Essentra Packaging has announced a multi-million pound investment in a new Landa S10 nanographic printing press for cartons at its Bradford site, marking the first installation of the machine in the packaging industry in the UK.

The healthcare, personal care and beauty industries packaging specialist said the Landa S10 press unlocks high quality folding carton production by combining the quality, speed and precision of offset printing with the versatility of digital printing.

Nanographic printing eliminates the need for plate production, with ink ejectors delivering ink at stunning resolution, easily comparable with offset and flexographic printing.

Andrew Hopkins, general manager UK and Ireland, said: “Offset is the dominant print method for folding cartons and the quality of this technology speaks for itself. However, it has never had the same flexibility and versatility of digital printing. The Landa S10 offers the best of both worlds, the adaptability of digital with the performance of offset. We look forward to bringing Essentra customers that dream blend of speed and quality. Simply put us to the test.”

Speaking exclusively to Packaging News, Olivier Serre, packaging division sales and marketing director at Essentra, said this investment was ‘major’ and a ‘whole other ball game’.

“We are keen to engage with brands – we sell to pharmaceuticals and cosmetics brands. Our customers today want shorter batches,” he said, explaining that in the past customers could order 20 million cartons and throw a few thousand away unused.”

The move is part of a wider industry drive to reduce waste with smaller batches and shorter lead times.

Additionally, the Landa S10 accommodates larger sheet sizes, making it more cost effective and work with different batch sizes, which Essentra said is huge for digital printing.

“Historically the digital machines were small format, which makes them very good for small runs. But when you try to scale up the cost you start to lose the benefit of digital printing.”

With the pharmaceuticals sector being such an accurate, diligent industry, Serre said the market needs superb graphics on packages: “But it’s not about shelf standout, its about accuracy, registration, colour, text.”

He said in the pharma market there are legislative requirements on pack: “You are almost having to micro-print in some instances. It [the Landa press] is giving us this vivid colour impact which is stunning, but you are also being able to do this almost micro printing onto the packs.

“It’s another level of performance – this is what is driving interest in the Landa press.”

Mark King, global head of technical at Essentra Packaging, added: “With the Landa S10 Nanographic Printing Press, the technology automatically verifies registration, checks nozzle condition and detects print issues. Add in how the technology opens up amazing possibilities in variable printing, serialisation capabilities and all with a wide colour gamut, and we’re talking an enormous breakthrough in quality, service and print performance. We’re challenging our customers and the wider market to see the difference for themselves.”

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