HP has installed its 3000th digital labels and packaging press worldwide, with the milestone HP Indigo 6K+ going to Watershed Group in Dublin. The new machine is one of only three currently operating in Europe and expands Watershed’s fleet of HP Indigo presses as the company accelerates its digital transformation.
Watershed, which has five sites across Ireland, Germany, and Poland, serves clients in the food, drinks, pharmaceutical, and industrial sectors. The company has invested in the 6K+ to meet growing demand for high-quality, short-run jobs, and faster lead times, while improving overall operational resilience.
“We’re proud to be a beta site for the HP Indigo 6K+ and HP Indigo’s 3000th digital press for labels and packaging worldwide,” said Kirwan Waters, director of Watershed. “The press has strengthened our lead times, improved on-time delivery, and given us the flexibility to shift shorter runs to digital, freeing up capacity across the business. For our customers, that means better service, faster turnaround and consistently high quality.”
The addition of the 6K+ has allowed Watershed to move short-run and complex work from flexo to digital, tripling uptime and freeing flexo presses for longer runs. The company also uses HP PrintOS to monitor production data in real time, identify workflow bottlenecks and support operator development.
Workforce training is another key focus, with HP Indigo presses enabling new operators to become fully effective within 6–12 weeks – significantly faster than traditional flexo systems.
Noam Zilbershtain, vice president and general manager at HP Indigo, commented, “Watershed have continuously pushed forward while staying true to their values of quality and service. The HP Indigo 6K+ underpins these goals and supports Watershed to grow its business.”
The investment forms part of Watershed’s wider strategy to increase automation, enhance sustainability and expand into high-value applications such as digital pouches and flexible packaging.
