PrintPack India 2015 surpasses previous record : 26,000 sq. mtr area booked

6 months before to curtain off, 12th Edition of PrintPack India has surpassed the eralier booking record of 11th PrintPack India. If the flow continues for next four months, it is sure to take PrintPack India 2015 to newer heights unachieved before. 

Other side of the coin, outcome of exhibition depends on visitors. Aggressive promotion of exhibition and simultaneous result had already delighted to the exhibitors of previous PrintPack India. Previous efforts and experience will be added advantage to ensure the Massive footfall of visitors in PrintPack India 2015. Dialogues are on with sister associations to mobilize visitors and encourage delegations to visit PrintPack India 2015. Agreements made with fraternity’s overseas associations in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, UAE, US, Germany, Malaysia, Italy, China, Korea and other countries for mobilizing visitors from overseas. For the convenience of visitors, elaborate arrangements have been made for on-line registration etc.

For making the event more purposeful and business oriented, Seminars and Workshops have been planned every day from 11-15 February, 2015 along with NPES and other renowned workshop event organizers. PrintPack India 2015 will showcase the world’s latest technologies. It will be a promising show with great opportunity provider to all segments of the Industry.

Print Pack India 2015 is one of the Asia’s biggest exhibitions, where not only Indian companies but world’s majors into printing and allied machinery mark their presence. Some of the major exhibitors who have confirmed their presence at the show are Autoprint, Bobst India, Kurz India, Kohli Graphic Systems, Muller Martini, Multitec Aids, Innovative Flexotech, Webtech Engineering Sona Commercial and others. India’s pioneering magazine for the labels, converting and package decoration industry - Labels India - is the media partner for Print Pack India 2015.

For latest information of total participants, layout, service render, tie-ups etc, visit www.printpackipama.com or email: admin@ipama.org.

Tresu Group highlights productivity-boosting ink supply and chambered doctor blade technology at Labelexpo Americas

Tresu Group, the global supplier of flexo technology will present ancillary products that improve ink flow at Labelexpo Americas 2014. Highlights include ink supply systems, chambered doctor blade systems and plate cleaners.

The F10 iCon ink supply system automates ink pressure, viscosity and temperature control in flexo printing machines.   This, in turn, ensures a constant, accurate ink density on the printed substrate and prevents air from contaminating the ink chamber.

Sealed, pressure-controlled chambered doctor blade systems enable direct, bubble-free transfer of ink / coating to the anilox cells. This ensures a clean, blister-free printed image with fast drying characteristics, better reflection and higher gloss values, whether on paper or film. Also, the automation of ink flow greatly reduces the need for manual intervention during the production run.

Chambered doctor blade systems include the FlexiPrint IMW E-Line, for web widths up to 1800mm (70.8”) and speeds up to 500m/min (1640ft/min); and the closed-cassette FlexiPrint reservoir, which needs no pump and operates at press speeds of up to 300m/min (984ft/min). The E-Line system, including clamp, allows for safe blade changeover in less than two minutes. Tresu’s patented Rubber Seal System ensures an airtight closure, eliminating the chance of leakage and allowing long-term storage of ink, for instance when production is interrupted during weekend shutdowns. 

In addition to ancillary products, Tresu offers flexo coating systems for integration into digital sheet-fed folding carton lines, under its DigitalSolutions division, and custom-built flexo machines via its Solution division.  The Tresu iCoat coating system has been adapted specially for HP Indigo 10000 and HP Indigo 30000 presses. Together, the Tresu and HP systems offer a complete printing folding carton production line - for printing, full surface or selective coating and stacking.

Kodak celebrates manufacturing milestone with the installation of its 20,000th Kodak SquareSpot Thermal Imaging Head

Kodak has reached the installation of its 20,000th award-winning Kodak SquareSpot Thermal Imaging Head, the industry’s gold standard in imaging technology. As the developers of thermal CTP technology, Kodak makes the only CTP Systems that utilize Kodak SquareSpot Imaging Technology, giving customers the competitive advantage needed to reach a higher level of stability, accuracy and reliability within their operation.

SquareSpot Imaging Technology has been a successful and long-lasting part of Kodak’s portfolio, and the print industry, for almost 20 years. The technology was first introduced as the viable alternative to visible-light CTP systems and today remains the first choice for printers looking for superior imaging technology capable of premium offset print quality. Kodak Trendsetter, Magnus, and Generation News Platesetters with SquareSpot Imaging Technology help to reduce chemistry usage, plate waste, remakes and make-ready times supporting customers’ sustainability goals.

Edwards Brothers Malloy, headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, offers both offset and digital book printing and binding, delivering more than 60 million high-quality books and journals a year. With more than 700 employees at facilities across the U.S and Europe, Edwards Brothers Malloy has selected the Kodak Magnus VLF Platesetter for its diverse organization in order to increase stability and accuracy on both short and long runs.

“We’ve benefited firsthand from Kodak’s technology in both our offset and digital operations. By selecting the Magnus VLF Platesetter with SquareSpot Imaging Technology, we have been able to capitalize on our diversity while reducing our operational complexity,” said Peter Shima, Director of Digital and Prepress Operations, Edwards Brothers Malloy. “Our business is based on agility and adaptability and Kodak helps us keep the quality bar high, productivity streamlined and our customers happy.”

SquareSpot Imaging Technology is adaptable to various Kodak Platesetters, providing customers with multiple size, imaging and automation options. Accuracy in imaging is critical for consistent, repeatable high quality printing and wide color gamut. SquareSpot Technology delivers 10,000 dpi laser-imaging for commercial printing and 5,000 dpi laser-imaging for newspaper printing to provide the most accurate imaging. Competitive imaging technology is typically in the 1,600 dpi range.

