S-One Labels & Packaging’s Tom Hauenstein discusses the latest techniques in finishing flexible packaging films printed on 13-inch HP Indigo 6X00 presses.
Tom explains how pre-laminate, surface-print films can be printed on an HP Indigo, and then protected with thermal lamination, using equipment such as the 14-inch Cellcoat T14 Thermal Laminator, the ideal finishing equipment to pair with your HP Indigo press.
Enter your email address to watch the free webcast now!
June was a busy month for the S-One Labels & Packaging team as the digital flexible packaging printing industry continues to expand! We hit some important events to continue the conversations with our peers, partners and customers.
For the first time, we exhibited at Global Pouch to share our growing portfolio of solutions for flexible packaging, including our line of pre-laminated films that have the HP Pack Ready thumbs-up, as well as mono-web films, all of which are backed up with our technical expertise. We gave a sneak peek at what we’ve got in store for our Sustainable ByDesign™ product lines of recyclable and compostable solutions, which was, by far, the hottest topic, especially in terms of qualifying films.
“One major brand was looking for compostable films for bar-shaped snacks, yet they would only purchase compostable packaging if the packaging films were ASTM approved and BPI certified,” says S-OneLP Product Marketing Manager Dan Halkyard. “If they are going to claim their package is compostable, they want paperwork to back it up.”
And that was just the beginning of the sustainable conversation …
“There were a lot of questions, especially in the sustainable realm,” says S-OneLP VP Ralph Giammarco. “What is meant by sustainable? What tests are relevant? Which materials can be combined? What do the new materials cost and how do we reduce it? Who can I collaborate with? To find the answers, converters need someone with a 360-degree view, up-to-date technical knowledge, and a desire to help make them successful … that is S-OneLP.”
Another hot topic was cannabis packaging, especially the fact that different states have different requirements for packaging messages, which is an ideal play for digital printing and shorter runs! Add the need for product verification, and you’ve got a double win for digital and track-and-trace capabilities, such as VerifyMe’s RainbowSecure inks and VeriPas program, created for HP Indigo printers.
For S-OneLP, Global Pouch was a success. “The show had great traffic and it was a great exhibiting and networking event,” Giammarco says. “It was only a few hours out of the conference, but it was power-packed!”
The week following Global Pouch, our team descended upon our third Dscoop event of 2019, this time in Spain. We love the Dscoop community, which is always up for a fun time and inspiring ideas.
“The Dscoop platform is known for gaining inspiration and new ideas, learning and understanding new digital products and application solutions and eagerly looking to push the envelope further,” says Gerard Geurts, who heads up S-OneLP EMEA new business development. “Dscoop Edge came to PortAventura this year, which is known for its amusement park and amazing roller coaster attractions for all ages … including the elderly among us.”
At the event, the S-OneLP team joined our Michelman partners in their booth as a joint partnership with Michelman and Brigal (an HP Indigo distributor for Spain/Portugal).
An exciting development was S-OneLP’s EMEA team bringing flexible packaging solutions to the market, including S-OneLP being the first EMEA supplier with HP Indigo-validated Pack Ready thermal lamination films for Indigo flex-pack customers, Geurts explained.
“S-OneLP’s unique proposition offering low MOQ and short lead times of newly released Pack Ready film is exciting news and an open door for customers seeking new HP Indigo thermal lamination solutions,” he says. “The news spread fast!”
So where are we going next? You can meet our European and American teams at Labelexpo in Brussels this September! See you soon!
Dscoop Edge Orlando proved to be another week of bringing together the top creative and innovative minds in our industry. During the event, we were encouraged to think openly, meet new professionals and continue to envision the dynamic future for everyone who makes up and supports the HP Indigo market.
The week started for us in Miami with a visit to Karlville to learn more about HP Pack Ready converting and finishing. We also encountered the growing excitement for HP Indigo in Latin American counties. We learned about the market drivers and the state of the flex-pack space thanks to a presentation by HP and Karlville partner, ePac.
“The sharing of knowledge, like that from ePac CMO Carl Joachim, was truly invaluable,” says Ralph Giammarco, S-OneLP VP, “You just don’t see people in other industries sharing information like this. Plus, this open house showcased HP’s strength in how they work with their partners, such as Toray, Charter NEX, Nobelus and S-OneLP, who were all represented.”
