Flint Opens Innovation Center in Sweden
- Published: May 12, 2017
MALMÖ, SWEDEN | Flint Group announces the opening of its Global Innovation Centre (GIC) in Malmö Sweden. At the center of this facility is a new eight-station SOMA printing press equipped with the latest web handling and both water-based and UV printing capabilities.
Kim Melander, VP Sales EMEA & Global Strategy Paper & Board for Flint Group, says, “We are extremely proud to announce this next achievement for our paper and board packaging inks business. The center 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 state-of-the-art SOMA printing 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 new press, which is available for product benchmarking and customer trials, is fully equipped with features such as the SOMA Ink Cartridge System, Falcon II Intelligent Job Setting, and Inkstorm auto washup, along with sleeves, aniloxes, and doctor blades manufactured by market leaders in the flexographic printing industry, including Flint Group’s own Flexographic Products Division.
Company says features of the new center include the following:
- The new SOMA Optima 850 eight-color CI printing press
- A 590-sq-m space for press demonstrations with a soundproof collaboration room
- Development and testing labs with advanced analytic testing and proofing equipment
- An ‘Academy’ room that can hold up to 25 people and an adjacent free-thinking lounge area for mapping future ideas
- A new GSE ink dispenser and Flint Group’s VIVO Colour Solutions toolbox to provide the full integrated press room workflow
- A staff of experts with more than 300 combined years in the packaging industry and more than 170 years with Flint Group
Paul Winstanley, technical director, Paper & Board EMEA, says, “With the GIC, Flint Group 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 & Narrow Web, adds, “In June of 2016, [our company] presented the market with its Global Colour Centre (GCC) in Poland and its solution-based competencies, VIVO Colour Solutions. The new Global Innovation Centre (GIC) in Sweden is a second step and a calculated complement to the GCC in Poland.”
Duffy continues, “The demand for brand equity and integrity solutions by brand owners helped shape our strategy to create and deliver these two global centers of excellence. Both facilities focus on innovation, service development, and education, with experts who deliver crucial day-to-day technical support for customers. Every element is targeted to ensure our customers’ businesses continue to develop and prosper.”
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