“The announcement of the 20,000th Kodak SquareSpot Thermal Imaging Head installation further validates this technology in the industry and places it in the ‘hall of fame’ of print technology,” said Rich Rindo, General Manager, Worldwide Graphics Marketing, and Vice President, Graphics, Entertainment & Commercial Film (GECF). “SquareSpot Technology remains one of our most durable technologies, continuing to add value to customers and delivering measurable results.”

As a long-time customer of Kodak, the company also owns several Kodak Nexpress Digital Presses and uses Kodak Prinergy Workflow software across its facilities.

InnoMark Communications Targeting Efficiency in Comprehensive Production with EFI Radius Software

EFI, a world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation, announced that InnoMark Communications has selected EFI Radius ERP software to unify and manage business data and operations across its 11 facilities. Fairfield, Ohio-based InnoMark selected the packaging and converting industry’s #1 ERP system based on its best-in-class tools for streamlined, multi-plant management and the technical capabilities Radius gives users to direct an extensive range of finishing and fulfillment processes.

Radius ERP software, which will be implemented in phases starting later this year, replaces a series of programs and spreadsheet applications in use at various InnoMark plants, legacy systems that were in place at the individual companies InnoMark has acquired over the past 15 years. After examining software options in the marketplace, an evaluation team led by InnoMark Communications ERP Implementation Director Joseph Roberts determined that EFI Radius offered the best capabilities to unify the company's decentralized business workflow structure.

“EFI Radius's multi-plant capabilities, and the ability it will give us to seamlessly transfer jobs between facilities, were key factors in our decision,” said Roberts. “We found that Radius had the most accurate and efficient technology for tracking revenue across plants, and that will help us better serve customers.”

Radius will be especially beneficial for managing many of the large, national retail signage and packaging jobs InnoMark produces, as those jobs all transfer from different screen, litho, flexo and digital print facilities to a main hub for die-cutting, lamination, kitting and fulfillment. The software modules and features InnoMark has with its purchase, including EFI Process Shipper software and integrated support for Esko ArtiosCAD 3-D design software, will allow the company to be even more prepared for its extensive finishing workload and complex fulfillment requests.

Flexible estimating and scheduling for enhanced customer service

Streamlined scheduling and management across all of the company's facilities will help reduce turnaround times and facilitate faster, more accurate billing. Radius software also will help the company enhance its sales and marketing efforts, ultimately creating a centralized platform for estimating and scheduling that will make it easier to compare print methods to find the best solution based on client deadline, budget or run length requirements.

EFI Radius inventory management tools, including shop floor data collection, will help InnoMark get substrates where they need to go for less press downtime. “Turnaround times in this industry are quick, so it was important that the solution we picked is strong in inventory management,” Roberts said. “If we need a particular type of board or a 100 lb. text stock in one plant and we have it in another plant, Radius will give us the information we need to identify those situations in advance, move substrates where they need to go and eliminate production delays.”

Tracking down trends using better business intelligence

The company also will use the data it collects from its operations to give senior managers better, real-time information about operations using EFI’s award-winning Business Intelligence module. “The Business Intelligence module will be an important feature,” said Roberts, “because it will give us the big picture information we need to track down trends.”

With its robust technology for planning and managing nearly every converting, die-cutting, laminating, folding and gluing process, EFI Radius is the leading business software for the package printing industry. Those comprehensive features can provide substantial benefits for InnoMark – a leading print, fabrication and fulfillment provider that produces large-format, die-cut, laminated point-of-sale displays for some of the world's best-known retail brands and performs high-volume folding carton and label converting work for the cosmetics, software/gaming and pharmaceutical industries.

“We are very excited to be working with a company that has the manufacturing scale and expertise that InnoMark Communications offers,” said David Taylor, general manager, EFI Radius. “Our recent product development, particularly with the Business Intelligence tool, will allow InnoMark to take control of its operations, smooth the business workflow and deliver higher returns. Visibility into the transactional data is the key to increased profitability.”

EFI Radius is part of a complete EFI Productivity Software portfolio of print MIS/ERP software, eCommerce and web-to-print solutions. Printing and packaging companies across the globe rely on EFI Productivity Software products to proactively manage their businesses and become more streamlined, efficient, informed and profitable.

iSys Label Receives GHS BS5609, Section 3 Certification for the EDGE 850 Label Printer

iSys Label and iSys–The Imaging Systems Group Inc., the Canadian developers and manufacturers of short to mid run digital label printers, has announced that the EDGE 850 digital label printer is officially Section 3 Certified to print GHS-compliant drum and chemical labels* according to BS5609 standards.

In order to print fully-compliant drum and chemical labels; the facestock, adhesive and printed graphic all need to meet the requirements for sections 1, 2 and 3 of BS5609 standards and be independently tested and certified by PIRA (the Print Industry Research Association). The printed labels are exposed to artificial weathering, tape removal and abrasion resistance tests to ensure they are capable of withstanding the harshest environments and prove their durability. During this process, iSys Label partnered with MACtac to find two suitable solutions for substrates; a PET, and a BOPP – both of which passed certification and can be purchased in rolls from iSys-appointed converters in the United States. In addition to the certification, GHS also requires users to conform to labeling standards that use the black and red pictogram system in conjunction with precautionary text warning of the dangers and risks of the material.

The EDGE 850 “GHS Solution” is a roll to roll digital label printer and comes complete with the printer, feeder, rewinder and EDGE2Print software. With easy-to-use drag and drop software and print speeds of 4.33 m/min and 9.13 m/min., iSys Label makes simple work of printing full-color chemical labels on demand. Users will eliminate the need for ordering pre-printed labels, reduce inventories and wait times by being able to customize their labels with variable information and full color - all in a single pass.

