HP Indigo launches Pack Ready Lamination

Pack Ready Lamination is designed for digitally printed flexible packaging off HP Indigo 20000, 8000 and WS6800 digital presses. It provides strong laminate bond strength with zero curing time for immediate pouch converting, opening new opportunities for digitally printed flexible packaging, according to the digital printing specialist.

HP Indigo general manager Alon Bar-Shany commented: ‘Pack Ready is the next step in the HP digital disruption of printing for flexible packaging, the fastest-growing packaging sector. We are proud to make this solution available to HP Indigo customers to help them maximize the value of HP digital print, drive brand engagement, shorten time to market, and cut waste and costs.’

Developed and patented by HP, Pack Ready Lamination was first previewed at drupa 2016 as a proof-of-concept design, and fast-tracked into a fully developed commercial option based on positive partner feedback and demand. The technology includes the HP Indigo Pack Ready Laminator, developed by Karlville, and Pack Ready Film, brought to market in collaboration with a number of material suppliers. Pack Ready Film contains a heat active polymer layer that mechanically interlocks with HP’s Indigo ElectroInk once sufficient heat and pressure are applied, allowing immediate use. HP Indigo Pack Ready Film can comply with key global food packaging safety regulations, under well-defined conditions of use. Pack Ready food contact grade films are now available from leading global film suppliers, including Polyplex and Polifilm.

The Pack Ready Laminator, optimized for the HP Indigo 20000 digital press, is manufactured and supplied by Karlville. Customer beta testing of the laminator is scheduled for this summer, with the first units to ship by the end of the year.

Karlville said the technology reaffirms its commitment to providing innovative machinery for HP Indigo customers as the digital printing market continues to evolve.

‘The new Pack Ready solution will allow digital converters to eliminate cure time for instant converting and shipping, opening new opportunities,’ commented John Price, Karlville president. ‘Overall cost and complexity barriers are lowered with this new concept. Combining Pack Ready laminates with Karlville’s new thermal laminator, digital customers can smoothly transition into the flexible packaging market.’

At interpack 2017, Pack Ready Laminator is demonstrated for the first time for production of digitally printed, laminated, on-demand pouches, using digital prints off an HP Indigo 20000, Pack Ready Film and a Bosch Form Fill and Seal (FFS) machine. Karville is showcasing machinery for producing spouted pouches, shrink sleeve and tape multipacks on its own stand.

HP Indigo Pack Ready Coating is another part of the HP Indigo Pack Ready ecosystem, with customers in Europe using the post-print coating technology for high-performance applications such as retort pouches. Commercially released in November 2016, Pack Ready Coating is now extended to support microwavable clear retort pouches.