Dalim Software launches Dalim ES 5.5 Media Production Platform

Offering a wide, significant range of new features, including new, easy-to-use interface, file management capabilities,  deep learning abilities and key performance indicators, Dalim Software has announced the release of Dalim ES 5.5, loaded with many new features—a significant update to a major version released just within the past year.

Dalim ES (Enterprise Solution) is a media production platform for marketing partners and media services companies—for example, studios, retailers, brand owners and their respective creative agencies—in short, anyone whose responsibilities touch upon the media production process. Companies use DALIM ES to store, manage, locate, and drive omnichannel projects, from print to Web to video. With Dalim ES 5.5, all activities—in-house or externally—are coordinated from design to final print, including regulatory compliance, localization and versioning to ensure efficiency. It extends the productivity of digital asset management, making project management, collaboration and review of files even easier and faster.

Dalim ES has performed well this year at the Great DAM Bake Offs at Henry Stewart conferences. Dalim ES has also received 10 Core Certification by former principals of the DAM Foundation Board. This certification is widely viewed as an elite status and prerequisite acknowledgement that a system satisfies the minimum ten characteristic requirements of a successful DAM system.

“Recently, Dalim ES was also identified as one of the Digital Asset Management vendors of the year 2017 by Mark Davey, founder of The Codified DAM Consultant. In particular, DALIM ES was listed in the top 5 in terms of value for cloud proclivity within the Ten Core DAM Characteristics, cloud proclivity with Amazon, and for customer support within the Ten Core DAM Characteristics,” explains Frédéric Sanuy, DALIM SOFTWARE Director of Marketing and Enterprise Solutions. ”That’s not bad for a newcomer among the many, more expensive, applications. DALIM ES can deploy quickly and much less costly than comparable systems.”

DALIM ES 5.5 enables fast approval cycles and easy collaboration. With DALIM ES, users can manage their campaigns as a whole, creating all components of the entire marketing mix—for example, including cross-links between media content and collateral materials. New features include:

Completely redesigned and more sophisticated workflow editor, rewritten with a new user-friendly interface to create, edit and organize workflows. It is now simple to drag and drop tasks into place, and to make—and undo—changes. Administrators can scale the workflow diagrams, zooming in and out easily locate specific tasks. Groups of tasks can easily be copied and placed wherever needed.

Dalim Software is delivering significant enhancements for cross-channel distribution of its Digital Virtual Library (DVL) to facilitate integration and enhance their own electronic pubs. DVL is available on a variety of stores, including the Windows Store, Apple Store and Google Play—and multiple devices, like Windows, Mac IOS, and Android. The same app can be used for desktop and mobile devices—a software developer’s kit allows users to create their own apps on IOS, OSX and Android. 

“We are extremely pleased not only with industry analysts’ acceptance of the Dalim ES DAM capabilities, but also with the speed at which we have built the system. However, what is more important is that Dalim ES combines DAM proficiency to the core of Dalim Software expertise: automated media production. Briefly, this one application simplifies the design of a project workflow for all partners in the creative production supply chain, and manages complete marketing campaigns. It's about bringing order to complexity,” comments Carol Werlé, Dalim Software CEO. “Dalim ES offers a considerable number of new features that helps brands and production companies increase speed, standardize workflows, and easily streamline content communication to improve the ROI.”

Hop Industries Issues Trends Report on the Growth in UV and LED Digital Printing

Hop Industries, manufacturer of the durable Hop-Syn synthetic paper, today announces a new trends report about the proliferation, and its contributing factors, of UV and LED digital printing. Fast emerging as a cost-effective and high-quality alternative to traditional printing methods such as offset and flexo, UV and LED digital printing has several notable advantages. The report highlights these advantages, as well as the sustainability factors that are driving print service providers (PSPs) to embrace UV and LED technologies. These include durable substrates designed for UV and LED printing, which are also environmentally-friendly, such as Hop-Syn synthetic paper. Hop-Syn comes in multiple grades, and delivers high quality results on leading digital printers such as EFI and swissQprint, recently featured at SGIA Expo 2017.

“Technological innovations are rapidly evolving for UV and LED printing, and with it comes new applications and choices,” comments Jack Smith, Senior Vice President, Hop Industries. “Our newest report is a helpful guide to understanding this new market segment, and the environmental implications that can either make or break customers’ sustainability mandates.”

