By Karen Moreland
Global Marketing and Business Development Consultant
Looking back at 2014, our industry continues trends toward diversification into packaging and non-traditional converting applications along with continued evolution toward higher quality levels and throughput.
By continuing to raise the bar on print quality, converters have proven that flexographic printing can equal gravure quality, supporting growth goals by offering their customers a variety of processes and fast service. Working together, the converters, OEMs and RotoMetrics are driving the industry forward by ensuring that the equipment, tooling, and press operator training combine to provide superior finished products. Watch for new product introductions from RotoMetrics in this area!
2014 also saw many converters de-commissioning older equipment and investing in both conventional and digital printing and finishing systems to take advantage of the reduced waste, setup time, and accompanying productivity improvements that today’s systems can deliver. It’s increasingly common for the same print job to be run on both digital and conventional assets based on the converter’s scheduling and run length. Ensuring consistent color management across platforms remains a concern for some converters, and the industry will need to support education in this area during 2015.
An important trend for all converters to consider is how they can expand their growth by entering into adjacent markets. There are scores of opportunities in precision diecutting for the medical, electronics, gasket, and packaging industries where a simple reconfiguration of an existing press could open doors to new opportunities. Your RotoMetrics Service Team is here to help with designing and turning your idea into reality.