Edale eyes growth in the Americas’ label and packaging market

Edale, a Canon company, is a flexographic press specialist with more than 75 years of experience delivering solutions for the label and folding carton segments. The company continues to grow as part of Canon, and it is focusing on expansion in the Americas.

Edale’s initiatives include increasing visibility within the market, strengthening relationships with its existing customer base in the Americas, and developing lasting relationships with new converters and partners. The company will also participate in key industry events such as LOUPE Americas.

“The United States, Canada, and LATAM are important growth markets for Edale, and we are investing in building a presence and commitment on the continent,” states Andre Beaudoin, business development, Edale. “Being part of the wider Canon organization also provides an important platform in the Americas, giving us the opportunity to leverage Canon’s presence and relationships while continuing to bring Edale’s specialist flexographic expertise to the market.

Edale’s goal is to bring cost efficiency to the region. The company sees continued demand for flexo in applications where converters need a combination of productivity and flexibility with better economics. Shorter run lengths, increasing SKU volumes, lacking labor availability, and rising production costs are all putting greater pressure on converters to make their equipment work harder. Meanwhile, the market features a host of older equipment that has outlived its lifespan.

The company’s technology can deliver a wide range of solutions, as well. These include all facets of the pressure sensitive label, folding carton, RFID, digital finishing, gaming and scratch off, gift card/phone card converting segments.

“Our approach is focused on helping converters improve the economics of their production through faster changeovers, reduced waste, high levels of automation, and consistent press performance,” explains Beaudoin. “We also recognize that the press itself is only part of the equation. Uptime, service, application support, and ease of operation all have a significant impact on the return a converter gets from its investment. That is why we take a broader approach to supporting customers throughout the life of the press.”

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Diverse Portfolio

The flexographic market is going through a technological growth explosion, which has spurred innovation at Edale. Converters are no longer simply looking for a faster press – they are looking for ways to make their entire production operation more efficient and more profitable.

To meet demand, Edale has engineered the FL4p, which will be highlighted at LOUPE Americas. This precision-focused label press has been developed specifically around the needs of modern label converters, with a strong emphasis on automation, fast changeovers, consistent quality, a fast ROI, and making every run more profitable.

Edale’s latest innovation focuses on the tagline, “Turn Potential into Performance.” Its flexo presses incorporate automation and servo-driven technology designed to simplify operation, improve repeatability and reduce the time and materials required to get jobs into production.

“We always look at technology from the converter’s perspective,” remarks Beaudoin. “The important question isn’t simply what technology we can put on a press; it is how that technology improves the economics of production.”

Edale has developed its portfolio to address different stages of a converter’s investment journey. The FL4e has been designed to provide an easier and more accessible entry point into flexographic production. Meanwhile, the press maintains the high engineering standards and quality associated with Edale.    

“For converters looking for higher levels of performance, the FL4p and FL6p provide platforms designed around more demanding label and carton and film applications,” says Beaudoin. “This gives us the ability to support converters as their businesses develop, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.”

Looking Ahead

In addition to the FL4p, Edale will highlight the wider development of its portfolio at LOUPE Americas. This includes the FL6p, the company’s fully servo-driven carton press, which has been developed for the demands of modern folding carton production that also includes single pass product embellishment when needed.

In the future, Edale will launch the FL4e in Q4 of this year. The FL4e will provide converters with a lower-cost route into flexographic production without compromising on the standards they would expect from an Edale press. 

“Edale recognizes the fact that converters need equipment that offers flexibility to run multiple materials, built from the operators view point which allows for fast make-readies and job change overs and consistently high quality, high speed end results in product,” says Beaudoin. “Edale’s latest converting platforms have been developed around these requirements, giving converters access to the highest level of performance and automation that best fits their applications and business objectives.”