Folding carton manufacturer Graphic Packaging International (GPI) has invested in beverage packaging innovation with new facility in Bristol, UK.

GPI-Bristol

Image: The new development centre serves as acentral point for GPI’s European beverage design organization. Photo: courtesy of Graphic Packaging International.

The new development center, dubbed Hub, serves as a central point for the firm’s European beverage design organization.

GPI’s beverage packaging development centre is said to be established as a nucleus for structural and graphic design excellence, and will coordinate with the existing regional resource base.

The new centre features latest graphics, 3D design and digital rendering tools to enhance the firm’s scope for innovation, as well as advanced communications facilities to improve inter-site collaboration.

The center is also provided with a large format digital printer to expand print capabilities and create printed product concepts to support interactive customer experiences.

GPI innovation and development manager Steve Gould said: “The idea behind the ‘Hub’ is three-fold:

To develop a centre of excellence, aligned with both packaging machinery and marketing, to act as a central point to support and coordinate our regional resources and above all, to offer a facility where our customers can participate in and inspire new product development.”

“For GPI, the key to success is promoting an integrated approach which combines all disciplines. From graphics and constructional design to marketing and engineering, everyone makes a valuable contribution to beverage packaging development and the new Bristol Centre will help to nurture these synergies.”

In March this year, GPI announced an investment of £5m at its Gateshead facility in the UK to meet increasing demand.

At the Gateshead site, the company decided to install two new equipments to increase capacity and efficiency by up to 40 million sheets.

The two new machines planned to be installed at the site include a 6-colour, double-coater Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 106 printing press and a Bobst EXPERTCUT 106 PER cutting machine. T

The machines are planned to be installed at the site in spring 2018.