Kala Packaging, a Utah-based labels and packaging converter, purchased a second HP Indigo 20000 digital press at Labelexpo Americas 2018 to help meet the upswing in demand for its digitally printed flexible packaging services.

“The additional HP Indigo 20000 capacity supports our strategic move to expand heavily into digital flexible packaging, amid a sharp increase in our work,” says Maui Chai, Kala president and CEO, adding that while the label business is also strong, “the lion’s share of growth is in flexible packaging.”

Kala’s key customers for the digital solution are from the health and wellness sectors – with a big market in protein powders and drink powders – where all work has been moved to digital for high versioning and rapid turnaround.

Compatible with both aluminum and clear substrates, the 30″ HP Indigo 20000 can print virtually any sized flexible packaging application with unlimited variation, supporting  demand for growing SKUs, alongside benefits of reduced waste from minimal setup and production of only the quantities needed.

An early adopter of HP Indigo digital printing, Kala bought its first Indigo in 2002 under its Flextech brand. It will be operating a fleet of six HP Indigo labels and packaging presses with the addition of the new HP Indigo 20000 digital press, designed for flexible packaging as well as high-capacity labels and shrink sleeves.

Today, Kala’s business is more than 90% digital, driven by their HP platform of the HP Indigo 20000, HP Indigo 6900, HP Indigo 6800, and two HP Indigo 6600 digital presses.