Mark Hopkins, President of iSys, says “iSys is very excited to be fully certified and in compliance. The combination of the materials, toner and printing process have proven their durability and is sure to add value to supply chains, large and small, around the world.”

iSys Label will be showing the EDGE 850 GHS label printer in booth #6413 at Labelexpo Americas, taking place September 9-11th in Chicago, IL. For more information on the EDGE 850 or to set up a demonstration time, please email ghs@isys-label.com

Titan Slitter Rewinders celebrates 50th Anniversary with U.K. open house

Atlas Converting Equipment Ltd. is celebrating 50 years of excellence in slitting and rewinding technology for its range of TITAN slitter rewinders with an open house event to mark the occasion. The open house is being held at Atlas Converting Equipment Ltd. in Bedford (U.K.) on Sept. 17, when the latest Titan slitter rewinder technology will be presented and demonstrated. Guests will include customers and prospects, certain suppliers and representatives from the converting media, the converting industry and some Titan company veterans.

Partner suppliers of Titan will also be participating at the event and will include presentations by Koch robotics, Dienes slitting technology, BST web guiding and inspection systems and GaVo core cutting solutions. A guest speaker has also been invited to the event and an Anniversary Dinner will be held on the evening of Sept. 16 in the historic center of Bedford.

Invitations have been emailed worldwide and the number of guests at the open house will be limited, so participants are encouraged to register as soon as possible by sending an email to tracey.stagg@atlasconverting.com to avoid disappointment. 

BDT Media Automation, Fuji Dimatix and Phoseon to develop complete printing solution for packaging market

BDT Media Automation GmbH, a market leader for B2 format feeders in digital printing, FujiFilm Dimatix, Inc., one of world’s leading providers of inkjet printheads for commercial and industrial printing, and Phoseon Technology, a leader in UV LED curing solutions for commercial and industrial applications have agreed to work together to develop a complete digital printing solution for packaging applications. The system will take ad-vantage of the flexibility of the BDT Tornado media handling technology and the versatility of UV printing provided by Fuji-Dimatix and Phoseon. The first demonstration of the solution will be at the Pack Expo International in Chicago, Nov. 2-5, 2014.

The Tornado-based Product Feeder (TPF) and Print-system will be able to perform off-line pro-cessing of standard packaging materials including coated and uncoated cardboard, corrugated board, and paper stock, as well as more exotic packing materials such as metallic foils and plastics. The solution will feed, align, print, cure and stack – all with minimal user intervention and greatly shortened job set up times.

“We are very pleased to be cooperating with Fuji Dimatix and Phoseon, two market leaders in their respective fields, to bring the TPF system to market. This development will bring the best of material handling and UV digital printing to package manufacturers”, said Ralf Hipp, Vice President of Print Media Handling at BDT. “Our goal is to enable higher shop profitability by en-abling our customers to achieve unprecedented packaging job flexibility.”

“FujiFilm Dimatix is the world’s leading supplier of piezoelectric drop-on-demand ink jet products for industrial applications,” said Howard Baldwin, Vice President of Sales at FujiFilm. “The synergy of material handling, printing and LED curing together will deliver an optimal industrial solu-tion for both end users and OEM’s.”

“Phoseon Technology is excited to support BDT’s TPF system by providing leading-edge UV LED curing capability,” said Chad Taggard, Vice President of Marketing at Phoseon. “The combination with Fuji Dimatix and BDT showcases how industry leaders can work together to enable customers higher productivity solutions with improved quality.”

The TPF system can be seen at the Pack Expo International in Chicago at the BDT booth – E-9705 in Lakeside Lower Hall.

Eid Mubarak to all readers, advertisers and the labelling fraternity..

EskoWorld US exceeds expectations, again

Esko announces that it recently concluded another successful EskoWorld user group meeting. The event, held June 15-18 at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin hotels in Orlando, FL, was host to more than 700 users, industry partners, product specialists and support staff, who exchanged ideas along with product and application knowledge. Sessions offered insight into the breadth of the Esko experience, including flexo platemaking, packaging prepress, color management, structural and 3D design, brand management, digital label and large format print and digital finishing.

The curriculum of more than 90 sessions included special guest speaker contributions from the Disney Learning Institute, Wallace Church Agency in New York City and selected customer presentations.

“EskoWorld had an expanded audience this year by appealing to more companies, but also by encouraging companies to send more participants. They see the value in this event,” comments Carsten Knudsen, Esko President and CEO. “EskoWorld continues to offer an opportunity for our customers to converse with each other and interact with Esko product management. We are very careful not to make this event a sales show, but rather a user event—a learning experience where people can develop a better understanding of the business we are all in. We have always focused on printers, converters and tradeshops, but this year we made a specific effort to expand the program to include useful tracks for brand owners. We had a large group of brand owners at EskoWorld for the first time, focusing on their workflow and approval cycle challenges they face every day.”

Key presentations focus on customized package design and importance of branding

“Esko has significantly changed our company from where we were a few years ago to today. This was my fourth EskoWorld. EskoWorld always offers a great opportunity to network with people, who give me great ideas to bring home to my company,” notes Amanda Webster, Pre-Press Production Supervisor at the Bowling Green, OH based Century Label. “I felt that a significant focus was made to bridge the communication gap between the brand owners and print providers in the supply chain. Some of the relevant technologies were Esko’s 3D solutions, and the ability to use PantoneLIVE to match brand owners’ color expectations with print capabilities. I also had a chance to see the new Automation Engine 14 and learn what changes were being made in the software structure – and I highly appreciated the opportunity to provide input during the roadmap sessions. Esko listens to its customers and seriously reviews concerns that are translated into fixes and software updates.”

