Flint opens innovation centre for packaging inks in Sweden

Flint Group continues its innovation and leadership position with the opening of its Global Innovation Centre (GIC) in Malmö, Sweden. At the centre of this facility will be Flint’s new eight-station Soma printing press equipped with the latest web handling and both water-based and UV printing capabilities.

01 May 2017 | By Dibyajyoti Sarma

Kim Melander, VP sales, EMEA and global strategy, paper and board, for Flint Group, said, “We are extremely proud to announce this next achievement for our paper and board packaging inks business. The centre has been specially designed to focus on the development of products that will shape the future of paper and board printing. The investment in our new Soma press is a significant milestone and a clear demonstration that we are fully committed to invest in our industry and support our customers’ growth through an innovative development workflow.”

The Soma is available for product benchmarking and customer trials. The press is fully equipped with features, such as Soma ink cartridge system, Falcon II intelligent job setting, and Inkstorm auto wash-up, along with sleeves, aniloxes, and doctor blades manufactured by market leaders in the flexographic printing industry, including Flint’s own flexographic products division.

According to Paul Winstanley, technical director, paper and board, EMEA, “With the centre, Flint provides a unique customer centric R&D facility focused on developing ‘next generation’ products for our core global market segments.  This truly state of the art facility – with its innovative workflow, analytic tools and new contemporary printing press supported by our international technology team – has created a future template in product innovation and customer support.”

Stuart Duffy, director, professional services for Flint Group packaging and narrow web, added, “In June 2016, Flint Group presented the market with its Global Colour Centre in Poland and its solution-based competencies, Vivo Colour Solutions. The new Global Innovation Centre in Sweden is a second step, and a calculated complement to the GCC in Poland.”

Highlights of the Global Innovation Centre

  • The new Soma Optima 850, eight-colour CI printing press
  • A 590 sq/mt space for press demonstrations with a sound proof collaboration room
  • Development and testing labs with advanced analytic testing and proofing equipment
  • An ‘Academy’ room which can hold up to 25 people and an adjacent free-thinking lounge area for mapping future ideas
  • A new GSE ink dispenser and Flint’s unique Vivo Colour Solutions toolbox offering integrated press room workflow
Tags : Flint Group,Soma Optima 850;