Inkjet & Digital Printing

Schumacher Packaging and BHS Corrugated develop digital printing machine

Friday 19. March 2021 - The Schumacher Packaging Group, one of the largest family-run manufacturers of corrugated and solid board packaging solutions, is putting a newly developed, highly efficient digital printing machine into operation at its Greven site with the RSR printer (RSR: Roll to printed Sheet in Real Time) from BHS Corrugated.

It is the result of many years of development cooperation between Schumacher Packaging and BHS Corrugated Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH. Thanks to its high printing speed of up to 300 metres per minute and the fully automated process sequence, productivity in the production of corrugated packaging can be significantly increased compared to the traditional process with flexographic printing. In addition, the printing phase is upstream of the corrugated board production, which significantly reduces costs in the event of a misprint.
Bottleneck in the printing process eliminated
Up to now, printing has limited the process speed in the further processing of corrugated board. “We have removed this bottleneck,” explains Björn Schumacher, managing director of the Schumacher Packaging Group. “Our new digital press operates at printing speeds of 100 to 300 metres per minute. This has significantly increased our capacity for downstream process steps such as die-cutting, gluing and palletising.” The printing width is up to 2,800 millimetres.
With a finished print image into the corrugator
Another special feature of the new line is that it changes the previous process sequence: First the printing takes place, then the corrugated board is produced. Both the digital printing and the corrugator come from the same manufacturer, BHS Corrugated Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH. They are therefore perfectly matched to each other, for example in terms of operating speed. Communication both between the machines and with the merchandise management system takes place via optimally adapted interfaces. A defect detection system integrated in both presses ensures that only defect-free corrugated packaging reaches the subsequent production stages. Rejection costs for possible printing errors can be significantly reduced by reversing the process – by first printing and then producing the corrugated board.
No compromises when it comes to environmental compatibility
Sustainability and environmental protection are very important to Schumacher Packaging. “For us, it was therefore already clear at the beginning of the development work that the digital printing press would use only water-based consumables in every process step, from pre-coating to varnishing,” Björn Schumacher emphasises. “In addition, the inks used comply with the Swiss Consumer Goods Ordinance and the Nestlé Guidance Note on Packaging Inks.”
Digital printing – the future in packaging
“With the RSR printer, we have now digitised the entire manufacturing process in the corrugated sector,” emphasises Schumacher. “We are convinced that digital printing is the technology of the future for corrugated and solid board packaging. On the one hand, it is the only way to meet the ever higher demands of customers and consumers for high-quality packaging. And on the other hand, it also allows short runs to be realised economically. Not to be forgotten: Thanks to the consistently automated processes, we have further improved productivity and set new standards in terms of quality.”