Refinement of glass packaging: Potential of new technologies
With the digital printing service O-I : EXPRESSIONS, O-I offers a finishing process with which glass containers can be individually designed, from the shape of the container to the colour and the different embossing.
17 June 2019
An all-round view
of the EL GRIFO bottle,
printed
with the O-I :
EXPRESSIONS technology
(Image: O-I)
The food industry is rediscovering glass as a packaging material. This is because it also offers advantages for manufacturers and consumers beyond the issue of sustainability: Glass packaging makes a more valuable impression on the end consumer than alternative packaging materials and thus perfectly serves the trend towards premiumisation. O-I, the world's largest manufacturer of glass packaging, offers new ways of enhancing it in an eye-catching and smart way.
Finishing poses very special challenges for manufacturers of glass packaging. Despite technical advances in recent years, there are still some limits to design, particularly in the area of colouring and embossing.
The Industrial screen printing is one of the most popular processes for direct printing on glass packaging thanks to its versatility and flexibility. However, the materials required are very expensive and a great deal of energy is needed for curing. The heavy metal content of the inorganic colours used for printing also poses a problem for the glass recycling process.
In the alternative procedure applied UV screen printing inks used. However, as these colours do not adhere so well to glass and often fade quickly, they do not offer a long-term alternative for a high-quality result.
Display
Otherwise Transfer printing methods used. However, the high and cost-intensive effort involved in creating a template does not allow printing in small runs. In addition, metallic layers in particular often have to be applied in a vacuum, which further increases production costs.
In the area of Embossing many effects are already possible thanks to relief and gravure printing as well as silk matting. Special colouring of the embossed areas and a combination of several techniques are particularly difficult here.
Personalised product experience with O-I : EXPRESSIONS
O-I, the world's largest manufacturer of glass packaging, launched a new technology onto the market at the end of 2018. Customers are now able to, Customised bottles in small batches quickly to the market and thus draw attention to your own brand in the supermarket.
O-I : EXPRESSIONS is the name of the new finishing process, thanks to which brand suppliers can create a completely individual product experience for the consumer, from the shape of the container to the colour and the different embossing - flexibly, creatively and sustainably.
Melianthe Leeman, O-I (Image: O-I)
Melianthe Leeman, Global Innovation Platform Leader at O-I, explains the benefits of the new service, which is available to customers in Europe.
pj: What does this new development look like in practice?
Melianthe Leeman: Our new digital printing service O-I : EXPRESSIONS offers customers a new solution in the field of packaging finishing. Via a Drop-on-demand process, which only produces a drop of ink when it is needed for printing, glass containers can be designed in a completely customised way. The range of colour and design options compared to conventional decoration solutions has grown considerably with this process.
For our first two production lines, we have opted for the printing technology DecoType from DEKRON, the KRONES subsidiary for the digital printing of packaging. The DecoType-Compact digital inkjet printing system offers a modular and compact machine that is suitable for printing up to 65 cylindrical glass bottles per minute with organic UV inks.
This offers a wide range of design options for glass packaging, and the Recyclability of the end product is not affected. The Range of colour and design options has therefore increased significantly compared to conventional decoration solutions using this process.
[infotext icon]Design options with DecoType Compact technology
Precision printing of detailed designs (standard printing in 360 dpi, can go up to 720 dpi)
Coating effects
360-degree design and printing outside the labelling area
Play with opaque and/or transparent design elements so that the product is visible on the inside.
Printing QR codes and other interactive elements
Integration of variable data to personalise designs (numbers, texts, images, etc.)[/infotext].
We are also expanding our new printing range with the O-I : EXPRESSIONS RELIEF service. This was developed using our glass and design expertise to achieve a similar decorative effect to embossing, but with considerably more freedom in terms of design options. With our digital printing technology 3D print designs can be created directly on glass. This offers brand suppliers More design freedom than conventional embossing.
pj: Who is particularly interested in the new offer?
Melianthe Leeman: The service is tailored to customers from all beverage segments such as spirits, wine, beer, food and non-alcoholic beverages and is suitable for both the retail and catering sectors. O-I is the first supplier in the world to use this type of DecoType equipment. The printer has been specially developed for O-I's specific requirements and offers a customised solution for the digital printing of glass bottles on an industrial scale.
DecoType technology is currently suitable for round bottles. Concave and slightly conical shapes are also possible. However, we are planning to further develop the technology as quickly as possible in order to design other shapes in collaboration with our customers.
