Print Innovation Asia 3

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Print Innovation Asia

Serving The Printing, Packaging and Publishing Industries across Asia since 1986 Issue 3 - 2019

More Visitors! more winners!

ASIAN PRINT AWARDS AND Pack Print International Head to Bangkok Awards dinner to be 20th Sept 2019

2019 PACKAGING CONFERENCE MAY 2019

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India, New Delhi, 8th to 9th May

“Investing for Sustainability & Financial Returns” Now in our 17th Year serving all production areas of the regions Packaging Industry

Register Online Today

www.printinnovationasia.com/shift019 Held with the 2019 17th Asian Packagaing Excellence Awards Winners Gala Dinner

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India, New Delhi, 8th to 9th May

Hear fro

“ Investi

It will he

o ROI – how to invest wisely in new technology, how to make money with new investments, dealing with price sensitivity, “show me the money”. o Dealing with environmental changes, sustainability with plastics and substrate use, going solvent-free.

The 17th Annual Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia Conference returns May 2019 to New Dehli India.

This year we have speakers from Europe, USA, Australia and Asia, presenting topics that cover every area of Packaging Production In fact there are over 20 world leading speakers who will cover EVERY area of Business Management, Production Technologies, Colour Management plus much-much more over the course of the 2 day event Combined with the Asian Packaging Excellence Awards you must come and find out first hand the latest information to help your business grow in the coming years - Asia and especially India has been tapped to lead the packaging industry GROWTH until 2025.

Are you and your company ready?

PRINTPACK INDIA

3- 8 February, 2021 India Expo Centre, Greater Noida

om world leading speakers talk about

ing for Sustainability & Financial Returns ”

elp your business grow and prosper.

TOPICS THIS YEAR INCLUDE “The Impact & Benefits of Digital Workflows and IOT on Label Printing” - TIM KLAPPE

“Shaping packaging with productive, sustainable and state of the art machinery” - ALFRED ULLI “Advanced Ultrasonics as an investment for sustainability and financial returns” - DAVID JONES “Trends in Sustainable and Innovative Packaging” HAYATO KASHIWAGI “Sustainability through Standardisation of Pressroom” - K. PANTHALA SELVAN "Doctor Blades – Optimize quality and productivity for flexo and gravure" TOM ORBIEN "Solutions for Increased Productivity and Sustainability in CI Flexo - EASY-COL" - ANUJ SAHNI "Flexographic Printing Trends” - GIUSEPPE SAULI "Having More On Your Plate: Flexo Plates Like You've - Never Seen Before" SUPACHAI THERAVITHAYANGKURA "Is there a GREEN side to Digitalizing your print production while still delivering profit?” - KLAUS NIELSEN "The Success Formula of the Future (A Discussion on Outlook & Trends)" - THAYER LONG "Process Improvements – A Pathway to Profitability” - ISAAM LUTFIYYA "Global Trends and Opportunities in Textiles" - ANDY YARROW "Enabling Conversion From Gravure To Flexo Process Printing For Thin Films And Higher Productivity” - STEVE SMITH "Improving ROI with new Flexo Plate Technologies" - GURURAJ KIRSUR "Into the Digital Packaging Fast Lane” - NICK PRICE

And many more..............

BOOK TODAY

NARROW WEB LABELS

MID WEB WIDE WEB CONVERTING

DIGITAL NEW TECHNOLOGIES

PREPRESS DESIGN FINISHING

BRAND MANAGEMENT BUSINESS PRACTICES SUSTAINABILITY

www.printinnovationasia.com/shift019 Day 1. 10am - 5pm Full day confence followed by cocktails till 7.30pm for networking opportunities Day 2. 10am -5pm Full day conference followed by pre Awards drinks and Awards dinner from 7.30pm till late.

www.printinnovationasia.com/shift019

Novotel New Delhi Aerocity Hotel Go online and choose the Package that best suits you.

Hotel and Conference Packages Conference only Packages Asian Packaging Excellence Awards Packages Go to www.printinnovationasia.com/shift019 See you in New Delhi A MUST ATTEND EVENT IN 2019

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

7

COMING SOON....

