Inkjet, the way into flexabile packaging

Used in the food, healthcare and cosmetics markets, flexible packaging is a major part of a global packaging market valued somewhere between $120bn to $160bn depending on the research source.

Size estimates vary, but all agree that steady growth is expected. In 2018 the Flexible Packaging Association reported that flexible packaging was the second largest packaging segment in the U.S. garnering about 19% share of all packaging with sales of $31 bn. In 2020, market share remained consistent, but sales grew by about 12% reaching $34.8 bn for the year.

Growth continues despite environmental concerns and regulation. Flex pack containers are made using a variety of substrates consisting of paper, plastic, aluminum foil, coated paper, film, or a combination of these materials. Environmental sustainability concerns are often raised due to plastic use in flexible packaging.

The EU introduced initiatives to reduce the use of plastics and other countries and organizations are becoming wary as well. Compound materials can reduce the amount of plastic, but still might need some as barrier material. This environmental pressure will give rise to new substrates that avoid plastic altogether or minimize the use. However, environmental concerns should be viewed in the context that flexible packaging uses notably less plastic than a rigid plastic container alternative.

The trend toward shorter runs and more just-in-time or on-demand production is also driving growth. The desire to order on short notice and often to deliver direct to the consumer during the Corona virus pandemic has dramatically shifted packaging volumes and workflow. Manufacturers find their markets less predictable and need to react quicker. With shifting consumer buying habits, commercial buyers want to keep less stock. Accelerated improvements in the package design and ordering workflow have facilitated a more agile market. Web2Print shops make ordering packaging more efficient for short runs and enable even small companies to have their own packaging professionally printed.

What drives the choice of print process used in flexible packaging? Most flexible packaging is produced

Afinia FP-230, a desktop press for flexible packaging with a maximum media width of 230mm, using Memjet’s VersaPass® DN ink technology

on flexographic presses with a smaller share using gravure or a combination of processes. Neither of these processes are well suited to smaller volume production. Electrophotographic print has made the biggest inroads into flex pack so far. EP toner offers the quality, sufficient width and coverage ranges required for many types of flexible packages. With 31 m/min in 4 color mode the speed is noticeably slower than flexo presses and the speed drops further when using more colors.

Another barrier to entry when it comes to printing flexible packaging is food safety. UV ink can be a challenge due to the monomers included. This could be mitigated by barrier layers or varnishes, but brand owners often prefer to play it safe. Having aqueous inks that print and adhere well to the substrates is a challenge and requires more efforts in priming, inks, drying and handling but provides a more sustainable and safe food packaging product.

Inkjet is not new to flexible packaging, but until recently it has been limited to coding and marking. Adding variable information is an especially important consideration for those in the food industry, as they must display tracking codes, manufacturing and use-by dates as well as the potential for disclosure language that varies by location.

Full graphics inkjet printing has barely made inroads into flexible packaging. Although flexible packaging is a huge market, the challenges are also big. UV inks are undesirable for food packaging and printing with water (aqueous ink) on plastics is challenging. Additionally, the print technology needs to connect well to the subsequent finishing steps in laminating and pouch making. Finally, a large gamut is desirable and offering white can be especially critical.

Still, inkjet can bring high value and vendors are stepping up. Inkjet solutions broadly fall into two tiers: low to mid-range solutions and highvolume solutions. This article focuses primarily on the first tier.

Low to Mid-volume Inkjet Solutions

Low to mid-volume solutions target more occasional uses, smaller packs and enable new, entrepreneurial types of users: such as companies with their own print and pack concept as a service or those offering web-to-pack sales of very short runs or offering sample and mock-up services. Devices in this category do not need to run 24/7 to fulfill their business purpose because the value added outweighs the potential unused press capacity. Footprint and prices are moderate for these devices

AlphaFlex from V-Shapes the solution provides inline printing with its sixlane ALPHA packaging machine to enable packaging converters/fillers to accomplish the complete manufacturing process of V-Shapes’ unique single-dose sachets and provide full color branding on both sides of the sachet – in-line, on-demand and with the industry’s highest quality.

allowing entry to the market without heavy investments in equipment.

These presses all use Memjet technology and have a relatively small footprint with price points under half a million. It is interesting to see how the Memjet printheads and waterbased inks spawned such a variety of solutions in this category. Afinia FP-230

ArrowJet Aqua 330R . For the flexible packaging market, the ArrowJet 330R has an optional inline flexo station that can be used to varnish media immediately after printing. This helps create a barrier between the ink and the inside of the packaging to ensure that there is no contamination. It also adds a protective layer to the print to ensure the quality is not compromised before it is converted into the final product.

High-volume Inkjet Solutions

High-volume presses are aimed more at today’s flexo press users, although given the limited speed and higher ink costs compared to flexo, for now they will likely be a complement targeting lower runs rather than a straightforward flexo replacement. Since the market is moving to shorter runs, these capabilities are getting more important. So far, the short-run market is underserved as print service providers are not able to offer cost efficient short runs and in turn brand owners adapted their supply chain to long runs. High volume inkjet presses for flexible packaging allow multi-shift production. They should fit into many production environments where print and converting takes place today. You can find details on high volume inkjet presses for flexible packaging at Inkjet Insight. Recent research from Inkjet Insight found that 72% of customers who reported completing an inkjet integration project said it was a hybrid solution combining inkjet with another production process.

Another option includes PCMC’s Powered by Memjet inkjet printing system called, ION. It is a versatile solution adaptable to meet market demands for new press builds with inkjet and flexography or it can be customized as an inkjet retrofit for a hybrid solution on most any press. The combination of PCMC’s experience in flexographic printing and Memjet’s DuraLink printhead and aqueous pigment ink technology provides a powerful and flexible solution for long and short run printing that can be configured from 8.5” up to 60” print widths.

Inkjet is entering the flexible packaging market from many directions at once and Memjet is helping many OEMs and integrators navigate the path.