In September 2026, Konica Minolta, Inc. (Konica Minolta) announced that a film packaging system (“the system”), which was jointly developed by the Company and FUJI MACHINERY CO., LTD. (FUJI MACHINERY), FUJI PACK SYSTEM CO., LTD. (FUJI PACK SYSTEM), a group company of FUJI MACHINERY, Marking System Technology Co., Ltd. (MST), and DAC ENGINEERING CO., LTD. (DAC ENGINEERING), has won the Japan Star Award (Japan Packaging Institute President’s Award), which is the top award at Japan Packaging Contest 2026 organized by the Japan Packaging Institute.
The system helps the packaging industry eliminate the need for printing plates and labels by printing directly on a packaging film using inkjet technology within a packaging machine, which helps increase production efficiency and also reduce the environmental impact of the packaging process. Konica Minolta was appointed as the in-charge of the development of water-based inks, primer inks, and inkjet printhead technology.
Name of the Award-winning work: Reducing film waste through direct printing on packaging machines with water-based inkjet technology
In the food packaging industry, it is essential to meet the needs of high-mix, small-lot production and also improve the efficiency of the packaging process. To meet such challenges efficiently, the system was jointly developed by five companies, namely, FUJI MACHINERY, FUJI PACK SYSTEM, MST, DAC ENGINEERING, and Konica Minolta.
The main method of printing on food packaging is gravure printing on packaging films; another widely used method is applying gravure-printed labels to packages. Although gravure printing offers high printing speed and has advantages for mass production, a printing plate must be produced for each product to be packaged.
The system also enables direct printing on a packaging film with the help of an inkjet printer incorporated into a packaging machine. It also eliminates the need to produce printing plates and reduces the process of producing and applying labels, along with raising production efficiency. With the ability to handle small-lot production, the system can significantly reduce the amount of film waste due to packaging product changeover and discontinuation of sales compared to gravure printing. In addition, the reduction in consumption of materials, such as printing plates, labels, and thermal transfer ribbons required in gravure printing, helps reduce environmental impact and COâ‚‚ emissions.
Winning the award helps to demonstrate recognition of the development concept of improving the efficiency of the packaging process and also the environmental impact reduction benefits.
Inkjet printing on packaging films uses low-odor water-based inks and primer inks with enhanced safety developed by Konica Minolta. The combination of these types of inks increases the adhesion of inks to films and enables high-definition printing. Inks are available in different colors, including black, red, and yellow, to meet various visual needs. Based on Konica Minolta’s proprietary material design, an inkjet printhead optimized for jetting water-based inks is adopted to achieve stable high-definition printing quality and help improve productivity.
“We are deeply honored to receive the prestigious Japan Star Award, and are truly grateful to the four companies involved in the joint development,” said Masaki Sasa, Representative Director and President, FUJI PACK SYSTEM. “We will continue to create better value based on FUJI MACHINERY’s proprietary engineering capabilities and FUJI PACK SYSTEM’s unique innovation capability and will keep contributing to the development of the packaging industry and society as a whole.”
“We are truly honored that this collaborative development project has been recognized with the prestigious Japan Star Award,” said Hiroaki Sakamoto, CEO, MST. “This achievement is the result of the strong synergy created by bringing together the strengths of each participating company, and we extend our sincere gratitude to all of our partner companies. We are extremely proud that the technologies we have cultivated over many years have been recognized for their potential to help shape the future. Encouraged by this award, we will continue pursuing uncompromising manufacturing excellence and expanding the possibilities of marking and printing technologies.”
“We are greatly honored to receive the Japan Star Award,” said Kenichi Okubo, General Manager, IJ Component Business Unit, Konica Minolta. “We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to all of the companies involved in this collaborative development effort. Through our proprietary inkjet technologies, Konica Minolta has been exploring new possibilities for transforming manufacturing workflows, including those within the packaging industry. Together with our partners, we will continue advancing technology development and expanding market opportunities aimed at realizing a more sustainable society.”
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