Asian PrintAwards 2019 th

PACKAGING EXCELLENCE AWARDS: 2019

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Fuji Xerox’s Iridesse campaign wins big

at marketing awards

10

Counterfeiters cause pain as they lift their game

12

How to Make Wide-Format Printing More

Cost-Efficient

Issue 3 2019

Print INNOVATION

Asia Magazine

Published by Asian Print Awards Management Pte Ltd Level 28, Office 28-31 Clifford Centre, 24 Raffles Place, Singapore 048621

14

Xeikon gears up for Labelexpo

18

Joint venture for digital packaging

printing systems

20

Asian Packaging Conference 2019 comes

to India

22

HP expands PrintOS marketplace

24

All-in-one printing solution will achieve a

positive return

26

India’s TCPL Packaging installs 7th Koenig &

Bauer press

Publisher

Paul Callaghan paul@printinnovationasia.com

Editorial

Elizabeth Liew elizabeth@printinnovationasia.com

30

Kornit Digital targets Asia/Pacific for growth

Editor

32

China’s Xiamen Yingsheng invests in

second press

Sha Jumari sha@printinnovationasia.com

34

Luxury packaging market is growing at a

rapid pace

36

The latest plate developments of Flint Group

Flexographic 2019

38

Taking business to new heeights with Komori

40

Expanding their cooperation in the sheetfed

offset printing sector

42

Writing a good CV

44

Global print in good health overall

50

A Key for the Packaging Industry?

52

News from around Asia and the world

Print Innovation Asia Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia Asian Print Awards Packageing Excellence Awards SHIFT Packaging Conferences

Packaging Sales Elizabeth Liew elizabeth@printinnovationasia.com

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

8

Fuji Xerox’s Iridesse c at marketing awards

At the New Zealand Direct Marketing Awards, Fuji Xerox took home the gold award for their 2018 “Catch the Wave” campaign. Fuji Xerox won the award for the Industry Sector: Technology and Emerging Technologies category. The campaign was to market the Iridesse Production Press.

The NZ Direct Marketing Award have been awards in New Zealand that recognise clients, agencies, consultancies and suppliers who have exhibited excellence in datadriven direct marketing projects and campaigns, connected with customers on an individual basis, and generated outstanding business results.

Game Changing Iridesse The demand for printing beyond CMYK has exploded – forecasts indicate it will grow by 25 billion pages by 2020. The Fuji Xerox Iridesse Production Press received critical acclaim worldwide when it first launched.

The Iridesse with its revolutionary 6-colour print engine introduced a

new embellishment technology to the sector. As well as CMYK, it prints solid white, plus either gold, silver or clear ink, in a single pass, achieving a stunning array of offset-like metallic colours.

With the Iridesse, printers can add significant value to their businesses without involving expensive production methods like metallic foiling, lithography and embossing.

These embellishments can add a 90% premium to a print job.

Add to this Fuji Xerox’s level of investment in the Iridesse’s technology, and its utility as a future-proofed addition to the shop floor - not a onehit wonder - is guaranteed.

“In this machine, we are seeing something that is a game changer – we have not known a digital press like it. The embellishments open up new opportunities to transform print and it creates high-end-like jobs at a cost below competition. It’s big on the ‘wow’ factor. Products that we once did on litho or with embossing can now be done on digital and it’s a clear differentiator for us.”

However, there were initial challenges that the company had to resolve when it was first introduced to the New Zealand market. Given the level of investment involved – the Iridesse costs twice as much as other seemingly similar digital presses – it’s unsurprising that print companies are cautious when considering new technology.

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

campaign wins big

Furthermore, printers are reluctant to travel to see new technology and the Iridesse does not travel well either.

The “Catch the Wave” Campaign The main objective of the campaign therefore was to push printers to book personalised demos at the Print Technology Centre. The Fuji Xerox marketing team wanted to put New Zealand printers in front of the Iridesse, so they could experience the lightbulb moment for themselves, as “we know that when people see the Iridesse in action, they love it.”

The campaign embodied one creative message for its target audience, and that is to: “Profit, grow and differentiate yourself in a challenging market when you ‘Catch the Wave’ of business opportunity generated by the Iridesse.”

To exemplify this message, the marketing team selected the image of a suited-up deep space surfer to reinforce the technologically advanced nature of the specialty applications that the Iridesse offers. The off-world setting represents the future, with vast, new and exciting horizons ready to be discovered and explored.

Fuji Xerox’s integrated ‘Catch the Wave’ campaign was rolled out through print advertising, event booth branding, Iridesse showcase collateral, direct marketing and social media.

