Left to right: Gary Cuozzo, Printing Manager, Diamond Packaging and Dave Rydell, President and COO, Diamond Packaging.

Kennesaw, Ga. – Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG), the largest supplier and technology leader for the folding carton market, expects the segment to grow worldwide by more than two percent annually over the next few years. According to a study by the US market research institute Smithers, the total value of folding carton production will reach 160 billion US dollars by 2026. For HEIDELBERG, folding carton represents a strategic growth segment and already accounts for nearly half of the company’s sales. An important driver in the market is the growing environmental awareness of consumers, who are increasing their preference for more sustainable paperboard packaging over plastic.

Recently, Diamond Packaging, a full-service packaging supplier and manufacturer of paperboard folding cartons, counter-top displays, and blister cards specializing in the cosmetic, personal care, and health care industries, installed a new Speedmaster XL 106 from HEIDELBERG. Equipped with UV, Prinect Inpress Control 3, and FoilStar, the press is specially designed to meet the demands of today’s Consumer Packaged Goods companies: high-end decorative effects produced more quickly, economically, and sustainably. Diamond’s newest XL 106-10-LYYL includes the 20,000th XL 105/106 printing unit to be installed since the press model was introduced – a testament to the quality and success of HEIDELBERG’s XL line.

The Most Advanced Printing and Decorative Capabilities in the Industry

Recently awarded a Platinum rating for the second year in a row by EcoVadis, the leading global advocate for sustainability and corporate social responsibility, Diamond Packaging, based in Rochester, NY, is committed to integrating these two core principles into its daily business. Seeking business partners with similar values, the company recently installed a ten-color Speedmaster XL 106 – replacing two aging HEIDELBERG 40-inch presses. Diamond’s newest XL press, its fourth, is equipped with HEIDELBERG’s most advanced technologies, and will help the company “capture the essence of luxury and premium brands with the most advanced printing and decorative capabilities in the industry while minimizing environmental impact throughout the supply chain,” said Dave Rydell, President & COO for Diamond Packaging. The press includes innovative features like autonomous Push-to-Stop technology, AutoPlate Pro, and a completely new operating philosophy, the Heidelberg User Experience, which together with Intellistart 3 and other assistance systems, ensure short makeready times and the best possible support for press operators. The new technology will not only add substantial capacity and continue to drive growth for Diamond’s thriving business, but according to Rydell, “The efficiency of this press versus our older presses will significantly lower set-up costs and material usage. Additionally, the enhanced automation will be helpful to our operators while driving productivity gains.”

Diamond expects to see further efficiency gains via the built-in color management of Prinect Inpress Control 3. Impressed with HEIDELBERG’s color management technology, Diamond was one of the early adopters of Prinect Image Control closed-loop spectrophotometry to automatically measure and control color. The new XL 106, however, is its first press to feature Prinect Inpress Control – the completely inline spectrophotometer that measures and controls color and registers on press at any speed, delivering the first measurable result in less than 60 sheets. The company, who is committed to minimizing waste, sees Inpress Control as a tool to both advance its color monitoring technologies while supporting a sustainable use of resources. According to Rydell, “Moving to Inpress Control is a natural evolution of our spectral management system that should deliver consistent, stable color results more efficiently and with a higher level of automation.”

Cost Effective and More Sustainable

Seeking additional measures to reduce its material and energy expenditures, Diamond chose to install its newest press with FoilStar inline cold transfer application. FoilStar helps the company meet its customers’ desires for high-end effects to reinforce the premium positioning of their brands while eliminating some of its offline foiling processes. “Our customers are very interested in our environmental practices and new material options,” said Rydell. “Inline techniques are cost effective and more sustainable, especially when considering the material and energy costs associated with multiple runs or off-line production processes.” Thanks to its indexing function, the new FoilStar unit optimally applies metallic decoration regardless of coverage, which helps to provide savings for printed sheets with minimal foiling. Diamond’s FoilStar unit has the additional capability of applying Cast and Cure holographic effects inline and is the first FoilStar installed in the world with this combined functionality. It is also Diamond’s first press to feature HEIDELBERG’s inline cold transfer unit, but it will begin retrofitting an existing 2016 XL 106 with FoilStar later this month.

Today, Diamond’s packaging is designed utilizing recyclable or recycled paperboards (many FSC-certified), and manufactured using 100% clean, renewable wind energy, in a Zero Waste to Landfill and Carbon Neutral facility. Equipped with three other XL 105/106 presses, HEIDELBERG technology plays an essential role in what Diamond calls its “greenbox sustainability” initiative – a comprehensive approach to packaging that minimizes environmental impact throughout the supply chain. Through creative design, careful material selection, and best practices at the plant level, Diamond is able to reduce waste and shipping costs and increase efficiencies. “Sustainability is no longer a trend in packaging, it’s an expectation,” said Rydell. “The efficiencies we gain and the materials we save by using HEIDELBERG technology helps us lessen our environmental impact while continuing to cultivate a positive emotional connection to the customer’s brand.”