Danvers, MA - TECHKON - the innovation leader in high-precision color measurement technology for the global print community - announces a purchase agreement with Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation ("Smurfit-Stone"), dually headquartered in Creve Coeur, MO and Chicago, IL. Smurfit-Stone has partnered with TECHKON USA to outfit its pressrooms across the country with the TECHKON SpectroDens spectrophotometer.

Smurfit-Stone is well recognized for its broad range of packaging capabilities, from the paperboard packaging and corrugated products it manufactures, to its innovative packaging solutions and design, display and merchandising services. Also known as a global leader in environmentally sustainable packaging, Smurfit-Stone is committed to growing its business profitably, environmentally responsibly and safely. Smurfit-Stone is also one of the world's largest paper recyclers and exporters, annually processing and selling more than six million tons.

Smurfit-Stone was looking to drive enhanced color quality and consistency across its network of packaging facilities. After consulting with the Smurfit-Stone Quality Managers and with their brand owner customers, TECHKON's Director of Technical Sales Bob Byrnes worked collaboratively to assess their needs and draw up an implementation plan that would put Smurfit-Stone on the leading edge of color quality control within the packaging industry.

"The implementation plan calls for the brand color libraries to be loaded directly on the SpectroDens device. Then using TECHKON's "Pass/Fail" feature, press operators can both quickly check color accuracy and identify exactly what adjustments need to be made," reports Byrnes. "With the new color measurement best practices that we have co-developed with Smurfit-Stone, pressroom personnel now have a 'call to action' with step-by-step responses to bring color in line with great efficiency, significantly reducing makeready on press."

Empowered by the full range of SpectroDens Premium functionality, Quality Managers find that pressroom operators are not only able to quickly qualify color by checking for accuracy, but also quantify it with comprehensive data indicating exactly what adjustments need to be made to bring color into spec. Overall, the pressrooms run more efficiently with color quality performance tracking across the Smurfit-Stone network of packaging plants; better scheduling through faster makeready; and significant savings in time, labor and material costs - all key components to customer satisfaction.

"Our partnership with TECHKON has not only provided Smurfit-Stone with fast, highly accurate color measurement in the SpectroDens Premium, but also the expertise to develop a process-driven approach to achieve excellence in color quality and pressroom performance," states Russ Lawrimore, senior director of Operational Excellence for Smurfit-Stone's Container division.

With the transition to SpectroDens Premiums in progress, Smurfit-Stone already sees enhancements in the following areas: Higher color quality using the new color measurement best practices; greater consistency in brand color across all Smurfit-Stone facilities; ability to track press performance across all packaging plants and faster makeready driving better plant scheduling efficiencies, providing significant savings in time, labor and material cost-savings.

TECHKON SpectroDens is just one example of TECHKON's commitment to technological innovation and unique focus on developing color measurement solutions that support their customers' need for quality, efficiency and accuracy. Other products include: TECHKON SpectroJet, SpectroDrive, SpectroPlate and SpectroEdge. Visit our new website at: www.TECHKONUSA.com