Additionally, Hop’s new report addresses shifts in marketing trends, which are contributing to the quick adoption of UV and LED printing. The report addresses the move from a one-size-fits-all brand marketing approach to more targeted communications. It also highlights the increasing demand for more sustainable, environmentally friendlier printing processes, inks, and substrates such as Hop-Syn synthetic paper. Hop-Syn is 100% recyclable, and meets RoHS and CONEG certifications, and is produced under ISO 9001 standards.

A free copy of the trends report, "Growth in UV and LED Digital Printing," is available upon request. 

Logopak to present modular print & apply-systems for the food industry

Logopak offers a variety of high-performance labelling systems to meet the demands of the food industry. At Anuga FoodTec (Cologne, Germany, 20-23 March 2018, hall 8.1, stand 58) the manufacturer will introduce its latest print & apply solutions for efficient labelling of a wide range of packaging types. Highlights include a new multi-format system for point of sale labelling of food packaging in non-stop operation.

At the exhibition stand, Logopak will display extensive print & apply solutions for all packaging stages in the food industry.

Efficient point of sale labelling

The new Logopak systems achieve high-capacity, high-precision application of labels onto various packaging types to meet the particular demands of point of sale labelling. The multi-format series of machines enables operators to print labels of various sizes on a single labelling system. Thanks to Logopak’s tried and tested applicator technology, the labels can be applied efficiently and in a variety of ways.

High-capacity secondary labelling

With a capacity of up to 140 units per minute, the new Logopak labellers prove a highly versatile option in secondary labelling of cardboard boxes, trays and shrink wraps. The applicators enable top, bottom, front, double, single, over the corner, multi-sided and wrap-around labelling with maximum precision.

Pallet labelling according to GS1 standard

Logopak’s pallet labellers label up to 240 pallets per hour in non-stop operation. With 20 different applicators, labels up to A3 can be applied automatically in various positions and orientations. This allows labelling according to GS1 standard and easy identification of the pallet via the Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC). For added safety, the machines include a protective cover and a fully automatic flap control.

Uninterrupted track and trace

All of Logopak’s print & apply systems are available with RFID (radio-frequency identification) or can be retrofitted with an RFID applicator to ensure uninterrupted tracking and tracing. From labelling to traceability, the labellers meet all legal requirements, standards, EU regulations and guidelines for the food industry.

The next Anuga FoodTec will be held at Cologne, Germany from March 23-26, 2021.

Hybrid Software once again confirms its leading position in the graphic arts sector.

Hybrid Software has announced its financial results for 2017, and once again confirmed its position as the fastest growing software development company in the graphic arts sector. The company’s turnover for 2017 was approximately Euro 15 million, an increase of almost 70% compared with 2016. Despite increasing the number of employees by more than 30% during 2017, Hybrid  Software’s EBITDA margin for the year was still an impressive 25%.

“During the last year we’ve concentrated on three core values - excellence, responsibility and innovation,” says Guido Van der Schueren, Chairman of the Board. “Excellence is based around ensuring our products achieve the highest performance possible for our customers, while our responsibility towards customers means that we are totally committed to them in everything we do. We have always strived to be a pioneer and in this area we use innovative technology to create the greatest value for our customers.

“Hybrid Software’s focus on the labels and packaging sectors has made us a leader in these markets, which have continued to perform well during challenging years in other parts of the graphic arts industry. We enter 2018 in an ideal position, with an extremely strong global customer base and a product portfolio that is unrivalled and which is increasingly seeing Hybrid Software win major orders from key players.”

Manipal International Printing Press opts for another Lombardi Synchroline flexo press along with Vinsak USAR slitter inspection rewinder

Manipal International Printing Press has opted for another Lombardi Synchroline flexo press along with Vinsak USAR slitter inspection rewinder for its plant in Africa. Vinsak, the exclusive distributor of Lombardi presses in India, the Middle East and Africa, will soon install the 430mm wide, 10-color press at the company’s plant in Nigeria. Manipal is already running a Lombardi press, Vinsak USAR 530 and a thermal inkjet system for variable data at its plant in Kenya.

Started in 1941, Manipal International Printing Press has grown with the times to embrace the latest in technology, and to offer clients quality and punctuality at costs that make business sense. MIPL prints a large variety of products including self adhesive labels of different types, commercial, security & business forms, shrink sleeves, digital publications and all different sorts of printing.

