September Reflections

October 17, 2022

Kenny Tucker, Sonoco Institute Project Coordinator

Summer is officially over and Fall is my favorite season of the year! Before I get too hopeful about what is coming, I’d like to reflect a bit on the past month. The summer ended on a good note for the Sonoco Institute. We had one of our busiest months this year – out of the 21 business days of September, we were on press for 13! That may not seem like a lot to a production facility, but when you are cleaning up and changing over your entire press configurations for different materials and ink combinations, it can be a lot of work. Throw in a Label Expo event and a Sonoco Fresh Summit and I’d venture to say it has been one of the busiest months in our history! In this past month, we have done research on ink migrations, coatings on paper, coatings on films, different types of photopolymer plates and more. Six different companies visited the Sonoco Institute during the month of September to use our printing press. When asked why they chose us, the most common response is that no one else offers the confidentiality and resources that we do. I am glad we can help discover, develop and deliver advanced solutions and resources for the printing and packaging industries.

“The Sonoco Institute offers knowledgeable staff and great printing and process capabilities; you can find all you need for printing in one place!”

Mohammad Savoji, WestRock

Scott Rickard of Dupont works with one of the Sonoco Institute interns during a print trial

“Our testing protocols are often quite complex, requiring numerous changes of ink systems, substrates, and UV lamp technologies. The Sonoco Institute provides the equipment versatility and printing expertise to support our testing challenges during product development. In addition, the staff is always friendly, accommodating, and professional … a great team to work with!”

Lisa Byland, Siegwerk