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Digital printing for heat-sealable barrier papers

In tests, UPM Speciality Papers and Koenig & Bauer have investigated inject digital printing technology on heat-sealable barrier papers.

In joint tests, UPM Speciality Papers and Koenig & Bauer have investigated inject digital printing technology on heat-sealable barrier papers. Good results were achieved, creating new possibilities for the production of customised packaging.

With the ability to change designs by simply updating a file, the Digital printing opens up new opportunities for brand owners and processors - from reducing time to market through to the creation of customised packaging. The aim was to ensure the compatibility of barrier papers from UPM Speciality Papers with digital printing, as this is a powerful combination that allows even small batches of packaging to be produced flexibly.

„Our aim was to produce samples of a real product. This co-creation was ideal as it combined the paper and converting know-how of UPM Specialty Papers with our knowledge of machines, colours, temperatures, etc.. This allowed us to control the entire process to see if the papers were printable and, if so, to ensure that the print was of the right quality. We achieved both goals.“

Falko Baltrusch, Senior Manager at the Koenig & Bauer Customer Technology Centre

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The companies agreed to conduct the tests with the UPM Confidio, UPM Asendo and UPM Prego barrier paper families, which offer a variety of different coated and uncoated surfaces. The tests made it possible to test the barrier papers in digital printing, as packaging is traditionally printed in flexo, gravure or offset, which require long print runs.

Koenig & Bauer has developed the RotaJET inkjet printing press, a highly flexible digital printing system that can process a wide range of different substrates and applications. The RotaJET works with GMP (Good Manufacturing Produced) standards.Water-based polymer pigment inks that comply with the Swiss ordinance. Digital printing requires less effort to produce printing plates or cylinders. This results in a more efficient, more flexible and far more effortless process.

Markus Kamphuis
Markus Kamphuis (Picture: UPM)

„Given the limitations of conventional printing processes, we were very excited to see how our barrier papers would perform on the RotaJET press. The results were extremely successful right from the start. UPM Confidio has an additional heat sealing function, so it was also important to find out whether the ink drying temperatures would activate the sealing function or change the colours of the design. Neither was a problem, and the colours were really sharp and vibrant. Our papers were a perfect match - it was just a matter of setting the parameters, optimising the system and then printing. It just worked!“

Markus Kamphuis, Technical Sales Manager, UPM Speciality Papers

The UPM Confidio, UPM Asendo and UPM Prego barrier paper families can be recycled in existing fibre recycling streams. And now they have proven to be compatible with inkjet printing technology.

„This kind of flexibility allows brand owners to meet regulatory requirements for higher levels of traceability and localised packaging materials - as well as develop highly customised packaging. Take the Super Bowl final or the Champions League, for example. You can wait until the last minute to print the packaging if you know which teams are in the final. And they can do all this while switching to fibre-based materials to achieve their sustainability goals.“

Falko Baltrusch

Source: UPM Speciality Papers

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