Pritam Choudhary, director at MIPPL says, “Vinsak installed machines at our Kenya plant three months back. The combination of Synchroline with Vinsak USAR has made a lot of our print jobs easier. We were able to print on diverse substrates with a quick turnaround time. The main advantage, however, was that we were able to explore more of Kenya’s packaging market as we can print on 12-micron film to 450gsm boards. We wanted to expand our capacity of the Nigerian printing plant, hence a repeat order to Vinsak.”

Talking of the repeat order by MIPPL, Ranesh Bajaj director at Vinsak said: “It’s a wonderful experience to know that years of planning and efforts have started paying off. We are extremely pleased to receive a repeat order from Manipal. It’s good to see a positive response from printing industry for the Lombardi Synchroline press and Vinsak USAR. We are continuously developing and adding new features to our in-house product with the hope to match the rising expectations of packaging industry from Vinsak.”

A leader in the industry, MIPPL is is responsive to market changes, with a common goal of customer satisfaction and sales growth. A company that brings value to its customers and provides superior returns to investors, MIPPL is the only press in Africa that provides composite packaging solution to its end customers for brand protection, with its R&D team working round the clock to provide customer solutions to protect their brands from counterfeit labels.

As the leading printing solutions provider in Africa, MIPPL aims at giving customers the best printing experience, in terms of product development, product quality, on-time deliveries and improved printing platforms from time-to-time. Hence it was imperative of MIPPL to choose a provider that has a good back end support. Talking of support from Vinsak, Choudhary added: “A machine worth millions becomes useless if you don’t have a good service backup. We are extremely happy with Vinsak for active service and support systems and hope they continue to provide such quality products.”

Ritrama Direct Thermal Linerless: The Evolution of the Species

The evolution of the species - This claim could ideally group and show all linerless products for thermal printing which Ritrama has designed and developed over the years to comply with EU Regulation 1169/2011.

This regulation requires that retailers include a list of ingredients in their food labels, such as nutritional values and possible allergens and the origins of the food. The retailer therefore needs labels with different sizes depending on the information to be shown and Ritrama Direct Thermal Linerless provides the solution.

The technical evolution of the species

Direct Thermal Linerless products are the latest innovation of the labelling sector: they are continuous rolls of thermal paper with no liner (siliconised backing). An innovative labelstock without release, which does not produce any extra waste. A reduced environmental impact because there is no liner to be disposed of. A higher rate of productivity because it allows producing over 40% more labels per roll as less rolls need replacing, which leads to a significant reduction in machine downtime. An economic advantage, too, because waste management, storage and transport costs are less. Many advantages, which combined with fast application and labelling accuracy, will serve the best interests of many sectors, from retail to logistics.

The range evolution

In order to meet labelling requirements in the retail sector, Ritrama has developed linerless products for thermal printing, available in several versions and colours. The offer includes the version with thermal paper in yellow, red, light blue, green and orange; then there is fluo thermal paper in the same colours and the pre-printed version, which can be customised with logos and text in up to eight colours.

And what does the future hold? We asked Sergio Veneziani, Product Manager of Ritrama's linerless range: "Sales volumes are growing significantly: January 2018 has already exceeded the forecasts we made at the end of 2017. As far as Retail is concerned, this positive trend surely depends on the fact that most traditional weight scales, which work with standard rolls, are being replaced with linerless scales. As for our products, Ritrama is currently working on a new version of Direct Thermal Linerless with a special adhesive for frozen products".

Al Jawad invests in Six-colour Rapida 106 with coater and logistics

Measurable factors such as population growth, economic prosperity and consumer behaviour form the generally accepted basis for predictions regarding the future demand for packaging. And the indicators are positive all over the world. In the Middle East, and especially in Saudi Arabia, an above-average increase in demand is expected. Saudi Arabia is today already importing packaging from the neighbouring countries.

In an economically strong and prosperous region in the east of the country, the Al Jawad Group has built up an outstanding reputation as a packaging supplier. One of Al Jawad’s specialities is flexible packaging for the food and detergent industries, while the offset printing department produces primary and secondary packaging on a diversity of substrates up to and including corrugated board. This calls for a correspondingly broad and flexible machinery base. At the same time, the company attaches great importance to the streamlining of production processes, as a means to raise efficiency and in turn competitiveness. To this end, Al Jawad invests regularly in new and productive technologies: The last acquisition, three years ago, was a six-colour sheetfed offset press with inline foiling unit and provisions for both conventional and UV applications.

