Australian company LifeArt is looking for print groups to partner as it expands its presence in the UK market. The company, based in New South Wales, has created, developed and patented an enviroboard coffin using cardboard engineering.
LifeArt, which opened a global innovation centre in Gloucester in 2017, has worked closely with Agfa to test various inks for the enviroboard and has developed colour profiles for the printing of designs on the Agfa Jeti Mira and Tauro LED printers. A Mira LED wide format press was subsequently installed into the Gloucester facility and all artwork is pre-flighted and colour-matched by the Agfa Asanti workflow.
‘Agfa went out of their way to help us in this venture and provided great initial technical support for which I will be forever grateful,’ said Mike Grehan, founder and CEO of LifeArt. ‘The vast majority of coffins we sell today are printed for the funeral trade, so we offer a choice of timber print finishes. But the exciting bit is being able to totally personalise a coffin for the user and offer it at an affordable price. With so many more people planning their own funerals there’s lot of interest in being able to choose a unique finish.’
Unlike traditional coffins, which are more suited to burials and can emit large amount of harmful gases when burned, LifeArt’s products have been designed with cremation in mind. Research is said to support the claim that its coffins use up to 80% fewer trees to produce and when cremated emit up to 87% less Nitrous Oxide than MDF or particleboard coffins.
‘We have already set up partnerships with print groups in Europe and are looking for print groups to partner in the UK,’ added UK MD Simon Rothwell. ‘They have all the skills needed to produce our cardboard coffins and many will have the equipment too. Essentially LifeArt provide their supply chain, technology and market access and the print partner would print, cut, wrap, glue and assemble the coffin for local supply. That’s the future, we don’t want to be transporting empty boxes. The environment is core to everything we do, so it needs local supply. We are seeking print groups with the right skill set, mindset and capacity.’
