Since its inception in 2005 with a technical partnership with Konica Minolta, IIJ has consistently focused on iterative, application-driven advancements rather than aggressive marketing. From coding units operating at 300 metres per minute to abrasion-resistant wide formats for industrial packaging and compact mono units like the internally launched Small MonoPrint (SMP), IIJ’s evolution underscores the importance of reliability under pressure. This reliability is increasingly critical as new EU legislation on packaging waste, ratified at the end of 2024, introduces binding reuse and recyclability targets for 2030 and 2040. These targets include minimum recycled content requirements (up to 65% for single-use plastics), restrictions on packaging volume, and the eventual phase-out of certain materials, such as PFAS compounds. For producers of food and beverage containers, toiletries, condiment sachets, and fruit and vegetable wraps, compliance with these regulations will become a structural constraint.
Similarly, the pharmaceutical industry faces stringent regulations. By January 2025, all medicinal products sold in the UK will require “UK Only” labelling, and by 2028, the EU will mandate harmonised reusability symbols and QR codes on all packaging. These elements must coexist with tightly regulated pharmaceutical information, often in increasingly compact formats. This necessitates labels that are not only durable, legible, and tamper-proof but also digital, scalable, and environmentally neutral.
IIJ’s approach to these challenges is characterised by adaptability rather than a single one-size-fits-all solution. The company supports a wide portfolio of Konica Minolta printheads, which also accommodate solvents, offering variations in drop volume, ink chemistry, and resolution. This flexibility allows for tailored setups across various use cases, including UV, latex, and functional fluids. Throw distances range from 2 to 15 millimetres depending on configuration, with speed options peaking at 300 metres per minute in monochrome.
However, printheads are just one component of IIJ’s strategy. The company places significant emphasis on pre-deployment testing, evaluating jetting reliability, ink stability, environmental tolerance, and waveform dynamics. The goal is not merely technical compatibility but long-term system integrity. IIJ also prioritises collaboration with clients, providing not just machinery but a calibrated “recipe” built around ink, substrate, and specific conditions. This approach is particularly crucial in markets where ink performance is critical, such as medical and pharmaceutical packaging, which must withstand abrasion, chemical exposure, and high-temperature sterilisation. Similarly, industrial formats must endure harsh conditions like salt air, microbial growth, solar radiation, and electrolysis. In these contexts, durability is not optional but essential.
IIJ’s philosophy centres on precision rather than proliferation. There is no single press designed to solve every compliance challenge, nor is there a universal ink suitable for all substrates. Instead, IIJ’s approach is modular, practical, and collaborative. Flexibility, in this context, is not merely a buzzword but a fundamental requirement. As packaging regulations become more stringent and product lifecycles shorten, suppliers who cannot recalibrate quickly risk obsolescence. IIJ is determined to avoid this fate by equipping itself with a toolkit designed for uncertainty, which may prove to be its most valuable asset in an increasingly complex and regulated landscape.
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