Sappi’s (Johannesburg, South Africa) brilliant white Fusion Topliner brings peace of mind to Rondo-Ganahl for offset, flexo and the rapidly growing digital post-print markets

Rondo-Ganahl, an Austrian manufacturer of corrugated board packaging, is a company steeped in tradition. It is now using Sappi’s Fusion Topliner with its recently installed Durst digital printer, producing personalised corrugated folding boxes in short as well as longer runs with very short lead times at its plant in St. Ruprecht/Raab. Sappi’s brilliant white fresh fibre liner was chosen following a series of print and material tests. Fusion Topliner achieved excellent results – not only with offset and flexo, but also with digital printing.

"We were looking for papers that would cover a very broad spectrum of print and provide us with peace of mind across all printing technologies," said Karl Pucher, a managing director at Rondo-Ganahl AG St. Ruprecht/Raab. "We were extremely impressed with the brilliant white appearance of Fusion Topliner, its strength values, the smooth folded edges, excellent adhesive properties and fantastic print image." The packaging industry is still dominated by offset and flexo print, however, as Pucher explains, "the market is changingand the number of products is increasing. There is demand for a wider variety of packaging in smaller quantities. Digital print allows us to respond more quickly and provide our customers with more targeted support for new product launches or seasonal promotions."

Rondo-Ganahl uses Fusion Topliner in a weight range of 135 to 180 g/m2 for shelf-ready packaging, special editions for food retail, customised wine cartons as well as a broad array of POS displays. The company sees itself as a solutions provider, proposing materials and corresponding printing techniques that are most suitable and effective for its customers’ specific requirements. Its packaging developers always advise the use of Fusion Topliner when there is a need for a package with a strong visual appeal and a high quality standard.

Depending on the customer’s requirements and job profile, the corrugated board panels are printed on Fusion Topliner with offset, flexo or digital. Since installing the first Durst Delta SPC 130 printer in Austria at the beginning of 2018 at the St. Ruprecht/Raab plant, digital print volume has increased significantly. Rondo-Ganahl benefits from its geographical proximity and a long-standing relationship with the Austrian manufacturer Durst. Since there is no need for printing plates, the initial set-up costs for this production-class digital printer are low, and the digital printing process enables the creation of complex packaging and displays quickly and efficiently with no compromise in quality.

"Fusion Topliner is a true all-rounder, proving its qualities across all types of printing and enabling us to explore new business opportunities and customer segments with digital print," Pucher concluded.