Packaging manufacturers are under pressure to meet increasingly complex brand-owner demands with impeccable accuracy while maximizing productivity, quality and sustainability.  Flexible Packaging Europe (FPE)’s European FlexPack Summit, taking place February 24-26 in Barcelona, Spain, will address these challenges head-on. BW Converting will demonstrate how the latest innovations under its Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC), Hudson-Sharp and Baldwin Technology brands have set new standards to propel the industry forward.

The event, taking place at the five-star Torre Melina Gran Meliáh hotel, will be the first FlexPack Summit where suppliers will join converters for three days of presentations from industry and regulatory experts who will cover a range of topics relating to global market developments, trends, sustainability issues and current European legislation.

Among the dozen inaugural exhibitors, BW Converting will showcase its PCMC ION digital hybrid press, Hudson-Sharp Ares stand-up pouch line and Baldwin Defender 100% inspection system.

BW Converting’s PCMC ION hybrid printing platform provides the ability to produce larger digital runs cost-competitively, meeting market needs for wider, faster printing with highest quality. It is designed to handle up to 127 meters per minute with web widths of 914, 1066 and 1320 millimeters for paper, film and board applications. ION is a fully modular system with digital CMYK and flexo print stations that can be custom configured to meet a variety of customer challenges.

BW Converting’s Hudson-Sharp Ares 400 Lite, Elite and Rapid machines are designed to meet the diverse needs of pouch manufacturers, whether they are just entering the market or looking to scale up high-volume production. The compact Ares 400 Lite, ideal for entry-level manufacturers, ensures quick changeovers and seamless operation. Key features include advanced zipper-sealing, ultrasonic zipper crush and a flying knife cut-off system, offering affordability without sacrificing performance. Designed for more complex needs, the Elite model boasts independent gusset K-sealers, automatic positioning and web registration for enhanced precision. It can be customized with options like bottom-fill pouches and child-resistant closures, making it versatile and efficient.

Built for high-volume production, the Rapid model achieves more than 200 cycles per minute with features like supplemental web tension control and servo cross sealers. It maximizes speed and efficiency while keeping operational costs low.

Engineered to effortlessly deliver defect-free, perfect print quality to brand owners and print customers, BW Converting’s Baldwin Defender 100% inspection system and its recently launched next-generation web viewer Defender View can work independently or in combination to monitor the entire web 100% of the time to provide real-time detection of defects, such as spots, streaks, color shifts, hazing, wrinkles, pinholes, contamination and any other random defects. Operators are alerted to errors and can take corrective action in real time to minimize waste generation. Defect positions, classifications and images are recorded and can be accessed at post-press processes. The system inspects all types of materials and substrates – film (opaque, transparent and metalized), paper, board and foil.

BW Converting’s Windell McGill will provide an expert overview of the technology at European FlexPack Summit and will be available for individual meetings.