Bolingbrook, Ill. -- Graphic Packaging International, Inc., a leading provider of paperboard packaging solutions that is headquartered in Marietta, Ga., acquired drying and powder spraying accessories from Grafix USA for a new Mitsubishi Diamond V3000LX sheetfed press. The eight-color press is slated for operation at the company's folding carton facility in Piscataway, N.J.

In addition to the Hi-Cure ultraviolet (UV) system, Graphic Packaging equipped the Mitsubishi press with infrared dryers and a powder spraying unit.

"It is important that the technology we choose provides advantages we can pass along to our customers," observed Joe Mahoney, plant manager in Piscataway. "This configuration will give us everything necessary to deliver high-caliber work to customers."

The New Jersey plant specializes in high-end package printing for the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, personal products and food industries. Many projects call for interesting applications of flood and spot UV. Quality, appearance and efficiency are the major reasons UV printing is the mainstay of work at the facility.

The Diamond V3000LX will join two Mitsubishi UV presses and one conventional aqueous coating press, also from Mitsubishi. As it has in the past with its UV equipment, the printer outfitted the new press with a full interstation UV curing system.

"The key benefit of full interstation curing is improved color control," Mahoney pointed out. "The underlying inks are cured before the sheets move from one printing unit to the next, allowing inline dry trapping. This reduces dot gain and results in a better process dot and sharper color."

The Hi-Cure generation combines top printing speeds with excellent printing quality, ensuring consistent drying of UV-hardening inks and varnishes and low energy consumption at the same time. As each sheet is individually dried there is no need for spray powder.

"Our UV presses are almost exclusively dedicated to running UV work," Mahoney said. "We typically don't want to use spray powder if we don't have to with these presses. We have found that even when printing with water-based coatings, the powerful UV curing and IR lights prevent the need for spray powder."