Visual Impact PrePrint, LLC the Digital Division of Corrugated Synergies International, LLC (CSI), North America's first dedicated sheet feeding company, is following its successful launch of high-volume, high-graphic direct-to-board corrugated packaging printing on an EFI Nozomi C18000 single-pass LED inkjet press with the purchase of two additional Nozomi presses.
The Nozomi, a groundbreaking, ultra-high-speed corrugated production solution from Electronics For Imaging, Inc. (Nasdaq:EFII), has allowed Renton, Washington-based CSI to capture significant new market opportunities at its new, high-volume trade printing operation in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. And, in 2019, CSI is on pace to become the world's largest user of EFI Nozomi presses, with a second press scheduled for installation at a facility in the Las Vegas area, and a third press to be installed at a yet-to-be-revealed location.
New market opportunities driving digital production growth
CSI launched its first press, which is used to produce both packaging and corrugated displays, this past summer at a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez.
"We are having great success with our first Nozomi in New Mexico," said CSI Vice President of Manufacturing and Print Jeffrey Dumbach. "After receiving a significant number of requests for quotes, samples and proofs, the word really got out about the press's amazing capabilities. We are getting orders for display work and club retail packaging, and our newest contract is for a double-sided e-commerce packaging application. Overall, our volumes are increasing every month."
CSI's New Mexico facility, which has 20 employees, provides high-end, direct-to-board trade printing for a wide range of clients across the western U.S. The digital printing operation is the first phase of an ambitious growth strategy for the New Mexico facility, which is in the process of adding a corrugator to serve domestic clients as well as meet surging corrugated packaging demand from clients in Mexico.
An analogue-to-digital transformation
Dumbach reports that the EFI Nozomi allows Visual Impact PrePrint to replace litho lamination jobs with direct-to-corrugated printing. "The larger digital volumes, extreme high quality and faster time to market enabled by the Nozomi have driven many of our customers to take on jobs they probably would have turned down before because of the limited capacity that exists with multi-pass digital," he said. "And, they are getting better quality. Our customers are blown away with the image quality and the pop of Nozomi print with its high gloss. We're happy, and we have some very happy customers."
The 71-inch wide EFI Nozomi single-pass LED inkjet press is an award-winning, ultra-high-speed production system that redefines the role of digital print in the corrugated packaging space. Operating at speeds up to 75 linear metres per minute - or 10,000 890x890-mm boards per hour two-up - the press features an innovative, single-pass, piezo inkjet writing system that delivers accurate, high-fidelity colour, including consistent reproduction on solid areas. An EFI Fiery NZ-1000 digital front end (DFE) used to drive the press provides blazing performance, outstanding colour accuracy, efficient job management and the ability to produce versioned or variable work at full speed.
Integrated workflows for streamlined management
CSI is the first company to have the complete EFI corrugated ecosystem, with the Nozomi press and Fiery DFE fully integrated into EFI Corrugated Packaging Suite workflow software operating at multiple CSI facilities. The Suite's Corrugated Business System and production manufacturing execution system work in conjunction with EFI Escada process control solutions to deliver exceptional board quality with superior efficiency to maximise order throughput. With its workflow software technologies integrated as a suite, CSI is establishing a full, end-to-end, business and production management framework that gives outstanding flexibility to its customers to source high quality digital- or analogue-printed corrugated board.
"We are extremely pleased with the expansion of our relationship with CSI and look forward to helping them increase their volumes of digital print with additional, ultra-high-speed, single-pass Nozomi presses," said Frank Mallozzi, EFI's chief revenue officer. "It is always exciting to see customers reach new market frontiers with our integrated portfolio. The Nozomi presses and the complete EFI ecosystem of packaging technologies are tools CSI can use to capture the untapped potential for growth in corrugated."
