Open House marks start of Wifag-Polytype Technologies

The event in Fribourg, Switzerland, was attended by around 50 experts from the fields of newspaper printing, coating and converting.

A highlight was the first showing of a pilot version of the Techma-4 printing press, a roll-to-roll system that allows digital printing with water-based inkjet inks on plastic and aluminum foils. The technology is also suitable for printing on food packaging.

Other focal points of the open house were chief executive officer Jörgen Karlsson's presentation on Wifag-Polytype Technologies, and a lecture given by Roger Ineichen, head of digital printing, in which he explained in detail the expanded possibilities offered by WIFAG-Polytype's own inkjet printing technology.

In a tour of the facility, attendees saw a demonstration of the Techma-4 as well as four-color printing on plastic cups and tubes with inkjet. The ‘still can’ production line was also shown. It produces and fills a new type of composite-foil beverage packaging that is ultra-lightweight and that cuts down on the material used. It is based on a material developed by Huhtamaki, and on mechanical engineering and process technology from Polytype.