Takigawa Corporation Adds Gravure Capacity to Kentucky Plant - HELIOSTAR from W&H to Support Growth & Company Goals
Takigawa Corporation, an international producer of flexible packaging, has added a second HELIOSTAR gravure press from Windmoeller & Hoelscher to their Bardstown, Kentucky facility. The 10-color press has been in production since July 2022.
The Takigawa and W&H Teams together at Pack Expo International in Chicago in October 2022
“We opened operations in the United States in 2019 and have made excellent headway in printing flexible packaging, in markets such as pet food. We are committed to printing beautiful quality images that can evoke emotion and awaken senses as packaging aims to do, while doing so sustainably,” said Weijia Zhang, Director of Business Development and Marketing.
After three and a half years in the U.S. market, the company recognized room for growth, which triggered the purchase of the new HELIOSTAR. “Gravure is the predominant printing process in Japan and Asia as a whole. As a result, the Takigawa group has a lot of experience with it and the technology has allowed us to deliver exceptional print quality to our customer base. Because of the success the HELIOSTAR has helped us achieve, and the fact it is being used in all three of our plants (Japan, Vietnam, US), we felt adding another was the logical decision. Running the same technology in all locations is beneficial in terms of knowledge sharing and providing the confidence we are delivering consistent print quality to our customers around the world,” said Chad Rupert, President of Takigawa Corporation America.
The new HELIOSTAR located in Takigawa’s Bardstown, Kentucky facility
As a testament to both companies’ shared values of customer service and long term partnerships, Takigawa and W&H have been partners for decades in both printing presses and blown film extrusion lines, with the first gravure press dating back to the 1950’s.
The company is also gearing up to support their customer base in their pursuit of recyclable packaging. The newest HELIOSTAR gravure press is equipped with novel technology to offer unparalleled print quality and leakproof pouches, specifically designed for monomaterial packaging.
