Heidelberg -- As part of its Linoprint innovation project, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) has joined forces with Alcan Packaging Singen GmbH. Alcan Packaging is a leading and experienced specialist in printed and unprinted flexible packaging materials and supplies global corporations in the pharmaceutical and food industries. The objective of the cooperation is to offer mutual customers in the packaging and pharmaceutical sectors innovative new solutions enabling them to print short packaging runs digitally, cost-effectively, reliably and at a high level of quality. An example of this being traceability of individual pharmaceutical to the end user. "Since the beginning of 2009, our collaboration with Alcan Packaging has been focusing primarily on the area of aluminium foils," explains Sven Michael, Head of Consumables at Linoprint.

"Alcan Packaging and the Linoprint team are working closely on the development of printing stocks, such as blister packaging films," states Kurt Peter Müller, Regional Sales Manager North Germany at Alcan Packaging. In this way, both companies are making sure that customers with the digital Drop-on-Demand inkjet technology from Linoprint can print new printing stocks from Alcan Packaging immediately after they are introduced and with optimum quality – without losing time in adjusting production operations to the new material.

Ideal for Alcan Packaging aluminium foils

Customers of Alcan Packaging can use Linoprint printing systems with the manufacturer's foils that are already available. "We have thoroughly tested the Linoprint print technology and are impressed with the system," says Müller.

Why use Drop-on-Demand inkjet technology?

"Today, pharmaceutical and packaging companies are increasingly faced with demand for short runs for their packaging – right through to the individual marking of single blister cells. New consumer protection provisions mean that this form of identification is a must," explains Müller. "Digital processes that meet these requirements reliably are increasingly in demand. That's why we are working closely with Linoprint." Until now, digital printing methods have been used primarily for marking the products with just batch designations or best before dates. Linoprint extends the application through its Drop-on-Demand inkjet method to ensure efficient production and optimum print quality, while meeting the new consumer protection provisions – even for the shortest of runs. Thanks to their modular design, Linoprint printing systems can be flexibly integrated into both new and existing packaging lines. Key requirements in the development process at Linoprint included simple operation, optimum reliability and the reuse of existing printing stocks.

You can find further information on Linoprint at www.linoprint.de.

Information on Alcan Packaging Singen GmbH is available at www.alcanpackaging-singen.de.