Fuji Xerox also applied the “Catch the Wave” branding and campaign graphics to its Print Technology Centre. There, visitors were encouraged to explore,

discover and launch their print ideas in the largest and most extensive digital printing solutions facility in New Zealand.

9

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

10

Counterfeiters cause pain as they lift their game A business has to sell $2200 worth of goods just to cover the cost of a single fake $100 note, the Reserve Bank has found as it admits the quality of counterfeits are improving just as it tries to make life harder for criminals. or services to recoup the loss sustained through a single $100 counterfeit banknote.

In Australia Research from the Reserve Bank released on shows a small fall in counterfeit notes over the past three years since the RBA started updating the nation's supply of notes and some high profile counterfeiting operations were shut down.

Counterfeit notes can be a costly problem for retailers with the RBA estimating it takes $2200 in sales to make up for one fake $100 Counterfeit notes can be a costly problem for retailers with the RBA estimating it takes $2200 in sales to make up for one fake $100 CREDIT

Last year the number of fake notes was estimated to have fallen to 15 per million after spiking to 26 in 2015. It equates to about 24,000 known fake notes a year.

Victoria and the NSW are the nation's counterfeit hot spots although rates are far lower than other jurisdictions.

In Britain, the counterfeit rate is more than 100 notes per million.

Advertisement Under existing law, the Reserve does not compensate a business that finds a counterfeit note when counting the day's takings. Given the tight margin in the retail sector, the bank says there are large costs for businesses that have goods paid for with a fake $100 or $50, the denominations that are counterfeited the most.

"Although losses associated with counterfeiting are relatively minor compared with other kinds of payment fraud, receiving a counterfeit can have severe consequences for people with low incomes and businesses with small profit margins," the RBA found.

"The average retail business would need to sell around $2200 worth of goods

"Businesses that face narrower profit margins would need to raise prices or sell even more goods or services to make back any losses due to counterfeiting."

While between $1 million and $2 million in counterfeits are received by the RBA each year, it observes that not all fake notes are surrendered to the police. It estimates that about 20 per cent of people who find a counterfeit either keep it or throw it away.

The RBA is introducing new notes, including a fresh $20 later this year, partly in a bid to counter counterfeits.

The bank said despite its efforts, the rate of fake notes would remain slightly elevated because counterfeiters were improving their production.

"The declining cost and growing sophistication of technology will likely enable counterfeiters to more easily produce counterfeits on a larger scale than was the case previously, and the Reserve Bank does not necessarily expect the counterfeiting rate to return to the low levels of the early 2000s," it said.

THE PERFECT CHOICE FOR EVERY PRINT ENVIRONMENT

NEW LEVELS OF QUALITY AND PRODUCTION IN COLOUR PRODUCTION The imagePRESS C850/C750/C650 has been designed to meet the all the challenges of the colour production market. Ideal for busy CRD and GA environments, the imagePRESS C850/C750/C650 combines exceptional image quality with powerful productivity and offers the versatility to create extensive and innovative applications across a wide range of media, including heavyweight coated stocks and envelopes.

It can flexibly handle everything from short runs to complex variable data printing for personalised print communications – all within a small but scalable footprint. And with extended finishing capabilities and fast turnarounds it’s the perfect choice to help you meet every print challenge. Plus it offers an excellent return on investment – bringing time and cost savings to demanding CRDs and revenue generating opportunities to Graphic Arts environments.

PRODUCT AT-A-GLANCE PRODUCTIVITY

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ENVIRONMENT

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• 2400 x 2400 dpi print resolution

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• Compliant with RoHS

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• imagePRESS Printer Kit

• Recyclable toner bottles

• 7,650-sheet feeding capacity with up to six different sources • Wide array of in-line feeding and finishing accessories

• Variety of calibration options to help maximize color consistency

• No VOCs in consumables

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Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

12

How to Make Wide-Format Printing More Cost-Efficient We collected four tips to eliminate unnecessary causes of the high costs of wide-format printing.

Despite a detailed briefing of your employees, considering the draft mode for internally used printouts is only one way to reduce costs.

When we deal with wide-format printers, the sky is the limit: There is always room for improvement to get bigger and better, but this also includes getting more expensive.

If you’re interested in wide-format printing or already using this technique in your company, there are different possibilities to cut the high costs. In the following, you’ll read about three examples to make wide-format printing less costly, but there are many other little aspects that – if changed – can have a huge impact on the production costs.

theme parks or printed out flyers.

