Agfa and Hybrid Software have teamed up in a move aimed at making folding carton production more flexible, especially as brands push for shorter print runs, faster lead times and more customised packaging. The companies say the collaboration is intended to help converters move away from conventional workflows and towards fully digital production.
At the centre of the arrangement is an integration of Hybrid Software’s packaging design, prepress and digital front-end tools with...
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Agfa’s printing technology, including the SpeedSet Orca single-pass digital packaging press and Asanti software. The companies say this should allow cartons to be produced with changing graphics, text, languages or artwork from one unit to the next, while still maintaining the consistency packaging customers expect.
The SpeedSet Orca is designed for higher-volume folding carton work, where digital production can offer quicker changeovers and less waste than analogue methods. Agfa says the press combines digital primer, water-based inks and inline varnish, and is compatible with a range of substrates including paper and micro-flute.
Hybrid Software’s Helix OEM business is supplying SmartDFE, which the companies say is designed to handle complex inline variable data printing. The system uses artificial intelligence to adjust production settings in real time, which is intended to improve throughput on heavily versioned jobs. ColorLogic software is also part of the package, with the aim of keeping brand colours consistent across different versions and materials.
Michael Dupré, head of software digital printing systems at Agfa, said the collaboration reflects a shared effort to help folding carton producers manage the move from analogue to digital production as demand for versioning and customisation rises. Lawrence Geere, OEM sales director EMEA at Hybrid Software Helix, said the partnership offers converters a practical route to competing in a changing market.
Source: Noah Wire Services
