Ball expands graphics centre
Leading can maker Ball Corporation has expanded its Graphics Centre of Excellence (GCOE) in Westminster, Colorado, US. The expansion was officially opened on Tuesday (11 October).
According to the company, Ball’s GCOE delivers high-quality can graphics and customer convenience. It is also among the fastest pilot turnaround in the beverage metal packaging industry to Ball’s local, national and global customers.
“As more global consumers make recyclable cans their package of choice, advanced graphics capabilities have become vital for brands seeking to stand out on retail shelves and capture sustainability-conscious consumers,” says Jim Peterson, who is a member of CanTech International’s editorial board and Ball’s vice president of marketing and corporate affairs. “Beverage cans offer a 360-degree billboard for brands to reach consumers. Our expanded GCOE, along with smaller sister facilities in Europe and Asia, leverage the advantages of the can and provide industry-leading graphics that help build brands.”
Ball’s Colorado GCOE combines the company’s extensive metal packaging experience, brand-building creativity and state-of-the-art technology to deliver an inclusive one-stop design-to-printed-can service to customers. It features a pilot line for both graphic testing and colour standards and offers a variety of printing capabilities that include the following:
- Eyeris Enhanced Graphics printing that brings improved definition and fine detail to beverage can graphics, creating premium, on-shelf differentiation.
- Dry offset printing, which uses a digital print head that prints top quality design with a resolution of 600dpi directly on to the can surface, lessening dry time of the can and improving graphics quality.
- High definition printing that holds fine detail of a can’s artwork, greatly improving consumer appeal.
- Matte printing that adds dimension and differentiates cans with a distinctive, premium look.
- Thermochromic inks that use temperature sensitive external inks to indicate to consumers when a beverage is at its optimal temperature to enjoy.
“Customers can fly to Colorado to approve their can standards, and if they require changes to the graphics – and we prepared them – we can make the changes and get back on press the same day,” adds Janelle Harris, director, North American graphic services for Ball. “Typically it would take two to three weeks for the changes and possibly another four to six weeks before the presses roll again. But with everything under one roof at Ball, ideas get to market faster.”
