HP has announced a strategic agreement with Comexi Group, a flexible packaging machinery manufacturer, to develop a dedicated lamination product optimized for the HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press.

Lamination is a major part of the flexible packaging conversion process. According to the companies, current products have long set-up cycles for each job, and converters need to wait several days for complete curing and delivery, which creates a bottleneck and impacts time-to-market.

The Comexi Nexus L20000 is the first dedicated end-to-end lamination and coating product for digitally printed flexible packaging. Available in inline or offline configurations, the Comexi Nexus L20000 will offer advanced solvent-free lamination to help flexible packaging converters shorten time-to-market, as well as help reduce waste and environmental impact.

“Shorter product life cycles and customized packaging are driving growth in short-run jobs that demand fast turnaround times,” says Ramon Xifra, vice president, Comexi Group. “The new Comexi Nexus L20000 with the HP Indigo 20000 will enable flexible packaging converters to meet these demands and grow their businesses.”

The HP Indigo 20000 is a mid-web digital press that helps meet the needs of flexible packaging converters for short runs. It provides converters the ability to produce several different items around a common design, then customize each one by changing the colors, images and language. Additionally, the press’s 762-mm/30-inch width and ability to print on a wide variety of substrates and film (from 10 to 250 micron) gives converters market versatility.

Going from computer to press without producing plates helps increase speed to market, improve production flexibility and reduce packaging costs for short runs. HP Indigo’s digital, zero-setup process minimizes waste, translating into significant cost and time savings. On-demand digital printing also reduces waste and over-stocking throughout the supply chain, allowing converters to offer their end customers more sustainable packaging solutions.

HP Indigo’s liquid ElectroInk technology is the only digital color printing process that matches gravure printing. With seven ink stations, converters can meet the most stringent corporate branding requirements and achieve perfect color registration on all substrates. HP Indigo ElectroInk also is safe and suitable for printing on food packaging, under set conditions of use and compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for non-food contact surfaces.

“As we drive the digital revolution in flexible packaging, it’s important that our customers benefit from the full value of digital across the printing, converting and lamination processes,” says Alon Bar-Shany, vice president and general manager, HP Indigo Division. “With the Comexi NEXUS L20000, converters will be able to increase speed to market to further maximize the benefits of digital printing with the HP Indigo 20000.”

First announced at drupa 2012, the HP Indigo 20000 is now successfully operating at a select number of customer sites in the U.S., Europe and Asia, where it is producing commercial work across a variety of industries. The HP Indigo 20000 will begin global shipments later this quarter to meet demand from leading packaging converters worldwide.

Comexi Group will showcase the Comexi NEXUS L20000 in fall 2014. Availability is expected in early 2015.