afta may 2015

Asian Flexo, Gravure& Labeling MAY 2015

MCI (P) 169/12/2013 - KDN PPS1529/05/2013(025527)

• High-intensity LEDs (>800 mW/cm2) for highest efficiency & repeatability

• Highest print quality - precise image reproduction & excellent ink laydown

• Significant reduction of fluting

• No additional processing steps or consumables

• Easy implementation to existing digital workflow and compatible with all digital plates, formats and thicknesses

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The Kodak Flexcel NX Digital Flexographic System— for unparalleled print quality and on press performance.

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Covering the Flexo, Gravure & Labeling Industries across AsiaMICA(P)046-11-2010 - KDN PPS 1529/05/2012(022768)

May 2015

AFTA Pte Ltd 57 Ubi Ave. 1, #03-06 Ubi Centre, Singapore 408936. Tel+65 6733 5342 Fax +656733 3586

Chairman Paul [email protected]

Business Director Elizabeth [email protected]

Advertising Sales Matthew [email protected]

[email protected]

Chairman Judging Panel 2014 Packaging Excellence AwardsHead Judge - Bob James

Afta has 11 active Committee members for the 2015 Vietnam Event

For everything you need go to www.afta.com.sg

5 The 2015 Packaging Conference Book your seat today8 AFTA 2014 Concludes on a High16 The Partnership That Wins Awards18 Underdog Tin Thanh Scores BIG at AFTA 20 More than cutting tools unleash creativity 22 Digitally Printed Packaging Opportinities 26 Showcases high-speed F&K 20SIX CS wide-web press at open house28 No More Press Downtime Due To Worn Out Sleeves30 Deliver Short-Run Solution with High Color Quality to Broad Range of Customers32 Gaining Market SHARE in a Difficult Economy 34 The Competitive Edge38 Census tells global story of optimism and growth42 New “Titanium” level, adds enhancements for all levels of Service 44 Xeikon Café Packaging Innovations Concludes Another Successful International Edition48 Brand Owners Want More Digital Packaging 50 Produce top quality labels and laminates at a low price52 Chinese initiative “Flexo goes Green” to be continued54 British parliament votes to ban cigarette pack branding56 New Splicing Tapes for Flexible Package Printing58 Cost savings and keeps the crisps ‘crisp’ 60 Converting industry needs to be aware of static62 HP and KBA to Transform Corrugated Packaging Printing

VIETNAMGET READY FOR THE 2015

CONFERENCE

SUPPORTED BY OVER 40 LEADING INDUSTRY SUPPLIERS

35 CONFERENCE TOPICS THAT

WILL HELP YOUR BUSINESS

DO BUSINESS IN VIETNAM

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

THE 2015 PACKAGING AWARDS DINNER PRESENTATIONS

THE REGIONS BIGGEST PACKAGING CONFERENCE INFORMATION WILL BE Posted & e-mailed TO YOU IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS - BOOK YOUR SEATS AT THIS

GREAT OPPORTUNITY - NOW OUR 14th YEAR!!!www.afta.com.sg

IST METZ presents:Energy efficient UV systems for all printing applications

IST METZ SEA Co., Ltd.1558/12 Baan Klang-KrungSoi 4, Bangna-Trad Road, BangnaBangkok 10260, Thailandphone +66 2 1 82 00 43

IST METZ manufactures and develops all key components, such as UV lamps, reflectors and electronic power supplies, in-house: MAdE In GErMAny!

UV systems from IST METZ can be integrated into printing presses of any shape or size. This allows production of high-quality UV packaging, UV labels, UV commercials prints and special UV applications.

Our new subsidiary IST METZ SEA Co., Ltd. in Bangkok pro-vides services and consulting for all UV applications.

We want to become your regio-nal partner for all UV printing matters. Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss UV so-lutions for your specific needs!

AFTA AGA ALA • Get ready for THE PACKAGING CONFERENCE IN Vietnam - November 2014!!!

8

AFTA 2014 kicked off with a two-day conference that saw visitors from all over the region flying in to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to network and listen to tracks given by renowned speakers on the labels and packaging printing industry. The two-day event ended off with an enthralling awards ceremony celebrating the best of the best in the industry.

Held at the ballroom of Pullman Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 10-11 November, AFTA 2014 successfully closes on 11 November with an enthralling award ceremony. This year’s edition saw entries from all over the region. Although both India and Thailand took home seven awards, India was a stronger force as it won the most Golds for the night.

India’s Letra Graphix single-handedly swept the competition to win the bulk of the night’s awards, including the much-coveted ultimate Judges’ award for Best in Show. The company bagged Golds for Narrow Web Flexible categories in both Paper and Film and Flexo Process, and managed a Silver for Combination Printing.

Not to be outshone on its stomping grounds, Malaysia made an impressive show, with much credit going towards heavyweight GS Paper & Packaging Malaysia Sdn. Their entry, in collaboration with Sony EMCS Malaysia, also impressed the panel

of judges to be awarded the second Judges Best in Show medal, alongside the Gold in the Post Print Corrugated category. Malaysia took home a total of three awards for the night.

Thailand made its return as imposing as ever this year, taking home multiple awards across the board. The Land of Smiles left the ceremony with three Gold, two Silver and two Bronze awards.

Vietnam-based Tin Thanh Packing emerged the winner for its category, Films Reverse Print, edging out its strong Thai competition. The company

is one to look out for, as its win is impressive considering AFTA 2014 marks the first year of its participation.

China-based Tetra Pak (Kunshan) and Tetra Pak (Foshan), once again faced off in the Beverage Carton and Cups category. This year, Tetra Pak (Kunshan) left its Foshan cousin in the dust to take home both the Gold and the Silver awards. Tetra Pak (Foshan) did not leave empty-handed as it won the Bronze.

Interestingly, Singapore dominated the Digital Printing category, as the nation won the Gold, Silver and Bronze for

The 13th edition of the Asian Flexible Packaging Conference, Ex-hibition and Awards (AFTA) closes on a high note as the industry celebrates the best of the best in the world of label and packaging printing. Sha Jumari reports.

AFTA 2014 Concludes on a High


9

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HP brings a decade of experience, innovation and best-in-class technology to the new family of HP Indigo Digital Presses for labels and flexible packaging. Match your business needs with the widest range of digital production capabilities to help your business grow. Choose from the HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press for heavy-duty medium and long runs, or move from one job to the next with the HP Indigo WS6800 Press, a high-performing versatile press for short to medium-run jobs, or why not step into the world of digital print production with the HP Indigo WS4600, today’s best entry level solution.

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The road to growth


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the category. Orient Quality Print Pte Ltd took home the Gold in digital print, and was the sole recipient of the Gold medal in the Letterpress category.

Now in its 13th year running, AFTA 2014 is Asia’s only regional packaging conference. Formed to bring together Asian packagers and suppliers, AFTA aims to continually enhance the knowledge, standard and quality of print processes through conferences and exhibitions.

The two-day conference featured world-class speakers from the US, Europe, Australia and Asia, covering a myriad of issues that affect the print packaging business owners of today, from packaging design to production to management issues. Attendees were treated to the active exchange of ideas, networking and participation in the growing print industry in Asia.

Amongst the topics covered in the event include flexo and gravure printing, digital and offset printing, pre-press and design, consumables, inks

and substrates, labels and adhesives, slitting and rewindering, and cleaning solutions.

One of the highlighted topics covered this year were the importance of branding, with speakers from top brands such as Philips and Colgate-Palmolive Company giving new perspectives on packaging design.

This year’s edition featured a world-class pool of exhibitors including HP, Bobst, Xeikon, Xerox, CGS, Gallus, Flint Group, SOMA, Contitech, EFI, Tesa Tape, Dupont, FlexoWash, PrimeBlade, Swedev, QuadTech, Rieckermann, KBA, Martin Automatic, StripSteel, ExileTech, Monocure. FlexoTecnica,

Windmoller and Holscher, IST Metz, Rotary Engineering, AV Flexologic, Muller Martini.

AFTA has continuously proven itself to be an established one-stop shop in the Asian region for print professionals and business leaders to keep up with the latest developments in the industry. Besides leaving the conference with new branding knowledge, business ideas, applications and trends, tabletop exhibitions showcasing the latest products and technical advancements keeps visitors up-to-speed with industry developments. At the same time, suppliers were able to network and align themselves with the needs of the customers.

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Malaysia’s GS Paper & Packaging shone bright at AFTA 2014 thanks to the triumphant collaboration with its customer, Sony. Sha Jumari reports.

At the recently concluded AFTA Excellence Awards 2014, GS Paper & Packaging Malaysia Sdn Bhd returned to win not just the Gold medal, but also the ultimate Judges Best in Show trophy. This year, the company’s collaboration with Sony EMCS Malaysia was one of the highlights of the ceremony.

“We feel very happy and proud, as well as excited and very much confident with AFTA’s recognition on our printing quality,” said Ooi CH, Executive Vice President, GS Paper & Packaging. GS Paper & Packaging has been an unfailing participant of AFTA since 2009, wining Gold awards every year. When asked on how GS Paper & Packaging has managed to score big at the awards every year, Ooi said: “Our entries were submitted based on new developments during the current year. The selections are based on overall challenging design and print quality expectations. Before submitting to

AFTA, we always get consent and approval from our customer.”

“From here, we hope to double our marketing strategies to build upon the recognition accorded by AFTA. This award has served to bring up the confidence level from both our internal team as well as external customers,” Ooi beamed.