EskoWorld hosted two very powerful presentations from Wallace Church and Disney. They both covered important topics facing all partners of the supply chain: How to engage consumers on a personalized basis, and how to maintain brand loyalty.

Rob Wallace, Chief Brand Advocate at Wallace Church, a Manhattan and San Francisco-based brand identity strategy and package design consultancy, offered the Keynote 'Hyper Customization - Engaging Consumers with Personalized Package Design'. It explained how new advances in digital printing make it viable for marketers to engage consumers on a truly individual basis. Church offered a next generation vision for how brand messaging can be hyper customized.

Another highlight was presented by The Disney Institute, ‘Disney’s Approach to Brand Loyalty’, providing their perspective about managing the Disney brand.

EskoWorld also provided a number of sessions from brand owners that provided their unique perspectives about how they view the packaging supply chain.

Exceptional networking event with Esko industry partners

EskoWorld’s Partner Zone allowed Esko supply chain partners to explain how their products enhanced the use of - and work seamlessly with - Esko tools. Companies included CHILI Publish, Color-Logic, Dupont, EFI, Enfocus, Global Vision, HP, MacDermid, Meta Communications, Southern Lithoplate, The Quick Brown Fox GmbH, Western Computer, and X-Rite Pantone.

Focused demo lab area

Esko also staged a demo lab where users could speak with solution experts or sample the latest software. The labs also housed two Kongsberg tables including the new Kongsberg C Series—the largest fully functioning table in the industry.

“I attended EskoWorld to review a lot of new technology,” explains Tim Gustafson, Press/Prepress Manager, Professional Image, Tulsa Oklahoma. “I specifically wanted to see the new RIP in Suite 14 that uses an Adobe kernel rather than an Esko Kernel. I also liked many of the color management sessions—for example, the class about PantoneLIVE. Matt Furr offered a very good presentation about his Clemson master’s thesis research with 7-color extended gamut printing. I’ve returned to our company with a good idea how to use Max GCR to color manage easier and to synch profiles to run GRACoL and connect them together. It was definitely worthwhile to attend EskoWorld.”

The next EskoWorld event is planned for June 2015 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Meech targets international labelling market at Labelexpo Americas 2014

Meech CyClean

Labelexpo Americas ’14 (9th - 11th September, Rosemont, Illinois) will see Meech International reaffirm its position as the world’s leading provider for static control and web cleaning technologies. Visitors to stand 1515 will be able to view first-hand the company’s range of systems, including the Hyperion static bars and CyClean non-contact web cleaner, as well as a series of new enhancements to be announced closer to the show. All of these products are employed extensively in the labelling industry.

Matt Fyffe, VP/General Manager of Meech Static Eliminators USA Inc states, “We are very much looking forward to be back at Labelexpo Americas this year. Meech is aware that the labelling market is growing considerably on an annual basis and the show always draws an international visitor base. In that respect, not only is Labelexpo an excellent launch pad for new products, it is also a podium where we can network and market our services to a wide variety of businesses from around the world.”

Over the course of the past decades, Meech has successfully established a strong presence in the static and web cleaning markets on a global scale. Aside from the USA, the company also has offices in China, India, as well as Central and Eastern Europe, which service these regions directly. Additionally, Meech’s British headquarters services an even greater number of countries across the world, including Brazil, Israel, Australia, Japan and South Korea. All of this export resulted in the company being twice presented with a Queens Award for Enterprise: International Sales.

Meech TakClean

“Our strong international presence bears testament to the fact that we are able to communicate best practice and services to the high number of our customers that are spread in various locations throughout the globe,” comments Matt. “As we’re constantly looking to expand our business in all of the regions we deal with, our aim is to capitalise on the show’s popularity and demonstrate that we can provide our customers and prospects with the very best levels of service and technology that have become synonymous with the Meech brand.”

Among the systems displayed on the Meech stand will be the CyClean, a product that has proven to be highly popular in the labelling sector. A compact, non-contact, double-sided blow and vacuum-based web cleaner, the CyClean is capable of removing contamination to below 1 micron and can be used with all substrates, improving the flexibility of the press. Unlike a tacky roller system, it is not affected by high contamination levels and has no consumable costs.

Also on exhibition is the complete range of Hyperion static control bars, comprised of the 971, 971IPS and 929IPS. The two latter bars in particular were developed as a response to customer feedback and provide efficient ionisation from a 24v power supply. Both systems provide high-standard static elimination, while the bars’ default settings allow quick and easy installation and use on label production lines.

“Labelexpo Americas is set to be a great opportunity for Meech,” concludes Matt. “We will effectively be showcasing to an international audience the most comprehensive range of web cleaning and static control technologies we have to offer, and we are confident they will attract a great amount of interest at the show.”

Available immediately, Meech’s complete static control and web-cleaning ranges will be on display on the Meech stand (1515) at Labelexpo Americas, Rosemont, Illinois from September 9th to 11th, 2014.

Fujifilm’s Acuity Advance Select supports packaging innovation at The Sherwood Press Group

Packaging specialist The Sherwood Press Group has chosen an Acuity Advance Select HD4006 with roll-to-roll option and a Kongsberg XN digital cutting system, both supplied by Fujifilm, to increase its competitiveness and produce packaging samples in a more efficient way.

Sherwood Press selected the Fujifilm wide format device as part of its ‘Smartcentre’ project, which refers to the recent launch of an innovation hub located within the company’s Nottingham site to showcase the wide range of applications and services it can offer.

