In the whole digital label and packaging market, the digital printing market of corrugated paper, as a part of rapid growth, itself is one of the most active fields in the packaging and printing industry. Because the corrugated box market has a lot of untapped potential, it means that many packaging and printing enterprises are considering entering the market, and many suppliers of machines and software are willing to provide them with more powerful equipment and technology.
“Digitization represents an important long-term strategic direction for the corrugated box industry because it increasingly meets the needs of current and future customers,” said Philip Easton, director of domino digital printing solutions, “The market share of digital printing is growing rapidly, but its growth rate will depend on the applicability of ink to market demand. Therefore, in terms of overall market volume, it may be very small, while in terms of overall sales value, we predict that it will be very important, which may reach about 20%.”
Sharon Chesler, marketing manager of HP pagewide industrial corrugated box division, is also optimistic about this market. “On the one hand, digital printing strongly supports production optimization. On the other hand, digital printing is also a key driver for creating benefits in the supply chain. The packaging field is indeed a growing inkjet field. Therefore, the market’s interest and demand for HP pagewide corrugated digital printer are growing, which is definitely a powerful weapon for producing corrugated boxes at a lower cost.”
“Digital printing is becoming more and more important to the corrugated packaging market, and its market share has been rising. Finally, what drives the growth is the change of consumers’ buying habits,” added Robert stubble, managing director of Cornish & Bauer and duest
Maximilian mark, manager of digital printing products at BHS, is obviously more cautious, at least in the current situation. “Today’s share of digital printing is almost negligible because it accounts for a low proportion of the total printing volume. However, with the increasing availability of high-capacity printers and the possibility of brand owners promoting the use of digital printing packaging, digital printing technology will become more and more important.”
In fact, when Mr. mark set his eyes on the future, he almost became enthusiastic. “Compared with other traditional corrugated printing methods, the compound annual growth rate of digital printing of corrugated paper in 2020-2025 is 20%, which shows that the growth rate of digital printing in corrugated packaging field is much higher than that in other packaging fields. In the long run, we believe that digital printing will completely replace traditional printing, especially for new carton factories.”
BHS’s RSR printing solution is designed for its vision of “2025 carton factory”, which is “completely different” from any other digital printing solution on the market. Its RSR (real-time roll to sheet) system provides a working width of 2.8m and a maximum speed of 300m / min. it is developed in cooperation with screen gpijc on its core inkjet technology based on dimatix Samba nozzle.
EFI is another digital printing equipment manufacturer with high hopes. Leinshild westmayer, its marketing director, explained: “Digital printing technology has been very disruptive, but frankly, it has just begun and will take several years to develop in the future. Now, digital coexists with other printing technologies, but over time, we expect it to become more dominant.”
Advantages: fixed cost and less prepress work to ensure printing quality
MS westmayer naturally attributes this potential to the advantages of digital printing technology itself. “Compared with traditional printing methods, it has much less fixed cost and less prepress work. It also ensures high printing quality. Nevertheless, we think it is very important to consider the overall workflow to make full use of digital printing solutions. Although we have a very efficient printing system, we need to ensure that jobs are sent to the machine at a considerable speed to make full use of printing Give full play to the potential of the machine. “
James Nelson, EFI product marketing manager, “EFI has always focused on developing an overall ecosystem that connects all aspects of the factory through seamless solutions. Digital printers can print multiple jobs per hour, but many enterprises face the challenge of efficiently processing these jobs. Creating orders, scheduling, planning, transportation, etc. are one of the important steps in processing jobs, which is why through the ecosystem Take a strategic approach to workflow, so as to really promote the adoption of digital printing to a higher level and level. “
EFI provides nozomic18000, a 1.8m wide printer capable of printing at a speed of 75m / min. at present, more than 30 units have been installed worldwide. Nozomi C18000 and nozomi C18000 plus are printed at 360dpi, with four gray levels and CMYK, orange and purple.
Of course, digital printing technology has many other advantages. Mr. Easton said that it is very suitable for the operation of medium and short versions of multiple versions, and will not be shut down due to changes in production. It is simple to operate and does not require the skills of flexographic operators, plate making, installation, plate replacement and storage of flexographic plates.
Less setup and less preparation, which means less downtime and less waste. The lower cost per activity enables the carton factory to optimize the production of different equipment, and the ability to print on demand can reduce the inventory of finished products, which means that less storage space is required and waste caused by outdated packaging can be reduced. There are even more benefits, For example, personalization and traceability are achieved by using variable data printing.
In terms of technology, domino provides a single channel x630i digital inkjet printer. It is specially designed for daily corrugated box production. Based on Domino’s sixth generation inkjet platform with nearly 1000 installations, x630i can print at a speed of up to 75m / min, 600x600dpi and 3000x 1345mm maximum printing area.
As far as Mr. stubble is concerned, he believes that digital technology can well cope with the market trends sweeping the industry. “One of the positive impacts of COVID-19 is that it has accelerated the process of digital transformation of packaging and printing. We have seen accelerated changes to shorter running lengths and unpredictable demands. Channel combinations are changing. Retail brand promotion through channels is more important than ever. Of course, online ordering is increasing, usually requiring different packaging. 。”
In order to meet these challenges, processors need more flexible and automated systems to process more small orders with faster plant cycle time. In addition, there are opportunities to develop new business models to enable brands to take advantage of the flexibility provided by high-speed digital printing.
