ePac Flexible Packaging has agreed to add Fujifilm Jet Press FP790 inkjet presses across its global production network, investing in capacity to handle longer flexible packaging runs as its brand customers grow.
The planned investment suggests confidence in continued expansion. It also broadens the equipment strategy of a converter whose growth has been closely associated with HP Indigo.
Deployment will begin with a press installation at ePac’s new Phoenix facility, followed by additional installations across its global network. The companies say the expansion will help ePac accommodate larger orders while retaining its short-run, on-demand production capabilities.
“By continuing to integrate leading-edge assets into our fleet, we are significantly increasing our capacity and capability to handle larger run lengths efficiently,” says Parag Patel, ePac’s president of shared services.
The FP790 uses water-based inks and prints at 1,200 x 1,200 dpi. Fujifilm says the press is designed for high-volume flexible packaging production and supports recyclable material structures. For ePac, the investment is intended to increase throughput while maintaining the flexibility to serve customers as their packaging requirements change.
The Fujifilm agreement follows a decade of collaboration between ePac and HP Indigo. In February, HP reported that ePac operated more than 50 HP Indigo presses worldwide and had signed a three-year commercial agreement valued at approximately $50 million, covering equipment, consumables, and services.
That agreement called for the installation of 10 HP Indigo 200K digital presses across ePac’s North American and European operations. HP said the 200K platform would account for nearly one-third of ePac’s global press fleet once those installations were complete.