High-resolution packaging printing: this was the aim of the collaboration between Metsä Board, Adara Pakkaus, Siegwerk and Marvaco. The companies have now developed an ice cream cone packaging that uses a high-resolution screen ruling with 74 lines per centimetre.
LariSeppälä, Head of Printing at Adara Pakkaus, considers this resolution to be a new world record, as it exceeds the usual maximum of 60 L/cm. Adara Pakkaus was in charge of this project. The company has already received several awards for its continuous efforts to perfect the quality of flexographic printing in collaboration with partners.
The aim of the project was to develop packaging that Maximising efficiency and quality, while minimising the impact on the environment. The result of the co-operation is a Packaging with high-resolution printing, which is 8 percent lighter and up to 36 percent more climate-friendly than conventional solutions made from recycled fibres thanks to the use of lightweight liner qualities made from virgin fibres. The partners used an E-flute corrugated fibre from the uncoated quality as the corrugated and inner liner MetsäBoard Natural WKL Bright with 90 g/m2. For the top liner, the double-coated white kraftliner MetsäBoard Prime WKL in 125 g/m2 was used.
„The new packaging is an impressive achievement in the field of flexographic printing and is made possible by the harmonised interplay of printing capabilities and a high-quality kraftliner.“
Ilkka Harju, Packaging Services Director at Metsä Board
At the same time, the Process printing with flat-top dot plates and water-based inks the start-up waste and ink consumption - and that with Consistent quality, emphasises ECG pressure expert Kai Lankinen.
Stefan Schneider, Key Account Manager Corrugated at Apex International, a leading global anilox supplier, recognises the performance as a world-class benchmark in corrugated printing. Nathalie Müller-Samson, Corporate Communications Manager at Siegwerk, agrees:
„Our water-based UniNATURE inks can print in high quality, but I have never seen such a high resolution on corrugated board after printing.“
With this result, the co-creation project impressively demonstrates that the The quality of flexographic printing is now equivalent to that of gravure and offset printing. It is therefore no longer necessary to compare different processes: all of them can produce high quality, provided the framework conditions are right. The distinguishing feature in terms of quality and sustainability is the printing technology and the substrate.
Source: Metsä Board
