Bangkok based Thai Containers Group Co. (TCG) has purchased an EFI Nozomi C18000 ultra-high-speed, single-pass digital inkjet corrugated packaging press.
The press will be the first EFI Nozomi installation in Asia and will make TCG a regional leader in full-scale, inkjet corrugated production using one of the only digital systems in the world capable of printing up to 10,000 boards per hour.
EFI created an innovative, single-pass, piezo greyscale inkjet writing system for the Nozomi C18000 to deliver accurate, high-fidelity colour, including consistent reproduction on solid areas. A 100% in-line inspection system on the press actively manages print quality. With the press’s unique imaging capabilities and its ultra-high-speed throughput, TCG will gain an unprecedented ability to deliver new designs quickly and accurately – an advantage that will help the blue-chip brands TCG serves diversify their offerings and grow sales. The press is also able to match up to 97% of Pantone colours to meet those brands’ stringent brand colour requirements.
Included with the press is EFI’s Fiery NZ-1000 high-performance digital front end (DFE), which provides world-class digital print colour management tools. The DFE also provides the robust processing power needed to quickly process and feed extraordinarily large volumes of job data, including variable text and images for fully personalised applications, at full press speeds.
‘The Nozomi press delivers on the market opportunity many had hoped for with digital printing, unleashing new design possibilities for brands looking to differentiate themselves and effectively sell to a greater number of segmented markets,’ said Poramate Larnroongroj, managing director of TCG. ‘This installation is the beginning of an important digital production initiative that TCG will expand as our customers benefit from and accelerate their targeted versioning and localisation strategies.’
TCG’s digital press, which features a six-colour ink set (CMYK, orange and violet), significantly reduces the time needed to launch new product designs on a broad range of applications, including packaging the company provides for footwear and consumer product shelf-ready packaging. It also gives TCG the ability to create versioned designs for products in the many different local markets the company serves across Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia – an important but previously unfeasible application given larger prep expenses, make-ready waste and inventory costs associated with analogue print.
Given environmental concerns throughout the packaging industry, the press also provides an important sustainability advantage. The Western Michigan University Recycling, Paper and Coating Pilot Plant – a leading certification organisation for corrugated recycling – has certified EFI Nozomi press output for OCC recyclability and repulpability. The EFI Nozomi press is the only press to achieve that certification on its output