Unsurprisingly, when it comes to ink cartridges, the large ones might be more costly when purchasing, but first of all, they outlast the smaller cartridges, and second of all, the price per millilitre is usually cheaper.

Tip #1: Go for Large Ink Cartridges or No Cartridges At All It’s a common phenomenon that high amounts cost proportionally less than low amounts of almost anything.

This is the case for entrance fees at

Tip #2: Fighting Paper Waste with Previews Did you ever print something big and colourful for an important customer and only afterwards realize that something went wrong with the

There are wide-format printers that don’t require cartridges at all, but that can simply be refilled with ink. Here, the price per millilitre is even more cost-efficient. This is especially worth contemplating when purchasing a new printer to cut costs in the long run.

format? This means the whole printout goes straight into the paper bin and not only ink is wasted, but also a lot of paper. Print previews can prevent those situations, because you can see what your project will look like on paper before hitting the print button.

Also it can cut costs and waste if employees monitor their printing order.

If something goes wrong and the paper is lopsided, they still have time to stop the printing process and reduce the paper and ink that go to waste.

Tip #3: Opt for a Faster Printer Fast printing means that there is more capacity for other projects and the whole workflow is sped up. The more a printer is used, the less it costs per item printed and it pays for itself much faster than common wide-format printers. It might even be worth the investment to switch from two or three slower printers to one fast device to eliminate, for example maintenance and energy costs for a higher number of devices.

Tip #4: The Draft Mode Exists for a Reason – Use it!

If you’d like to print out your work in progress for internal uses, you usually don’t need high-resolution or photo-quality settings. That’s what the draft mode is for. Some printers can even be set up to print in draft mode automatically, so that employees have to actively select the high resolution mode for final printouts. This can reduce the costs by 20 to 40 percent.

Of course, also a detailed briefing of your employees is essential to make them understand the impact their printing behaviour can have on the budget and also on the environment.

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

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Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

14

Xeikon gears up for Labelexpo Xeikon will be showcasing new technologies and solutions at Labelexpo Europe 2019. Sha Jumari reports from Xeikon Café 2019. player to develop both dry toner and UV inkjet print technologies.

“The CX500 was sold out last year, and is expected to sell out this year too,” said Chatelard. “Every five years, we evolve our toner technology. It’s an absolute linear curve with five, ten, 15, and now 30 metres. We are balancing with inkjet now, but the dry toner technology has always been strong. We want to reassure customers that their investments in our dry toner technology is protected.”

DRY TONER -Customer-developed POUCH SOLUTION

Xeikon has wrapped up the 2019 edition of Xeikon Café Europe. From 26 till 28 March 2019, Xeikon’s headquarters in Lier, Belgium welcomed about 1,000 visitors from 55 different countries.

In its fifth year running, the event highlighted the latest innovations in digital production.

Prior to Xeikon Café, Labelexpo Europe announcements were made to industry media and journalists.

According to Benoit Chatelard, CEO of Xeikon, the company alongside Flint Group will have the biggest booth in its history with Labelexpo. Labelexpo Europe will be happening from 23 to 27 September 2019 at Brussels Expo in Belgium.

“We are number one in narrow web, number two in flexo, and number two worldwide in digital. We are also the fastest imager supplier in the world with the ThermoFlexX technology,” said Chatelard, highlighting Flint Group’s position in the labels industry.

Honing in on Xeikon’s business thus far: “The overall business of Xeikon grew 15% in the past year. This was in particular with the expansion in China and US. 21 months ago when we first merged with Xeikon, there was a big transformation in Asia and in the US. The label industry in those regions are in a very unique position and its most important to follow their needs,” said Chatelard.

According to Xeikon, the digital equipment manufacturer is the only

Xeikon announces a new flexible packaging solution for pouches with very fast turnarounds. Xeikon developed this solution with its customer, CS Labels. The UK-based company is a totally digital establishment, having gotten rid of its last offset press in 2012. The solution has been developed for consumer goods markets - food, beverage, chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

The digital process for printing on pouches responds to current trends i.e. significant numbers of SKU’s, shorter lead times and the rising popularity

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

15

AHEAD OF THE PACK B2 format or bigger 5 print stations for CMYK plus fifth color 1630 B2 sheets per hour toner with high light-fastness, food-safe

CREATE YOUR ULTIMATE FOLDING CARTON SUITE with a Xeikon 3500 Best-in-class productivity, consistent, impeccable quality and unlimited creativity - have it your way and have everything you need to tackle your challenges with higher profit margins at the highest standards. www.xeikon.com

direct. dedicated. digital

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

16 The package supposedly has the lowest production cost: “It outperforms other systems out there that combine print and converting, even inkjet systems,” said Weymans.

