29 July 2022

ZYprint opens new factory in Chongqing

In 2019, Yolanda Wang reported on the first Domino-Spande hybrid press installation in China. Three years later she visits ZYprint’s new factory in Chongqing.

Chongqing ZYprint, located in Qijiang District, Chongqing, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shanghai ZYprint, registered in August 2017.

The company’s investment program totals 270 million RMB (40m USD), divided into two phases. The construction of the first phase began in August 2018 and was completed in September 2019. The completed workshop covers an area of 27,432 sqm and hosts more than 150 employees.

Xu Benkui, the director of Chongqing ZYprint, tells L&L: ‘Although the first phase of construction was affected by Covid-19, the whole investment was basically under our control, and all the construction and completion were in accordance with our plans.’

Why did they choose Chongqing as the new company’s location? ‘At the present time, due to the limitations of the site and local policies, Shanghai ZYprint has been unable to meet the needs of the new company’s expanding development. After different field observations, and taking into account the future layout, we decided to make Shanghai our sales and service center and to move the production base to east and southwest China,’ Xu Benkui explains.

As an important manufacturing town in China, Chongqing is built beside a major river and has the advantage of water transportation, which is rarely seen in inland cities. Besides, the printing industry in Chongqing has been developing since ancient times. Ju Jinyuan, general manager of Shanghai ZYprint, was born in Chongqing, and the investment there also meets his aspiration to give back to his

hometown.

Due to the limitations of the site and local policies, ZYprint Shanghai has been unable to meet the needs of the company’s development. We decided to make Shanghai our sales and service center and to move the production base to east and southwest China

Another eastern China production base, Jiangsu ZYprint, located in Yanghe New Area, Suqian, Jiangsu Province, has also been put into production. In the future, these two branches will implement local production and distribution to further improve delivery times to customers.

Southwest China’s first Xeikon

Chongqing ZYprint began trial production in March 2020 and was officially put into production in August of the same year. Now, Chongqing ZYprint mainly produces eat transfer labels, PS labels and shrink sleeve labels, of which PS labels have around a 20 percent share. ‘This also reflects the label trend of liquor products in southwest China, which is one of the main production bases of liquor in China,’ says Xu Benkui. ‘In this field, wine packaging is mostly in the form of transfer printing and shrink sleeve labels, which are fully integrated with the body of the bottle, so as to meet different wine bottle types.’

In March 2021, Chongqing ZYprint invested in the first Xeikon 3500 digital press in southwest China.

‘This is the first equipment investment since the new plant came into production,’ explains Ju Jinyuan. ZYprint installed its first digital press in 2010, the first HP Indigo press in the Shanghai factory, and the Domino-Spande inkjet printing equipment in 2019.

‘As with traditional printing technologies, there are different areas of application for different digital printing technologies,’ continues Ju Jinyuan, ‘Considering our current order structure and the needs of major customers of the Chongqing factory, we decided to invest in toner digital printing technology this time.’

Xeikon 3500 uses dry toner which has passed US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations without pre-coating treatment and is suitable for a wide range of materials, especially high-quality heat transfer labels. With an image resolution of 1,200 DPI, the quality of the product is unparalleled

Xu Benkui, who joined ZYprint Group in 2004, has worked as an operator on the printing line, in ink matching and in workshop management. Now he is in charge of the whole Chongqing factory, including the investment program and production operations. For new equipment investment, he has a rational and clear strategy.

‘The Xeikon 3500 uses dry toner which has passed US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations without pre-coating treatment and is suitable for a wide range of materials, especially high-quality heat transfer labels. With an image resolution of 1,200 DPI, the quality of the product is unparalleled. It is no problem at all for us to deliver complex orders with a fast turnaround with this machine.’

Wine industry focus

In addition to the new Xeikon 3500 digital press, Chongqing ZYprint is also equipped with four gravure printing production lines, three screen printing production lines, a Spande flexo press and Domino-Spande hybrid printing line, as well as a series of finishing machines including stamping, laser die-cutting, slitting and automatic inspection.

In contrast to the business model of Shanghai ZYprint, Chongqing ZYprint aims to become a professional printing and packaging supplier to the wine industry. The company has equipped itself with the whole process from design, pre-press, file processing, proofing, printing, post-press processing and inspection.

Chongqing ZYprint has also created a new flexible service model. ‘To meet our customers’ needs, we set up professional technical and service teams, providing them with high-quality products and solutions, which help customers achieve added values,’ Xu Benkui reveals. For example, in November 2020, the company set up a new wine packaging project, which was completed at the end of 2021. With this production line, the company can provide wine brand owners with a full set of integrated packaging solutions including wine bottles, boxes and caps, as well as labels.

Chongqing ZYprint is fully on its way to transforming into a modern smart factory. The company uses a XLYprint ERP system to realize the automation of the whole management workflow, including ordering, material preparation, production planning and scheduling, warehouse storage and delivery. All production equipment in the workshop has been equipped with Siemens sensors to achieve accurate on-site information collection. Then all data is automatically uploaded to the central control room to monitor production status in real time.

L&L is looking forward to seeing ZYprint’s new chapter in the southwest China market.