Just a couple of months after the installation of its Highcon Euclid IIIC and its Durst Delta WT 250, the management team at Heuchemer Verpackung in Miehlen, Germany introduced their vision of a totally digital packaging workflow addressing issues including shorter run requirements, e-commerce and greater versatility.
To kick-off the three day event a little over 75km to the west of Frankfurt, the Heuchemer siblings who have run the company for the past seven years — Christian, Sophie and Laura — hosted the ‘Digital Corrugated Day’ at its new digital corrugated suite, which was recently installed inside a 100-year-old building, originally a sawmill.
For two days, existing and potential customers were invited to see what Heuchemers new technology is capable of. Laura Heuchemer, Owner and CMO, explained the new digital process in detail and helped guests to understand what is possible with the introduction of its new totally digital workflow. A number of applications including printing and finishing packages and display components were produced during the live demonstrations. Printing was handled on the Durst Delta WT250 before being sent to the Highcon Euclid IIIC for digital cutting and creasing.
According to Laura, the giveaway told the whole story. “The moment the customers saw their own face on the giveaway, they realised the core idea of the Heuchemer Digital business unit and the huge range of possibilities unlocked by these new technologies. Introducing this new concept of fully corrugated digital production means that we can approach new departments within our customers’ companies, like marketing and engineering and more easily demonstrate the added value that these new technologies and our new digital packaging workflow deliver.”
No more barriers
With minimum order quantities (MOQ) no longer a barrier, Heuchemer is also actively looking for new customers. These include smaller, local companies or startups who haven’t previously had access to such capabilities.
Laura also explained that Heuchemer Verpackung didn’t just invest in new equipment. The company is committed to a vision of building a fully digital packaging workflow — a digital workflow that addresses today’s packaging needs for customers, in terms not only of speed and turnaround times, but also their increasing requirement for customisation and individualisation.
The Highcon Euclid IIIC brings Heuchemer and its customers the flexibility required for shorter runs, customised perforations, easier opening and variable data for customisation or personalisation as required.
For this forward-thinking company, digitisation of the print and finishing process was essential in order to keep-up with the packaging demands of this era, and to set the groundwork for a long and successful future.
Heuchemer’s digital workflow brings with it all of the main benefits that digital packaging can offer. Laura explains, “Shorter runs that can be customised or personalised easily; new designs including decorations or technical elements that can be turned around quickly; and the ability to open up new markets serving new customers by removing barriers such as MOQs.”
On the third day, over 100 guests from seven countries visited the site and were positively impressed by the samples on show – these included shelf ready packaging and display inserts.
Visitors had the opportunity to see both the Highcon and Durst machines in live production. With a first-hand view of how quick and easy it is to set up a new job, run the sheets, crease, cut and strip them, they also learned how the integration of such digital technologies could impact their own businesses.
“Heuchemer has invested heavily in its future, one that will see it being totally digital. With these capabilities in one place, they can offer corrugated solutions to customers that can’t be achieved elsewhere — they’re harnessing the true power of digital corrugated workflow,” concludes Jens Henrik Osmundsen, Highcon VP Sales and GM of EMEA & APAC, Highcon.