Once in Orlando, it was a whirlwind of activity and inspiration throughout the Solutions Showcase. In the S-OneLP booth, we had conversations on this year’s hot topics: Sustainable solutions, brand protection and HP Pack Ready for Labels.
For flexible packaging pouches, we provided samples of white and metallic pre-laminated flower seed pouches, which were printed at CL&D Digital and finished with a gloss OPV from Michelman. We also had clear pre-lam film that was printed at ePac in Miami and made into stand-up bird seed pouches and finished with thermal lamination at Karlville. Finally, we had NatureFlex pouches with compostable layers of film from our partners at Futamura, which were finished with eBeam technology. (Plus we continued our launch of the CatPak eBeam Finishing System with Tim Burke from CDA.)
We highlighted the durability of the HP Pack Ready for Labels solution, which included labels printed by Consolidated Labels, and finished with a mixture of Michelman DigiGuard 901 OPV Strengthener and KustomLP Gloss OPV. This combination provided super durable labels that were tested to stand up to water, chemicals and more.
“What we heard at Dscoop is that people are looking for a solution for scratch resistance when printing to metallized BOPP,” says Tom Hauenstein, S-OneLP global sales leader. “DigiGuard 901 with our KustomLP UV overprint varnish delivered rock solid results for scratch resistance as well as the best results we’ve seen for ink adhesion and chemical and water resistance, too.
“We also learned that printers turn to digital to create durable labels so they don’t have to produce short-run jobs on flexo. The HP Pack Ready for Labels option provides the easy, cost-effective answer.”
We also demonstrated VerifyMe’s newest VeriPAS authenticator device along with its track-and-trace software that allow brands to use both overt and covert codes, serial numbers or graphics to protect and authenticate their products anywhere in the world. This proved to be a hot topic throughout the conference.
“We can’t emphasize enough how important it is for our customers to be prepared to talk about product protection with their brand customers,” Giammarco says. “I encourage them to check out HP Link, GlobalPas, VerifyMe and others who are providing truly viable options in the digital printing space. Every day we hear about how brands will need to validate and authenticate their products in the market. Label and flex-pack printers and converters are in the perfect position to deliver easy, cost-effective ways to do just that.”
With major CPGs committing to using all sustainable packaging by 2025, the supply chain in the digital printing space jumped into action to begin designing solutions that are eco-friendly.
“It’s not enough to simply say: This pouch contains compostable layers,” Giammarco says. “We need to start with the application — what’s going in the pouch, what kind of finishing does it need, how will it be composted … or recycled? Once these questions are answered, we can move forward to design a sustainable pouch for that particular application. Customizing both the pouch itself and what’s printed on it are the two key aspects of driving this forward. Again — the digital space is primed to tackle this and support brands of all sizes.”
It was another awesome week at Dscoop, and we look forward to seeing everyone in Orlando next year!
This white paper, written by former FBI Agent Keith Cutri, now VerifyMe, Inc. Vice President of Business Development, introduces a benchmark Brand Protection Program that can be used with your labels and packaging, including anti-counterfeiting and authentication features, track-and-trace software systems and print security features.
Bring this valuable information to your key brand customers: Discover the best practices and methodologies for 'catching the bad guys,' including investigative methods for detecting counterfeiting and product diversion in your distribution chain and markets.
Enter your email address to download the free white paper now!
Let’s cut to the chase: There are just too many choices in flexible packaging design. In conventional converting/flexographic printing, you need to ask: Which substrate/sealant combination will work best for my application? Which adhesive system? How do we know when it’s fully cured? Do we have all the materials lined up, the flexo plates made and time available on the both the press and adhesive laminator? Will the package look good while having the protective barrier needed to assure the product stays intact and fresh? It’s a headache.
Since you asked … first, I’d avoid the flexo process altogether and go with a digital press. Then I’d buy a pre-fabricated structure that’s suitable for the pouch contents (food-safe, for example) in which the webs have already been laminated and fully cured. I’d sleep well knowing that the structure was chosen for its suitability for the application I have in mind, and all I’d need to do is upload artwork, put the pre-laminate on a digital press and make roll stock. Here are steps to choosing the best pre-laminate.
For example, I want to make 1,000 packages for an order of sugar cookies on a horizontal flow wrap machine and the entire web will be printed. I would choose Protect-all 2mil Snack Web – White (PPC2000W), a food compliant, polyester//white sealant pre-laminate with overall thickness of 2.0 mils. Why white? Because a white background makes colors pop.
