The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) spent around £60,000 on the new machines for its Loughry campus near Cookstown in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

Students in the college's food technology and packaging centre study up to degree level with modules in food production, product development, food testing and packaging performance.

Mimaki’s JV300-160 roll-fed solvent printer twins high speed, up to around 100sqm/hr, with good quality. The CF2-1218RC flatbed cutting table helps students produce live packaging proofs.

CAFRE lecturer of 15 years Ron Gardner said: “All the qualifications we provide have a strong industry element, preparing our students for working in the food industry.

“As consumers, we buy products with our eyes and the first thing you see is the packaging. So we wanted state-of-the-art machinery to ensure our students learn with the best possible equipment.

“The purchase of a wide-format solvent printer and flatbed cutter lets students experience complete workflow, from packaging design to creation of a prototype.

“They work with businesses on live briefs, making projects more valid. We have more than 60 students a year on the degree course and the packaging centre also has an old Roland machine.

“The new equipment makes them more employable in the agri-food sector. They can print and cut solid and corrugated board and the software opens up multiple design options.

“The degree programme has grown rapidly in recent years reflecting the strength of the agri-food sector in Northern Ireland. Most of our students gain immediate employment on graduation.”

Frank Wilson, sales manager at Belfast-based Mimaki reseller Dennis D Evans, said the Mimaki hardware helped students learn about the design and performance of packaging.