Our team recently visited HP at its Graphics Experience Center (GEC) in Alpharetta, Georgia, to test eight new flexible packaging film designs. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how our HP partnership positively impacts converters.
New Packing Films Tested
At the GEC, we tested eight new flexible packaging film designs on an HP Indigo 200K Digital Press and their Karlville thermal laminator and pouch machines. Efficiency abounds at the HP center. We have the ability to dive deeply into film performance without the constraints of a commercial production facility where testing may be delayed or interrupted by production deadlines.
The HP Indigo 200K press is HP’s newest printer on the market designed for flexible package printing. During our testing, we measured print performance on state-of-the-art technology across multiple pieces of equipment. The experienced HP Indigo team helped us troubleshoot issues as soon as they occurred.
A Broader Perspective on Film Production
HP saw firsthand the differences between laminated film constructions and how those differences can affect print, lamination, and pouching performance. Our team members were at the unwind station of the press, looking at the quality of the unprinted roll stock. Meanwhile, a member of the HP team was at the rewind station observing print quality on that same roll. Having four different sets of eyes on a product while in production gives us a broader perspective on film performance.
Additionally, we shipped two rolls of thermal laminate to the GEC so we could vet the performance our own films to finish and protect the printed web before it is sent to the poucher. The film’s supreme velvet matte coating had a satin haptic finish that protects surface-printed graphics from scuffing and scratching during normal use.
Knowledge Base of Partnership Results in Added Value to Customers
The visit was a huge success. Most of the designs are moving on to the next phase in the development process. The finished packages produced will be used for testing pouch functionality and also for promotional uses for our sales team's customer demos. S-OneLP materials that were not used for testing are left at the HP facility for their use in demoing the HP200K press to prospective clients. Both S-OneLP and HP learned a lot about new film designs. The knowledge gained will benefit both S-One LP’s and HP’s customers as we expand the portfolios of flexible packaging films compatible with HP Indigo presses.
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