Packaging Solutions
Xeikon has announced its digital printing solution for pouches. This latest innovation has been developed for consumer goods markets – food, beverage, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The digital process for printing on pouches responds to current trends, ie significant numbers of SKUs, shorter lead times, and the rising popularity of pouches in-store. Brand owners looking for shelf impact for their products are drawn to flexible pouches for their ability to stand, their light weight and their sustainability. Xeikon has simplified a key part of the overall production process to provide a fast turnaround solution.
Filip Weymans, Xeikon’s vice president marketing, stated: ‘This is a prime example of what we call ‘customer driven innovation’. By focusing on this application, we are supporting our customers’ requirements and also responding to the current trends in consumer preference. This development takes our digital production portfolio to the next level. With its technological expertise, Xeikon is ideally positioned to provide innovative digital processes.’
Pouches can be reasonably complex to manufacture because of the flexible nature of their multi-layers. It is essentially a laminated bag made from several layers of material that requires a number of different steps in production. Xeikon is helping to simplify the overall process to provide a fast turnaround solution. By firstly digitally printing the text and graphics on a thermal laminate, the outside layer of the pouch is prepared and ready for the next steps. A variety of different layers is then constructed by lamination with a series of barriers for protection before the pouch is finally put together in the manufacturing process. The company’s digital printing solution offers the lowest possible complexity and the broadest lamination construction possible.
Marketers and brand owners see a lot of value in this kind of packaging for a variety of reasons, such as product presentation and functionality for the consumer. Pouches can also be sustainable: a pouch has a so-called ‘product to package’ ratio of 35:1, which essentially means that it can carry up to 35 times its own weight, resulting in less energy consumption to produce and to transport. Pouches can have a variety of different shapes depending on size, end use application and functionality. Many brands are transitioning from rigid types of packaging to more flexible versions such as pouches.
Filip concluded, ‘Xeikon continues to develop new innovations for diverse markets to meet today’s challenging and fast moving world of consumerism. With our broad technology portfolio, we are in a perfect position to respond to current market trends and develop any solution required. Our digital printing solution for pouches utilises our dry toner technology, which comes with a guarantee for food safety. This technology also ensures consistency and an equal finish to offset (AM screen) and to flexo when colour matching is required. With our aXelerate programme, our dedicated teams provide direct and personal training and support for our customers every step of the way. Xeikon is committed to providing only the very best products and services.’
