SHERIDAN, WYOMING -- July 07, 2026 -- WINTIPAK AG, a Swiss-based supplier of aseptic packaging for liquid food, has committed to a new Boardmaster inline flexo printing system from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) for its production site in Halle an der Saale, Germany. The investment expands print capacity at the German facility and is intended to raise flexibility and efficiency as WINTIPAK grows its output. The Boardmaster line supports print speeds up to 600 meters per minute and rapid job changeovers, addressing carton waste, which the company treats as its most valuable raw material. WINTIPAK frames the purchase as part of a broader push to set new economic and sustainability benchmarks in aseptic packaging production.
Boardmaster Targets Startup Waste on High-Value Carton Stock
Carton represents the costliest input in WINTIPAK's production process, which puts waste reduction directly at the center of its cost and sustainability planning. The Boardmaster system is built to cut startup waste by as much as 90 percent compared with earlier approaches. Faster job changeovers, completed within seconds rather than longer changeover windows, let WINTIPAK run multiple orders per day without raising production costs. The company says this keeps quality consistent across shorter, more frequent print runs.
Halle Site Anchors a Multi-Year Expansion Plan
The Boardmaster order builds on a expansion push that WINTIPAK's German operation has pursued since at least 2025. Ground broke on a new production hall at the Halle site in the summer of that year, marking an earlier step in the same growth plan. Rising production volumes and anticipated future demand drove the need for added print capacity. WINTIPAK's predecessor company ran a full evaluation across multiple technology suppliers before settling on the Boardmaster platform, along with its Intellimatch scanning system.
Intellimatch Scanner Adds AI-Assisted Quality Checks
Alongside the press itself, the investment includes HEIDELBERG's Intellimatch scanner system, which uses AI-supported detection to catch print-cylinder defects early in the process. The scanner is positioned to work alongside the Boardmaster's high-speed printing to keep defect rates low even as changeover frequency increases. Catching errors on the cylinder before a full run starts helps limit the amount of material lost to correctable defects.
WINTIPAK Leadership Points to Cost and Quality as Deciding Factors
WINTIPAK chief executive Markku Vauhkonen said HEIDELBERG's industry experience, combined with innovation aimed at sharply lowering production costs while holding quality steady, weighed heavily in the company's decision to invest in the Boardmaster platform. The company has operated for more than two decades in aseptic packaging, building an international presence and production technology base that it says lets it support brand owners with efficient, reliable packaging tailored to market needs. WINTIPAK did not disclose the value of the Boardmaster investment.
HEIDELBERG Positions Boardmaster Within a Wider Packaging Growth Push
HEIDELBERG technology and sales board member David Schmedding said strong international demand for the Boardmaster reflects the company's position in attractive growth markets. He pointed to a continuing worldwide shift toward paper- and carton-based packaging as a trend HEIDELBERG expects to keep expanding, with the company supplying technology and service to help customers optimize production and lower costs. HEIDELBERG frames the Boardmaster as part of its broader role as a systems integrator, a position it also builds through partnerships aimed at opening new market segments and strengthening customer competitiveness. As a folding carton machine, the Boardmaster sits inside a packaging segment HEIDELBERG identifies as a priority growth area within its core printing and packaging business.