Fujifilm, ePac announce global strategic partnership

Fujifilm has announced a global strategic partnership with ePac Flexible Packaging to expand the use of its J Press FP790 digital inkjet technology across ePac’s international production network.

The agreement will initially bring the J Press FP790 to ePac’s new manufacturing facility in Phoenix, AZ, USA, with additional installations planned across the flexible packaging converter’s global operations in subsequent phases.

The partnership is designed to expand ePac’s digital printing capacity, particularly for longer production runs, while maintaining the short-run, on-demand capabilities that have been central to its business model.

“ePac was founded on the belief that digital printing would redefine the global flexible packaging market,” said Parag Patel, president of shared services at ePac Flexible Packaging. “By continuing to integrate leading-edge assets into our fleet, we are significantly increasing our capacity and capability to handle larger run lengths efficiently.”

Patel added that the investment will help ePac support brands as their packaging requirements evolve, providing greater production flexibility as order volumes increase.

The Fujifilm J Press FP790 is a water-based digital inkjet press developed specifically for flexible packaging applications. The system delivers 1,200 x 1,200 dpi resolution and, according to Fujifilm, can reproduce more than 90% of the Pantone color gamut.

The press uses water-based inks designed for food packaging applications and supports recyclable packaging structures. Its capabilities are intended to provide consistent print quality and color reproduction while accommodating higher-volume production requirements.

“This alliance brings together two powerhouses dedicated to the digital transformation of global packaging,” said Osamu Nakashima, corporate vice president of Fujifilm Business Innovation Corporation. “We’ve put huge emphasis on digital packaging in the latest developments to our portfolio, and our flagship J Press FP790 is engineered specifically to transform flexible packaging manufacturing.”

For ePac, the investment represents an expansion of its digital production platform, enabling the company to serve both emerging brands requiring shorter runs and established customers with increasing packaging volumes.

The companies said the partnership will also support demand for shorter lead times, localized production and scalable flexible packaging solutions.

The Phoenix installation will mark the first phase of the agreement, although a timetable and specific locations for subsequent installations have not yet been announced.