Tinmasters and Fujifilm Collaborate to bring inkjet benefits to metal packaging.

At Tinmasters we are committed the providing our customers with the best service possible which means investment and innovation. Requests to reduce order size and decrease lead time have been growing. Two years ago we invested in a highly automated state-of-the-art Koenig & Bauer Metalstar 3 lithographic press to improve efficiency on shorter run sizes, however, we have also been exploring digital inkjet as the ultimate sub 500 sheet solution. This led us to the Acuity B1 and Fujifilm.

Our digital inkjet journey starts this September when we will install the Acuity B1 press. At the heart of the press are Fujifilm’s market-leading Dimatix QFR7 heads delivering 7picolitre  ink droplets which gives the low-build, exceptional print quality we need. The high colour density Uvijet inks produce a wide gamut enabling excellent colour reproduction. The inks have good adhesion to both primed tinplate and aluminium, over-varnish well and remain robust through the forming and seaming processes. The Acuity B1 features a fully automatic pallet-to-pallet process enabled by an innovative, very accurate optical registration system: accurate to +/-100 microns. The press also features hybrid LED and traditional UV curing which enables some great special effects.

We have already undertaken print trials, including trials with our customers, and to date the results have been extremely positive. We want to explore the capabilities so if you are interested in test prints on any media or for any application, or you require smaller order quantities, or you are simply curious about digital effects then please contact us.

Inkjet Benefits

Small Order Size

Digital inkjet doesn’t have the set-up costs of litho, no printing plates, make-ready time, or waste sheets making it the go to solution where order quantities are low.

Colour Consistency

Corner to corner, sheet to sheet, order to order flawless consistency even with single sheet batch size!

Speed

Much faster from artwork to print cutting lead times.

Proofing

Cost effective metal proofs that perfectly match production.

Prototyping & Sampling

It is easy, quick, efficient and accurate to print any number of subtly different shades within the artwork allowing marketers and designers to perfect their design.

Personalisation

Every blank (image) on a sheet can be completely different enabling personalized packaging for the growing gifting segment.

Special Effects

The Acuity B1 with its LED pinning and UV Inkjet technology can produce some incredible effects by ‘3D printing’, layering the ink, creating textures which literally give designers another dimension to work with.

The Acuity B1 is just the first step on a digital transformation. We believe inkjet can offer more than just a great small batch size solution. Fujifilm have a deep understanding of digital inkjet; inks, print heads, image optimisation and integration into effective print engines, plus a wealth of experience with analogue to digital transitions. Both organisations share similar values of passion, excellence and friendliness. They are the ideal partner and we are delighted to announce this long term collaboration, which will in time lead to faster presses further optimised for metal packaging.

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