In a collaborative effort, Edale and DuPont recently hosted a seminar ‘Game-changing single-pass carton production’ in Ahmedabad on 1 December 2023. The event delved into the capabilities of flexo printing and its burgeoning influence in the carton market, while showcasing a paradigm shift in carton production with Edale and DuPont leading the charge.
Mohanish Satam, sales manager, India, Cyrel Solutions, DuPont, kick-started the seminar by presenting the myriad benefits of flexo plates. His comprehensive discussion encompassed current packaging trends, brand perceptions of flexography, and the shift towards extended color gamut and fixed color palettes replacing traditional Pantone colors. Satam said, “Flexo produces high-quality prints at 4,800 dpi, reduces overall print costs per unit, and is versatile across various substrates.”
Amitabh Luthra, managing director of Printers Supply Company representing Edale, shared insights into their venture into flexo and the strategic partnership with Edale. Luthra highlighted Edale’s pioneering role in single-pass scratch card production and their innovative carton production machine tailored to specific customer requirements. Notably, Printers Supply Company installed the first Edale FL5 + FDC in Asia in 2014.
Ian Eccleston, sales manager, agent network for Edale, provided a comprehensive overview of the FL5 single-pass carton production flexo line. Eccleston emphasized that 50% of Edale presses installed are now utilized in carton production. He outlined seven factors that create challenges in offset carton production, including excessive waste, multiple machines leading to increased maintenance, and a larger footprint.
The seminar concluded with a live demonstration of the FL5 single-pass carton production line by Darren Pickford, sales director at Edale, along with Darron Shimmons, print and applications manager, live streaming from Edale’s UK headquarters. Pickford underlined the FL5’s ability to deliver high-quality single-pass carton production, meeting premium brand requirements. The machine boasts embellishment capabilities, combining front and back printing, foiling, lamination, creasing, embossing, braille, die-cutting, and waste stripping, all in a single pass. With a web width of 600 mm and a repeat size of up to 711.2 mm, the FL5 is designed for efficiency, ideal for short-run from 1000 to 100,000 units.
Shimmons showcased the FL5 flexo printing machine, highlighting its eight flexographic printing units and its capability to handle a wide range of materials, from plastics to films, on carton thickness ranging from 12 microns to 700 microns.
The FL5 single-pass carton production line promises enhanced efficiency, reduced setup time, and unmatched versatility, signaling a new era in the printing and packaging industry. As technology continues to evolve, flexo printing stands poised to reshape the landscape of carton production, offering a compelling alternative to traditional methods. The live demonstration at the seminar ended with an appeal to ‘Combine print, cut, crease, braille embossing, and waste removal in a single-pass machine with the FL5 carton production line, ideal for embellished, sustainable, paper-based die cut cartons’.
