Protein bar brand Croquinole renews its flexible packaging

Protein cookie bar brand Croquinole by Dadz Alimentos has renewed its packaging with the help of key flexo partners in the industry during the DuPont Cyrel Print Up program. 

Dadz's CEO, Augusto Zarpon said that the brand is adapting the Croquinole packaging for the international market with the support of Apex Brazil. ‘We saw how to make the packaging redesign viable with flexographic printing. The desire was immediate: to have a flexible plastic packaging printing process, from start to finish, applying best practices at all stages.’ And it was made possible during the event ‘From file to shelf’, organized by Clicheria Blumenau and DuPont.  

The journey began with the choice of the design office Casa Rex, with the support of Apex Brazil and the other players in the printing chain.  

Apex Brazil supported Dadz with the internationalization process through Design Export program for brands that wish to incorporate design into their products, packaging, or processes to increase their competitiveness in the international market. This project is promoted in partnership with Centro Brazil Design (CBD), and with participation of Sebrae in the adaptation of the factory to the Digital Transformation Program conducted by FIESP, CIESP, SENAI, and SEBRAE, with a focus on intelligent industry.  

With the new packaging, the Croquinole brand will be initially launched in the Latin American and US markets. An increase in sales in the Brazilian market is also expected due with the renewed packaging. In Brazil, Dadz sells Croquinole online and in some gourmet markets in São Paulo.  

According to Zarpon, there is global demand to absorb the company's entire production capacity.  

The event planned by Clicheria Blumenau and DuPont, which included Gualapack, professors Fabio Mestriner and Aparecido Borghi was the beginning of the Croquinole project with Dadz.  

DuPont gathered several suppliers that participated in the project including 3M (double-sided tapes), Laserflex (anilox cylinders), Gualapack (packaging conversion), Clicheria Blumenau (pre-printing and clichés), DuPont (Cyrel flexographic plates) and LinkFlow (systems integration).  

DuPont Cyrel ESXR plates, the latest member of the DuPont Cyrel Easy platform, with embedded flat spot technology were used. For the Croquinole project, the DuPont plate was printed on the XPS system, an Esko technology offered by Clicheria Blumenau.  

Packaging converter Gualapack printed and laminated the material, using flexo printing with up to 8-colors. Among the main challenges, José Costa, Gualapack's pre-printing manager, remembered the care taken with the preparation and separation of raw materials, with the standards required by the certifications, and the monitoring in all stages of the processes, validating and ensuring quality.  

Born within Clicheria Blumenau, LinkFlow Sistemas was used in the remote approval process of the new packaging. LinkFlow Sistemas' artwork flow control and remote approval feature allowed the SKU information and file approvals to be centralized in a digital and safe environment from the beginning to the end of the process. 

Chicheria Blumenau used dotless screening technology, XPS flexographic plate exposure technology using UV LED light for front and back exposure, LED flexographic plate engraving process for the project. 

Alexsandro Pires, a pre-printing specialist at Clicheria Blumenau, added: ‘This project proved that in addition to producing the printing matrix, the plate setter must offer well-aligned and parameterized processes to achieve more efficient printing and optimal color control. That's why we highlight the importance of generating digital proofs to predict the printing results and be aligned with the pre-printing, meeting expectations with predictability.’  

The Cobracell extended cell engraving by Laserflex was used. 

‘Before we started the project, we went to Gualapack to wash all the anilox used to print the Croquinole packaging. This cleaning is fundamental to keep the cells clear of ink and allow the repeatability of color patterns in reprinting cases,’ pointed out Wanderley Procida, commercial representative. 

3M supplied cliché mounting tapes for flexo printing. The tapes feature foam in different densities and high adherence for cliché fixation with clean removal of the sleeve. ‘The air release allows bubble-free mounting under the double-sided tape and the cliché, avoiding blotting problems on the printed paper. The controlled thickness also ensures registration between colors when mounting the clichés,’ explained Fernanda MacNight, product manager at 3M.  

A micro-replicated liner tape was applied that creates micro-channels in the adhesive allowing air to escape during assembly. The adhesives adapt to different substrates and conditions of use. 

DuPont has launched DuPont Cyrel Print Up program as an opportunity to create a strategic alliance with a group of companies with complementary specialties to establish parameters for flexo printing.