By Cassandra Balentine
Part 3 of 3
The future of UV corrugated printing will include automation, LED curing, sustainability, higher production speeds, artificial intelligence(AI)-driven quality control, and the continued shift of digital printing from prototyping into mainstream corrugated production.
“Future mainstream production will feature integrated, touch-free automation where efficiency is measured by ‘finished sheets per hour.’ Inline print-to-pallet systems; including automated loaders, push tables, stackers, and digital cutters, will operate with minimal oversight. LED curing remains the standard for its thermal profile. Additionally, automated quality controls like laser height scanning and smart nozzle compensation can neutralize media variations and minimize setup errors, solidifying digital printing as a mass production tool,” predicts Patrick Donigain, senior manager, large format printing solutions, Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Tad Bozdech, product manager, Excelitas, says automation—especially using machine learning algorithms—is a hot topic in the corrugated printing industry. “Many printers now feature machine vision solutions to spot print defects. Demand for high production speeds is also a given, so printer OEMs are adding more and higher power lights to keep up. Digital printing is an attractive solution for both short- and long-run production since designs can be altered on the fly without having to change out materials.”
Hugo Gonzalez, senior management specialist, Mimaki USA, Inc., feels that the future will be defined by how effectively the entire workflow is connected. “We are seeing improvements in everything, from more efficient designs, finishing, and application management. Having a connected workflow also reduces waste by having less possible touch points and reducing errors. Remote monitoring systems are also being implemented to provide metrics, update status, and provide predictive maintenance and consumable needs.”
Workflow systems are also being integrated with automation to provide a higher level of productivity and efficiency. Gonzalez anticipates that camera-based AI technology will likely play a greater role in detecting status and possible errors. Automation equipment like communication connected robotic arms may play a role, but this might be more isolated to high-volume print providers in the short-run production space.
“The future looks bright. As more adopters come online, there will be cheaper solutions. As UV lamp and printhead technology increases so do the speeds,” states James Stanley, CPP, RPbD, business development manager packaging, Mutoh America, Inc.
Inks evolve, becoming more affordable and sustainable. AI technology reviews print for anomalies and then rejects bad outputs for good only. While the high-speed units are quite expensive, the cost will reduce as more are made. “The return on investment will also make more sense as smaller customers are willing to pay more for full-color packaging. Larger runs with variable data also make sense as that is the strength of digital,” states Stanley.
Ted Pierpont, national sales manager, large format/textile/corrugated, Durst Image Technology US, says LED curing will likely continue to evolve towards lower energy consumption and more efficient curing. Sustainability is a high priority, and we have many scientists working on research to continue the move away from harmful chemicals. “AI-enabled quality control and system controls should ultimately enable systems capable of ‘lights out’ production.”
“The future of UV corrugated printing will be driven by higher productivity, greater automation, and better integration between printing and finishing. Digital print will continue moving from prototyping and short-run work into more mainstream production environments as equipment becomes faster, more automated, and more cost-effective,” shares Mark Crawford, product and business manager, Vanguard.
Automation will play a major role. “Automated loading, unloading, board registration, stack handling, and workflow integration will help reduce labor requirements and improve consistency. As production speeds increase, automation becomes even more important because manual handling can become the limiting factor,” adds Crawford.
Crawford expects LED curing to continue to expand because of its energy efficiency, lower heat output, and reliability. Sustainability will also remain a major driver, especially as brands and converters look for ways to reduce waste, lower energy usage, and produce more targeted packaging without excessive inventory.
“AI-driven quality control will become increasingly important as digital production volumes grow. Systems that can monitor color, registration, defects, and nozzle performance in real time will help make digital corrugated printing more predictable and more suitable for true manufacturing environments,” says Crawford.
Sep2026, Industrial Print Magazine
