Bottom Line Coexistence: Combining Flexo and Digital for Value, Profitability

"Equipment vendors are developing machines that will run from 160 to 250 feet per minute, which will make them very competitive with flexo," says Heinl. "Machines like that will be game changers for label printing, and digital will become much more commonplace."

The sweet spot for digital is still in the label segment of packaging. For now, moderate-speed digital presses will continue serving as short-run alternatives to flexography, empowering those machines to operate at optimal speeds and throughput. When the performance of both systems is optimized, their coexistence in a converting plant can bring greater profitability to the bottom line. pP