China's Huayuan scores world's first G7 certification for metal printing

In September 2021, IDEAlliance GBA announced that Huayuan Packaging (Qingyuan) Co., Ltd. that it became the world's first metal can printing company to receive a G7 certification. Thus far, it is the only metal can printing company to achieve the certification.

Established in 1998, Huayuan Holdings is a leading company in the metal printing field. As a comprehensive packaging solutions provider, with integration solutions planning, packaging design and product manufacturing as its core business. At present, there are more than 20 production facilities throughout China, including five lithographic plants, 10 metal can manufacturing plants, two metal cover plants, and eight plastic packaging production plants.

In 2020, Huayuan Holdings invested and established Huayuan Packaging (Qingyuan) Co., Ltd. in Qingyuan, Guangdong. This facility places great importance to the application of innovative metal can manufacturing technologies and processes.

Achieving 90% of Brand Colours

After extensive research, Huayuan Packaging partnered with CGS ORIS and its regional partner Shenzhen Surewell Technology, to implement the full suite of colour management solutions from CGS ORIS.

In August 2021, Huayuan Packaging successfully implemented expanded colour gamut printing on a 7-colour metal printing press as well as a digital inkjet metal packaging proofing system.

CGS ORIS colour management solutions and the professional technical service team of Surewell Technology were able to help Huayuan successfully execute this project. Using CGS ORIS’ FLEX PACK packaging proofing system with an Epson eco-solvent printer, colour matching of over 90% of brand colours printed on Huayuan’s presses were achieved.

Furthermore, CGS ORIS’ X GAMUT was used to successfully implement expanded colour gamut (ECG) printing innovation on Huayuan’s 7-colour metal printing press. Huayuan can now also flexibly manage its short run, multispot-colour printing.

Implementing G7 Certification

In order to meet the stringent requirements of Huayuan Packaging’s high-end brand customers, and the demanding challenges of the international printing standards facing metal printing companies, a decision was made to implement G7 certification together with the multicolour separation project.

Due to its difference from general offset printing processes on paper, advanced standardization and managed quality control for multi-colour metal printing presses is quite rare in the field of metal printing.

After the initial metal printing is completed, an in-line UV varnish is applied before a curing process of as high as 160 degrees Celcius (320 deg F). As one could imagine, this is a difficult process to manage.

Even so, the powerful CGS ORIS solutions X GAMUT, FLEX PACK, CERTIFIED and CXF TOOLBOX, plus the diligent group efforts of CGS ORIS, Surewell Technology and the entire team at Huayuan Packaging accomplished its goals exceptionally.

The final measured data from Huayuan’s CMYKRGB metal printing process achieved the G7 gray balance standard, as well as meet the tighter G7 Target level compliance - this is an unprecedented achievement in the metal printing industry.

It strongly illustrates that the G7 colour correction method can be applied to not only any CMYK four-colour process printing arena but also be carried out in the multicolour, expanded colour gamut metal printing field.

This accomplishment filled a much needed gap within the metal printing industry globally, as well as in Greater China. This certification creates a benchmark reference for metal printing companies by providing empirical, measured data, and at the same time sets an example and model for the global metal printing industry of what can accomplished.

“Science and technology are the primary productive forces. The concept of standardization is extended to the field of metal printing. G7 certification not only promotes Huayuan Packaging as a leader in the industry, but we also clearly see the improvement of product quality through visual colour result," said Zhang Xinyi, General Manager of Huayuan Holdings.

"In the future, we will expand these processes to the other branches of our companies to promote G7 colour management technology. Let Huayuan's colour become a business standard for the metal printing industry, and Huayuan's quality becomes a standard for the global metal industry to follow."