Printing a laminate tube with a tough design was a real challenge for us

MANUFAKTURA approached us regarding the production of printed laminated tubes.  They required a material that could protect the product without an aluminum layer (making recycling easier), they also required high-quality printing complemented by embossing and screen printing, in addition to which they requested tube assembly.

We arranged to meet together at our company premises. We sincerely appreciate it when a client finds time in their busy schedule to come and see us in Kolín. We take pleasure in giving them a tour of our facility – showing them the locations where their product will be produced, and introducing them to the entire production process. In this way, we get to know each other much better and establish more personal relationships, which are invaluable for a long-term partnership and mutual trust.

For the production of laminate tubes, we selected a material that is composed of six layers of polyethylene. This is further interspersed with an EVOH barrier, which ensures optimal conditions for the preservation of the contents throughout their shelf life. This type of material is commonly used for packaging cosmetic products.

Due to the overall volume of the job and the required finishing, we chose our Gallus flexo press for the laminate printing. With a single pass of this machine, we apply embossing varnish using rotary screen printing, cold embossing, 5 UV flexo inks, and a matt partial varnish.

For the printing itself, we use flexographic AWP^TM printing plates from Asahi Kasei. The special chemical composition of these printing plates adjusts their surface tension, which in turn ensures truly excellent ink transfer. It is thanks to them that the final print quality rises to meet the client's expectations.

Since we are able to provide not only the printing of laminated tubes, but also their complete assembly, we saved the client the work of sorting out individual sub-deliveries, and offered everything as a complete service.

Every time we print for Manufaktura is for us a worthwhile challenge. The graphics tastefully combine flexo printing with screen printing, embossing, and a trendy matt look. We enjoy pushing our boundaries further and further with each new graphic. When graphics and print complement each other beautifully, success is sure to follow – in 2020 the joint work of Manufaktura and Colognia press won the Czech prestiguous packaging award Obal roku 2020.

"We were looking for a new supplier of PBL tubes for our new products, someone who could provide the proper print quality for our products' challenging design concept, and who at the same time would allow us to continue to produce packaging in the Czech Republic, which is a very important factor for us because of our emphasis on sustainability.

After a tour of Colognia's production facilities in February 2019, we decided to order one type of tubes. As soon as we'd seen the proof it was clear that the print quality was far superior to our existing supplier. Besides which, the actual production and delivery of the final tubes went without a hitch and within the agreed deadline.

Following this experience, we now try and print at Colognia press, a.s. most of the tubes we use, since the quality of the printing makes the entire packaging that much more attractive​."

– Martin from Manufaktura