MPS starts pilot phase of Heidelberg Primefire 106

MPS specializes in packaging 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 arm in order to offer customers significant added value at the point of sale. It was introduced as the first user of Primefire 106 worldwide during a Heidelberg info day held at the beginning of February, where over 40 companies, including packaging converters as well as some commercial printers from Europe and US, discovered the technical highlights of Primefire 106 and how it can enable profit growths through new applications and business models. Various presentations and workshops were held during the day to provide a comprehensive picture of the first B1 digital industrial production system, including live production of jobs, a deep dive into FujiFilm’s inkjet technology and a demo of Primefire´s Prinect digital front end with its seamless integration in existing workflow environments.

Primefire 106 is the first industrial digital printing system in B1 format, and is powered by Fujifilm Inkjet Technology. The first pilot phase commenced in January in cooperation with the company’s German manufacturing facility in Obersulm.

‘Our customers include many well-known brand companies from industries like consumer and cosmetics,’ commented Steffen Schnizer, managing director and global head of beauty and personal care sales at MPS in Obersulm.

‘Fast, creative changes to the brand and product appearance are crucial here today to sales success. 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 potential 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.’

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 Primefire 106 can streamline supply chain processes and reduce inventory costs, it is claimed. In addition, the 7-color inkjet system enabled by Fujifilm inkjet technology and Heidelberg Multicolor technology covers up to 95 percent of the Pantone color space, while water-based inkjet printing meets environmental and recycling requirements, and permits food-safe production.

Primefire 106 was introduced at drupa 2016, and Montserrat Peidro-Insa, head of digital sales and digital sheet-fed general manager at Heidelberg, described the start of the pilot phase according to schedule as a, ‘further milestone in the implementation of our digital strategy in cooperation with our partner Fujifilm.

‘Digital applications in packaging printing are changing the market. Packaging will have to become more adaptable to each market segment, more relevant and more creative to attract more interest among consumers. This is exactly where we expect the Primefire 106 will bring value to our operations and the industry.

‘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 Primefire 106 to be tested under real life conditions. It brings us a big step closer in qualifying Primefire 106 for true production and starting to establish industrial digital printing in the market.’

Götz Schümann, managing director of MPS in Obersulm, explained: ‘Our business model is based on zero tolerance of error, quality, availability and on-time delivery. We have many years of experience with Heidelberg as a reliable partner in the area of offset technology. Its quality and service pledge are outstanding. As such we’re confident that Heidelberg digital technologies are also the right choice for us, and we look forward to being involved in the market launch of the Primefire 106 as an early adopter.’

Watch a video of the Heidelberg Primefire 106 being introduced at drupa 2016 here