A study conducted at a North American Electronics For Imaging, Inc. (EFI) Nozomi printer user, that also operates analogue equipment for corrugated printing, details how the addition of an EFI Nozomi 14000 LED single-pass inkjet industrial press increased analogue capacity by 42%.
The EFI business case study examining data from a corrugated packaging plant demonstrates the overall productivity and opportunity advantages the EFI™ Nozomi 14000 LED digital single-pass printer can deliver in a real-life production environment.
The study demonstrates that investing in digital technology adds capabilities and extra flexibility by:
• Allocating jobs to the equipment that produces high quality graphics most efficiently – based on the characteristics of each order.
• Leveraging existing analogue capacity without the need to invest in new flexo presses.
• Maximising overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and overall plant profitability.
• Delivering a rapid return on investment (ROI).
EFI conducted the study by analysing data collected from two of the corrugator plant’s flexographic printers that, combined, produce 5.6 billion square feet of printed board per year. By identifying jobs that were more appropriate for digital and moving them to the Nozomi single-pass digital inkjet production system, the company increased its analogue capacity 42%, added 3.77 billion square feet of total capacity, and will realise a payback on their Nozomi digital press investment in less than 2 years.
In addition, adding the Nozomi single-pass digital press for corrugated enabled the company to take on work that would have been unprofitable to produce with analogue technologies, including double-sided printed e-commerce boxes, versioned packaging for promotions and fully customised boxes.
The EFI Nozomi 14000 LED press is a 139.7cm (55 inch-wide) UV LED single-pass inkjet system that prints at speeds up to 99.9m (328 linear feet) per minute and offers outstanding high-graphic packaging production with superior colour registration.
Designed to deliver high uptime and reliability in heavy industrial production environments, it gives corrugated packaging converters the ability to print high quality graphics direct to board, on all flute types.
The press also drives greater sustainability in corrugated converting, printing exact quantities needed in contrast to the overproduction and make-ready waste of analogue processes. Plus, EFI Nozomi technology leads the corrugated market in digital print energy efficiency, based on data from print research organisation Fogra, and its printed output is certified for repulpability and recyclability by the Western Michigan University Recycling, Paper and Coating Pilot Plant.
The business study and analysis mirror the consulting EFI performs with prospective EFI Nozomi press users and can be applied to any corrugated packaging operation. During the analysis process, EFI consultants identify the type of work a packaging company has and advise on how to can gain the greatest impact using EFI Nozomi technology.
‘The data we have collected from corrugated packaging EFI Nozomi users across the globe indicate that EFI Nozomi C18000 Plus and EFI Nozomi 14000 LED presses have the greatest positive impact on converting operations that produce a significant amount of high-quality work requiring complex processes, such as flatbed die-cutting, folder-gluer work, and other, more-complex manufacturing steps,’ said Evandro Matteucci, vice president and general manager, Packaging and Building Materials, EFI.
‘EFI Nozomi digital printing technology can mitigate existing market stresses converters face,’ Matteucci added, ‘by generating new total production capacity, while increasing productivity and adding extra flexibility.’
EFI
www.efi.com
