Friedheim has extended its relationship with Scodix enabling the UK company to take advantage of the version of the inkjet embellishment press developed for corrugated board and rigid substrate applications.
This machine, based on the Ultra 6000HD but able to handle the thicker material, was launched at Fespa where an initial sale was announced. The first Scodix Ultra 7000 SHD will go to Italian printer xx yy.
There is no announcement of a UK or Ireland equivalent though a sale may not be long in the wings as this will provide suitable companies with a strong differentiating factor.
A new agreement has been struck for Friedheim to handle the entire Scodix portfolio in the UK and Ireland, from the B2 machines thorough to the B1 units for carton printing and now the B1 machines for corrugated and rigid substrates like Dibond, Forex and aluminium composites.
Most slide alongside finishing equipment for commercial printers. The 7000SHD, however, will be sold through the relatively new corrugated and carton division. This includes Agfa large format printers for corrugated and Young Shin platens.
The demand for the range of digital enhancements that Scodix can produce, from spot and flood varnishing to tactile effects and foils, will come from point of sale, where Scodix argues cosmetics companies can create greater eye catching displays, luxury packaging on microflute boards and in commercial print.
Its appeal lies too in being able to offer these embellishments without the need for additional dies and tooling so brings this kind of embellishment to shorter runs, faster turnarounds and more sustainable workflows.
The deal strengthens the relationship between the two which began seven years ago when Friedheim first handled UK business for the Israeli company. This followed a hugely successful Drupa in 2016 where Scodix was among the most popular stands.
Friedheim managing director Darren Crane says: “Scodix has consistently led the market in digital embellishment innovation, and we are delighted to expand our partnership both into new markets with the new technology. The Ultra 7000SHD creates exciting opportunities for customers looking to push creative boundaries across packaging, display graphics and commercial print applications, a sector which is very exciting for us at this time.”
Friedheim has been expanding into Europe with an office on the Continent and in picking up agencies, most recently for Chinese folder supplier Aoqi.