The Xeikon 3030 digital label press is capable of producing offset quality labels using standard flexo substrates, without needing specially-treated substrates. It is equipped with standard CMYK-W printing to cover 90% of print applications, with a possibility of colour gamut expansion. The DCoat is a converting unit consisting of a varnish, semi rotary diecut and rewind station.

UV INKJET -HIGH CAPACITY PANTHER of pouches in store. Brand owners looking for shelf impact for their products are drawn to flexible pouches for their ability to stand, their light weight and their sustainability. Xeikon has simplified a key part of the overall production process to provide a fast turnaround solution.

“We’ve come up with a solution with very fast turnaround due to a dry laminating process. Conventional takes up to 8 to 10 weeks - in flexo this is the normal turnaround time. The dry laminating process with the new solution shortens this considerably,” said Filip Weymans, Xeikon VP. Pouches can be reasonably complex to manufacture because of the flexible nature of their multi-layers. Xeikon’s new solution simplifies the process by firstly digitally printing the text and graphics on a thermal laminate the outside layer of the pouch is prepared and ready for the next steps.

A variety of different layers are then constructed by laminating with a series of barriers for protection before the pouch is finally put together in the manufacturing process. Xeikon’s digital printing solution offers the lowest possible complexity and the broadest lamination construction possible.

-Entry-level LABEL DISCOVERY PACKAGE Xeikon also unveiled a new ‘Label Discovery Package’ that consists of the Xeikon 3030 and DCoat330. The

two systems make up the entry level solution that can print and convert in one package.

Xeikon launched a high capacity version of the Panther series in response to customer requirements of reducing

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

17 substrate costs and improving overall equipment effectiveness. It utilises a high capacity unwinder and is powered by the latest version of the X-800 DFE. The new version is equipped with new Panther functionalities like automate ink optimisation and tactile printing.

The high capacity Panther is available now.

- PANTHER DURACURE A new Panther DuraCure UV curing technology combines LED and mercury technologies to optimise curing. DuraCure achieves maximum performance with the lowest amount of energy for PantherCure UV inks.

Panther DuraCure curing technology is a unique technique achieving optimal gloss effects in all colours as well as ultimate durability for multiple applications across multiple sectors.

Key benefits are consistent curing performance, long-term durability and the lowest possible energy consumption.

“In response to industry demand, DuraCure is the next step forward in our strategy to provide a portfolio of complimentary solutions. Good curing performance is an important factor when looking to invest in UV Inkjet printing technology. The quality and durability of DuraCure expands the capabilities of this printing technology and makes it a very attractive opportunity. The new DuraCure curing technology can achieve optimal curing for a variety of applications. Used in conjunction with our PantherCure UV inks and substrates the technologies combine to achieve the highest quality results providing added value business opportunities for our customers,” said Jeroen Van Bauwel, director product management.

Working with the Panther UV-Inkjet series of digital presses, the Panther DuraCure curing process works in a number of ways. UV ‘pinning’ of white keeps the ink from spreading and bleeding into the CMYK inks. This ensures the quality of the CMYK image is kept at the highest level: UV ‘pinning’ after the black following CMYK transfer means DuraCure ‘freezes’ all colours across the image and maintains a uniform optimal colour brilliance and gloss.

The use of LED curing with its ability to go deep into the ink layers combined with HG or mercury curing for lightly but effectively curing the surface of the UV ink offers the best of both worlds. The intelligent use of these existing technologies is what makes the difference. Combining them in an optimal way to use less energy has a positive impact on the lifetime of the curing lamps.

PREPRESS -Breakthrough THERMOFLEXX Woodpecker NANO

ThermoFlexX launches next generation plate imagers, the ThermoFlexX Woodpecker NANO. This technology is touted to be a breakthrough because it is a completely open technology in LAMS imaging which can be applied to any plate in the market.

The technology requires a standard 1-Bit TIFF file at 2000 dpi, and is applied during the ThermoFlexX during the imaging process. The ThermoFlexX Woodpecker NANO technology provides the finest, and an extremely consistent nano SuS pattern over the entire job. Dot bridging is also reduced.

