In one of the industry’s biggest software sales ever, HYBRID Software, which is already the fastest growing software company in the graphic arts sector, has won its largest order since its formation. This has been placed by Shanxi Yuncheng Plate Making Group, the world’s leading manufacturer of gravure cylinders, employing around 10,000 people at 75 productions sites, many of which are in China. 

“It’s difficult to overstate the significance of this order, which will result in sixty-five Yuncheng sites worldwide being equipped with PACKZ and CLOUDFLOW solutions,” says chairman Guido Van der Schueren. 

“China is not only a hugely important market, it is set to provide the major growth in the global graphic arts sector for the foreseeable future. To win this order from such a key player is a real endorsement of HYBRID Software and its products and confirms our position as a pioneering software supplier to the packaging arena.

“Shanxi Yuncheng chose HYBRID Software for the same reasons as an independent packaging printer buying a single copy of PACKZ. Top of this list is that we listen to our customers, whatever their size and wherever they are. Next, we are willing to act upon their input. This philosophy is part of our DNA and is what drives our teams of experts to be so creative in the areas of technology that customers need the most.”

Shanxi Yuncheng was founded in 1984 as a specialist in the production of gravure cylinders, dies and flexo plates. In 2000 the company began an expansion programme that has taken it into 40 countries, with production sites opened in the Americas, Europe, Africa and South East Asia. This has been accompanied by investment that has allowed it to be involved in print-related technologies based on plastic, magnesium, aluminium and other materials. 

“Over the last eighteen months I’ve personally met Shanxi Yuncheng’s president and owner, Mr. Liu, several times to ensure that we understand in minute detail what his company needs in order to achieve the improvements they want,” says Guido Van der Schueren. 

“About a year ago we installed a ‘concept software solution’ at one of the company’s sites in China and we followed this with a call every week to check progress, answer queries and listen to feedback. This was quite an investment from both sides and it reflects our commitment to providing the right solution. We must also give credit to the enormous help provided throughout this project by our local agent, Wirth Technologies (China) Co. Ltd.”

PACKZ was launched at Labelexpo 2013 and rapidly gained a reputation as a leading professional PDF editor for packaging and label workflows. The native PDF software, which runs on Mac OS X and Windows platforms and provides 64-bit multi-processing and multi-threading facilities, eliminates the need for file conversions or proprietary file formats. The Yuncheng order brings the number of seats of PACKZ sold worldwide to more than 1,200.

CLOUDFLOW is a web-based workflow solution that connects multiple workflows, devices, and even distributed production sites through a common interface and centralized database. Supported on Windows and Mac OS X, CLOUDFLOW interacts with external systems such as file servers, MIS/ERP systems and web portals, and can submit files to workflows in several ways.  

“Our approach to all product creation is based on novel technologies e.g. native PDF, HTML5, open standards, web-based workflows and our recently launched CLOUDFLOW Share technology,” says Guido Van der Schueren. “We are constantly bringing out new products and these have put us at the cutting-edge of software development for packaging and label production. 

“When the PACKZ and CLOUDFLOW products are implemented fully at Shanxi Yuncheng, the company’s innovative workflow will leapfrog many western gravure cylinder manufacturers that operate in what can often be a rather conservative sector in regards to innovation. I think a lot of managers involved in this field will be taking careful note of what is happening at the Shanxi Yuncheng sites. To say it’s an exciting time at the moment would be an understatement!”