Xeikon partners with Kotkamills

Packaging Solutions

Xeikon has announced its partnership with Kotkamills Oy.

Visitors to this year’s Xeikon Café have the opportunity to see the first demonstrations of the Xeikon 3500 dry toner digital press printing on Kotkamills Isla Duo paper cup stock. This sustainable and plastic free food packaging solution carries the potential for paper cup converters to create new business opportunities.

The cooperation validates Kotkamills Isla Duo paper cup stock as the ideal media for the Xeikon 3500 range using dry toner technology. The company’s digital printing method using food safe dry toner technology together with Kotkamills’ plastic free, recyclable, and biodegradable board produces a digitally printed paper cup that answers consumer demand for sustainable paper cups to be used for drinks on the go.

Sébastien Stabel, market segment manager carton packaging at Xeikon, said: ‘We were delighted to test and validate the new paper cup stock Isla Duo from Kotkamills. During testing, we saw a match between our food safe dry toner technology and the Isla Duo board characteristics. We tested printability, productivity, and toner adhesion. The results were excellent and consistent.’

Xeikon is printing the Isla Duo on a roll to roll 3500 series with dry toner technology. Following the excellent results, it added Isla Duo to its print media list as a validated substrate. Sébastien continued, ‘We are convinced that our roll to roll dry toner engine set up offers a perfect technical fit for paper cup converters and has the potential to create new or alternative business opportunities.’

Kotkamills board production technology and the raw materials used in the Isla Duo production offer a high stiffness cup with a smooth and pleasing tactility. The barrier properties needed for the paper cups are produced with water based dispersion, making it a plastic free alternative. Unlike traditional PE coated paper cups, the water based dispersion barrier layer does not become charged by static electricity. This is the innovative key to achieving high printing speeds and excellent stackability properties.

Saila Kettunen, director barrier boards at Kotkamills Oy, stated: ‘The cooperation with Xeikon in developing the high quality of digital printing of our Isla Board has been very smooth and fruitful. The suitability of our material for digital printing provides cup producers with the possibility to offer individual and smaller, customized batches of plastic free paper cups that are easy to recycle within any paper or board waste streams. We consistently endeavour to bring our best know how and experience to our innovations.’