Jeremy Bacon, CEO at Sherwood Press, explains: “We have been traditionally producing packaging samples using the litho presses, but we recently considered the introduction of a digital print device to improve our time to market.” He continues: “The Acuity Advance Select appealed to us due to the quality of its output and its ability to print four colours plus white directly onto a variety of rigid and flexible materials, including corrugated board. What’s more, the opportunity to print spot varnish is crucial for the packaging industry and was a key selling point of the Fujifilm machine.”

The Kongsberg system will be used to cut intricate shapes following a CAD profile, complementing the high quality print produced on the Acuity. Both machines will broaden Sherwood’s in-house capabilities and product portfolio, including short-run prototype samples and low volume production of POS products.

Jeremy Bacon concludes: “The strength of the Smartcentre will encompass the central values of Sherwood Press in providing excellence in everything we do. Not only will this be reflected in the creativity and technical experience of the Smart team, but also in the capability of both new machines which will enable us to provide the highest quality mock-ups and prototypes, on any stock with almost any finish.”

Domino’s coding technologies combine innovation with tradition at the UK’s largest privately-owned confectioners

During its 164 year history, balancing tradition with innovation has been a constant challenge for Joseph Dobson & Sons, one of the country’s most successful and historic manufacturers of traditional confectionery. So, when the company was looking to address the latest coding and marking requirements for its range of boiled sweets, lollipops and branded throat lozenges, it turned to Domino to help keep its boiled sweets, lollipops and panned confectionery range up to date.

Established in Yorkshire in the 1850s, the family-owned business has worked hard over the years to preserve its original values and traditional sweet recipes while constantly adapting to the demands of the modern world, including the need for greater coding and identification of its products. This has seen the company, which is one of the largest privately-run confectioners in the UK, invest in a range of technologies from Domino. These include four V-Series Thermal Transfer Overlay (TTO) solutions, two G-Series i-Tech thermal ink jet (TIJ) printers, as well as one of Domino’s best-selling A-series ink jet coders.

“Working with Domino and its range of coding technologies has really helped us to grow as a business,” says owner and Managing Director Stephen Walshaw, who along with his wife Miriam, has helped to spearhead a successful expansion of the company over the last few years.

Gaining the British Retail Consortium (BRC) global certification for food safety and quality was a real turning point for Joseph Dobson & Sons Ltd, giving them the scope and credibility to expand the business. This has seen the company invest in new premises, new technologies and automated processes to sit successfully alongside some of its traditional sweet-making machines.

For Joseph Dobson & Sons, coding has become a key part of their production process, which was originally being handled manually using another brand of ink jet printer. Confides Stephen, “Using the previous system was a very slow and messy process; if you didn’t get the tubes aligned on the old printer, you’d end up with ink spray everywhere. We needed technology that would fit into our new automated packing and bagging lines and most importantly, print clear sell by and batch codes without interfering with production output.”

The company turned to Domino, initially trialling its V120i Thermal Transfer Overlay (TTO) printer, but soon decided to increase its investment to three additional V220i models. The V-Series TTO printers are installed on a series of high speed, multiform feeding and sealing lines which print sell by dates and batch codes onto the bagged sweets.

Domino’s V-Series i-Tech Ribbon Drive offers four ribbon save settings, including an ‘economy mode’ which facilitates a saving on ribbon usage of up to 60%. In addition, downtime related to ribbon break is virtually eliminated thanks to its unique ‘dancing arms’ which constantly monitors ribbon tension.

“The V-Series printers are perfect. They can easily cope with our high production speeds while producing extremely high quality, clearly defined print. In addition, the economy mode on the ribbon drive enables us to use every millimetre of film, eliminating wastage and significantly reducing our consumables costs,” explains Stephen.

Adding to its portfolio of Domino technology, Joseph Dobson & Sons also has two G-Series thermal ink jet printers integrated into its Rotech friction feeders for coding onto the primary carton packaging of its well-known brand of throat lozenges.

“The G-Series is a fantastic piece of kit; it just keeps running and running,” enthuses Stephen. “We’ve had one of our G-Series in place for the past four years, operating 16 hours a day five days a week and to date, we have had zero maintenance issues. What’s more the quality and flexibility of the print and capability to add extra graphics and 2D bar and QR codes will enable us to adjust to any additional coding requirements should we need to in the future.”

The company has also replaced its old ink jet printer with Domino’s world leading A-Series ink jet solution to work with its hand packed sweets. “It’s a far cry from the unreliable, messy product it replaced and my staff love it. It’s easy to use, clean, efficient, and starts up every time.”

Says Stephen, “Maintaining and indeed successfully expanding a business that is nearly 200 years old isn’t always easy. But when you can work with a supplier like Domino that not only delivers in terms of the reliability and efficiency of its technology as well as the excellent onsite support to oversee and guide us through installation, it certainly helps.”

“The Domino technology has surpassed all our expectations and has without doubt helped us as a business to achieve our goals.”

To view the case study, watch this.

Sun Chemical introduced packaging innovations that help packaging stand out on store shelves

Visitors to the Sun Chemical stand at ExpoPrint Latin America 2014, discovered a broad portfolio of packaging solutions for all markets from Sun Chemical and its parent company, DIC that help packaging stand out on the shelf.

“Brand owners need their packaging to make an impression on the shelves - grab attention,” said Fernando Tavara, President, Sun Chemical Latin America. “Packaging that stands out has a better chance of being handled and purchased. It is also important that the brand’s colors are consistent across all packaging so that it is recognizable. During ExpoPrint, we introduced our guests to a full range of solutions that help maintain color consistency on all packaging substrates, offer special effects on packaging and enhance productivity in the supply chain.”