The entry was packaging for Sony Audio products, printed on coated white board. The submission won the company a Gold in the Post Print Corrugated category. Judges also bestowed the Best in Show trophy for the flexo category.

“Sony is our long term business partner, and both of us believe that having high print quality is very important. It is part of promotion of the products to the end-consumer,” said Ooi.

The secret to success for the company lies in achieving the perfect balance between customer requests and its team of specialists and machinery. “Our biggest challenge is how to

strike the optimum balance between the customer’s high print quality expectations versus the maximum achievable capability of our printers. This way, we aim to have the final print output as best as we can for our customers, without too much compromise,” said Ooi.

“Our development of high graphics printing starts from the very beginning – by having detailed discussions and negotiations with our customer, print plate supplier and our own experienced technical and production teams,” Ooi continued.

“Additionally, we continually keep our printing machines in tip-top condition in order to produce consistently high quality prints at all times,” said Ooi. He added to say that the company currently owns two units of high graphics printers.

Besides machine maintenance, it is not just about having the right team of highly skilled and experienced operators. Communication and teamwork is also essential in the formula to success. “Good teamwork, communication and working closely with the customer’s designer, plate supplier as well as our own technical team. This is essential, as success is a team effort,” said Ooi.

“We would like to convey our all-round congratulations to our team effort. We would like to continuously look at latest printing technology and upgrade the skills of our operators to take up further challenges in high-graphics print quality and output,” Ooi ended off with aplomb.

The Partnership That Wins Awards


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Underdog Tin Thanh Scores BIG at AFTA

This year’s AFTA 2014 Gold win was an astounding achievement for Batico Tin Thanh Packing Joint Stock Company, as it was also the inaugural participation for the company. Tin Thanh came out tops for its category, Films Reverse Print, amidst strong competition from Thailand.

“We are honoured and happy to have won the Gold!” gushed Dinh Thi Kim Mai, purchasing manager, Tin Thanh. “We hope the award is motivation for us to continuously be innovative for our customers, so we can continue to produce excellent packaging and continue our participation in the awards in the coming years.”

“This is very surprising for us. Frankly speaking, a couple of years back, we were not as strong as we are, so we

didn’t think our submissions will be able to par with the other entries. This year is different, we believe in our products now, which is why I chose to take part in the awards this year,” added Mai.

Tin Thanh’s winning entry for the Excellence Awards was pet care packaging for cat litter. The product was meant for the US market. Pet care packaging is not the easiest packaging to produce, due to sensitivity. Every step of producing the packaging needed to be counter-checked with the client before coming to an end product.

“Producing it was not easy, because pet food packaging especially has very high sensitivity to smell. We needed to use low solvent ink,” Mai said, on the challenges faced in producing

Vietnam-based Tin Thanh Packing emerged the winner for its category, Films Reverse Print, edging out strong Thai competition. The company is one to look out for, as its win is impressive considering AFTA 2014 marks the first year of its participation. Sha Jumari reports.

the packaging. “Colour-wise, the lightfastness has to rest above 12 months, since on the shopfront the product is expected to be moved around a lot. The quality has to be able to rest for a long period of time.”

Founded in 1995, Tin Thanh (www.batico.com) has risen to be one of the top companies in flexible packaging in Vietnam. Tin Thanh is located in Duc Hoa Ha Commune, south of Ho Chi Minh City. The first factory, built according to international standards, covers an area of 18,500 square meters. A second factory is in the works, with a total area of 55,000 square meters.

“A strong point for our company is our focus on quality. We use good machines, high quality inks, and most importantly, we have good, skilled operators to run the production,” said Mai. Tin Thanh uses print machinery


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Polígon industrial de Girona - Avinguda Mas Pins, 13517457 Riudellots de la Selva. GIRONA (Spain) Tel. +34 972 477 744 Fax +34 972 477 384 [email protected]

Commitment to the planetOur mission is to offer global solutions unique to a world with ever-increasing flexibility and efficiency needs. We strive to provide you with the most convenient services and easy product maintenance.

Our pledge to sustainable innovation means we are committed to research and technological design aimed at creating products that are efficient, reliable, energy intelligent and environ-mentally sustainable.

Our commitment is also to the knowledge. The objective of the Manel Xifra Boada Technologi-cal Centre is to position itself as a driving force for know-how within the flexible packaging sector. Founded in 2013 as an independent body, activity is centred on training and consul-tancy services, academic activities, innovation and development.

www.comexigroup.com

COMEXI OFFSET CI8

from Japan’s Fuji Kikai and high quality ink from Germany.

The company’s current capacity is 80% domestic, and 20% export to Europe, Canada, the US, and within Asia, including Japan. Some of its multinational clients include Nestle, Bayer, Henkel, DuPont, CP and Walmart. “Winning at AFTA is the first international award we have received and this is great for our clients too, because the award is testament to our focus on quality.”

The Next Step - Digital

The company specialises primarily in gravure printing, although Mai has expressed deep interest in adding digital into their print machinery lineup.

“Five years down the road, we hope to have digital printing as part of our production line. Part of our planning now is to have digital and be able to leverage on the new technology to target the pharmaceutical market,” said Mai.

Mai went on to say that while her customers are not specifically requesting for digital printing, they

do demand very short lead times. She noticed there are increasing requests for lead times of four to five days, from the day artwork is submitted, to the day the company sends out the finished products. “For gravure printing, preparing the cylinder itself takes at least four to seven days. This is where we see digital printing being extremely beneficial for us,” added Mai.

While digital printing is on the horizon for Tin Thanh, Mai is not rushing into investing in it just as yet, citing Vietnam’s relatively undeveloped business structure as a reason. “Vietnam is still a developing country. Unlike Malaysia or Thailand, we do not have easy access to every service. If we want something, ink for the digital printers for example, we would need to import. This requires some lead time. That’s one of our concerns,” said Mai.


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MORE THAN CUTTING: TOOLS UNLEASH CREATIVITY

Celebrating its golden jubilee this year, Esko Kongsberg built a strong foundation with the right technology and skills to help customers take full advantage of the opportunities digital finishing offers in the signage, display and packaging MARKETS. The broad portfolio of Kongsberg cutting tables caters to the different needs and speed in various segments of these MARKETS.

But the wide variety of tools is what truly enables customers to extend their offerings and expand their businesses with the most creative use of materials and applications. Producers of packaging, displays and signage are used to work with a variety of substrates, ranging from foam, plastics and vinyl to paper, corrugated boards and folding carton. And ever more materials are being added to

the portfolio, including glass, wood, aluminium and textiles – opening up new markets and new applications. To keep up with these new demands and further improve existing solutions, Esko Kongsberg has an experienced R&D team constantly developing new tools. High performance linked to high precision is what makes the difference here.

More than 100 cutting blades, and still countingToday, Esko Kongsberg already offers more than 100 different cutting blades that are optimized for a very broad range of materials and applications. But there is much more these cutting systems can do when equipped with crease wheels, crease blades, milling bits or plotting pens.Three examples of newly developed tools that extend Kongsberg capabilities are:The NEW Psaligraphy (or paper cutting) knife tool that cuts out the finest details in paper and folding carton, at a level not seen before. This is a perfect tool for adding creativity and value to greeting cards, promotional items or folding carton samples.

The 60 mm Perforation wheel enabling users to create tear and crease-assist perforations in corrugated board up to 4 mm thick at a much higher speed than before. This tool is ideal for producing POP-materials and all kinds of packaging. Prior to this wheel becoming available, it took about 40 seconds to do 1 meter of a 3x3 perforation pattern (3 mm cut and 3 mm space). The new wheel only needs 2 seconds to do that, quite a time SAVING!

Esko announced a NEW range of Kongsberg tools is available for customers. On top of the more than hundred high-quality cutting blades, router bits and accessories, some of the newest tools include a psaligraphy (paper cutting) knife tool, perforation wheel and braille tool. All three tools are available for usage on the Kongsberg XN, Kongsberg V and Kongsberg XL Series of digital finishing systems.

The Braille tool, loaded with clear acrylic ‘Braille spheres’ that are inserted into small holes. These holes are milled with a special spindle to create raised dots that are readable with fingertips. The Braille tool will work on most rigid materials more than one mm thick and is used to produce signage requiring directions or inscriptions in braille.Online store gives ACCESS to all Kongsberg cutting tools

Esko’s online Kongsberg store for bits, blades and other accessories offers all the certified consumables for the full range of digital finishing tables at www.esko.com/store. More Esko customers find their way to the store every day, relying on Esko’s expertise to help them expand their business.“Thousands of customers worldwide use our Kongsberg tables for a wide variety of applications and materials,” concludes Knut Johansen, Product Coordinator Esko Kongsberg. “We offer total solutions in digital finishing and are continuously developing and improving tools for new applications and substrates. Our research and development teams are offeringinnovation and support to expand the tooling range to bring even more value to the cutting tables.”


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KBA Packaging Expertise

KBA provides proven solutions for packaging printing on paper, board, film, metal, glass or corrugated, and what is more we are the market leader in many segments. For many years carton printers have benefitted from the superior productivity of our Rapida sheetfed offset presses. We now also offer cutting-edge CI flexo presses for flexible packaging from KBA-Flexotecnica, including the direct support of KBA’s global network.Just give us a call. We’re here to help.

