Flint Group opens Global Innovation Centre in Sweden
Flint Group has opened its Global Innovation Centre (GIC) for the Paper & Board packaging inks business in Malmö, Sweden.
At the centre of this facility is Flint Group’s new 8-station “Soma” printing press equipped with the latest web handling and both water-based and UV printing capabilities.
Focus on product development
Kim Melander, VP Sales EMEA & Global Strategy Paper & Board for Flint Group, says this, “The centre has been specially designed to focus on the development of products that will shape the future of Paper & Board printing. The investment in our new state of the art printing press is a 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.”
Fully equipped press
Flint Group’s new printing press is available for product benchmarking and customer trials. The press is fully equipped with features such as Ink Cartridge System, Falcon II Intelligent Job Setting, and Inkstorm auto wash-up, along with sleeves, aniloxes, and doctor blades manufactured by market leaders in the flexographic printing industry including Flint Group’s very own Flexographic Products Division.
The innovation centre combines:
- The new “Soma” Optima 850, 8-colour CI printing press.
- A 590 square meter space for press demonstrations with a sound proof collaboration room.
- Development and testing labs with analytic testing and proofing equipment.
- An ‘Academy’ room which 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 provide the full integrated press room workflow
Core global market segment
According to Paul Winstanley, Technical Director, Paper & Board EMEA, “With the GIC, Flint Group provides a 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.”
