Druckfarben Group, a leading European manufacturer of printing inks, coatings, and building materials, has completed a landmark investment in its flexible packaging inks division. With the launch of its  state-of-the-art production facilities in Chalkis, Greece, the company sets a new benchmark for smart manufacturing, environmental responsibility and operational excellence in the printing ink industry.

This ambitious project is far more than an infrastructure upgrade. It is a strategic transformation designed to meet growing market demand for high-performance and sustainable ink solutions, particularly for the food and consumer goods packaging sectors, while aligning with the EU Green Deal and Industry 4.0 principles.

Responding to Industry Changes with Purposeful Innovation

The flexible packaging industry is facing increasing complexity: converters and brand owners demand shorter lead times, smaller batch sizes, high-quality output, and strict compliance with food safety and environmental standards. At the same time, the pressure to reduce carbon emissions and transition to circular business models is intensifying across the entire packaging value chain.

DRUCKFARBEN Group recognized that meeting these challenges would require a radical rethinking of its production model moving beyond incremental improvements to a comprehensive, future-focused transformation.

The new investment responds to five key strategic pillars:

• 40% increase in production capacity
• Expanded production of new-generation, sustainable inks
• Improved product quality and consistency
• Enhanced workplace safety and operational control
• 22% reduction in the carbon footprint of ink production

The Factory of the Future: Technology Meets Responsibility

At the heart of this transformation lies the creation of a fully digitalized and energy-efficient production ecosystem capable of delivering smart, scalable and sustainable ink manufacturing.

Infrastructure Highlights:

• New production and packaging halls, R&D lab, and office building
• Automated state of the art milling equipment  
• Robotic packaging line with palletizers increasing productivity and accuracy

All systems are integrated through a central ERP platform with real-time digital KPI monitoring, creating a responsive, adaptive environment ready for the next generation of production demands.

Measurable Results, Real Impact

Just months into full operation, the new facilities have already delivered impressive performance across multiple dimensions:

• increase in total production output
• recipe execution accuracy and “Right First Time” (RFT) batch success rate
• reduction in energy consumption per ton of product
• reduction in overall CO₂ emissions

These are just a couple of gains are and represent a fundamental shift in DRUCKFARBEN’s ability to meet customer needs with agility, precision, and lower environmental impact.

Built for Resilience, Designed for Growth

The new production model enables DRUCKFARBEN to respond rapidly to shifting market dynamics, including:

• Rising demand for mono-material packaging that supports recyclability
• Stricter regulations on food-safe inks and chemical transparency
• Increasing preference for customized packaging solutions with short lead times
• Growing emphasis on traceability and supply chain optimization

By leveraging the principles of Industry 4.0, DRUCKFARBEN Group has transformed its manufacturing operations into a resilient platform for long-term innovation and export growth. This model also allows the company to produce complex formulations, such as PU-based, PVC-free inks and low-migration inks for sensitive applications, with precision and consistency.

A Sustainability Commitment Beyond Compliance

The new facilities were designed with sustainability as a core objective. More than 60% of the plant’s energy needs are now covered by photovoltaic systems, and energy-efficient technologies have been implemented across the site.

Additionally, the automated systems significantly reduce waste and improve material utilization:

• Minimized raw material losses
• Improved recovery and reuse of intermediate products
• Safer working conditions with automated handling and risk detection systems

But DRUCKFARBEN Group’s commitment to sustainability goes even further into the chemistry of the products themselves.

A key example is the development of the PU Ultima Series, an advanced ink system tailored for sustainable flexible packaging. PU Ultima includes two (PVC and NC free) polyurethane solutions, PUF for flexography and PUR for gravure designed to offer outstanding performance while meeting the latest regulatory and environmental requirements.

These inks provide:

• High bond strength, even under demanding conditions (e.g., pasteurization, retort)
• Excellent printability at high speeds (>400 m/min)
• Superior resistance to heat and challenging ingredients
• Compatibility with mono-material structures, supporting circular packaging design

The PU Ultima Series embodies DRUCKFARBEN’s philosophy, enabling sustainability through innovation, not only by how inks are made, but by how they perform throughout the packaging life cycle.

Furthermore, DRUCKFARBEN not only provides NC-free inks but also offers a comprehensive range of NC-free overprint lacquers designed to meet all converter requirements. These lacquers impart desirable visual effects such as matte finishes and paper-touch sensations, alongside essential functional properties like heat resistance and enhanced mechanical strength to printed products. all while maintaining a sustainable and circular profile.

By reducing its energy intensity and carbon footprint while formulating safer, high-performance inks, DRUCKFARBEN proves that environmental responsibility and industrial excellence go hand in hand.

Export-Driven and Customer-Centric

With its enhanced capacity and smart infrastructure, DRUCKFARBEN Group is better equipped than ever to support its growing network of European clients in the flexible packaging sector.

The investment strengthens the company’s position as:

• A reliable partner for converters seeking consistency and supply stability
• A forward-thinking supplier for brand owners with sustainability goals
• A regional leader in customized, high-performance ink systems

By combining technical innovation, environmental stewardship and customer-first thinking, DRUCKFARBEN is helping reshape the future of printing inks in the EMEA.

A Strategic Transformation, Not Just an Upgrade

What sets this investment apart is not only its scale, but its strategic vision. Rather than simply modernizing old systems, DRUCKFARBEN Group has reimagined the future of its inks division, laying the foundation for a new era of smart, sustainable production.

This transformation positions the company as a frontrunner in the next chapter of the printing industry, where digitalization, circularity and agility will define success. As the demand for high-quality, sustainable, and regulation-compliant printing inks grows, DRUCKFARBEN Group is ready with the infrastructure, expertise and vision to lead.