EXPERT INTERVIEW
How digital printing is revolutionizing the packaging industry
How and WHERE can digital printing increase manufacturers’ profitability?
The existing trend towards small batch sizes, rising numbers of variants and variable data is fast making traditional printing processes unprofitable. With digital printing, on the other hand, you can still enjoy a healthy profit margin even on a single batch.
However, this doesn’t mean that digital printing will totally replace the old way of doing things – rather, it will complement traditional printing.
Digital printing affords industrial manufacturers many benefits. For example, they can change designs and information to their packaging and products ‘just-in-time’ within the running production process. This helps increase brand consistency and protection.
Other advantages include the significant reduction in printing costs, faster order throughput, and significantly lower storage costs for preprinted packaging, which reduces the capital expenditure.
And digital printing eliminates the time and costs associated with expensive labelling as manufacturers can print on products and packages directly.
Why have these printing capabilities not been possible in the past?
Previously, print colours adhered poorly to coated cardboards and the plastic, metal, foil and glass packaging commonly used today.
Moreover, in the past print speed and quality were simply inadequate.
How were you able to resolve these issues and what should industrial manufacturers now do?
We made groundbreaking breakthroughs with printers, printing inks, ink hardening and real-time process control around three years ago. With the new cost efficiencies delivered by these breakthroughs, industrial digital printing became a reality.
Today, digital print quality and production speed rivals offset printing. In addition, ‘Industrial Digital printing 2.0’ has allowed capital investment in new technologies to be integrated gradually into existing production lines, and is now a tried-and-tested component in hundreds of installations worldwide. This has prompted industrial manufacturers to turn increasingly to digital, and it is now an indispensible element of many manufacturers’ infrastructures.
One of the things we continually hear from our customers is that they were very surprised at how quickly the investment in digital technology pays for itself.
News about the impact of digital is evidently spreading fast. We recorded a 75% rise in printer sales in 2009 – and this figure is even more impressive given the industry has endured the most challenging economic climate in recent times.
Oliver C. Mehler
CEO, Atlantic Zeiser Group
