on new printing presses. The press supports paper formats up to 2.1x 1.3m and line speeds of 80 m/min (262 fpm) or 9,000 sheets/hour. UV inkjet is used at 4 gray levels of 360 dpi. Kento expects significant ink savings in operation when replacing inkjet inks with flexographic inks.

With the introduction of most inkjet presses, the Kento Hybrid press is aimed at large presses with enough space and investment, and there is an opportunity to transfer some of the existing work to short-term presses. However, there are exceptions. One is the PKG-675i from Konica Minolta, which was brought to Europe in 2021. The device is targeted at the entry-level market with an investment of less than €200,000. Expected automation and throughput are also low. Nonetheless, the Memjet head offers high imaging resolution and is very compact.

EFI has also entered the corrugated printing entry market with the new MCORR. Like the EFI Nozomi one-way printer, MCORR uses UV inkjet but acts as a scanning head device. With about one-sixth of the throughput and smaller format compared to Nozomi, MCORR is a more affordable entry-level model. The same ink groups, orange, purple, and white options, and the same color space do make the output quite comparable. Both the PKG-675i and MCORR 1300 deserve careful consideration, as they can appeal to start-ups and small printers, potentially bringing digital printing capabilities closer to commodity and packaging producers.

Other packaging inkjet printing machines

This "short" overview only includes releases in the major packaging markets in 2021. Many special applications, such as new products from system integrators , are not covered here – they can be customized. Another possibility is to add an inkjet head to another device. For example, Barry-Wehmiller's Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC) has announced the launch of its ION digital conversion system. ION is an add-on to the transition line using Memjet's DuraLink technology. Flexible modules are available from 8.5 inches to 60 inches and from monochrome to full color.

It is worth mentioning the new plant inkjet ink from Ricoh. Oil-based inks are targeted at the packaging market using absorbent substrates. The composition of the ink is soybean oil. No drying, high yield, no odor, good deinking, ink can bring some interesting environmental benefits.

Inkjet printing for packaging will remain an active market for news and releases in the coming years. While the mature label printing market expects fewer innovations, other markets are constantly introducing new products. The opportunities for short-term and just-in-time production are great, but the system also needs to prove itself in a harsh production environment. Adjustments and upgrades will be necessary;

(7860991)