KBA Koenig & Bauer AG (Asia Pacific) Sdn. Bhd. +60 3 788 588-60, [email protected] Asia Pacific (Singapore Branch) +65 6562 8582, [email protected]

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EXTRUSION | PRINTING | CONVERTING

As the world's largest supplier of fl exographic CI presses, we combine innovative technology and custom equipment for fi eld-proven and extremely cost-effi cient production. The more than 300 MIRAFLEX presses that have been sold to printing houses around the world demonstrate the high quality of the MIRAFLEX product range and have earned the trust of our customers. We would be happy to show you how the MIRAFLEX can add more spice to your printing production.

Thailand: Phone: +66 2 3834333 | offi [email protected] Malaysia: Phone: +60 3 74920333 | offi [email protected] Singapore: Phone: +65 6 2581990 | offi [email protected] Philippines: Phone: +63 2 6342623 | offi [email protected] Indonesia: Phone: +62 21 29069399 | offi [email protected] Vietnam: Phone: +84 8 8399899 | offi [email protected]

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The print demonstration utilized the flagship of the F&K 20SIX series of CI flexo presses, a “CS” model featuring a print width of 1650 mm (65’’), a repeat of 1200 mm (47.2’’), and a speed of 600 m/min (1970 ft/min). The exten-sive range of equipment onboard the press included smartGPS™, shaftless

winders, a BOBST three-chip camera, a 100% inspection system, a special slitting device, and an auxiliary system for sleeve and cylinder handling.

During the demonstration, two five-color jobs were run at 600 m/min, i.e. the maximum mechanical speed of the

model showcased. The changeover of the print sleeves in between the two jobs was performed using the cylin-der handling system, which gave visi-tors an idea of its fast and user-friendly handling of even large format printing hardware. For impression and register set-up, smartGPS™, BOBST’s unique off-press technology was used, so visi-tors witnessed a complete changeover - from the end of the first five-color job to saleable quality of the subsequent job - in less than 15 minutes.

During the seminar session, Bill Duckham and Hermann Koch, Bobst Bielefeld Sales Directors, spoke about specific challenges on a press designed for high speed and wide width appli-cations, and about technical solutions integrated into the F&K 20SIX to meet these challenges. Visitors heard that, most importantly, the specific technologies and measures that en-sure consistently superior print qual-ity throughout the process are related to: - mechanical rigidity of cylinders and bearings; high precision impres-sion adjustment; ink transfer from the ink chamber to the substrate; and to guaranteed drying of ink on the sub-strate. Michael Schmidt from Siegwerk Druckfarben highlighted the topic of high speed printing from the perspec-tive of an ink manufacturer, present-ing practical examples, limitations, and potential for optimization.

The second part of the seminar ses-sion was dedicated to plastic film as a packaging substrate. In his speech about the latest developments in extru-sion, Sascha Skora, from Reifenhäuser Blown Film, presented typical prob-lems converters are faced with - from pellet quality to reel/winding quality of the film material. Mr. Skora also updated the visitors on the latest qual-ity inspection systems for ensuring su-perior film quality throughout the ex-trusion process. Last but not least, Dr. Carolin Struller, from Bobst Manches-ter, illustrated the company’s in-depth research on AlOx clear coating, from the way it is produced and its perfor-mance on various filmic substrates, through to its barrier retention with subsequent processes of printing and converting. AlOx coating is especially suitable for packaging where product visibility is required, including baked goods and microwaveable food.

Showcases high-speed F&K 20SIX CS wide-web press at open house

In February, Bobst Bielefeld, Germany, held an open house with its focus on high speed and wide web width flexo printing. Following the approach taken at BOBST’s highly successful open house last October, the event was divided into a seminar session in the morn-ing and a print demonstration in the afternoon. Visi-tors from fifteen countries around the world attended the event and got an update on the latest flexo printing and process related developments.

www.bobst.com

RS 5002

• All-on-board press design • Configuration with shaftless cylinders• BOBST Electronic Shaft and Registron®

register control integration for superior register performance• Very precise web tension control• High performance dryers with dual technology nozzles• Low energy consumption

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The new RS 5002 gravure printing press features the unrivalled qualities of BOBST leading-edge gravure print-ing technology to deliver operational excellence and superior quality output in flexible packaging production.

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OPEN HOUSE | 20 - 22 May 2015 | S. Giorgio Monferrato | ItalyGravure printing and lamination

CONVERFLEX| 19 – 23 May 2015 | Milan | ItalyHall 2, Stand L11-M14


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The TIR system analyzes the quality of the sleeve or cylinder, with or without tape, by measuring the ‘3D landscape’ of the surfaces. With this information it’s possible to have a thorough insight on the condition of sleeves or cylinder and build up a record with the exact conditions of each sleeve in stock. Subsequently the sleeves can be placed in the press with the right pre-settings.

Worn out or damaged sleeves are easily detected, which prevents bad quality sleeve related downtime in the printing presses. It also helps to create an inventory of sleeves which are fit for use.

“The TIR Measurement system is our newest innovation in order to help our customers save considerable costs in the printing stage. Several pleased customers are yet using our TIR system on a regular basis to keep track of the quality of their sleeves. Knowing the exact condition of your sleeves increases the mounting and printing output as well as your workflow & efficiency!” Martijn Otten – General Manager

The TIR Sleeve measurement system comes as a stand-alone machine, but can also be fitted in the Semi Automatic Mounting Machin (SAMM) and Fully Automatic Mounting Machine (FAMM)

About AV Flexologic“For the past 30 years AV Flexologic has been the driving factor behind the biggest innovations in the flexographic prepress and especially mounting industry. After inventing numerous of innovations, AV Flexologic now has a patent on automatic mounting using image recognition. The (semi-) automatic mounting machines are more accurate and precise than any operator could be. AV Flexologic continues to innovate for the benefit of its customers.” AV Flexologic has the clear goal to provide the best solutions between design and the printing press. Although the company is best known for its mounting machines, the company has a wide range of products that have been developed throughout the past decades. Quality plate making equipment, tape applicators, de-mounters and sleeve cleaners belong to the portfolio. All these products have been developed together with their clients.

No More Press Downtime Due To Worn Out Sleeves

One of AV Flexologic’s latest innovations is the TIR Sleeve Measurement System, which proofs to be a huge cost-saver in the printing stage.

This patented technology improves the print quality significantly.

The TIR system is extremely accurate and even monitors the distance between the guiding rail and the full length of the axis. It calibrates any irregularities to ensure precision on micron level, even after year of heavy duty use.

The image illustrates the complete scan of the surface in which different colors show the depth and diameter of the sleeve at each position. Operators can pre-set specific tolerances that define whether a sleeve is still usable.It can also give a view on the roundness of the sleeve. The ability to check the exact condition of each sleeve is essential for high speed production with minimum pressure settings on the press.


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Deliver Short-Run Solution with High Color Quality to Broad Range of CustomersThe Labeltape Group, Inc. has purchased and INSTALLED the Epson SurePress® L-4033AW for its label PRINTING services. The Labeltape Group owns and operates two label printing companies – Labeltape in Caledonia, Mich. and A-Flex Label in Willowbrook, Ill.

The Epson SurePress is installed at the A-Flex facility, producing labels for both locations that serve a broad range of MARKETS, including medical, food, industrial, specialty, wine, and personal care. A-Flex features a list of capabilities and services offered using the Epson SurePress and its other press solutions on its website.

“Up until now we have run flexo presses in both locations, which lends itself nicely to medium and larger-run jobs. However, the industry has changed dramatically over the past several years, and we were seeing a greater need for a digital solution that would produce shorter-run jobs with quick turnaround and higher color quality,” said Tom Carroll, president, The Labeltape Group. “We started our search for a digital solution and knew of a couple other shops that had purchased a SurePress. We evaluated all the solutions available, from the low end table top presses to the high

end expensive solutions, and found the Epson SurePress to provide a robust offering with a great value proposition, and something that fit within our price point.”

Designed for prime label converters and commercial printers, the Epson SurePress L-4033AW is an easy to

operate seven-color inkjet digital label press with White ink that makes high-quality, short-run label printing easier and more efficient, even on clear and metallic substrates. Delivering exceptional print quality and accurate color reproduction, as well as innovative printing features, the L-4033AW is a cost-effective and reliable solution that

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CONTI® Laserline.

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NEW

q Flexo plates off the reel.

q Designed for direct engraving technology.

q Integrated com- pressible layer for optimized print.

allows printers to expand their service offerings and improve profitability.

“One of the great things about the SurePress that is unlike other offerings is its demonstrated ability to print on almost any substrate it’s presented with – so far there hasn’t been anything it hasn’t been able to do well, and with great accuracy and color REGISTRATION,” said Carroll. “We also purchased the DC330-Mini from Grafisk Maskinfabrik – a digital finishing machine that couples perfectly with the SurePress, providing a fully integrated converting line for labels. This combination gives us the ability to do great short-run work for our clients.”

In addition, driving the SurePress L-4033AW is the included Wasatch RIP and Print Management Software. The Wasatch SoftRIP is a sophisticated RIP solution designed to save time and MONEY by including superior color management options, efficient layout features, powerful workflow tools, variable data PRINTING, and contour cutting, all while producing excellent quality color. “The Wasatch software that comes with the press, is simple to navigate and it has a very diverse range of applications,” said Curtis Feipel, A-Flex’s Epson SurePress operator. “The greatest attribute of Wasatch though is its seamless communication with the Epson SurePress.”

