Kodak and GDM have entered into a partnership to integrate Kodak’s high-speed inkjet technology into GDM’s disposable hygiene production lines.

The agreement, effective as of 28 March, has allowed GDM, a converting and packaging company based in Italy, to integrate Kodak’s Prosper S-Series and Prosper Plus imprinting systems into its converting and packaging lines for its products.

The integration has allowed GDM to digitally print decorative designs, marketing messages, and instructions for use throughout its manufacturing process, for its entire range of hygiene products.

Marco Rosani, market development manager at GDM, said: “Our new partnership with Kodak is a major step forward for GDM to expand our added-value solutions. 

“Combining Kodak’s continuous inkjet and sustainable ink technologies with GDM’s expertise in material handling will deliver a wide range of opportunities for our customers.”

The partnership, he added, would allow GDM to pass on the benefits of increased flexibility, lower costs, and a more sustainable manufacturing process to its customers.

Kodak’s Prosper S-Series and Prosper Plus both have speeds of up to 600m/min, allowing the print process to keep up with GDM’s production line.

Speaking to Printweek, Rosani added: “Two years ago, when I started as market development manager, I realised that to keep our technology leadership position and fight back the competition worldwide - and especially the fast-learning and acting Asian competitors - we needed to do more.”

This, he said, involved not trying to react to customers’ needs, but trying to anticipate them.

“The GDM-Kodak collaboration fits perfectly into this new product development paradigm.”

Not only, he added, would the digital printing technology allow customers to enhance the aesthetics of their product, it would also allow them to maintain claims of sustainability thanks to Kodak’s specialist water-based inks.

The technology would also allow GDM to add new features at each stage of production (finished product, primary, and secondary packaging), such as coding for customer tracking or product gamification.

Giuliano Bianchet, vice president of sales EAMER for Kodak, said: “Our collaboration with GDM is further proof of the suitability of Kodak's unique continuous inkjet technology for a wide range of industrial applications.

“Integrating our Prosper Imprinting Systems into GDM's production lines makes digital imprinting a highly flexible, cost-effective step within an efficient, end-to-end manufacturing process.”

Rosani said: “[The partnership] will bring new exciting opportunities in our marketplace, often considered as mature and slow in bringing innovation to reality.”