中文There’s a quiet revolution happening in folding carton production, and it’s being led by companies that understand one simple truth: the future belongs to those who can handle short runs, fast turnarounds, and endless customization without breaking a sweat.
Mediahaus, a German printing company, just made a move that perfectly captures this shift. They’ve installed a brand-new HP Indigo 18K digital press specifically to expand their digital folding carton production. And it’s not just adding a machine to the floor — it’s a strategic bet on where the market is heading.
The HP Indigo 18K, which went into operation at Mediahaus in late April, is designed to complement the company’s existing offset press fleet rather than replace it. Think of it as a specialized tool for a specific job: short to medium runs of folding cartons that would be economically painful to produce on traditional offset equipment.
The specs are impressive. The machine handles substrates up to 600 microns thick and supports duplex printing. Mediahaus configured theirs with six color stations, three paper feeders, and a top speed of 4,600 sheets per hour. That’s the kind of flexibility that lets you switch between jobs quickly without sacrificing quality.
But here’s the real story behind the investment. Mediahaus has been running a web-to-print portal called Schachtel24 since 2018. And in recent years, demand for personalized folding cartons in smaller quantities has been climbing steadily. Customers want custom packaging, but they don’t necessarily want to order 50,000 units at a time. The HP Indigo 18K is the answer to that exact problem.
Jan-Hendrik Walfort, managing director of Mediahaus, nailed the customer reality: “Our customers expect maximum flexibility — in run sizes, delivery times, and variants. The HP Indigo 18K helps us meet these requirements economically and reproducibly.”
The material versatility is another key selling point. The press can handle coated and uncoated papers, cardboard, and even black, colored, and metallized substrates. Synthetic materials are on the menu too. That’s the kind of flexibility that opens doors to markets you might not have been able to serve before.
Mediahaus didn’t stop at the press itself. They also invested in an FKS coating unit — a B2 coating system that enables reliable switching between digital and offset jobs. That integration is crucial. It means the digital press isn’t an isolated island in the production workflow — it’s a seamless part of the whole operation.
For other folding carton producers watching this space, Mediahaus’s investment is a signal. The days when digital was only for prototyping and very short runs are fading. With machines like the HP Indigo 18K, digital is becoming a genuine production tool for mainstream carton work.
The challenge for traditional offset-focused shops is clear: adapt to the demand for smaller, more customized runs, or watch that business migrate to competitors who can.
Source: Print.de