For the most recent investment round in 2017, attention was concentrated on a conventional press with the highest possible level of automation. The outcome of many intensive discussions was the decision to purchase a six-colour Rapida 106 with coater, extended delivery and HighSpeed functionality from Koenig & Bauer. Further key features of this fast medium-format Rapida are automatic non-stop pile changing and logistics systems for the feeder and delivery. In addition, the ink rollers in the fifth printing unit can be washed parallel to production. The ability to disengage unused inking units from the main press drive has already been a standard feature on Rapida sheetfed offset presses for several decades.

Alongside the automation of the Rapida 106, printshop networking played a significant role. Print companies in Central Europe were forced to streamline operations and to integrate their various means of production many years ago, but the process is still in its infancy in other parts of the world. This represents a source of great potential for all concerned. In these emerging markets, therefore, Koenig & Bauer not only supplies the latest printing technologies, but also encourages the users to target greater cost awareness and efficiency. As a pleasing side effect, this at the same time contributes to more ecological production practices.

Ehsan Al Khars, general manager of Al Jawad, and Abdalah Al-Hareri, general manager of local Koenig & Bauer agency Al Kharafi, are both delighted with the excellent implementation of the project: “It is impressive to experience the production speeds of up to 20,000 sheets/hr on the Rapida 106. The new press replaces three older models from another manufacturer, but still offers ample production reserves. Over the course of the project, we found that the advice given by the Al Kharafi team was paramount in determining an optimum solution. This productivity gives us the desired differentiation and necessary lead on the market. We are looking forward to a long and fruitful partnership with Al Kharafi.”

Comexi celebrates its 15th anniversary in Brazil with record sales in the country

Comexi, specialist in solutions for printing and converting equipment for the flexible packaging industry, closed this 2017 with record sales in Brazil. Settled in this South-American country fifteen years ago, the company and its solutions are increasingly recognized in the sector, not only in Brazil, but also throughout the continent.

Since its establishment in Montenegro in 2002, in the Río Grande do Sul region, Comexi has strengthened its presence and its commitment to the Brazilian market, by producing more than 270 machines during this fifteen-year period. In Brazil, Comexi has 6.000 square meters in facilities where equipment is designed and manufactured for the local market, in addition to exporting according to the company’s industrial requirements. In this production plant in Brazil, the firm works under the highest quality standards, implemented by the headquarters. Alongside production and engineering, the branch also has administration, sales, technical and supply chain services.

Marc Boadas, General Manager at Comexi Brazil, stresses, “these first fifteen years are just the beginning of a very successful story that endorses the flexible packaging value chain”. Moreover, to enhance the growth objective in Brazil and South America, Comexi plans to launch three new presses by 2020.

Greater market share

According to Marc Boadas “the results of the Brazilian economy over the last months confirm that, after the economic crisis, the recovery is real and sustainable”. Comexi, with a competitive and high-end portfolio that has gained a rise in the confidence of its clients, with a sales record in 2017, reaching an outstanding market share of over 80%, as states the General Manager of the company in Brazil.

One of the major indicators of this growth is the Comexi F2 MC flexo press, launched in Brazil in 2016 and which has already gained great market acceptance, both nationally and internationally. In this sense, Comexi has installed more than a hundred machines of this successful family of F2 flexographic presses around the world. The group will continue to consolidate its leadership with the upcoming launch of new models: the Comexi F2 MB and the Comexi F4, thus improving competitiveness in the Brazilian market.

Cosmo Films commissions a New CPP line and a Metalizer

Cosmo Films, a global leader in films for packaging, lamination and labeling applications has announced commissioning of its second Cast Polypropylene (CPP) Line and fourth metalizer, both having annual capacity of 7500 MT.  With installation of these new lines, the company’s annual CPP films capacity will go from 1800 MT to 9300 MT and the metalized films will increase from 15000 MT to 22,500 MT.

These new lines have been commissioned at company’s existing facility at Karjan, near Vadodara, India which already houses BOPP lines, extrusion coating & chemical coating lines and a metalizer. The 2.85 meter CPP line is five-layered and is designed to produce speciality films (especially barrier films) for various packaging applications. The line has the possibility to have multilayer combinations. The new 2.85 meter metalizer is equipped with advanced control monitoring system and closed loop auto deposition control system. The facility at Karjan has been developed keeping future expansions in mind.

