Raloyal Customizes 1200mm Wide Flexo Printing & Laminating Solution for Czech Client

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Jul 17,2026

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What do you do when the industry-standard approach doesn't deliver the results you need for a specific application? This was the question facing a Czech manufacturer in late 2025, with a requirement to print on 1200mm wide kraft paper and crepe paper — and to achieve a laminated finish.

The market typically handles such wide materials with varnishing rather than lamination. But when testing proved that varnishing couldn't meet the required standards, the project called for a different approach. This case study follows how Raloyal worked with the client to engineer a custom solution that addressed the full scope of their production requirements.

Inline Flexo Line

The Client's Requirement: Printing Two Substrates, One Machine

In November 2025, Mr. Will reached out to Raloyal on behalf of his Czech client. The requirement was specific: a printing machine capable of handling 1200mm wide kraft paper and crepe paper, with integrated lamination functionality.

The term "simultaneously" is important here — the client needed a single production line that could process both substrates, each with very different material characteristics, without compromising quality or requiring excessive changeover time.

Kraft paper is valued for its strength but has a porous, fibrous surface that affects how coatings are absorbed. Crepe paper, by contrast, has a textured surface and higher stretchability, making it sensitive to tension fluctuations during printing. A press capable of handling both substrates well needed to be engineered with flexibility as a core consideration.

Why Varnishing Wasn't the Answer

For wide web materials, varnishing is the conventional finishing method. It applies a liquid coating directly to the substrate, which is then dried or cured. It's a well-established process that integrates smoothly into many flexo printing workflows.

However, for this particular application, varnishing proved problematic. Working with the client, Raloyal conducted tests on the specific materials — 1200mm kraft paper and crepe paper — to evaluate whether varnishing could achieve the desired finish.

The results were not satisfactory. Both substrates exhibited issues with coating uniformity, absorption, and adhesion that couldn't be resolved through standard adjustments. The industry-standard approach was not going to work for this application.

At this point, the client could have accepted the limitations of varnishing and adjusted their product specifications. Instead, they chose to explore an alternative: integrating lamination directly into the printing machine.

The Custom Solution: Integrating Lamination into a Flexo Press

Lamination — bonding a thin film layer to the printed substrate using adhesive — offers distinct advantages over varnishing for this application:

Uniform finish regardless of substrate porosity: Unlike varnish, which can be absorbed unevenly into kraft paper's fibrous surface, lamination creates a physical barrier that delivers consistent coverage.
Superior surface protection: The laminated layer provides enhanced durability and resistance to moisture.
Compatibility with textured substrates: On the crepe paper's irregular surface, lamination can achieve more uniform adhesion than varnishing.

The challenge was integrating this capability into a wide web printing machine without compromising speed or print quality.

Raloyal's technical team developed a custom solution that added lamination functionality to the printing machine. This involved re-engineering aspects of the web path and incorporating a dedicated laminating station after the printing units. A technical sketch was prepared for the client's review, allowing them to visualize how the integrated system would function.

The solution drew on Raloyal's in-house manufacturing capabilities for core components — gears, shafts, and wall panels — which are essential to maintaining quality control. The company's self-developed servo drive technology, which delivers ±0.075mm registration accuracy, provided a foundation for precise control across both printing and lamination processes.

From Sketch to Order: Technical Alignment and Final Confirmation

After the initial proposal, Raloyal and the client discussed the remaining technical details to ensure the solution would work in practice. These discussions covered critical points such as:

How the laminating station would interface with the existing printing units
Tension control adjustments required for each substrate when lamination is active
Changeover procedures for switching between kraft paper, crepe paper, and different finishing modes
Production expectations with lamination engaged

Once these details were confirmed, the client's feedback was clear: this is the machine he was looking for.

An order was placed with Raloyal, marking the transition from a challenging requirement to a fully engineered custom solution.

Key Takeaways for Buyers of Wide Web Printing Equipment

This case illustrates several considerations for manufacturers evaluating flexo printing solutions for demanding applications:

1. Standard configurations have limits. When a substrate combination or finishing requirement falls outside typical industry practice, it's worth testing whether off-the-shelf equipment will meet your needs. The client's testing with varnishing helped identify the gap before committing to a solution.

2. Custom engineering is a viable path. Not every requirement maps neatly onto a standard press configuration. Manufacturers with in-house engineering capability, including core component manufacturing, can design integrated solutions that address specific production needs.

3. Technical documentation supports decision-making. A clear technical sketch or diagram helps bridge the gap between a conceptual solution and a confirmed order, giving both parties confidence in the proposed approach.

4. Consider the full production workflow. Lamination adds an additional process step. Evaluating how it affects speed, changeover, and material handling is as important as the finishing quality itself.

Why Raloyal for Custom Flexo Solutions

Raloyal was established in 2017 and operates a 6,386-square-foot㎡ workshop with 85 employees. The company's focus on vertical integration — manufacturing core components such as gears, shafts, and wall panels in-house — provides the foundation for custom modifications.

The self-developed servo drive system delivers ±0.075mm registration accuracy, while the engineering team has experience with a range of press architectures: CI flexo presses for stretch-sensitive films, bridge-type presses for wide paper and nonwoven materials, and stack presses for paper and label applications.

With equipment exported to over 150 countries and after-sales support including on-site commissioning, remote troubleshooting, and lifetime parts supply, Raloyal serves flexible packaging, label, paper, and industrial converting customers worldwide. Explore industry-specific solutions to see how different press configurations address various production requirements.

For buyers evaluating flexo printing equipment with specific finishing requirements — whether lamination, die-cutting, or other integrated processes — defining the full production scope early and working with a manufacturer that offers both standard options and custom engineering capabilities is a practical approach. Comparing how different press architectures (CI, inline, bridge, or stack) handle specific substrates and finishing processes is the logical next step in the selection process.