The international packaging manufacturer Multi Packaging Solutions (MPS) based in New York is the first pilot user of a Heidelberg Primefire 106, the first industrial digital printing system in B1 format powered by Fujifilm Inkjet Technology. The first pilot phase started in January in cooperation with the company’s German manufacturing facility in Obersulm. The market introduction phase of the pilot will begin early in 2017, Heidelberg added. MPS specializes in packaging solutions for beauty and personal care, consumer and pharmaceutical brands, and employs over 9,000 people in 14 countries. The company is planning a major expansion of its digital packaging printing division to offer customers significant added value at the point of sale.
“Our customers include many well-known brand companies from industries like consumer and cosmetics,” said Steffen Schnizer, Managing Director and Global Head of Beauty and Personal Care Sales at MPS in Obersulm. “Fast, creative changes to a brand and product appearance are crucial to sales success today. That’s why we offer these customers high-quality, flexible and variable or personalized packaging solutions that will enable them to tap into additional business and set themselves apart from their competition. For this we need a reliable, industrial digital printing press like the Heidelberg Primefire 106 that can be integrated into our existing workflow.”
The image quality, reliability and rapid development of the technology following its world premiere at drupa 2016, and the company’s long years of positive experience of working with Heidelberg in the area of offset printing, were key factors in MPS’ decision. Based on Fujifilm Inkjet Technology from co-development partner Fujifilm, and the proven Heidelberg Peak Performance platform, the newly designed system is providing dependable offset-like quality production with the benefits of digital printing, said the partners.
Market launch on schedule
Heidelberg presented Primefire 106 as a world premiere for industrial digital production in the 70 x 100 format at drupa 2016 in Düsseldorf. “The start of the pilot phase is a further milestone in the implementation of our digital strategy in cooperation with our partner Fujifilm,” said Montserrat Peidro-Insa, Head of Digital Sales and Digital Sheetfed General Manager at Heidelberg. “In MPS we’ve found the perfect company for the first Primefire 106 pilot. Our long-standing partnership, its digital business model in packaging printing, its worldwide presence, and its industrial manufacturing approach, build the right environment for the Primefire 106 to be tested under real-life conditions. It brings us a big step closer in qualifying the Primefire 106 for true production.”
The Primefire 106 enables packaging printers in particular to take a step in developing new areas of business – for example with the production of variable and personalized packaging or by adding traceability and security elements on each box. Printing on demand with the Primefire 106 can also streamline supply-chain processes and reduce inventory costs. In addition, the 7-colour inkjet system covers up to 95% of the Pantone colour space, resulting in time and cost reductions when producing jobs. Also, water-based inkjet printing meets strict environmental and recycling requirements, permitting food-safe production.
Market launch of Heidelberg Primefire 106 on schedule