Ms. Chesler agrees. “The corrugated packaging industry not only showed growth, but also showed strong economic flexibility during the epidemic, especially the ink-jet printing of corrugated paper. E-commerce is the driving force of growth, but so is the exploration of sustainable packaging. Our pagewide customers fully see the growth of market demand for e-commerce projects. Taking advantage of HP’s real water-based ink, they can Provide truly sustainable packaging solutions for your brand. “
HP provides pagewide series printers, including 75m / min pagewide C500 based on HP thermal inkjet technology, and pagewide t1190, which is a six color inkjet pre printing device with 2.8m web width. In addition, there is 1066mm pagewide t 470s, which is also a digital pre printing solution, which is suitable for large-scale pre printing of corrugated paper.
Mr. mark emphasized many of the same advantages. “It is worth mentioning the time to market and the cost-effectiveness of short print. Digital printing also benefits different carton designs. Due to the cost structure of traditional printing, block color is now dominant, but digital printing removes this obstacle. In addition, digital can generate realistic graphics and open up new possibilities for brand owners. The last big advantage of digital printing is , corrugated paper packaging with digital printing can now play the role of transportation packaging and primary packaging at the same time. “
When talking about the trend of promoting the transition to digital, Mr. mark mentioned factors such as short version operation, variable data, waste reduction and e-commerce explosion. He also elaborated on a series of other trends that the industry should pay attention to, “There are always differences between what brands want, what they are willing to pay, and what they can actually produce. Digital printing technology is narrowing this gap, especially in terms of personalization, sustainability and personalized experience. Government regulations on carbon footprint, waste logistics and cradle to grave tracking can not be ignored“
The epidemic has led to an increase in the demand for corrugated boxes
Of course, it is not accurate to review the development of corrugated packaging without judging the impact of COVID-19 on the market. As explained by Ms. Chester, corrugated packaging has the chance to shine brilliantly when other printing markets are being eliminated one after another.
Mr Easton added, “The epidemic has led to an increase in the demand for corrugated packaging from all sectors of society. Many processors focus on providing what they can provide rather than looking for new investment opportunities. However, with the development of e-commerce market, people are more and more aware that digital printing can provide customers with something different in this market. We think this trend is returning because more and more The trend towards customized products and the need to reduce inventory have driven the growth of shorter version operations. “
Stubble pointed out that, “Before COVID-19, we have already lived in a world with low predictability, short operation trend and high color requirement. This opens the door to more digital production. The main factors include sustained brand proliferation, more sales channels and less predictable, especially in the world of online sales growth. To, we need to be more agile than ever and use technologies that support mass customization. The latest generation of single channel printers for the corrugated packaging market (such as our deltaspc 130 and corrujet170) Combined with the right workflow solution, processors can print a large number of short edition operations efficiently and cost effectively. Under this model, leading enterprises will invest more to meet the changing market demand and position themselves as supply chain and brand partners. “
Finally, Mr. Rosenberg stressed the way COVID-19 affects the electricity supplier market. “COVID-19 has indeed had an impact on the corrugated box market. COVID-19 has accelerated the prosperity of the electricity supplier market, which has created demand for printed corrugated boxes in the rapid listing. Suppliers urgently need to shorten the delivery time and simplify the supply chain. Digital printing has become an ideal choice for processing doors.”
Recommendations of experts
Finally, Mr. stubble thought about what advice to provide to new customers entering corrugated packaging. “It has never been so important to build a close relationship with brand partners, understand their challenges, stand out in sales and packaging and become their trusted supply chain partner. Such rapid change is certainly disturbing, but with the pressure of the whole value chain, it is a real opportunity for processors to accept new opportunities In short, invest in systems, processes and personnel to maximize flexibility and agility, reduce the touchpoints requiring manual intervention in the factory, and fully meet the market demand for short version operations without affecting core efficiency. “
In terms of technology, Cornish & Bauer and duest provide corrujet170 and deltaspc 130. The former is based on Cornish & Bauer’s rotajet, with a maximum production speed of 5500sph, and can process corrugated board with a thickness of 8mm at 1200 x600dpi. Deltaspc can be configured with up to six colors, and can print sizes from 500X600mm to 1300x2100mm and a maximum thickness of 12mm.
Ms. Chesler of HP added, “It should be remembered that corrugated packaging is divided into yellow board transport cartons, high-definition e-commerce or subscription cartons, and then corrugated exhibition shelves. The high-definition corrugated packaging market hides greater profit potential, while the transport cartons with lower printing resolution are more like a commodity. When printers decide to enter the corrugated packaging industry, they need to clearly understand their competitive field , this will affect the whole business plan, including the type of equipment they need. In practice, corrugated packaging is a good medium and has almost unlimited possibilities in structure and design. However, the processing of corrugated board requires very professional skills and knowledge because they are vulnerable to changes in temperature and humidity, which will make it more difficult for them in printing equipment Board management. When selecting a corrugated digital printer, the ability of the printer to handle warped paperboard and uneven paperboard stacking needs to be considered. “
Finally, EFI’s view focuses on acquiring knowledge, as MS. westmayer explained, “I will ask customers to look at the vast opportunities that exist in digital printing technology. I suggest looking for the best success stories of digital printing technology and how to use digital printing in their business. I also advocate considering your target customers and matching these new opportunities and applications with the target group so that you can expand your business.”
Post time: Nov-08-2021