Whitebird, one of Canada’s independent box makers, added the EFI Nozomi C18000 ultra-high-speed inkjet press from Electronics For Imaging, Inc.
 
The new press is scheduled to be installed in the fourth quarter of 2018.
 
“Our customers know they can achieve greater sell-through with clever versioning strategies and interesting new designs, but excessive analog run-length requirements often restrict them to only using packaging that they already have in inventory,” Whitebird VP William Heikoop said. “We looked closely at the single-pass offerings in the market, and it was clear that the EFI Nozomi press was the best option to provide more versatility in the corrugated packaging supply chain and better serve customers with superior-quality, direct-to-board digital print.”
 
The EFI Nozomi C18000 single-pass, LED inkjet, ultra-high-speed press is 71-inch (1.8-meter) wide and operates at speeds up to 246 linear feet (75 linear meters) per minute. The press can print up to 10,000 35x35-inch (890x890-mm) boards per hour two-up.
 
The press received top industry honors such as a 2018 Printing Industries of America InterTech award and a 2018 SGIA Product of the Year award.

• Additional features and benefits of the EFI Nozomi C18000 include:
• Compatibility with a broad range of boards, from F-flute to triple-wall board, and including traditional Kemi, mottled, bleach and kraft materials –  all printing at full press-rated speeds; 
• Assured sustainability with output certified for OCC recyclability and repulpability by the Western Michigan University Recycling, Paper and Coating Pilot Plant – a leading certification organization for corrugated recycling; 
• A 100% in-line image quality inspection system that actively manages and optimizes inkjet nozzle alignment and uniformity errors for superior imaging quality; 
• A high-productivity, permanent head architecture that eliminates the downtime associated with replacing consumable printheads. 

“Whitebird’s executives have long seen the promise of what digital can achieve and we are excited to help them put that vision into action with Canada’s first ultra-high-speed, single-pass digital corrugated packaging press,” said José Luis Ramón Moreno, VP and GM, EFI Industrial Printing. “The significant advantages Whitebird’s clients will receive with the EFI Nozomi’s high-end LED inkjet technology will further improve the company’s already strong reputation as a customer-centric packaging manufacturer delivering exceptional service and fast turnaround.”