Experience of visiting german printing company
This article is an abbreviated version of the article that was published by the “World of Packaging” journal under the authorship of our company
The first thing I would like to mention is the design and construction department, which has about 30 people. These people produce new designs, test them for strength, stability, independently select cardboard for each job. Then they create wonderful designs and send them to the printing department to bring their ideas to life. Unfortunately, there are simply no printing houses with similar departments in Ukraine. Basically, in our country, printers receive a ready-made layout from the customer and do not have the right to make their own changes to it.
Preparation and output of a color sample for approval by the customer. In the German printing house, the company's employees prepare a color test, taking into account the parameters of the cardboard on which the product will be printed in the future. Thus, the customer has the opportunity to preview how the packaging will look in general, but at the same time he understands that the colors, brightness and other characteristics of the finished product will differ. He evaluates only the general picture of the future product. Of course, sometimes they can prepare a color proof using a printing press. But the cost of such a service has its well-deserved price - from 2000 Euros. For the presence of the customer at the printing of the print run, you will have to pay a slightly higher amount, since the printing house values its time, and the customer, located on the territory of the enterprise, always slows down the production process. And it does not matter how famous the customer is, and what edition he is ready to order. The rules are the same for everyone, and Europeans know how to count money. Therefore, the customer more often agrees to receive a color sample from the printer, put his signature on it and agree that the picture in general will be similar to the color sample.
An internal system of logistics and movement of pallets to printing and die-cutting machines turned out to be a completely unexpected and new solution for me. Here everything happens automatically without the participation of people in this process. I have never met such high technologies in any printing house, although I have visited them before and outside of Ukraine.
Inspection of finished products before gluing or packaging for further transfer to the customer is often not a rule or even a separate process in Ukraine. Right there, in the printing house of Germany, we were taken to a separate room, which is intended for reviewing finished products for defects. At the same time, defective products are never subjected to good ones. It turns into production waste.
And the last, but very important: the company seriously thinks not only about ecology, sorting and recycling. They have come a long way. The printing house reduces the possible amount of plastic in the package, they gave up laminating cardboard a long time ago, and the machines that produced the lamination were sold outside of Europe. Currently, they have reached the level where the main goal in the field of improving the environmental situation is the measurement of the amount of CO2 emitted into the air during the production of one print run. This indicator will be recorded in the quality certificates for the circulation, which are issued to the customer together with the products. And the deadline for this task is set for 2024.
Valeriia Grankina, CEO Slavena LLC (Ukraine, Kharkov)
