FDBusiness.com

Chesapeake Limerick is to take delivery of Europe’s first Komori carton printing press as part of a €4m investment programme at the site

Part of Chesapeake’s Pharmaceutical and Healthcare division, the Komori GLX 740RP carton printing press is a seven-colour machine which includes a reverse printing unit and double coater. The installation follows hot on the heels of a six colour GLX40 Komori at Chesapeake’s Leicester plant shortly after the GLX models were launched at Drupa last May.

Bobby O’Connor, Chesapeake divisional sales and account director said: “Further development at Limerick is very much on our agenda, as is investment across the whole of Ireland. This demonstrates our unrivalled commitment to the pharmaceutical, healthcare and medical device markets in Ireland.”

Chesapeake Limerick’s operations director, Morgan Fogarty added: “We’ve been very impressed with the GLX installed at Leicester which has offered increased automation and environmental related improvements.  Its dual-camera inline quality inspection system, spot measurement and Komori’s new spectral density control has helped to optimise product consistency. These benefits have led us to select a similar specification for Limerick, this time enhanced with the Reverse Printing unit and double coater.

“The reverse printing unit will enable us to provide our customers with the opportunity to print information such as user instructions on the inside of packaging – which is an increasing and welcome trend, as it reduces material requirements and ensures that vital instructions remain with the product.”

Fogarty added: “Another continuously increasing design trend on OTC healthcare packaging to enhance shelf-appeal is the use of varnish coatings. The double-coater on the new press will allow us to combine matt and gloss varnishes and metallic finishes. It will also assist us in delivering many other special effects such as our own 3D Glint product, holographics and micro-embossing.”

In the last three years, Chesapeake has installed a range of presses including a six-colour Komori Lithrone 40s at its Nottingham, Leicester and Belfast operations, all of which, like Limerick, specialise in the production of cartons for the pharmaceutical and healthcare market.

Komori UK director of sheetfed sales, Steve Turner said:  “The larger sheet size of 1,050 times 750mm on the X version of our S40 presses is especially useful on smaller format carton work. If supported by the right cut & crease presses, it adds the capability to print a further row of cartons, which, in turn, shortens the run length and optimises material usage.”