Whether it’s with existing customers or a NEW client, the SurePress offers

Labeltape a way to introduce brands to short-run capabilities, and as they grow, move into higher speeds and larger runs with their flexo offerings. “As we’ve shifted our shorter-run flexo work to the Epson, our customers are noticing the difference in color quality and asking what’s changed,” continued Carroll. “And just as Epson promised, we can compose a job, load the printer and walk away – it has the ability to monitor itself, SAVING us man hours of someone having to stand right next to it.”

Additional Epson SurePress features include:

High Quality Labels: Epson’s acclaimed MicroPiezo® ink jet technology with variable-size droplets as small as three picoliters provides ultra-precise drop formation and placement to deliver smooth gradations, remarkable color quality, and sharp detail for easy bar code readability, plus crisp small type and line workIndustrial Quality Inks: Seven-color (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Orange, Green, and White), durable, water-based, resin-coated pigment inks provide superior adhesion and reproduce a wide range of colorsVersatile Substrate Support: Prints on a range of standard, off-the-shelf materials including gloss, semi-gloss, matte, film, and clear, and metallic substrates


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Creating positive business relationships with all of your customers and prospects is, then, a fundamental step in the path toward success for any B2B sales person.

Having said that, the existence of positive business relationships is one of the primary hindrances to success for the typical field sales person. I know that seems like a contradiction, but let's dissect how this works.

See if this doesn't sound familiar. The typical field sales person, when presented with a sales territory, naturally attempts to see as many people as possible, and sets about building relationships with some of them. Since he typically has more ACCOUNTS than he can effectively handle, he naturally tends to spend time with those with whom he has some affinity. He likes those customers who like him, and he spends more and more time with those with whom the relationship is easy and natural.

Over a few years, these relationships become solidified, and the sales person is content to work with that set of people with whom he gets along. Given the choice of making a cold call on a prospect, and visiting an existing relationship, the natural inclination is to go where it is easiest. Relationships coalesce, and the sales person develops routines based on them.

For years, this mode of operation was acceptable. In a growing economy, most of the customers grew as well, and all the sales person had to do was show

up and he'd expect a certain percentage of the business. Life was good, and the JOB was easy.

Now, however, most of the customers aren't growing, and most sales territories are down. Many of those same customers are struggling to stay profitable. The sales person's market, defined as the people with whom he/she has positive business relationships, has shrunk. In many sales territories, if the sales territory is going to grow, or at least gain market SHARE, the sales person has to look outside of his current relationships.

Sales people, who became comfortable calling on the people who liked them, are now faced with an uncomfortable prospect: In order to gain market SHARE, they must go where the market is. And, the market is bigger outside of their relationships than inside of them. If they are going to grow their sales, and their income, they must reach out beyond their current relationships, and call on people who don't know them.

Unfortunately, many are hampered by their existing relationships. They have INVESTED so much time in some customers, who frankly, aren't worth it, that they can not extricate themselves and devote the time and energy to creating new relationships and new customers.Their existing relationships are the greatest hindrance to their success.

Some SolutionsUltimately, there must be a change in the sales person's routines. He has

to spend less time with those of his current customers who are struggling or of smaller volume, and more time with customers who offer greater potential.

But changing established routines is an arduous task that requires, in most cases, both management intervention as well as willing sales people.

The starting point is for sales management to create specific expectations, measurements, and rewards and consequences for the sales people. It's no longer effective to announce, “We need more new customers, guys” and think that will get results. Changed behavior requires specific expectations, something like “One new customer per month, for the next 12 months.” It requires regular measurement and mid-term corrections. Management should be meeting with every sales person, every month, and measuring progress on the expectations. There should be both rewards as well as consequences. For example, double commissions for the first six months of a new customer's purchases will light a fire under most sales people, especially when coupled

In the B2B world, the relationship between the cus-tomer and the vendor, and more specifically, the vendor's sales person, can be of utmost importance. It doesn't take long in the business to understand that if the customer dislikes you, he is rarely going to see you. And if he does know you and trust you, he is more likely to do business with you.

Gaining Market SHARE in a Difficult Economy


33

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with a consequence like removing some current ACCOUNTS from the sales person's territory.

As a distributor sales person, my territory was cut every year. I started out with responsibility for 77 ACCOUNTS, and ended up with a

territory of just 17. My sales grew from nothing to over $5 Million a year. Each time my territory was cut, my business grew. I would not have done that on my own. I would never have volunteered to give up 80% of my customers, but, in retrospect, I'm glad my manager had the courage and conviction to do it.

ßOnce the expectations are created, the measurements put into place, the consequences and rewards fixed and articulated, then management needs to educate the sales people in the best practices of creating new relationships. Some are absolutely unsure of how to make a cold call, and most have totally unrealistic expectations. That's where training and education come in.

You can't expect people to do something if they have never been educated in how to do it.

Having said all that, you cannot realistically expect every relationship-oriented sales person to change his routines and excel at the new expectations. For those who don't seem to be able to make the transition, you'll have to decide whether they are profitable with their base of customers and reduced sales volume, or whether it may be wiser to find someone new and more trainable.

Don't let their relationships hinder your business.


34

The Competitive Edge Transforming from flexo to digital gave CS Labels Ltd the access to innovative applications and the edge it needed to stand out from the competition. By Sha Jumari.

CS Labels has its beginnings as a small flexography house - until it decided to go digital in 2007. It acquired its first Xeikon 330 then and is now a specialist in digital self-adhesive labels and packaging. Going digital gave the UK-based company a competitive edge from other flexo printers in terms of price, service and quality.

With 40 employees, CS Labels Ltd is family-owned and run since 1976. Currently, CS Labels is the largest digital label printer in Europe that uses Xeikon technology. It works with a range of organisations, from large global FMCGs, pharmaceutical and chemical companies, to start-up niche businesses in the F&B industry.

“If we are to grow and develop our business, we must identify ways in which we can differentiate our business from the competition,” said Simon

Smith, managing director, CS Labels Ltd.

For CS Labels, this was the decision to go digital. Digital provided the opportunity to differentiate from the competition by offering significant improvement in quality and improved productivity, opening up new markets for the company.

As short runs are becoming the norm in the labels and packaging industry, digital offers the ability to undertake such jobs over multiple sorts in a more cost-effective way, as compared to the conventional presses. An important trait that they constantly highlight is the ability to cope with legislation changes such as new food and chemical


35

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36

million labels containing unique codes, split across four versions, totaling over 80k liner metres.

Re-sealeable flexible pouches, printed using a triple layer construction, are another innovation by CS Labels. After some R&D and from producing over 300k of bags for a customer, CS Labels worked closely with a supplier to create a construction that allows them to print smaller quantities, of up to 10k liner metres.

“In doing so, we can offer numbered, personalised pouches, along with all the benefits that we see in self-adhesive applied to the market. Since launching the pouches, we have seen huge activity with enquiries and press releases,” said Smith.

Going digital has allowed CS Labels to offer heat transfers to customers, to truly bring the no-label look to the UK market. Digital heat transfers are printed on a clear film carrier with a unique adhesive, providing a high quality no-label look transfer image onto glass, ceramics, plastics and even wood.

“Customers are wanting to offer something new, and we are able to give this. We’ve worked with a glass manufacturer and have secured 50k decals alone,” Smith continued.

regulations. Additionally, flexo has a very limited scope when it comes to adding value or in growing the business.

Digital printing also provided more that just adding value; it is the key to innovation: “Innovation is a great way to add value to your product, improve service and remain competitive – not just on price. When you add value to your product, you will improve customer loyalty and reduce price drag, which in turn helps improve margin,” said Smith.

Digital offers the ability to change the nature of dialogue and stand out.

Digital allows the ability to piggyback other technologies and innovation, and embrace those technologies such as Augmented Reality, Track and Trace, High Definition Bar Codes, Micro Text and RFID tags.

“Digital provides the ideal platform to complement innovative technologies, such as Colour Logic, Peel & Reveal labels, AR technology, to enable the customer’s products to stand out,” Smith continued. Smith emphasised that ultimately, they are selling a print solution, and not just a self-adhesive label: “Digital highlights the importance of brand development, and its interaction with the end consumer.”

Digital Packaging InnovationsSome of the innovations that CS Labels has been working on include multi-page Peel & Reveal labels, flexible pouch packaging, and digital heat transfer labels.

Multi-page Peel & Reveal labels, especially when it comes to pharmaceutical industry, typically require a lot of information within a limited amount of space. Recently, the multi-page Peel and Reveal wrap labels was even able to accommodate information in multiple languages for a chemical company in Poland.

CS Labels was also able to incorporate variable data to the peel and reveal labels. A recent job the company ran for a major supermarket had over four


37


38

Census tells global story of optimism and growth

Over 1200 respondents worldwide fully completed the extensive survey between May 2014 and April 2015. 50% of respondents were from the Americas, 42% from Europe and 8% from the Asia Pacific region.

Respondents represent the full spectrum of print businesses, including screen and digital printers (34%); commercial, quick printers and reprographic shops (15%); sign makers (13%); graphic designers (7%); advertising agencies (5%); and others.

New to this survey were Industrial manufacturers that made up 8% of respondents, representing an emerging community of digital print users.

The survey is part of an ongoing collaboration between InfoTrends and FESPA.

1. Optimism – confidence swells on back of revenue growth

The key TREND is one of optimism from business owners. 80% of respondents are very optimistic or fairly optimistic for their businesses.

This exceeds their optimism for the industry as a whole by 14%, INDICATING that respondents feel confident in their own business growth strategies, while remaining less sure of the industry’s broader ability to evolve.

