Leading Polish packaging printer Pałucka Drukarnia Opakowań (PDO) is achieving remarkable cost savings and significant on-press performance improvements since implementing expanded color gamut (ECG) printing, which they credit largely to FLEXCEL NX plates and PureFlexo™ Printing from Miraclon.
CEO Karolina Olejniczak explains: “The successful implementation of ECG printing at PDO is largely thanks to FLEXCEL NX plates and PureFlexo Printing – as simple as that. It’s allowed us to increase our production capacity, minimize waste and reap the environmental benefits that come with it, while our customers continue to be impressed with the environmental targets this transition enables them to achieve.”
In a recent packaging development project with Segafredo Zanetti Poland sp. Z o.o., part of the international Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group, PDO utilized ECG printing for it ‘Intermezzo’ brand coffee beans packaging to reduce colors from 7+white to 4+white, cutting ink consumption by up to 40%. They also doubled the average printing speed from 200 m/min to 400 m/min — which in turn reduced energy costs – all while maintaining striking shelf impact.
Pioneers in technically advanced packaging
Exploring the capabilities of ECG printing is only the latest example of the way PDO consistently tests the boundaries of what’s possible in packaging, a process that started in 2011 when the company consciously embarked on a radical change of strategy. “We decided on a new vision,” says Karolina, “a new direction. We set out to become pioneers in technically advanced packaging that could allow for more creative packaging design options and converting opportunities while also improving recyclability of the material.”
She acknowledges that it was “a very ambitious goal” for the company that her father Włodzimierz Olejniczak had started in 1997, and which she and sister Sylwia joined after completing their studies and gaining professional experience working for other companies. “Until 2011 we concentrated on producing simple, single-structure packaging for a small number of clients. But we knew that in order to grow we had to diversify into new products and sectors. So, we held a series of strategic workshops and identified the production of technically advanced packaging solutions as the expansion route to take.”
Fourteen years later, PDO is well-established in this demanding market, supplying major brands in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Scandinavia from its production plant in Janowiec Wielkopolski. The company employs just over 100 people and food packaging accounts for 80% of production, the majority for clients in the coffee, confectionery, snacks and meat sectors.
New technology, new knowledge
Making the new vision a reality called for major investment in new technology, continues Karolina. “We invested in a range of new technology, including a press, new laminators, laser-cut solutions, and so on. We currently have two flexo presses, including a new CI machine capable of printing up to 10 colors with two in-line sets, and intend to continue investing in the coming months and years.”
It was during this time that PDO also started using FLEXCEL NX plates, described by Karolina as “one of the best decisions we made. In tests, we were really impressed by the on-press performance — in particular the excellent ink transfer, plate durability, and printing speeds it enabled without compromising on print quality. Today, we use FLEXCEL NX plates for 100% of our work.”
PDO also began a sustained program of what Karolina describes as “knowledge acquisition, because we knew that to be pioneers, we had to be experts in flexo too.” This was the start of a remarkable investment in the knowledge base of the company, which included becoming closely involved in the establishment of the local technical printing school and its government-accredited program. “Graduates all begin their practical experience at PDO, with some returning to the school to complete their studies before continuing their careers with us,” says Karolina. “This gives everyone on our team a solid grounding in flexo.”
Since 2022, PDO has been sharing this acquired knowledge through its annual ‘Packaging and Our Planet Matter’ conference for brand owners. The two-day event, in which Miraclon is a partner, includes workshops, lectures from international authorities on packaging and sustainability, and visits to PDO’s production plant.
Reducing colors and increasing speed – more sustainable production
In 2018, PDO increased its investment in knowledge acquisition by opening a dedicated R&D center in Janowiec Wielkopolski, one of whose aims is to explore more sustainable packaging solutions. Explains Karolina: “In particular, we’re concentrating on developing advanced multi-layer materials that combine effective barrier capabilities while maximizing recyclability. In this way, we’re increasing the environmental aspect of our technically advanced packaging solutions, further reducing our CO2 footprint, and allowing brands to reach their sustainability targets easier. To practically enable this, we’ve set specific goals.”
Adopting ECG printing is one of these goals, and according to Karolina, “one that would not have been possible without FLEXCEL NX plates and PureFlexo Printing.” Available through FLEXCEL NX Print Suite for Flexible Packaging that provides access to Miraclon’s multi-form surface patterning, PureFlexo Printing – advanced triple-form patterning – resists the tendency of ink to spread during printing, producing visible, measurable results with lower dot gain and significantly reduced ink build-up – all necessities to successfully implement ECG printing.
Malgorzata Rein, PDO commercial director, says it’s working partnerships that bring a range of sustainable production benefits: “When Miraclon introduced us to PureFlexo Printing with FLEXCEL NX plates and we saw how it enabled successful ECG printing, we realized it’s absolutely in line with our environmental objectives. We’re fortunate that Segafredo Zanetti Poland recognized the potential efficiency and sustainability benefits implementing ECG printing for the coffee bean packaging in Poland would deliver.”
Says Malgorzata: “In its pre-ECG form, the Intermezzo coffee packaging design was built from seven colors, and we had to run the press at 280 m/min for optimal drying of the background from the high-volume anilox. Now, using the dot precision enabled by PureFlexo Printing, the packaging’s solid red color can be built from magenta and yellow, and the black reduced to a single separation. Our principal targets were to reduce waste and increase press speed, something we successfully achieved.”
Karolina Olejniczak adds that “when you talk to a client about reducing the number of colors, there’s always that initial concern that it will mean a reduction in quality. But when we showed Segafredo the results they couldn’t tell the difference at first. The project has been such a success that they are planning to completely switch to ECG printing in Poland and will also be recommending it to other MZBG Group companies. Intermezzo coffee is a key product for Segafredo in Poland, so it’s a real vote of confidence in us and what we were able to achieve.”
