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California-Compliant and Customer-Oriented: How Ultimate Paper Box Produces Environmentally Conscious Packaging Solutions
In a world where the demands on packaging solutions are constantly evolving, Ultimate Paper Box from City of Industry, California, has taken a significant step to not only adapt to this change but to actively shape it. By investing in a state-of-the-art Rapida 106 eight-colour LED sheetfed printing unit, Ultimate is making a clear statement about sustainability. The new machine allows for both the production of high-quality, eco-friendly packaging and the efficient implementation of custom short runs.
Janak Patel, the President of Ultimate, emphasises that this decision is a direct result of the increasing demand from premium brands for environmentally conscious solutions and faster delivery times. This is the fourth Koenig & Bauer sheetfed printing unit for Ultimate, which underlines their high level of satisfaction. Patel founded his company with a clear focus on innovation, quality, and sustainability, and these principles continue to guide every strategic decision today.
The new Rapida 106 is equipped with advanced colour control, fast makeready times, and pioneering LED drying technology. These features enable Ultimate to achieve higher precision and reduced waste, as well as an optimised workflow. The ability to consistently deliver high-quality results is crucial for a variety of industries, including food and beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods.
A particular highlight is the LED curing technology, which enables significant energy savings and perfectly aligns with California's strict environmental regulations. This technology reduces emissions, lowers energy consumption, and eliminates the need for harmful solvents, reflecting the consistent commitment to sustainability of Ultimate and regulatory compliance.
The investment in a medium-format machine was a direct response to customer demands for high-quality packaging solutions in shorter runs. While large-format machines remain essential for volume-based production, the new printing unit allows Ultimate to respond more agilely to market needs, particularly for premium and customised packaging solutions. Patel praises the long-standing partnership with Koenig & Bauer, which has existed since the first installation in 2008. He attributes Ultimate's record-breaking growth and success partly to Koenig & Bauer's cutting-edge technology, reliability, and exceptional support. In addition, Ultimate has invested in Koenig & Bauer post-press equipment, which has further optimised workflow, finishing options, and turnaround times. Increased automation and precision in postpress allow production processes to be designed more efficiently. Furthermore, waste can be reduced and the final quality of the folding cartons improved, which strengthens competitiveness in the market.
Ultimate Paper Box was established in 1995 with four employees working in a 2,000-square-foot warehouse. Today, the firm has over 130 team members that cater to the electronic, retail, food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical packaging markets. It is headquartered in a modern 40,000 sq ft production facility near a separate AIB Certified flexible packaging division established three years ago. Ultimate Paper Box has achieved G7 Master Qualification and is FSC/SFI certified.
Innovations for a green future: Koenig & Bauer's sustainability initiatives
With a company history spanning over 200 years, Koenig & Bauer has consistently adapted to contemporary developments. We are acutely aware of the challenges facing the packaging industry, particularly concerning the balance between sustainability and economic viability. In light of regulations such as the EU Packaging Regulation, which mandates increased recyclability and reduced plastic usage, we are addressing these challenges with innovative solutions that meet both environmental requirements and economic objectives. This includes initiatives for emission-reduced and resource-efficient products and manufacturing processes throughout the entire value chain. By 2030, we aim for CO2 neutrality for Scope 1 and 2 emissions in our production plants.
Our initiatives include:
- Software solutions for energy efficiency:
With software solutions like VisuEnergy X, we help our customers monitor their energy consumption in real-time, identify potential savings, and enhance the sustainability of their production processes. - Efficient printing units:
We focus on printing units that produce less waste and consume less energy and ink. This is not only more environmentally friendly but also reduces production costs. Examples include our VariDry Blue drying systems for our sheetfed offset presses, which reduce dryer energy consumption by up to 35 per cent. - Commitment to sustainability initiatives:
We are a member of the UN Global Compact and are actively involved in initiatives such as Healthy Printing, Blue Competence, HolyGrail 2.0 and Cradle to Cradle (C2C) to continuously expand our sustainability activities.