That individual optimism is founded on commercial success. Looking at responses from developed MARKETS*, average revenues have more than doubled over the same period, from 3 million Euro in 2007 to over 6.25 million Euro in 2015. Overall revenue growth from 2007 to 2015 was about 9% CAGR for the overall business, and 7% for digital wide format.

2. Customer demands – PRINT is a service industry

Customer demands are driving continued efforts to improve efficiency, enabling faster job turnaround, just-in-time delivery, delivery to the point of need, and versioning/personalisation.

At least 70% of respondents expect these four key customer TRENDS to increase or stay the same, reinforcing the notion that today’s print businesses are now customer-service driven.

Adoption of digital PROCESSES – including production systems, workflow, automation and web-to-print - is motivated by these expectations.

3. A changing product mix – from mass production to mass customisation

Banners (49%), posters (40%), signs (38%) and billboards (37%) remain the top four products being produced by respondents.

The findings of FESPA’s PRINT Census - the

most far-reaching global industry survey

ever conducted by the organisation - expose

six overarching TRENDS driving the global

wide format and speciality print community.

The Xeikon digital presses for labels and packaging excel in productivity and high quality printing. With its top speed of 30 m/min (98 ft/min), the Xeikon Cheetah is the fastest top quality five color digital label press. Furthermore, it offers all the other benefits that make Xeikon label presses unique. With the Xeikon Cheetah, the quality benchmark has just become significantly faster!

Top quality, true 1200 x 3600 dpi Dry toner electrophotography 98 ft/min (30 m/min) 5 colors Full rotary printing

THE QUALITY BENCHMARKJUST GOT FASTER

www.xeikon.com

Xeikon_Cheetah_210x297_EN.indd 1 16/09/2014 15:46:24


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A dramatic growth being experienced is in textiles for garments, textiles for décor and packaging samples, with close to 80% of respondents reporting an increase in demand for these applications.

Respondents report increased adoption of digital production for many of these products, with garments, decals and printed electronics most frequently predicted to migrate to digital in the future.

The changing applications mix is also reflected in the rise of rigid materials, which now represent 25% of output among respondents.

4. Digital technology is the change enabler

Over half of all FESPA Print Census respondents INDICATED their intent to buy digital wide format PRINTING equipment, with a mean spending plan of close to 100,000 Euro.

Purchasing plans are dominated by UV printers (27%), textile printers (21%), solvent printers (17%), eco-solvent printers (16%) and latex printers (14%). Contour cutters and laminators top respondents’ planned acquisitions in finishing.

The majority of those INVESTING (45%) are motivated to do so by the move into new MARKETS with new products or services.

INVESTMENTis also driven by the

desire to enhance print quality (43%), increase capacity (37%), improve output speed (34%) and reduce unit costs (33%).

5. Textile print growth in graphics, garment, decor and industrial markets

As identified in points (3) and (4) above, textile is the dominant growth application among Print Census respondents. 27% are already involved in garment printing, with 81% seeing growth in this segment, the highest of any growth application. Digital is a key enabler here, with over half of respondents expecting digitally produced garments to become an important alternative to traditional screen printing in the next two years.

Textile printers feature prominently among INVESTMENTplans, with 21% of respondents specifically focussing spend in this area, supported by 12% planning to acquire thermal transfer equipment. Decorative and industrial textile applications also feature heavily, with 78% of those surveyed reporting growth in textiles for décor applications. Textile substrates continue to make inroads in the signage and graphics space, with 67% observing sustained growth in soft signage.

6. The future of Sign & Display printing is integrated with digital media

More than three quarters of respondents expect live media and

LCD screen advertising to impact the wide format business in the foreseeable future, with 36% of respondents stating that these technologies are already impacting the business.

31% of those surveyed plan to offer digital signage solutions to their customer base in the next 12 months.

FESPA CEO Neil Felton comments: “The FESPA PRINTCensus paints a clear picture of an energised community in which business leaders have a clear and positive vision of the future and are reaping the commercial rewards. Despite a mixed macro-economic picture globally, printers across continents are responding to clients’ changing needs, diversifying their product offering, making calculated technology investments with a focus on efficiency and mass customisation, and embracing the changing role of print in the communications mix.”

He continues: “The data that comes out of this Print Census regarding the growth of textile applications reinforces the importance of FESPA’s commitment to textile, through our regular FESPA Fabric event and the continued international roll-out of our Digital Textile conferences. An important addition is the recent launch of Printeriors, which explores the world of interior décor applications, where textile plays a significant role.

“Similarly, the positive INDICATORS around digital signage reinforce the importance of our European Sign Expo event, with its educational focus on digital signage opportunities. The feedback regarding industrial applications highlights the key role that FESPA can play by capitalising on our 50-year heritage in technical screen print, combined with our 15-year track record as the leading platform for speciality and wide format printers to explore digital inkjet innovation.”

“This research provides tremendous insight into the MARKETS that are important to FESPA members and the industry at large. We appreciate InfoTrends’ analytical perspective and support in bringing this important research to fruition.”


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New “Titanium” level, adds enhancements for all levels of Service Advantage™ technical supportQuadTech announced that it will bolster its Service Advantage technical support agree-ment programs by offering enhanced features to all levels, as well as adding a NEW, fully comprehensive “Titanium” level.

Service Advantage is the company's tiered structure that allows printers to choose the most cost-effective levels of service and support agreements to match budgets and business needs. The PROGRAM also includes substantial discounts for software upgrades, spare parts, field service labor rates, training,

24/7/365 technical phone support, and system-specific preventive maintenance.

The new Titanium level caps your annual system service budget, and provides top priority remote and on-site service, including technician travel

costs. The comprehensive plan was created to provide printers with total peace of mind that their service needs are covered-with no budget surprises-and their overall plan contract spend is much more cost-effective than purchasing service, support, spare parts, and maintenance off-contract on an as-needed basis.

Previously offered Silver, GOLD and Platinum levels have been enhanced with additional discounts, 24/7/365 technical phone support, remote services for systems on QuadTech's ICONTM platform, and other added features. New "Add-on Plus+ Optional Services" are also available, designed to optimize and extend the useful life of your system and provide for a quick ROI for your limited service budget.

"QuadTech's technology is robust and well-engineered for longevity in the harsh pressroom environment," says Glynis Grochowski, Service Business Manager for QuadTech. "When you INVEST in advanced automation tools, having that technology perform at its absolute peak for as long as you own it will have a huge impact on your waste savings, quality performance, and ongoing bottom line."

"Any printer can tell you about the high cost of down time," Ms. Grochowski continued. "We're taking our Service Advantage PROGRAM to yet another level to provide fast access to technical support by phone, online, and on-site in-person, along with enhanced remote capabilities that are unique in our industry."

QuadTech has added a new, fully comprehensive “Titanium” level to its Service Advantage technical sup-port agreement programs

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44

With a strong focus on digital labels and packaging innovation, Xeikon Café Packaging Innovations 2015 attracted 700 attendees from all over the world. From the Asia Pacific region, there was an impressive delegation of visitors from India, China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Reporting a 35% rise in visitor numbers, the event spanned over three days and was visited by label and packaging printers, along with converters, print buyers, brand owners and marketers worldwide.

Following a reported 35% increase in visitors on the whole, the event wrapped up as a successful and unique platform for label and packaging professionals all over the world. Sha Jumari reports.

Xeikon Café took place at the company’s R&D and production site in Lier, Belgium, where visitors were able to view demos, network, and receive first-hand, actionable information and advice. Like previous editions of the event, the free event took on a highly personal approach that provided the exclusive opportunity to enhance and transform the industry.

“We are pleased to see the Xeikon Café Packaging Innovations platform is growing, in terms of both industry and customer support,” said Bent

Xeikon Café Packaging Innovations Concludes Another Successful International Edition

Serritslev, managing director, Xeikon Asia Pacific. “We received very positive feedback from the event attendees. The relaxed approach to this educational review of market drivers, trends and emerging technologies enabled them to have far reaching conversations and get a clearer business path for their journey ahead.”

Adopting a casual setting, visitors were free to roam the Café grounds and view Xeikon’s production suites in action. Xeikon’s full range of digital presses was on deck for live demos. Receiving a bit of fanfare this year is the Xeikon Cheetah digital press, touted as the fastest label press of its class. Running more than 50%faster than any model in Xeikon’s current portfolio and holds the record in speed of any top quality digital label press, the Cheetah is dedicated to self-adhesive label production. Placed in the middle of the demo room, the Cheetah was a clear highlight as visitors flock to witness the full potential of the digital press.

“We are also very delighted to see an increased diversity in the type of print professionals that attended the event,” Serritslev continued. “Not only printers and converters appreciated the Xeikon Café as a platform to get more insights in optimising their digital


45

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print production. Also brand owners gained a better understanding of how digital print is the answer to their needs in terms of shorter runs and greater product variety to name just some. For marketers that attended the event, I can say the Xeikon Café 2015 certainly was an eye-opener as they discovered how digital print technology creates new creative opportunities.”

Suite YourselfThis year’s edition placed the spotlights on Xeikon’s Self-Adhesive Label Suite and Folding Carton Suite and also offered a glimpse at in-mold and heat transfer label production Together with its Aura partners, Xeikon showcased its expertise through numerous applications with the suites.

The Xeikon Self-Adhesive Label Suite presents a whole host of production solutions that aim to help suppliers maintain profitability. At the Xeikon Café, eight different applications were showcased and attendees had the opportunity to discuss with experts and take home knowledge on the different self-adhesive labeling technologies and configurations for their businesses.

