Firstan latest to hail Landa as digital evolution

Firstan, an independent manufacturer of folding cartons for the pharmaceutical and healthcare markets, has become the latest converter to state that the new Landa Nanographic Printing process is a step-change in digital printing that will open up new opportunities for its operations.
 
Firstan has signed a letter of intent with Landa to take an S10 (pictured, top) B1-size sheet-fed digital production press for commercial printing and folding cartons. The folding carton model is a straight printing (simplex) model operating at speeds of 6,500-13,000sph on virgin and recycled carton board, metallized stock (200-1,000 micron thickness) and plastics foils.
 
By signing up with Landa, Firstan has become the first carton manufacturer in the UK to purchase an S10. The move also signals its first steps into digital printing.
 
Firstan follows Reflex Labels, also based in the UK, as one of the very early adopters of the Landa Nanographic Printing process. Reflex has signed a letter of intent for a W5 model, a 560mm-wide web-fed press.
 
Reflex’s Will Parker told Package Print Worldwide that the Landa process is a sufficient change in digital printing technology to make it sit up and take notice, after being a digital skeptic for a number of years.
 
‘I bought the first Indigo press in Europe 17 years ago,’ said Parker. ‘We’ve had a long, and sometimes painful, introduction to digital technology. A lot of what we’ve seen, as Ian Kendall [owner of Reflex Labels] has said, has been a refinement of 1990s technology. We’ve been waiting for the next step.

‘This technology is that step, offering speed, versatility and ecological benefits. It’s a no-brainer.'
 
Andrew Hartwig, managing director at Firstan, said: ‘We have a B1 sized litho printing workflow, and haven’t seen anything close to what we’ve needed before.
 
‘This technology fits into our operations, and allows us to make the move into digital.’
 
Hartwig said the installation of a digital press will save the company many man-hours and large amounts of resources for shorter run lengths, with make-ready times and plate volumes reduced, plus open up extra capacity on its four existing offset presses. The two printing process will run side-by-side at Firstan.
 
‘The extra capacity it will open up on our existing presses is the beauty of this installation. It fits in with, and complements, our existing workflow.’
 
Neither Firstan or Reflex will receive their respective presses until the latter half of 2013, but both are already confident on the impact the machines will have on their business.
 
Parker said: ‘A lot of people are asking if this is a publicity stunt but once the machine is operational, it will be there for people to see.
 
‘We are a simple company and we make money to invest money. We’re investing in our core business; we’ve recently bought an MPS press, invested in coaters and reinvested in UV. We’re also planning to move one of our locations into new premises, which will double the size of the premises.
 
‘You can’t stand still as a business. This is “bleeding edge” technology, so we expect some issues, but the payback is that we are regarded as innovative and leading the market.
 
‘Benny Landa is recognized as having moved the industry forward [when he launched Indigo], and he has done it again,' said Parker.
 
Hartwig said: ‘Benny Landa is the father of inkjet printing, and there’s a lot of faith in what he does.
 
‘Our pharmaceutical customers are looking for us to take a lead with new technologies. We’re very excited about this technology, and happy to be involved in its development. As an SME, we can be more innovative and responsive, and work with it.
 
‘If we want to feel the benefits of developments like this, we need to be involved with it from the start. It’s a long-term game.’
 
Read more on Landa nanography here
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