HP PageWide Users Unlock Profitable and Sustainable Growth with Latest Innovations

HP PageWide Web Presses, an industry pioneer in inkjet technology for over 40 years, use HP’s proprietary Thermal Inkjet Technology to deliver offset-class productivity and quality with the benefits of digital printing across publishing, production mail, and commercial print. Continuing with HP’s commitment to provide tools for its customers to grow and capture more of the digital printing opportunity, HP’s latest enhancements to its PageWide Web Inkjet portfolio solve production challenges to unlock profitable and sustainable growth for its customers with increased productivity, versatility, and next level automation.

OneTrillion Printed Pages on HP PageWide

HP is thrilled to announce that its PageWide Industrial inkjet press customers around the global are nearing the 1 trillion letter-sized page milestone across publishing, production mail, commercial print and packaging, since the installation of the first PageWide Web Inkjet press in 2009. These digitally printed pages are typically printed to order and more efficiently than traditional offset print processes, reducing waste and excess inventories. “Since committing to inkjet technology in 2010, Rodona has exclusively used HP PageWide Inkjet presses for printing books. Today, inkjet printing has transformed, and so have we, continuously learning and adapting. HP supports us in producing higher quality books at greater speeds,” according to Alberto Senosiain, CEO, Rodona, Spain.

This milestone is testament to the productivity and reliability of HP PageWide web inkjet technology, which is transforming the industry, shifting print from offset to digital, and unlocking sustainable and profitable growth for HP customers across the globe. “With HP PageWide inkjet web presses, we are able to optimize our environmental impact, while expanding our businesses and creating innovations, new products and experiences, both for our transactional and direct marketing activities,” says Loïc Lefebvre, Executive Vice-President, Data One, Groupe Diffusion Plus.

Get Future-Ready with HP's T700i Press: Boost efficiency and reduce costs for single-face lamination and paper-based packaging

HP has the broadest portfolio of digital presses for the corrugated packaging industry and aims to disrupt the market further with the HP PageWide T700i Press. The T700i press platform supports increased plant capacity and reduced manufacturing costs for single-face lamination and paper-based packaging production and will enable packaging converters to print with significantly accelerated turnaround times and lower minimum order quantity requirements that optimize inventories, while focusing analog print capacity on longer runs. For converters facing increasing supply chain pressure, this press represents a substantial opportunity for business growth by enabling improved economics, greater production versatility, and more sustainable packaging solutions.

The first sold T700i Press is set to begin installation later this year. And the press will be showcased in action for the first time, alongside end-to-end workflow and partner solutions, during the HP PageWide T700i Press Global Launch Event at HP’s strategic collaborator Koenig & Bauer’s facility in Wurzburg, Germany on July 10^th.

Unlocking efficiency: HP One Package streamlines digital print adoption in corrugated packaging

Maximizing the efficiency of digital print for packaging requires robust workflow solutions that bridge the gap between planning, prepress, production, and finishing. Recognizing the evolving needs of the corrugated industry, HP continues to advance its HP One Package workflow solutions and several HP PageWide Web-Fed Packaging customers are experiencing considerable efficiency gains by adopting HP One Package as their primary workflow solution.

"Implementing One Package has significantly enhanced our digital press ramp up,” said Jason Misurka, Senior Manager, Technical Service & Support at WestRock. “Centralizing our digital press assets, this solution ensures consistent file management, and streamlining order-to-press execution for our teams. Its seamless integration with our existing prepress systems has not only enhanced our efficiency but also empowered us with the confidence to rapidly scale our operations."

HP’s portfolio of PageWide Web-fed Packaging Presses offers a unique opportunity to streamline costs and time in the printing process and improve the efficiency by batching and printing multiple jobs within a single roll. HP One Package addresses the historical challenge of converting multi-job rolls in the production system without negatively impacting downstream operations. Using a modular and open architecture, One Package enables smooth integration with existing planning or Management Information Systems (MIS) and industry-leading partner solutions to handle the digitally preprinted rolls as efficiently as brown box jobs.