Labels hold a large share of the digital print market, most commonly used for decorating packaging for fast-moving industries such as food, beverages, health & beauty, household and pharmaceuticals. It is preferred for its flexibility in meeting current market demands, which today include increased legislation requirements, localized languages, variable security data and a wider range of decorative finishes.

Featuring four different applications, the Folding Carton Suite prides itself in helping brand owners achieve quicker time-to-market, allowing them to be more responsive to change. This suite helps brand owners to be more responsive to change resulting from legislation, marketing or design requirements. As personalisation is a growing trend that can foster customer loyalty, personalised pastry boxes for children were one such application of particular interest at the event.

tour of its factory. The company started in 1992 and specialises in self-adhesive label printing. The company now has two digital presses in its arsenal, the Xeikon 3300 and 3500, to complement its existing six flexography presses. Main job structure for the Xeikon machines are variable data on labels and ultra short work of specialty labels, as low as 50 sqm per job, which can be economically printed on the Xeikon presses.

W&R Etiketten invested in Xeikon digital machines as the number of jobs is on the rise, while the number of labels per job is going down. 60% of W&R’s business is in the food sector, which was why being as green as possible is an important factor in opting for Xeikon presses. Choosing Xeikon gave W&R Etiketten a competitive advantage, and at the close of 2014, the company recorded a 50% growth in revenue from previous years.

Xeikon then led visitors to its dedicated toner plant in Heultje, Belgium. At the manufacturing facility, guests were able to witness the strict quality control of each batch of toner. The factory showcased innovative, market-driven research and developments, to ensure Xeikon toners are continually improved to meet quality and productivity standards of today’s label and packaging needs, which includes spot colors and special color production to individual customer order

See The Proof and Sample PackAs many customers from the Asia Pacific region could not be present at the event, Xeikon provides two unique methods of seeing either own jobs printed or get the Xeikon Café sample package which contains copy of each application printed during the event.www.seetheproof.com www.xeikon.com

Educational Agenda Covers Full Spectrum on Digital Print The Xeikon Café presented itself as an educational platform for attendees, through a series of presentations totaling up to more than 100 high-quality sessions. The Café hosted the same daily programme over three days, so that visitors were able to stagger and plan their visits for the sessions. These sessions represent Xeikon’s commitment to add value for its attendees, as quality speakers gave presentations and facilitate discussions.

The Business Conference programme featured industry experts as well as Xeikon customers sharing key information, leading market trends and resultant influences on brands and print buyers. Among the key speakers include Bob Leahey, associate director of InfoTrends, who presented key analysis based on survey data on digital print for brands and packaging in Europe. Jules Lejeune, managing director of FINAT, a key international association for the self-adhesive label industry, provided keynote statistics and market drivers.

Also held in conjunction was the Technical Conference programme, in which Xeikon and its Aura partners touched upon the technological aspects of digital printing. 33 Aura partners were present at the event to exhibit integrated solutions and offer industry expertise through more than 15 different applications in digital print.

Customer Site Visit and Toner Factory Especially for visitors from afar, Xeikon arranged for a customer site visit and opened doors to its toner factory. W&R Etiketten from the Netherlands welcomed visitors with a


47

MADE IN SWEDEN MADE IN SWEDEN

We know printing. We know steel.

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www.primeblade.se


48

At the latest edition of Xeikon Café 2015, InfoTrends analyst Robert Leahey presented key findings covering game-changing innovations in digital print for the labels and packaging industry for the European market. Leahey brings many years of experience in the printing industry and has conducted custom research on numerous print technologies. The new findings provided brand owner survey data along with insights on where colour digital print for the labels and packaging is heading.

The InfoTrends study was conducted amongst 265 brands in Europe, in

addition to 100 converters. Most print multiple types of labels, which is the core activity for digital print, though most respondents use digital for more than one application. Most of the companies surveyed were manufacturers of consumable products, with a vast majority hailing from food and beverages industry. The study also included respondents from the health and beauty and pharmaceutical industries.

Short Run Printing Continues To GrowBrand owners are willing to pay a premium for the following types of

Brand Owners Want More Digital PackagingAs more of today’s innovation relies on digital technologies, short run printing for labels and packaging will continue to grow, while digital marketing will widen opportunities, according to latest InfoTrends report. Sha Jumari reports.

jobs: one print job with less than 200 labels or packages and one print job for 50 or more product versions. Brands are aiming for mass customisation and changing packaging formats, trends that will continue to grow. As a result of this trend, brands are manufacturing short runs of products and marketing multiple versions of the same product.

Efficiency in logistics and manufacturing, not only in terms of inventory but also supply chain, is also encouraging the push to short run digital printing. Sustainability marks as a high priority for brand owners as well: “Brand owners want to cut their

Robert Leahey


49

risk, so they want to be able test their product in the short run and in one sitting,” said Leahey.

A strong majority of brand owners rate being able to respond quickly very highly: “If the idea for a label comes up in October for example, it can be out on shelves in November, this is possible because of digital,” said Leahey.

Europe and its changing populations and rules about food and drug packaging are also driving the growth of short run printing for packaging. Brands are seeking out new approaches to security, and digital printing can provide exciting options for security, such as scannable codes, serialised codes and unique codes that can address counterfeiting. Leahey added that product authentication through mobile devices is a young and growing security feature that brand owners are interested in.

Digital Marketing to Drive GrowthAs brand owners face the challenge of crowded modern marketing, they acknowledge the importance of digital marketing strategies, and often want to do ‘new things’ that are often digital-related. “Digital is becoming a tool for them to print many versions, to test new versions, to target markets specifically and to achieve mass customisation,” said Leahey.

Digital marketing strategies, such as social media marketing, will continue to be in-trend: “A lot of brand owners have to compete for attention and engage its customers, which is becoming hard. The campaigns they engage in now often involve some sort of social and electronic media, and they want to connect packaging to all that electronic content.”

At 52%, more than half of brand owners surveyed do not, and are not planning to design any of their packaging or labels to support their marketing online or on mobile, and only 38% already doing it.

“In all fairness, there is a percentage of the market that is already doing it,

and a small wedge of 7% interested to do it. We can view this as a sign of the application growing, especially since marketers are getting younger, in their 20s and 30s, and very electronically orientated,” explained Leahey.

“The brand owners in Europe do want the things that digital does best, and they do want more of it in the future. They'll want to do more customer engagement programmes, and from the successes of campaigns such as Share-a-Coke, which introduced a 7% lift in sales, there’ll be lots of personalised approaches to come,” Leahey continued.

Leahey added that while variable data printing for personalised printing shows potential, it is also a challenge for such campaigns to be executed: “If you are going outside the retail distribution, you have to think about things such as lists of addresses or willingness to pay to mail it out; this all goes beyond just printing serialised codes. The good news though is that this type of distribution is rapidly growing, and we can see this from Amazon for example. This presents an opportunity to master data printing to better target the market for the personalised products.”

“If you don’t own a colour digital press now, you should own or test it out. The market is growing, very competitive, colour digital is growing within that, I would say finally we should be ready to educate the customer, and educate within your own four walls,” advised Leahey.


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Produce top quality labels and laminates at a low price

Lower costs and better quality for shorter runsAs a flexible narrow web press, the Varius LX-TX with ghosting-free short inking units is based on UV offset technology, a technology that has proven itself with a brilliant print

KBA-MePrint has earned its reputation in the industry for innovative printing solutions on demanding, non-absorbent substrates. Presses for waterless UV offset printing in the highest quality have long formed a core competence of this KBA subsidiary.

quality in a wide range of real-world applications. The absence of ink keys and dampening solution simplifies operation, saves time and leads to a drastic reduction of waste during job changes – a crucial economic advantage for shorter runs. In addition, for label and laminate printing, the semi-rotary Varius LX-TX achieves the necessary format flexibility without expensive, complicated sleeves using cost-effective, quickly imaged and automatically interchangeable offset plates. Compared to conventional solutions, this lowers production costs and unproductive machine downtime

The Varius LX-TX from KBA-Me-Print is ideal for producing labels for quality wine, cosmetics and spirits and other luxury items as well as for printing tube laminates

KBA-MePrint joins the premium class of label and laminate printing with the modular Varius LX-TX narrow web press. In a market where digital printing is gaining importance in numerous segments, the Varius LX-TX provides an outstanding print quality, versatility and individual equipment options for printing and finishing along with economic advantages for small to medium runs.


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significantly. Especially for screen images, the superior detail and colour brilliance of the waterless offset process shines – a great advantage for high-quality wine, spirits, cosmetics and other premium labels, films or challenging laminates with thicknesses between 50 and 500 microns.

The semi-rotary drive concept allows for continuous variation of the printing length without time-consuming changes for the plate and blanket cylinder. The high degree of automation with fully automatic plate change, auto register, optional quick-change doctor blade chambers and other features greatly minimises set-up times.

The sum of the technical and procedural advantages provides the user with opportunities for differentiation and specialisation in a highly competitive market.

