GRE Engineering, of Steinebrunn, Switzerland, has formed an alliance with inkjet printing systems manufacturer Impika Jetting Solutions of Aubagne, France, that will integrate the product lines of both companies. GRE provides custom converting systems to the label, business forms and packaging industries.

The Impika Drop on Demand (DOD) print engines are capable of printing variable data in high resolution color on small and medium width substrates at high speeds, according to Jean-Marc Pasturel, the company’s director of business development.

GRE and Impika joined forces at IPEX 2006 in April by presenting the IPS C-9000 high resolution, full color DOD printing system in combination with converting equipment from GRE for the production of labels using UV curable inks. The IPS C-9000 prints text and graphics at 900 dpi over widths of up to 429mm (17″), Pasturel says. The combined product offering from the two companies includes a GRE unwind station, laminating, Digicut diecutter with digital stylus module, laser diecutting, and matrix/finished rewind. Additional converting options include sheet delivery, foil stamping, UV coating and curing, hologram deposition, RFID insertion and rotary diecutting with either fixed solid or flexible magnetic dies.