Every customer we have introduced O-I : EXPRESSIONS to so far has been very impressed and interested - regardless of the market the customer serves and how big it is: whether small brand suppliers trying to better position themselves through appealing packaging or large companies looking for that certain something in packaging for limited edition branded products and promotional purposes, the technology offers brands a long-awaited opportunity to achieve these goals.
The great popularity is also due to the various functional advantages that O-I : EXPRESSIONS offers our customers. These include the possibility of, Several design versions in one print job to print. This provides a high degree of flexibility with several designs for one bottle shape as well as changes at short notice. But also a Mass personalisation is possible, as variable data can be used in the same print job.
O-I: EXPRESSIONS enables customisation to a region, territory, event or even individual packaging, meeting consumer demand for more deeply personalised brand experiences.
[infotext icon]O-I : EXPRESSIONS also offers:
Speed: Depending on various factors, O-I can print up to 4,000 containers per hour (about 65/minute), which is significantly more capacity than other available alternatives.
Flexible print run sizeO-I : EXPRESSIONS enables personalised „made-for-me“ moments. The editions can be quickly adapted to seasonal promotions, special occasions or even special language versions.
Creativity: O-I: EXPRESSIONS frees marketers from the confines of the label or bottle shape, provides a 360-degree canvas for branding and enables the use of vibrant, saturated colours that allow colours to match the brand identity[/infotext].
The practical test
pj:Which projects have you already completed?
Melianthe Leeman: Yes, we have already tested O-I : EXPRESSIONS with several existing customers. Together, we were able to realise two specific projects with the new offering:
Lion Wines had a specific business problem to solve when they approached O-I New Zealand. They needed a modern, premium solution to bring the Wither Hills wine from the barrel to the table. The time had come for the previously used unbranded, off-the-shelf carafe to be replaced.
Liones Wines: With new 3D printing technology, even small quantities can be provided with high-quality embossing. And thanks to the colours used, products finished with O-I : EXPRESSIONS are completely recyclable. (Pictures: O-I)
„It only took a few weeks between contacting the New Zealand O-I team and the delivery of the bottles that met our business challenges,“ emphasises Dave Campbell, Lion Marketing Manager, Wine. The Lion Wines sales team seized the opportunity to promote the bottle in around 30 venues across New Zealand. tested. Lion Wines even had to turn down requests from customers who were not quick enough to take advantage of the first limited series.
O-I, the Spanish bodega El Grifo and Avanza Packaging developed a unique project together with the Fundación César Manrique. At the beginning of the year, they jointly launched a exclusive, limited edition wine bottle, which commemorates the 100th birthday of the famous Canary Island artist César Manrique. The limited edition will be available in Germany and Spain in an edition of 14,000 pieces.
The Spanish company is therefore the first to use the new O-I : EXPRESSIONS service to quickly and individually design a wine bottle using digital printing. In this case, the decoration of the bottle refers to a mural by César Manrique from the 1950s, which was provided by the Fundación César Manrique (FCM) El Grifo. An old white wine from the Malvasía Volcánica grape, an exclusive variety of Lanzarote, was selected for the limited edition and named „Malvasía de César“ in homage to the artist.
pj:What other projects are currently being planned?
Melianthe Leeman: You will understand that we are unfortunately unable to make any statements about current projects. But we can reveal this much - more products made with O-I : EXPRESSIONS will soon be appearing on supermarket shelves.
pj:What role do personalisation and 3D effects actually play?
Melianthe Leeman: When brands only have three to seven seconds to be seen by shoppers and convince them to buy, packaging plays a decisive role. Personalisation and 3D effects are exceptional and immediately catch the consumer's eye. They help to arouse consumer interest in the first place.
We have developed O-I : EXPRESSIONS RELIEF specifically to meet the high demand for personalisation and 3D effects from brand owners. The service is a key differentiator as designs can be 3D printed directly onto glass. In contrast to conventional embossing, both colour embossing and printing on the embossed area are possible and open up unlimited design possibilities.
360-degree designs and transparent or full-colour embossing with no minimum order quantity enable a completely new dimension of individualisation. In addition, we can print complex and detailed graphics, such as logos, directly onto the bottle without compromising on the design or size of the logo.
Customers can do all this quickly and easily using an existing bottle or mould, saving them time and money. And customers with (very) small volumes now also have access to a personalised glass bottle.