User-oriented technology platformThe fully modular design of the Varius LX-TX is not a purely offset press but a flexible and configurable, user-oriented technology platform for the printing, finishing and postpress required for premium labels. Instead of the anilox inking units, longer inking units without damping units can be integrated as well as modules for UV varnishing or opaque white applications (replaceable between different positions within the machine), flat screen printing units from KBA-Kammann and digital printing heads (also subsequently) for marking or personalisation. The same flexibility applies to the inline finishing with the possible integration of modules for cold and hot stamping, embossing, stamping, cutting, weeding, etc. Depending on customer requirements,

Machine speed: Max. 50 m/min.Unwinding and winding capacity: 800 mm ØFormats Minimum web width: 100 mmMaximum web width: 430 mmMaximum printing width: 420 mmImage length (continuously adjustable): 152.4 - 431.8 mm (6 - 17 inches) Inks (offset printing) UV-curing Drying UV dryer after each printing unit (with optional chill roll) Print materials Print materials: Self-adhesive labels, laminates, foilsPrint material thickness 50-500 microns (substrate-dependent)

Example configuration of a Varius LX-TX (left to right):Unwinding unit – infeed unit, flexo printing unit (priming) – 6 offset print-ing units – flexo printing unit (varnishing) – rotary die-cutter – pulling unit – winding unitAdditional printing methods and other units for further processing can also be integrated

a wide range of drying systems from different manufacturers are used. In addition to drying with ultraviolet and infrared radiation, a hot-air dryer system can also be installed.Users of the Varius LX-TX do not receive a machine simply of the rack, but a tailor-made production line, customised to their needs. KBA-MePrint cooperated closely with the colleagues from KBA-Kammann for the technical implementation of the flexible module system. They are already experienced in addressing the high-value label and laminate market. The first machine from this cooperation will be delivered shortly to Italy.

Advantages of Varius LX-TX at a glance:

• Significantly less paper waste (up to 90% less)• Faster job and format changes (no change of sleeves or cassettes)• Minimal set-up times due to automatic plate change• No adjustment of ink zones, no dampening unit• Less volatile organic components (VOC)• Photo-realistic multi-colour printing with high colour brilliance• Consistent colour reproduction, no ghosting• Excellent reproducibility of repeat jobs• Fast, easy to learn operation• Economical and competitive for small to medium print runs


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Chinese initiative “Flexo goes Green” to be continued

Another aspect is the higher attention to environmental protection, which will stimulate the development of flexo printing in China. Corrugated, which has a considerable portion of this segment, also shows strong growth.

To date, printing on corrugated boxes was quite simple just to meet the needs of a transportation container. To push the development of corrugated post printing in China, Bobst started together with Flint Group, Esko and other partners the initiative “Flexo goes Green”, which stands for sustainability, productivity and quality. This project was presented during the Sino-Corrugated 2013 fair in Shanghai, gaining a lot of attention. Meanwhile, there is a trend to more sophisticated packaging, and the new role of corrugated can be described as “from the brown box to branding”. By this means, packaging is becoming part of marketing and sales activities to more and more attract the consumer’s attention.

To further develop this important market segment, the partners decided to proceed with the “Flexo goes

Green” initiative and to present two new corrugated boxes at the Sino-Corrugated 2015 fair. The boxes have been printed in a joint cooperation of the project partners with Flint Group’s environmental friendly water-based ink, FLEXOPAK C, and photopolymer printing plate, nyloflex® ART 284 Digital. This plate is ideally suited for printing on all kinds of fibre surfaces, e.g. high quality post print on corrugated board with very good reproduction of highlight dots and excellent and consistent ink transfer. The job with screen ruling of 133lpi ran on a Bobst 160 Vision VI press, with die-cutting on a Bobst SPO 160 Vision. In this specific segment of premium post printing with a thin flexo plate (thickness 2.84 mm), Bobst is in a

In recent years, the Chinese flexo printing market steadily increased with significant progress in quality. However, there is still room for improvement and a long way to go, especially in the packaging area.

leading position in China. The artwork was delivered by the local tradeshop, Kunshan Fuhua, with an Esko system.

“With this new project, the cooperation partners demonstrated the clear progress of corrugated post print, which could be achieved during the last two years,” says QiHong-Magenta Zheng, General Manager Flint Group Flexographic Products China. “We are proud to be a part and a driving force of this process.”

All the partners commit to the initiative “Flexo goes Green” and will continue stimulating flexo printing in China to a higher level of sustainability, productivity and quality so that further breakthroughs can be expected.

The boxes have been print-ed in a joint cooperation of the project partners


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Thermal Film Imagesetters

• Chemical Free• 4.5 UV Density• 1200 DPI• No Inks• No Dyes• No Toners• Ext• Extreme Accuracy• Fast Output• 137cm Wide Film• Roll Feed• Excellent Quality

www.exiletech.com


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British parliament votes to ban cigarette pack branding

Aimed at improving public health and cutting the number of child smokers, the measure is likely to crimp tobacco company profits and emulates Australia, which in 2012 enacted a law forcing cigarettes to be sold in plain olive green packaging with images showing the damaging effects of smoking.

British lawmakers effectively ended years of political debate, private lobbying and public consultation by passing the legislation on Wednesday by a margin of 367 votes to 113.

"We want all children in our country to grow up free from the burden of disease that tobacco brings", Public Health Minister Jane Ellison said in a statement, adding that the legislation should come into force by May 2016.The proposal must still be debated and passed by the upper house of

parliament before becoming law.

Imperial Tobacco Group said that if the measure became law the firm would be "left with no choice but to defend our legal rights in court".

The new rules would initially take effect in England only, though the Welsh government has said it will follow suit and Northern Ireland and Scotland are considering a similar step.

Tobacco is responsible for six million deaths a year globally and the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that number could rise beyond eight million by 2030.

As well as causing cancer and other chronic respiratory conditions, smoking is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease, the world's number one killer.

Britain's parliament has approved legislation to ban branding on cigarette packs, drawing immediate threats of legal action from the country's $38 billion tobacco industry.

"The government, and MPs from all parties, are to be congratulated for resisting the bully-boy tactics and misinformation of the tobacco industry and for implementing the most important public health reform of this parliament," said anti-smoking charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).

A YouGov opinion poll conducted in February showed 72 percent of the British public supported plain packaging, with only 15 percent objecting to such proposals.

In 2014, Britain's tobacco market was estimated to be worth $38billion, according to Euromonitor International, and in the same period the government provisionally estimated it collected £8.2 billion ($16.1 billion) in cigarette duty. A pack of 20 cigarettes typically costs over £8 ($16).

Tobacco firms have fiercely resisted the legislation, saying plain pack laws, which will also force product names to be printed in standardised fonts, infringe on intellectual property rights covering brands and will increase counterfeiting and smuggling.

In February, British American Tobacco, the world's second-largest cigarette maker, also said it would take legal action against the British government if it enacted the plans.

• High-intensity LEDs (>800 mW/cm2) for highest efficiency & repeatability

• Highest print quality - precise image reproduction & excellent ink laydown

• Significant reduction of fluting

• No additional processing steps or consumables

• Easy implementation to existing digital workflow and compatible with all digital plates, formats and thicknesses

140305_NExT_aktuell.indd 1 05.03.2014 10:45:56


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New Splicing Tapes for Flexible Package Printing

Based on the patented tesa EasySplice® technology, tesa® 51918 takes flying splices to a whole new level! Backed by a high performance polyester film, tesa® 51918 is designed to be APPLIED to the new film web in a straight line configuration, OFFERING maximum efficiency in web preparation time. Its sophisticated adhesive system is designed to securely adhere to the expiring film web during flying splice printing, coating, and converting applications. Furthermore, the tape’s distinctive black polyester backing is designed to resist tearing when thick films are converted at high web

tensions. The product’s black color also makes it very easily detectable, even at the highest of print speeds.

Meet tesa® 51904Backed by decades of experience in developing double sided tapes for industrial applications, tesa R&D engineers have developed a versatile double sided splicing tape designed for both film spicing applications as well as new web “core STARTING” applications. Using the distinctive pink colored tape tesa® 51904, print specialists can prepare new film webs with splice patterns of choice. The product’s rugged rubber adhesive system is specially formulated to securely adhere to expiring film webs during the printing, coating, and converting operations, as well as offering an optimal choice for attaching film roles onto new cores.

With the addition of these new products to the extensive tesa product line, flexible package printers are equipped with more flexibility than ever before, including: fast and easy splice preparation; unchanged press speeds during printing and roll changes; consistent REGISTRATION throughout the entire print run as press speeds remain constant; and maximized machine efficiency.

New Mounting Tapes for Tag & Label PrintersThe tesa Softprint® Secure Plate Mounting Tape Family – join the company’s extensive product portfolio of adhesive tapes designed for the package printing industry.

tesa tape are pleased to announce an expansion to its prestigious line of products designed for use in the flexible package printing industry. These new products become part of the company’s next generation of performance tapes designed for high speed film printing applications.

With the introduction of the tesa Softprint® Secure Family of products for tag and label printers, tesa now OFFERS a robust line of ten flexographic printing tapes designed for mounting printing plates onto cylinders and sleeves for narrow-web printing operations. The new tesa Softprint® Secure 15 mil product family is comprised of three distinctive products, all of which are equipped with the same tried-and-true tesa signature closed-cell foam and filmic reinforcement technology that promotes high-quality results throughout the entire print run.

The defining feature of the new tesa Softprint® Secure Family is its revolutionary adhesive system that has been specially developed to easily and securely mount flexographic printing plates onto print cylinders or sleeves, while at the same time allowing for easy repositioning to ensure optimized placement of the printing plate, as well as easy demounting of the plate upon JOB completion. The new adhesive system is coined the tesa SNAP-ON adhesive, which is based on a unique patented chemical formulation. This revolutionary adhesive is now available on the three new tesa Softprint® Secure 15 mil products:

tesa® 52815 Softprint® Secure – hard foam plate mounting tapetesa® 52817 Softprint® Secure – medium-soft foam plate mounting tapetesa® 52818 Softprint® Secure – soft foam plate mounting tape


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Cost savings and keeps the crisps ‘crisp’ When it comes to making sure its product reach consumers in perfect condition, Seabrook Crisps Ltd knows just how important it is to get the packaging operation and delivery of its precious cargo right.