Run the pre-laminate through the digital press, top with a water based OPV such as Michelman DigiGuard Gloss 115, wind it up and send the roll to the co-packer for horizontal form, fill and seal (HFFS) packaging.
Once you know the right pre-lam to choose for the contents, the rest is a piece of cake. Ready to get started? Call S-OneLP at 941-256-7900 or email labelsandpackaging@sone.com to request a sample of a printed and OPV finished pre-lam pouch and learn about other packaging possibilities available from S-OneLP.
DON’T MISS our upcoming blogs for more tips on food safety and the flexible packaging printing processes.
Because traditional flexible package printing involves so many steps and the lead times can be weeks (or even months), it’s almost hard to believe how simple – and quick – it can be with digital printing. And you can do it with the equipment you already have, like an HP Indigo 6800. With traditional flexo, printing requires investing in customized plates, therefore making it prudent to print thousands of packages.
With digital technology, customized printing can be done on the surface of a pre-laminate film that only needs an OPV or thermal laminate to protect the ink – and you can print just one package or thousands. Sound simple? It is. Here are our five steps to get it done in a few short days after receiving the order:
1. Style the package with branding, design, size and pouch type and function. Questions to ask:
2. Source supplies including ink, primer, pre-laminate, over-laminate film, OPVs. Ideal materials for HP Indigo:
3. Surface print on pre-laminate film and protect the print with either an OPV or hot nip to a clear film over-laminate. The new way to print flexible packaging: Using a pre-laminated film on an HP Indigo is like making a photo copy on paper – just load it up and print!
4. Shape, fill and seal the roll stock with a pouching machine immediately after printing. If you don’t have a pouching machine in-house, co-packing companies can be found around the country who can shape, fill and seal your customer’s packages in the style that works best for the pouch’s content.
5. Ship finished packages to your customer. When you create flexible packages using this method, you can turn them around in a matter of days rather than months, helping your customers get their products to market faster than ever.
With a partner like S-OneLP, you can order smaller quantities of primers, pre-lam, over-laminates and OPVs, that will make it easy for you to sell small, personalized runs for start-up and specialized customers. Plus, we can also help you determine the right material to use for whatever your customer wants to put in the pouch. Give us a call at 941-256-7900 to learn more about breaking into this exciting market.
So you run an HP Indigo 6000-series press and you’ve built a nice business printing labels. Have you ever considered what else you can use it for? Flexible packaging printing is some easy, low-hanging fruit in many market segments.
For instance, natural, organics and health food products are booming. Stores are teeming with new, specialized products, setting the stage for short runs of customized packaging with short lead time to market. This is a perfect opportunity for label press owners to expand into the world of flexible packaging.
Consider Juliette in California who has perfected her family’s recipe for healthy almond bars and wants to begin selling them. She landed an order and suddenly needed 500 printed packages ASAP. She quickly learned that flexible packaging converters typically have high minimum order quantities, and she didn’t want to thousands of packages.
The graphics were likely to change after she received food certifications and adjusted her message, which discouraged investing in more than she needed for this first production order. After searching, she found a converter who agreed to make a small order, but the lead time was four weeks. Ouch.
Fortunately, she found a solution. A nearby company had an HP Indigo 6000 series digital press with in-line priming, which was perfect for making food pouches such as pillow packs, stick packs and sachets. For the nut bar, they made flow wrap by starting with a prefabricated, metallized film structure with oxygen barrier. This pre-laminate was primed in-line and digitally printed with her graphics. The ink was protected by thermally laminating to a clear, glossy layer of polyester film.
The rollstock, along with the nut bars, were sent to a local co-packer who used a horizontal flow, fill and seal machine to fill the packages. Bottom line: the lead time for packages was slashed from four weeks to a few days because pre-fabricated substrates were digitally printed on demand all within a few miles of the kitchen that made the bars.
What’s the secret? Keep things simple. In fact, S-OneLP created the Five S’s for Digital Flex-Pack Success:
Send me your questions in the comments below.
Ginger Cushing has spent more than 25 years in the flexible packaging converting industry and is a founding partner in FPK Resources LLC. FPK Resources shows label manufacturers how to enter the world of flexible packaging by showing how to streamline pathways, eliminate waste and enhance customization to respond to real-time consumer product packaging needs.