Sun Chemical to Demonstrate SunLase Laser Marking Solutions

Visitors of the Sun Chemical/DIC booth were introduced to SunLase laser marking solutions, a coating that enables brand owners to add information to both secondary and primary packaging information after the filling and closure of the pack, whether for practical supply chain purposes or as a late stage pack differentiator.

The SunLase solution prints a transparent or tinted coating onto a packaging substrate during the printing process. After the packaging has been sealed, variable coding graphic information, such as barcodes, QR codes, and “Use By” dates or branding, can be created using a low power CO2 or fiber laser to change the color of the patch to black where marked, with no risks to the packaged product.

Guests could see how SunLase works first-hand with live demonstrations which showed how a collection of images, such as QR codes, barcodes, logos, text, and serial numbers, appear on various substrates, including corrugated board and film.

Special Effects Coatings Help Draw Attention to Products on the Store Shelf

Sun Chemical showed visitors how they can make their products stand out on shelf and engage consumers with special effects printing using SunInspire specialty inks and coatings. Guests were shown the impact SunInspire inks and coatings can make to consumers with the samples that were on display. Some of the samples included various metallic effect options. The metallic effect is most commonly used in packaging to communicate premium positioning. It also delivers on demand effects, optimizing productivity, cost, and waste, compared to metallized substrates or hot/cold foil stamping.

Sun Chemical’s wide range of SunInspire specialty coatings offers a variety of visual special effects that help packages increase their shelf prominence, including high brilliance metallic silver, gold and polychromatic, fluorescent, pearlescent, iridescent, interference, tactile and relief.

Maintaining Color Consistency on all Packaging Substrates

Sun Chemical showed guests how to use PantoneLIVE, a cloud-based color service that gives brand owners, designers and printers alike the ability to accurately predict how their brand spot colors will reproduce on a wide variety of print processes and substrates.

As X-Rite/Pantone’s preferred partner, Sun Chemical is already fully aligned with PantoneLIVE and ink formulations behind PantoneLIVE are already known through its Global Shade Library, a database of colors that increase both the consistency and accuracy of ink color matches. Every PantoneLIVE color request to Sun Chemical can be created using this global platform to maintain color consistency on all packaging.

Sun Chemical Shows Metal Decorating Options for Packaging

Visitors were also introduced to Sun Chemical’s specialized solutions for metal decoration including its SunDuo, SunTrio and SunAltec inks.

The high value, flexible, and robust SunDuo ink range offers high speed decorator performance suitable for printing on steel and aluminum cans. SunDuo features excellent printability at high speeds and good adhesion in both varnishable and non-varnishable ranges. Such features allow for impressive mileage and a high pigment load for printers producing two-piece metal cans.

SunTrio inks are versatile, flexible, cost effective and highly resilient—suitable for all types of metal cans and closures, from crowns to pails, aluminum pilfer proof caps, aerosols, food cans, drawn fish cans, and more. Able to efficiently produce metal packaging with excellent press performance, the SunTrio ink series features low misting and good adhesion between layers and to the substrate. The line also includes a low migration ink series available for food and other sensitive packaging. With excellent printability at high speeds, the SunTrio ink series provides an effective solution for three-piece metal deco applications.

The SunAltec product range offers excellent performance, superior quality, highest productivity, and highest adhesion properties for monobloc aerosols, monobloc drink bottles, and aluminum collapsible tubes. The line can be used across multiple platforms and offers flexible alternatives, including thermal, catalytic and UV drying.

Full Range of Solutions on Display for Narrow Web Printers

A wide range of solutions were also on display for narrow web printers, including the SolarFlex Nova SL range of UV flexo inks. Intended for the printing of labels, tags, sleeves, tickets and other applications typically found in the narrow web market, SolarFlex Nova SL features flow optimization for press performance, low odor for sensitive applications, fast curing for higher press speeds, and a color strength that has been increased for finer anilox choices. Formulated without any volatile organic compounds and compliant with the Nestlé regulations, the SolarFlex Nova SL range can increase color gamut and/or lower ink consumption.

Narrow web visitors at Sun Chemical’s booth also had the opportunity to learn about its SunCure Flexo UV product range which provide UV light-curing inks and coatings for packaging printers that efficiently meet changing job requirements on a wide variety of paper and board. SunCure inks and coatings provide a wide color gamut, excellent adhesion to a variety of substrates, fast cure response, and UV light curing for paper and board and sensitive applications. It is suitable for in-line or off-line coatings.

Meech International explains why the print industry really needs to be aware of static

David Rogers - Business Unit Director for Static Control at Meech International explains why the print industry really needs to be aware of static. An excerpt.

Why is static an important consideration for the print industry?

David Rogers: International businesses need to take notice of static as a phenomenon mainly because when it is present on a printing line it will attract dirt and dust, which can result in poor print quality, with the printing press necessitating frequent cleaning.

But many CEOs working in this sector may not be aware of the financial repercussions that stem from the presence of contamination on the web. Frequent downtime spent on cleaning the printing press implies a reduction in machine speed, and therefore can lead to significant loss of production. This is obviously an unacceptable outcome for businesses that heavily rely on print.

Finally, there’s the health & safety angle to take into consideration. If accumulated on web rewinds, static can potentially generate harmful operator shocks. This is particularly apparent with today’s more common filmic materials, as they tend to generate higher static charges. End users are demanding more sophisticated standards in the goods they purchase than they may have done a number of years ago, and these filmic materials are being used more commonly as they are pleasing on the eye.

