Japanese printer, Chiyoda Gravure Corporation, has moved into full-scale production of flexible packaging after installing a Screen Truepress PAC 830F, a digital press that applies water-based pigments.
The investment forms part of Chiyoda’s wider strategy to strengthen its production capabilities around four key areas. On brand value, the company plans to offer clients a broader range of design options while keeping to standardised package sizes, supporting limited-time and region-specific products as well as test-market items, and accommodating small-lot orders alongside a more diverse product line.
The digital process is also expected to help clients optimise their SKUs and reduce inventory, with Chiyoda establishing a production system that can supply the right quantities at the right time, easing the burden of managing stock keeping units.
Productivity gains are another focus. By minimising plate changeovers and cleaning tasks, Chiyoda expects to reduce operator workloads while maintaining the quality standards associated with conventional printing. The company estimates this will cut setup times by around 70 per cent, a change it sees as important for building a sustainable production system and retaining skilled staff at a time when workforce continuity is a pressing industry concern.
Environmental impact is the fourth pillar of the strategy. The combination of water-based inks and plateless printing is expected to reduce solvent use during cleaning and cut inventory waste by ensuring production is more closely matched to actual demand.
Chiyoda brings these efforts together under Eco Smaart, its name for the printed products and services built around digital technology. The initiative is designed to respond to market demand for high-mix, low-volume production, shorter lead times, tighter inventory control and reduced environmental impact, and the launch of full-scale Truepress PAC 830F production marks a further step in that programme.
Hiroyoshi Sato, president of Chiyoda Gravure Corporation, said: “We are working to upgrade our production capabilities in response to the trend toward high mix, low volume production and the growing demand for environmental sustainability. Our introduction of the Truepress PAC 830F has enabled us to establish a flexible production system complementing our existing gravure printing operations. Going forward, we aim to leverage the unique advantages of digital printing to offer new value. We believe this will make a significant contribution to the growth of our clients’ businesses.”