“By connecting One Package to our ERP and planning system, we can now handle print rolls containing multiple batched jobs to increase efficiency of the press and the corrugator,” said Steffen Walter, Director Prepress and Print Solutions at THIMM. “And for realizing the merging of artworks with variable data – mostly dynamic codes for process automation – One Package is a significant puzzle piece.”

HP DigiCorr solution Delivers: HP, Fosber and E+L showcase efficiency in successful system integration

Building on the announcement of the collaborative DigiCorr solution in 2023, HP, Fosber, and Erhardt+Leimer (E+L) have completed a system integration at Independence Corrugated in Milwaukee, WI. The system was tested and successfully showcased the solution's ability to streamline production and deliver high-quality pre-printed microflute corrugated boards.

"The E+L system paired with our Fosber Quantum corrugator and HP preprint gives us the ability to meet growing customer demand for high graphic packaging. Innovation meets efficiency taking preprint to a higher level than your standard preprint,” remarked Taylor Meyer, Plant Manager from Independence Corrugated. "We were impressed by the ability to seamlessly switch between preprint jobs eliminating waste and setup time."

HP, Fosber, and E+L joined forces to deliver a superior solution for the litho-lam and corrugated markets. This strategic relationship combines the power of HP's PageWide T700i and T1195i Presses with the exceptional capabilities of Fosber's corrugators, including the Quantum Corrugator with its unique thermal cycle which allows optimum production of micro flutes, as well as E+L’s Smartline controls to drive order changes, ensuring that digital multi-job rolls can be corrugated with the same efficiency as unprinted boxes.

This successful system integration underscores the tremendous value of collaborating with industry-leading companies to create an ecosystem for digital preprint. Working together reduces both the risk and cost associated with adopting digital print, while also accelerating the innovation cycle, enabling customers to realize the benefits of digital quicker and unlock new possibilities for high-graphic corrugated packaging market.

Digital flexibility for broad range of Post-Print applications with HP’s C550 Press

The HP PageWide C550 Press, launched last year, allows converters to produce any type of box, at a constant speed of 90 lm/m with offset quality. Utilizing the proprietary HP CV150 Water-Based Bonding agent, color consistency and accuracy are maintained even on recycled or uncoated liners without the need to pre-treat the boards.

HP's PageWide C550 press | Credit: HP

HP believes in continuous improvement. Additional tools and features have been developed on the C5 platform extending its level of automation and optimizing operator labor: auto-recovery processes and some other previously manual tasks now automated by software, enhancing operational efficiency.

For converters who are conscious of the environmental impact of the printing ink, the CV150 Water-Based inks were recently certified by the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) with a bio-renewable content (BRC) index of 80.

With a few installations committed for in the second half of 2024, the C550 continues to be the go-to press for converters who are looking for top quality, simplicity, Industry 4.0 compliance, and sustainability merits.

The HP PageWide Web PressT485 HD Continues to Drive Marketplace Digital Transformation

The HP PageWide T485 HD is a market leading inkjet 42” (1,07 mt) web press which delivers a true alternative to offset production, capable of producing over 20,000 duplex B1 sheets per hour, accelerating the transition from offset to digital printing. With over 10 presses either installed new or upgraded to the latest generation, the HP PageWide T485 HD, the adoption of this game-changing press is growing rapidly. This is a testament to the trust HP customers are placing in this field proven printing solution.

According to Kevin Hughes, Chief Operating Officer, SG360, USA, “At SG360, we are significantly accelerating our adoption of full digital production and recently added the HP PageWide T485 HD inkjet press to our current fleet of two HP PageWide Advantage 2200 digital presses and multiple HP Indigo 100K digital presses. We consider HP a strong technology partner and given the trust we have built together, we see the 42-inch platform as providing leading productivity and economics to expand our digital footprint and customer offerings.”