In which processes is static a particular issue and what kind of problems does it create?

DR: Static can cause many quality and productivity issues throughout the printing process, but one area that needs special attention is unwind/rewind lines. Think about a digital label printing line, where a massive static charge can be generated both during printing and as the film or paper is unwound from a roll. These charges are capable of attracting dust to the web from several feet away.

The print quality instead is affected when dust has deposited on the material. After all, printers cannot offer a fast service if they have to keep stopping their machines to clean them due to the build-up of contamination attracted by static charges. Considering that quality expectation is much higher these days, this is a problem that requires an effective solution.

There’s also the issues with ink adhesion in the digital printing process, where uncontrolled static can actually repel the ink from the material surface. Not only does this scenario lead to increased production costs, it can also lead to reduced production speeds.

Is the print industry fully aware of the impact of static or does it need educating?

DR: As a whole, the industry is still coming to terms with the effects static can have. A lot of companies are aware – more so today than they might have been 5 years ago – that particularly in filmic applications static control is needed, but they may not fully comprehend why. That’s where the experts can step in and help, with solid knowledge of the different applications and products available to help neutralise the charges, and keep printing lines running smoothly and at optimum speeds.

What are some of the challenges print manufacturers are facing today?

DR: As already mentioned, quality expectations have significantly increased for printers compared to 10 years ago, but another big challenge they face is the minimisation of downtime. Printers need to be able to cope with the high volume of customer orders they receive, which means that a spotless, static-free web is required in order to keep presses running and achieve that perfect balance between productivity and print quality.

What does the future hold for the print industry and what will it mean for static control?

DR: It is evident that print will continue to move to digital for the foreseeable future, which of course means production speeds will carry on increasing and more filmic materials will be increasingly employed. As a consequence, there will be a need for companies like Meech International to produce static control solutions that can be employed on printing presses and that will result in high quality applications.

The Label Printers participates at UL Brand Protection Conference

The Label Printers’ was invited to participate at UL’s recent Brand Protection Summit in Los Angeles, California as an Interactive Round Table Leader. The Summit included UL “clients, key law enforcement partners, invited guests, and a select number of brand protection service providers/specialists.”

The Label Printers’ topic was “Product Security Solutions – Facing Operational Realities”, and Lori Campbell, The Label Printers’ Chief of Operations was the Round Table Leader.  Key Note speaker for the conference was Mr. Todd Rogers, Assistant Sheriff, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

UL outlined the Event’s purpose and benefits in their Registration/Welcome materials, “For over 15 years, UL has taken an aggressive stance against product counterfeiting through a comprehensive program involving enforcement, education and partnerships with key IP crime stakeholders from around the world. As a leader in product safety testing and certification, as well as a rights holder, UL knows the detrimental effects IP crime can have on a company’s resources, reputation and to its corporate goals.

As part of our public service and safety-oriented mission, UL is organizing the 2013 Conference to serve as a catalyst to strengthen and enhance brand protection programs, provide best practices for combatting IP crime and to strengthen global partnerships against this growing threat. International, national and local experts will be on hand to provide a dynamic two-day training forum with innovative learning sessions that will include; operational workshops, interactive roundtables and a networking lounge. Additionally, we will offer rights holders the opportunity to set up exhibition tables where they can provide product identification training to law enforcement attendees. This benefit will also be extended to service providers so they may provide participants with the latest brand protection solutions.

The 2014 Conference will provide participants with the following key benefits:

• Will increase effectiveness to combat intellectual property crime
• Provide the tools required to design, implement and/or strengthen brand protection programs
• Highlight best practices for working with law enforcement agencies and service providers
• Develop stronger strategic and tactical international partnerships and networks
• Gain confidence by learning real cases shared by IP Crime experts and practitioners
• Provide the opportunity to develop operational partnerships with UL, other rights holders and law enforcement agencies to undertake joint IP crime investigations, enforcement projects and training initiatives.”

William J. Kane, Chief Executive of The Label Printers thinks that the conference has value to a wide range of organizations and companies interested in the latest information on brand protection.  “Between the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we always hear really interesting information about cases they’re prosecuting. The FBI is deeply engaged in the investigation and prosecution of [counterfeiting] criminals, and they emphasize how the buyers of counterfeit goods fund terrorists and organized crime. We heard about a really interesting case involving Nike shoes where the counterfeiter’s excuse was ‘I didn’t know’ – which worked the first time, but not the second.”  He feels that there are always really excellent speakers at the event, such as Therese Randazzo who is the Director of IPR Policy and Programs with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, whose speech at the conference opening on “Effective Enforcement Strategies – Working With Customs and Border Protection” highlighted Customs’ herculean task of inspecting 250,000 packages every day.

Said Campbell about her Round Table, “The workshops and roundtables allowed attendees to engage further with one another on various topics.  My roundtable discussion was one of facing operational realities and how to increase the buy-in from departments within one’s organization.”

About the conference in general, Campbell said “It’s clear that UL’s influence in brand protection and anti-counterfeiting continues to grow, as evidenced by the increasing number of brand owners in attendance that aren’t UL’s direct customers.  UL’s Brand Protection Summit continues to improve every year.  I felt there was a distinctly practical approach to all of the key presentations offered to attendees – geared towards educating rights holders on everything from training to Customs inspection and clearance process to investigations to litigation of criminal and civil cases.”

Conference participants included brand owners such as Altria; solution providers such as The Label Printers and; government and law enforcement agencies such as the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Interpol, Europol, the FBI, and Homeland Security; and many other intellectual property and anti-counterfeiting experts.

