Esko Donates Packaging Technology to RIT

MIAMISBURG, OH—April 5, 2013—Esko, a graphic arts company long known for its commitment to advancing education, has donated a suite of packaging software and hardware to Rochester Institute of Technology's (RIT) College of Applied Science and Technology in New York.

The technology, which includes ArtiosCAD structural design software, a Kongsberg XL-24 digital finishing table with iSight, DeskPack prepress plug-ins, Equinox color technology for extended gamut printing, and Suite 12 pre-production software with Studio 3D packaging design tools, will be used in RIT's Packaging Science undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as faculty research projects.

The highly touted Packaging Science program, which is the result of a long and close collaboration between RIT and the packaging industry, looks to train students in current packaging workflows, while at the same time preparing them for careers in packaging development, structural design, marketing, research, sales, purchasing and production.

The Esko toolkit was delivered in December 2011 and installed in January 2012. Because many of the classes that were planning to use the toolkit were not offered in the spring semester, the software and Kongsberg table were implemented into the fall curriculum. "We were also trying to make sure we were using the technology to its fullest,” stated Tom Kausch about the delay. Kausch manages the Packaging Dynamics and Materials Laboratories at RIT and is a lecturer for the college's Packaging Science program. Plans are in the works for a full-fledged Esko technology lab, spotlighting the company’s contribution not only to the school but to the packaging industry as well.

Highest Quality Level of Tools

“All of our packaging courses utilize Esko tools in one way or another,” reported Kausch. “Now with these wonderful tools, our faculty can do more with the students, using the software for structural and graphic design, for example. We’ve never had the quality of tools we have today.”

The technology is used for a broad swath of courses in the Packaging Science program, from Computer Applications, where students learn package design and layout and make prototypes using ArtiosCAD and Adobe Illustrator, to classes like Flexible Containers and Packaging for Distribution.

In the course Packaging for End Use, designed as a capstone course for the Bachelor of Science program, students learn how to design optimal packaging systems to meet the needs of the retailer and the consumer. Using ArtiosCAD, along with Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop, students redesign existing primary packages—including the graphics—and secondary corrugated package to present the most user-friendly sustainable package possible. “The class is all hands-on," noted Kausch. "Students are expected to design a package that would be new and conceptual.” In essence, they are developing and preparing actual prototypes.

One of the current projects in the class is an internal competition to redesign a laundry detergent container for a real brand owner. The student teams use Esko software to create concepts and then present them to the brand’s marketing department to see if they might be used for a real product.

Real Life Dynamic Compression and Vibration Tests

In the college’s Packaging Dynamics Laboratory, packages undergo simulated real life tests. ArtiosCAD and the Kongsberg table are used for mock-ups for the initial research on dynamic compression and vibration to see what the package can withstand. “Basically we are a third-party testing lab for these packages,” explained Kausch. “We use the findings for research as well as for setting up recommendations we will present to the packaging community.”

The Esko technology helps the packaging students unleash their creativity, a strong value at RIT. “The Kongsberg table was installed on a Monday,” Kausch recalled. “On Friday—with minimal training—they designed and cut out a gorilla using the table and stuck it to the wall; they named it KING KONG(sberg). Our students are very innovative and talented. You never know what you will see!”

Using the Esko tools, RIT students are participating in a number of national competitions, such as those held by the Paperboard Packaging Association and the Independent Corrugated Association.

Packaging Science students are also using Esko technology to find solutions to real world problems. For example, after the college announced that it will no longer be supplying bottled water on campus, packaging students began designing a flexible container to fill with water at filling stations. They are designing the container as well as the logo and graphics using Esko software. "The students are working with a company that will produce their design for whatever they come up with and are investigating whether or not to sell it in the campus store," explained Kausch.

The ability to freely create designs and build real prototypes of packaging ideas is an extremely powerful learning tool for students, and Kausch appreciates the ability to give his students this advantage. “Esko has been very generous to our program, and all at RIT will benefit greatly,” he said.

About Esko
Esko is a global supplier of integrated solutions for the packaging and labels, sign and display, commercial printing and professional publishing industries. It is a worldwide market leader with software for packaging management, artwork creation, structural design, pre-production, 3D visualization, workflow automation, quality assurance and supply chain collaboration. Esko solutions support and manage the packaging and print processes at brand owners, retailers, designers, packaging manufacturers and print service providers.

Headquartered in Gent, Belgium, with R&D and manufacturing facilities in five European countries, the United States, China and India, Esko employs approximately 1,200 people worldwide. Its direct sales and service organization covers Europe, Middle East and Africa, the Americas and the Asia Pacific, Japan and China regions and is complemented by a network of distribution partners in more than 50 countries. Esko is a Danaher company, and its products and services drive profitability in the packaging and printing supply chain by reducing time-to-market and raising productivity.

Follow Esko on these Websites: Esko's Blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube.

About RIT College of Applied Science and Technology
Internationally recognized as a leader in imaging, technology, fine and applied arts, and education of the deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology enrolls more than 17,000 full- and part-time students in more than 340 career-oriented and professional programs. RIT’s College of Applied Science and Technology, which includes Master of Science and Bachelor of Science programs in Packaging Science, offers a range of programs focused on the technological applications that improve product quality, streamline processes, and, in general, best serve consumers and suppliers alike.

Source: Esko.