So when Antalis Packaging was able to deliver significant cost savings as well as increase load containment of its palletised boxes, Seabrook Crisps could see this was the way forward.

The independent, family-run crisp manufacturer has been making crisps in Bradford, Yorkshire since 1945 and although the company is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, it is constantly looking for ways to increase production efficiencies throughout its manufacturing and packaging operations.

The task of keeping abreast of the latest technologies that can reduce costs while increasing operational efficiencies lies with Lee Burkill, Manufacturing Manager at Seabrook Crisps. “It’s my job to maintain an efficient and cost effective operation without compromising the quality of our product, which is our number

one priority,” explains Lee. “So when the guys at Antalis Packaging recommended a new and more efficient stretch wrapping solution that would not only save us MONEY, but also increase the integrity of our palletised crisp boxes, we were keen to listen.”

Initially, Lee was looking to place an order of its existing stretch wrapping film and contacted Antalis Packaging to obtain a quote. “Instead of just offering a re-order price, the guys from Antalis Packaging took the time to visit our plant and review our current packaging processes, when they quickly identified areas that could been improved to save us time and MONEY.”

The packaging and logistics department at Seabrooks had been struggling with their existing stretch wrapping system for some time, which was subject to frequent downtime through film breakages, as well as failing to cope with the fragility of the boxes when obtaining the right film tension to contain the load securely.

Explains Stephen Glover, Regional Sales Manager North at Antalis Packaging, “Not wanting to cause disruption to Lee’s operations at Bradford, we offered to take a number of pallets off-site to our own test facility in Leeds, to see how we could help. We therefore decided to trial a Lantech semi-automatic stretch wrapping solution, used in conjunction with FiberFilm, the latest innovation in stretch-wrap film.”

With its reinforced polyethylene bands running lengthwise for increased strength and performance, FiberFilm offers improved load integrity and potential material cost savings in excess of 40%.

“The results were outstanding, and we could see real production benefits and cost efficiencies,” enthuses Lee. “It was clear that by INVESTING in new equipment and switching to a superior stretch film, we would not only increase output, we could also see there were significant cost savings to be achieved.”

This gave Lee the evidence he needed to get the company’s commitment to INVEST in two new Lantech semi-automatic Q300 stretch wrapping solutions, fitted with special mast extensions to cope with the 2.2m high crisp pallets, and switch use to FiberFilm.

Explains Lee, “Previously, we were using on average around 250 grams of standard stretch film per pallet, but with the new Lantech/FiberFilm solution, we have got this down to around 85 grams per pallet. So, not


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only are we using less film, the cost per roll is also less giving us a double saving.”

“We’re thrilled with the results. We are achieving a much greater degree of load integrity without causing damage to the boxes, and the projected cost savings over the next three years are phenomenal, standing at around £50,000. What’s more, we’ll be able to cover the cost of the new machines and see a £4,000 CASH saving in the first year alone.”

Lee is delighted with the new products, increased efficiencies and cost savings that he has been able to secure for his company, and is confident that he will be able to achieve further improvements going forward.

“The Antalis Packaging team is

excellent at keeping us up to speed with the latest products and solutions. They are always dropping in to see us, checking we’re using the most efficient systems and alerting us to any beneficial pricing changes,” concludes Lee.


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Converting industry needs to be aware of static

There will be occasions where it is necessary to slow down production speeds to reduce friction. This reduces the levels of electrostatic charge, which in turn results in lower productivity and less profit. High electrostatic charges are also known to cause damage to electrical circuits or even fires due to ignition of flammable vapours or material.

3) What types of solutions does Meech provide in order to address these problems?

Because the world is increasingly becoming a unified market, Meech is striving to provide an appropriate global service. All our customers appreciate the ability to have the technical support they require, no matter what part of

the world they are located in. A Meech engineer is highly trained to fully understand the nature of static and how charges are generated. It is only with this knowledge that the correct product can be recommended to be installed in the right place.

4) What solutions does Meech provide to the converting industry?

Meech International has a long-standing presence in a variety of sectors, including the converting industry, and over the past 50 years our company has become one of the leading specialist developers and manufacturers of electrostatic controls and related solutions. In addition to anti-static bars, the Meech product range also covers contact and non-contact web cleaning systems. Chief among these is the CyCleanTM, designed in response to strong demand for a compact, high performance, non-contact web cleaning system. Through the application of advanced computational fluid dynamics, Meech has optimised the cleaning efficiency of CyCleanTM to remove contamination to below 1 micron.

5) What will likely be the next development in static solutions for the flexible packing converter?

The competitive nature of the

1) Why is static an important consideration for the converting industry?

Converters need to take notice of static for a number of reasons. Aside from potentially generating harmful operator shocks, static attracts dirt and dust when it is present within the production line. This can result in poor print quality and necessitates frequent cleaning of the labelling press. Static is also an issue in a wide variety of flexible packaging processes and it is only when the generated charge becomes large enough that it will result in production problems. A company manufacturing blown film, cast film, plastic bags, print packaging, or is involved in the production of packing or labels will have the need to call on static control experts.

2) What other kind of problems does static create for the converter?


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www.swedev.se

WORLD CLASS DOCTOR BLADES

flexible packaging industry is driving manufacturers to introduce faster machines that are also capable of producing higher quality products. This means ionising systems must be able to meet, or possibly exceed, these demands. Both machine manufacturers

and operators need ionising systems to be easier to install, as well as higher powered devices to cope with the faster machine speeds. With all this in mind, Meech has delivered the Hyperion 929IPS and 971IPS range of ionising bars. Both systems include two new

enhancements, a distance sensor and a feedback system, designed to help monitor and control static with greater precision in a variety of applications, including labelling and packaging.


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HP and KBA to Transform Corrugated Packaging Printing Two companies’ first co-developed solution fills unaddressed need in high-volume digital pre-print applications

HP and KBA announced plans to develop the HP T1000 Simplex Color Inkjet Web Press, a high speed, high volume, 110-inch -wide (2.8 metre wide) simplex inkjet web press for pre-printing of corrugated top liner. This will enable corrugators to combine many individual jobs together on a roll or across rolls for short, mid or long runs. Unlike traditional analogue pre-print, every box can be different.

Planned to print at speeds of up to 183 metres (600 feet) per minute and produce up to 30,000 square metres (300,000 square feet) per hour, this inkjet press will print corrugated liner rolls that can then be placed directly onto existing industry-standard 2.5 or 2.8 metre (110 inch-wide) corrugators. This press will be the first solution co-developed by the two companies since the announcement of their strategic collaboration at Graph Expo 2014 in Chicago on 28 September 2014.

Centralised corrugated box plants serving major retail brands will especially benefit from this digital pre-print solution for all corrugated print applications. Brands are increasingly requiring just-in-time inventory, shorter runs, and faster turn-around

time. HP’s inkjet technology enables significant time, material, and shipping cost advantages when compared to analogue processes. Digital preprint is more efficient than post-print alternatives.

“Addressing the enormous digital opportunity in the corrugated market requires best-in-class technology innovation, a portfolio of solutions, scale, and a market vision,” said Aurelio Maruggi, vice president and general manager, Inkjet High-speed


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high technique - for a cleaner and better world!

D.W. Renzmann I Apparatebau GmbHI Industriestraße 1 I D-55569 Monzingen/Nahe I Fon: +49 (0) 67 51 878-0 I Fax: +49 (0) 67 51 878-111I [email protected] I www.dw-renzmann.de

We solve it.

Production Solutions, HP. “The new press will transform the short and mid-range corrugated packaging market, dramatically disrupting operating models and costs and more importantly create new value for brand customers.”

HP and KBA both bring proven legacies of endurance, scale and innovation to their joint initiative. This year, HP celebrates its 76th anniversary and its 31st year of Thermal Inkjet innovation. KBA is a 197-year-old company and the second-largest offset press manufacturer worldwide. “KBA has a rich heritage of developing innovative solutions that meet or exceed customers’ quality expectations,” said Christoph Müller, executive vice president for the Web Press Product House, KBA. “In working with HP, we will combine our complementary technological strengths for the needs of packaging converters.”

HP Thermal Inkjet Technology helps meet converters’ needs for high-quality print, along with high-volume productivity, reliability and versatility. Ultimately, it opens the way to game-

changing value chain cost savings and capabilities for brands and packaging converters.

HP’s accelerated entry into corrugated packaging At drupa 2008, HP announced its first Inkjet Web Press. Since then, the company has expanded its portfolio to its current lineup of ten presses across five web-width platforms transforming the publishing and production mail market.

In May 2014 at Interpack, HP announced its intent to enter the corrugated packaging market. In June, the company announced its first web-press offering for this market. Fewer than 90 days later the first HP T400 Simplex Color Inkjet Web Press was installed at Obaly Morava – Czech Republic. At Graph Expo, in September 2014, HP announced its partnership with KBA. The new web-press offering is in addition to the HP Scitex sheet-fed corrugated solutions offered by HP.

Success and security for the labelprinter

www.gallus-group.com A partner of Heidelberg

afta may 2015

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