Mark Andy Print Products introduces experienced sales support

Mark Andy Print Products is proud to announce the hiring of Joseph Ray as a Technical Flexo Specialist. Joe comes to the job with nearly twenty-five years’ experience in the print and packaging industry as well as a long-standing track record of success in B2B sales. He has an aptitude for identifying business opportunities and emerging technologies as well as an intuitive knack for forming lasting partnerships between companies.

Joe has spent his career selling flexographic printing products and equipment and comes to Mark Andy Print Products with extensive knowledge of print consumables and the printing industry. He is also skilled in technical support and problem-solving, giving him the edge necessary to match pressrooms with the perfect consumables for their unique needs.

After nearly a twenty-year run as Territory Manager for Pitman Company in Bloomingdale, IL, Joe worked as the Director of Business Development - Emerging Technologies for All Printing Resources Inc. where he was responsible for developing strong relationships with manufacturers and customers.

”We are excited to have Joe join us. He has such a passion for the industry and forming strong partnerships. He will complement our mission to be the total solutions partner in the label and packaging industry,” stated Joe Calmese, Director of Flexo Consumables.

MAPP continues to evaluate and review additional consumable and supply offerings for converters in North America, and will continue to expand our team of qualified technicians. The MAPP Flexo Team looks forward to supporting the industry in effective and efficient ways.

QuadTech announces partnership with the Gallus Group

QuadTech announced a new partnership with the Gallus Group to provide QuadTech closed-loop color control and color measurement systems for its offset, flexo and gravure presses. Utlizing QuadTech technology, Gallus customers can now quicken make-ready and offer ultimate print quality and productivity, with in-line color management.

With a typical ROI of less than two years, QuadTech color control systems are now an essential consideration for many web printers looking to meet changing customer requirements and demands for high color standards, with consistent repeatability from run-to-run and site-to-site.

Dr. Thomas Weber, Supplier Relationship Management at Gallus comments, “Gallus has vast market experience and the widest customer base in the label printing industry. However, we recognized the opportunity to partner with QuadTech to provide our customers with state-of-the-art spectral color measurement and color control systems, with the automation to drive further reduction in make-readies and savings in valuable substrate waste.”

Designed for offset printers, the QuadTech Color Control System with SpectralCam provides automated, in-line, closed-loop color control. On-the-fly and at full press speeds, it adjusts ink keys to maintain specified color targets, preventing avoidable waste and operator inaccuracies.

Flexo and gravure printers can also benefit from the QuadTech Color Measurement System with SpectralCam, which enables in-line monitoring of all packaging substrates, including challenging translucent, transparent and reflective films. Color variations are sent to the operator in real-time to change color specifications, eliminating press stoppages and the manual process of removing sections of the web to measure color.

The ability to control color on problematic substrates such as films has been a significant objective for the printing industry. QuadTech has been able to solve this, by utilizing its web stabilizer to remove common issues of web movement and substrate corrugation. The QuadTech web stabilizer measures substrates over a certified BCRA ceramic tile, for a constant known backing, and momentarily stabilizes a small surface area of the substrate with a high pressure vacuum. This enables accurate color measurement on very thin, transparent and translucent films – ideal for self-adhesive labels, monofoil labels, wet-glue and laminates.

Stephan Doppelhammer, QuadTech Market Manager for Packaging, says, “Gallus and QuadTech are perfectly aligned in the drive to create solutions that maximize customer benefits and profitability. We are delighted to offer a faster way for Gallus customers to achieve and maintain perfect color, for guaranteed high-quality output, optimal performance, cost savings and fast ROI.”

QuadTech introduced the technology to the Gallus’s worldwide sales force during the world sales meeting and will showcase the SpectralCam systems at Gallus Innovation Days, September 23rd-25th 2014.

Xeikon Receives Prestigious 2014 InterTech Technology Award for its Breakthrough ICE Toner

Xeikon NV, an innovator in digital color printing technology, announced today that it has received the prestigious 2014 InterTech (TM) Technology Award from the Printing Industries of America (PIA) for its breakthrough ICE toner, which is specifically designed for heat-sensitive substrates, such as Polyethylene (PE) face stocks, thermal transfer labels and In Mold labels (IML).

The InterTech Technology Awards recognize ground-breaking technologies that are predicted to have a major impact on the graphic arts and related industries. According to PIA, more than 80 percent of the technologies that have received this award experience continued commercial success in the marketplace. The PIA is the largest graphical arts trade association, representing an industry with about 1 million employees and thousands of member companies.

Xeikon's ICE toner was selected based on its innovative attributes for printing on heat-sensitive substrates and the likelihood of advancing the performance of the graphic communications industry. InterTech Award recipients will be recognized at the Premier Print Awards and InterTech Technology Awards gala on Sept. 28, in Chicago, IL.

Xeikon has received the InterTech Award multiple times in the past. Most recently, Xeikon had received the award in 2012 for its Xeikon X-800 VariLane technology, which allows label converters to create digital imposition templates for labels of different SKUs, and different sizes, within the same print run, thereby reducing material waste and increasing productivity.

"This is a great honor and a huge credit to our entire organization, from research and development to sales," said Todd Blumsack, Xeikon's VP of Sales and Marketing - North America. "All of our innovations, including the ICE toner, are customer-driven. Label converters wanted dry toner technology to be capable of printing on heat sensitive substrates, while retaining our 1200x3600 dpi imaging resolution, full rotary imaging, food safety and the capability to print on conventional substrates without the need for any pre-treatment. We're extremely happy to see that the judges have recognized our efforts."

Based on Xeikon's proven QA toner technology, the ICE toner is perfectly compatible with all the press models of the Xeikon 3000 Series of label and packaging presses.