“The HP PageWide T485 HD provides the operational effectiveness of digital while delivering color and quality that nearly matches offset printing, ultimately allowing us to produce publications much more cost effectively. It’s the next generation of digital web printing, which represents a new benchmark for the industry” stated James Llewellyn, Director of Manufacturing and Distribution, BJU Press.

The HP PageWide T485 HD Web Press is part of the next generation of digital web printing that provides the operational effectiveness of digital while delivering color and quality that rivals offset, ultimately allowing companies to print more economically. “Since 2009, we have worked with our customers to invest in innovations to help them grow with confidence and collectively reach their first one trillion printed pages. The strong market acceptance of our 42-inch inkjet web platform and the introduction of the new HP PageWide Plus Package delivers on our commitment to enable our customers to confidently unlock profitable and sustainable growth," said Yale Goldis, Head of HP PageWide Commercial Products and Solutions.

HP PageWide Plus Package delivers 60% speed improvement, intelligent automation and versatility

The new HP PageWide Plus Package, has been designed to deliver next-level productivity and efficiency through speed enhancements and automation technologies. Expanding the application versatility for the HP PageWide Advantage 2200, the press allows printers to capture more opportunities and produce more applications in the growing market of inkjet direct mail and general commercial with the ability to print on heavier media.

With the latest innovation, HP customers are equipped to be future ready, with HP solutions that deliver high productivity, versatility, and next level automation, designed with the users and businesses in mind, enabling printers to unlock profitable growth. This includes Performance Economy Color (EC) Mode, Smart Workcell Controller and On Press Color Profiling, all of which heighten the efficiency of the production floor. The HP PageWide Plus Package enhancements are available to all HP PageWide customers.

Performance Economy Color (EC) Mode: Offers print quality customers require while using less color ink and a faster turnaround time with a 60% increase in productivity up to 800 fpm (244 mpm). Customers are already seeing the benefits as, Loïc Lefebvre, Executive Vice-President, Data One, Groupe Diffusion Plus started “With Performance EC mode we can deliver time critical applications faster and more competitive as well as meet tighter and shorter SLA’s”. Additionally, Jonathan Wallace, President, Wallace Graphics said “Our investment in HP PageWide Advantage 2200 is a strategic investment for Wallace Graphics and propelled our business forward. We have noted a significant speed to market increase and are delighted to have found a partner in HP that ensures we have the smoothest operations possible, one that empowers us to scale our company”.

Smart Workcell Controller: A powerful intelligent automation tool that enhances workflow flexibility that tackles variable and unpredictable general commercial print and publishing work, while leveraging the power and speed of a roll-fed inkjet production line. It can deliver productivity improvements of up to a factor of 15x, “We are excited to implement the new HP PageWide Smart Workcell Controller, which will help us intelligently automate the scheduling and batching of a complex and diverse array of job types. We expect this new tool from HP to significantly increase the operational efficiency and productivity of our HP PageWide Advantage 2200,” according to Tony Smithson, VP of Operations, Thysse.

On Press Color Profiling: Significantly reduces the amount of time required for color profiling to less than 5 minutes, one tenth of the time this would normally take. “Our team is amazed at how much faster and easier it is to create an ICC profile and have completed several new profiles already.  One profile we generated delivered ink savings with no loss in quality, which will save us money going forward.  We see significant value going forward in being able to quickly develop new profiles for a range of applications and use cases.  Overall, the new Plus Package with On-Press Color Profiling is a big win for us” said Tony Smithson, VP of Operations, Thysse.

Additional Enhancements for the HP PageWide Advantage 2200

HP also announced two new additional capabilities expanding the versatility of the HP PageWide Advantage 2200 web inkjet press including heavier media expansion, enabling printers to use thicker substrates allowing them to capture more high value jobs up to 320 gsm/18pt, and Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR): Enabling printers to capture more specialty jobs and grow their business.

At drupa 2024, HP members of the global print community will see firsthand eight automated production lines equipped with the latest innovation across HP Industrial, involving over 25 partner companies and incorporating more than 20 unique automation solutions.

Source: HP

The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with Packaging Impressions. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Packaging Impressions.