Smurfit Kappa installing flash new HP digital press

Smurfit Kappa is installing a new industrial-scale HP PageWide C500 digital press for corrugated printing, which will provide greater customisation and flexibility for customers, it announced on Thursday.

The HP PageWide C500 Press, which would be the first commercial HP single pass press in Europe, was described by Smurfit as HP’s most technologically advanced digital press for corrugated application.

It said the press will be installed at its Interwell plant in Austria.

With a fully integrated stack-to-stack workflow, the press would combine “digital simplicity” with off-set replaceable print quality on both coated and uncoated paper.

The technology would provide brand owners with customised packaging solutions that could drive sales across both online and traditional sales channels, the board explained.

It said the graphic flexibility and quality of the new HP PageWide C500 Press would further enhance the company’s service to drive brand recognition and provide fit-for-purpose packaging.

Additionally, the HP water-based inks would facilitate printing on both primary and secondary food packaging without an additional barrier, which could comply with even the most stringent global food safety regulations.

“This new press is the perfect solution for our Interwell plant. It comes after a successful collaboration between Smurfit Kappa and HP,” said Smurfit’s CEO for Europe, Saverio Mayer.

“We are both early adopters in our respective industries and constantly strive to provide pioneering, market-leading solutions for our customers.”

Cristóbal Macedo, director of corrugated business for Europe, Middle East and Africa at HP, saif the company was “delighted” that Smurfit Kappa would be the first in Europe to install the C500 Press.

“This press is going to fundamentally change the corrugated industry by digitalising it.”

The press would be installed in April, and would support Smurfit Kappa’s extensive customer base in the fast-moving consumer goods sector by strengthening the power of their brands in an increasingly competitive, consumer-focused world, the board added.