Esko, a global supplier of integrated solutions for the packaging, labels, sign and display industries, will introduce software and hardware product innovations at this year's drupa aimed at helping customers to manage, create and produce better packaging.
Esko, a global supplier of integrated solutions for the packaging, labels, sign and display industries, will introduce software and hardware product innovations at this year's drupa aimed at helping customers to manage, create and produce better packaging.
“Visitors to our stand will see many ways to bring our theme of Packaging Simplified home to their own operations," Esko president Udo Panenka told a pre-drupa press conference. "Our goal is to bring to each element of the production process an outstanding user experience across software and hardware that reduces the learning curve while increasing flexibility, speed, productivity and quality.”
The market today demands shorter but more print production runs, needs a faster time to market leading to more complex processes and operations, according to an Esko press release. At the same time, operations are facing a lack of skilled operators. These global trends span across the entire packaging process from idea to shelf, from the brand to the designer, premedia and tradeshops to the printer/converter.
To ensure that products are relevant and appealing to consumers, brands have embraced diversification. Variation in size, introduction of new flavors and regional marketing campaigns improve shelf appeal but can have a profound impact on packaging and label production. Add to that the ever greater need to comply with government regulations, which means more on-pack languages and symbols, all of which require frequent updates.
These developments present a distinct challenge in managing and producing for CPG brand owners, and – as a consequence – for packaging, label, display and signage premedia, tradeshops and converters. They need to take control of smaller batches of printed packaging and labels for ever more SKUs with just-in-time delivery schedules and more stringent quality demands.
“The number of jobs per shift continues to increase," said Panenka. "Today, label and packaging converters, sign makers and display manufacturers often spend more time setting up their printing presses and converting equipment between jobs than in the actual printing and converting itself. Press changeovers have to be faster to ensure margins are maintained. And the same is true for design, artwork creation and making jobs print ready: short lead time requirements demand higher throughput for these processes and better control of the entire operations. Esko facilitates these pressing challenges by integrating and simplifying every step of the packaging management, prepress and production process. That is why we have chosen Packaging Simplified as our drupa theme.”
“As we develop and enhance our products, we talk to many business owners and our product managers also analyzed support calls over an extended time period. They watch operators observing how they work and scan for improvement opportunities. This level of customer intimacy has been the driver behind revolutionary changes to user interfaces for both hardware and software.”
“Packaging Simplified is our path forward and our promise to the industry,” Panenka said. “The world is getting more complex and we are helping our customers master this growing complexity with innovative solutions. Esko has applied its many years of expertise to redefining our offerings to master short runs effectively, improve equipment uptime, avoid errors and maintain quality."
Esko - a Danaher company - is headquartered in Gent, Belgium, and has R&D and manufacturing facilities in five European countries, the US, China and India.