Edale secures its Latin American expansion with a CartonLine FL5 installation at Colombian converter Impreac

Strategic expansion in the Latin American folding carton market

The Latin American folding carton sector continues to accelerate its transition toward single-pass production architectures. During the recent Loupe Americas 2026 event, Colombian packaging converter Impreac finalized the acquisition of an Edale CartonLine FL5 press. This investment, facilitated alongside regional sales partner Intermarket, establishes the Funza-based family business as the primary reference site for Edale across Colombia and the broader Latin American market.

For Edale, a Canon company, securing a dedicated showcase facility in Bogotá's industrial corridor represents a critical operational milestone. The UK-based manufacturer has been systematically targeting the folding carton segment by positioning its inline flexographic technology as a direct alternative to traditional multi-step offset workflows, particularly for short to medium print runs ranging from 1,000 to 100,000 units.

Technical capabilities of the CartonLine FL5

The configuration acquired by Impresos y Acabados integrates printing, cutting, creasing, braille embossing, and waste stripping into a continuous single-pass operation. The FL5 platform is engineered specifically for paperboard handling, featuring advanced tension control systems capable of processing substrates up to 700 microns thick. By coupling the printing units with an inline Flatbed Die Cutter (FDC), the system eliminates the work-in-progress bottlenecks typically associated with offline converting.

This installation provides Impreac with the agility required to respond to shrinking lead times and the growing demand for customized packaging batches. The ability to execute complex embellishments and structural converting in one pass significantly reduces material waste and operational overhead, aligning with the efficiency demands of modern retail and consumer goods supply chains.

The deployment of the CartonLine FL5 at Impreac signals a maturing market in the Andean region, where converters are increasingly willing to invest in high-end European capital equipment to capture higher-margin packaging segments. As the Latin American market demands greater flexibility without compromising structural integrity, inline flexo platforms are proving to be a highly competitive operational strategy.