Speaking on the development, Mr. Pankaj Poddar, CEO, Cosmo Films Ltd said, “Apart from being a focussed BOPP player over the years, we have made significant efforts in recent times to become a complete film solution provider with more and more films to offer along with various value added services. Moreover there has been a dearth of organised CPP players in the market and with the expansion of our capacity; we shall be better suited to serve our customers.  The new lines are also expected to help increase the overall margins and volumes to some extent.” 

Established in 1981, Cosmo Films Limited today is a global leader in speciality films for packaging, lamination and labeling applications. Its films offerings include biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) films, cast polypropylene (CPP) films and soon to be offered biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate (BOPET) films. Today, the company is the largest exporter of BOPP films from India and is also the largest producer of thermal laminating films in the world with plant cum distribution centres in the U.S, Korea & Japan and global channel partners in more than seventy countries.

Flex Films launches all new high barrier metallized polyester film

Metallized Polyester Films are increasing in popularity for imparting high barrier properties to laminated flexible packaging structures. However, it has been often experienced that poor adhesion of metal with the base polyester film can result in laminate failure, thereby decreasing product performance.

There has been an increasing demand for cost-effective films with high metal adhesion for superior barrier applications in harsh environments. However, the solutions that are currently available in the market are limited and costly.

With this problem statement at hand, Flex Films (USA) Inc. has engineered FLEXMETPROTECT F-HMB film which is a High Barrier Metallized Polyester Film. The film is either untreated or corona treated on the other surface, while metallization is carried out on the specially treated composite surface imparting metal adhesion or bond strength of > 1200 gram-force/inch.

Flex Films is the global film manufacturing arm of India’s largest multinational flexible packaging materials and solution company Uflex Limited. All the film manufacturing plants of Uflex, i.e. in India, UAE, Poland, Egypt, Mexico and USA can supply FLEXMETPROTECT F-HMB Film.

Talking more about the new development, Dr. Steven J. Sargeant, GM, Technology at Flex Films (USA) Inc. said, “The adhesion of metal on BOPET base film is the sum of chemical and mechanical adhesion. Our proprietary surface treatment on the base film allows increased levels of chelation or reaction with the metal being deposited, thereby resulting in a much better adhesion profile. The specialized surface treatment comprises materials with unique and enhanced properties thereby leading to much enhanced mechanical bonding. It took us almost 18 months to engineer this film.”

Explaining the benefits that the newly developed film brings to the convertors, and elaborating upon its use, Mr. Vijay Yadav, Business Head, Flex Films (USA) Inc. said, “The film offers class leading high adhesion to metal under most aggressive environmental conditions; demonstrates improved scuff, scratch and craze resistance thereby improving yields up to four percent and offering unparalleled robustness in processing and performance for converters; has OTR of 0.6 cc/m2/day at 23 degrees C & 0% RH and MVTR of 0.6 g/m2/day at 38 degrees C & 90% RH offering high barrier properties thereby bringing new concepts to the market; complies with EU and FDA regulations for food grade applications and happens to be cost effective. FLEXMETPROTECT F-HMB Film finds extensive use in Liquid Packaging, Stand Up Pouch Applications, Barrier layer in challenging applications like ‘Bag in Box’, Chemical Packaging, Pharma Packaging, Hot fill applications up to 80 degree C. among others. This film is available in 8 – 50 micron thickness range.”

Sharing his views about the potential of the new product, Mr. Anantshree Chaturvedi, Vice Chairman& CEO, Flex Films International – the global film manufacturing arm of Uflex Limited said, “Flex Films is focusing on speciality substrates that add real value to the business of convertors and that of their customers by enhancing the quality and profile of the resultant packaging. Our expansion strategy hereafter will be niche product driven and not commodity driven. FLEXMETPROTECT F-HMB is a technologically superior film with encouraging demand. If we talk about the US itself, the market for this specialized film is expected to be about 25% of the current metalized film market.”

Congratulating his engineers, Mr. Ashok Chaturvedi, Chairman & Managing Director, Uflex Limited said, “FLEXMETPROTECT F-HMB is a classic example of value engineering that shall bring substantial benefits and cheer to the converting fraternity not only in the US but globally. This is Innovation to Create Value Added Differentiation.”