Sustainable packaging solution provider Wipak has selected BOBST’s extended colour gamut (ECG) technology, oneECG, to strengthen its gravure printing division.

BOBST’s oneECG is claimed to be one of the most developed technologies for printing in the market, with seven standardised colours in gravure.

The technology will enable Wipak to effectively respond to increasing price pressure and therefore allow brand owners and retailers to attain shorter product launch times, without compromising on quality during the complete print run.

BOBST’s oneECG will enable Wipak to decrease its ink consumption in its gravure press by 30% and setup waste by 50%. It will also reduce printing cylinder usage in the process.

In addition, the technology requires no colour changes after every print job, thereby significantly reducing machine downtimes.

The majority of the colour-matching processes take place in prepress, thereby improving colour stability and long-term colour consistency.

The implementation will contribute to Wipak’s sustainability commitment to reduce its carbon emissions to zero by 2025.

Wipak Walsrod ECG project manager Stefan Bruns said: “oneECG from BOBST offers us the great advantage that we can work with fewer – completely standardised printing inks – and therefore significantly shorten the time when our machines are not producing. This in turn leads to significantly higher productivity.

“In a very competitive market where there is currently extremely intense pressure on prices, we have to increase our efficiency in gravure printing in order to compete sustainably with flexo printing. BOBST oneECG technology is the solution for us to this and many more challenges in gravure.”

BOBST developed the oneECG solution with its industry partners, including Esko, X-Rite, ICR SpA, and Sun Chemical, Siegwerk, among others.

Wipak Walsrode is a part of the Wipak Group and is collaborating with its customers in the branded goods and retail industries, to develop a oneECG long-term strategy.