“One of the biggest advantages, because it uses a 2000 dpi file, is that the job file sizes will be much smaller.

This will make the network bandwidth traffic much more responsive, so everything is faster. This also translates to higher imaging speeds,” explained Christophe Lievens, director of sales and marketing, ThermoFlexX. The new generation of the ThermoFlexX Woodpecker series are available now. Upgrading of existing imagers to the version with Nano screen technology is possible.

ThermoFlexX has more than 20 years of experience in the production of CtP systems. There are more than 7,000 CtPs installed worldwide, with recent successful installations in Asia at Toppan Printing in China and Digital Process in Pakistan.

Benoit Chatelard

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

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Joint venture for digital packaging printing systems 50/50 joint venture agreement signed in Munich Joint development and marketing of single-pass digital printing systems for the folding carton and corrugated fiberboard industry Antitrust clearance for Koenig & Bauer Durst GmbH expected by the end of May Durst, manufacturer of advanced digital printing and production technologies, and Koenig & Bauer, the world’s second-largest printing press manufacturer, signed a 50/50 joint venture agreement in Munich on Wednesday, April 10. The signing of the agreement paves the way for the joint development and marketing of single-pass digital printing systems for the folding carton and corrugated fiberboard industry.

The antitrust clearance that is still required from the relevant antitrust authorities before “Koenig & Bauer Durst GmbH” can be officially established is expected to be granted in the next few weeks. Business operations should then commence by the end of May and a Managing Director will be appointed. Koenig & Bauer Durst

GmbH will have its registered office in Würzburg and cooperate closely with both parent companies’ global network. Initially, the joint venture portfolio will comprise the Koenig & Bauer CorruJET 170 and the Durst SPC 130 – including all associated

Joint Venture Signing Koenig & Bauer Durst (left to right): Stefan Kappaun, EVP Inks & Fluids, Durst Group; Christopher Kessler, General Counsel, Koenig & Bauer AG; Christoph Gamper, CEO & Co-Owner, Durst Group; Christian Gatterer, CFO, Durst Group; Jochen Sproll, Project Manager Corporate Development, Koenig & Bauer AG; Claus Bolza-Schünemann, CEO, Koenig & Bauer AG; Harald Oberrauch, Owner Durst Group

services and the ink business, as well as the development of the VariJET 106.

“It was a short path from letter of intent to official signature because the negotiations had already been conducted in a spirit of genuine cooperation,” says Christoph Gamper, CEO of the Durst Group. “We want to work efficiently and purposefully towards a common goal – tapping the huge potential that digital production lines offer for the packaging industry.”

“Koenig & Bauer Durst will combine different key technology areas and market expertise to perfect effect,” says Claus Bolza-Schünemann, CEO of Koenig & Bauer AG. “I am convinced that the joint venture will benefit from the spirit embodied by both companies and that something really special is emerging here. The packaging industry is looking for new, more efficient production opportunities and Koenig & Bauer Durst will supply the necessary digital solution.

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EFI, FabriVU, Fiery and VUTEk are trademarks of Electronics For Imaging, Inc. and/or its wholly owned subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or certain other countries. Š2018 Electronics For Imaging, Inc. All rights reserved.

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

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Asian Packaging Conference 2019 comes to India Titled SHIFT_019, the 17th edition of Asian Packaging Conference will be held in New Delhi, India for the first time.

SHIFT_019 is Asia’s premiere Labels and Packaging Conference. The twoday conference will be filled with enlightening presentations, thoughtprovoking discussions and networking opportunities, with the aim to transform print and packaging businesses.

Past editions have been held in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines. For the first time ever, the event will be held in India following popular request from delegates of past year’s edition.

Each year, the conference attracts business owners and suppliers, packaging printers, converters, brand owners and designers. Organised by Asia Print Awards Management (formerly known as AFTA), the conference was similarly titled SHIFT_018 in last year’s edition. This year, the same thread was continued with SHIFT_019.

“Asia, and especially India, has been tapped to lead the growth of the packaging industry through to 2025,” said Paul Callaghan, chairman of Packaging & Print Innovation Asia.

“Supported by leading packaging suppliers and associations, the conference will be filled with the latest information to help any company in packaging production grow in the coming years.”

PRINTPACK INDIA

3- 8 February, 2021 India Expo Centre, Greater Noida

The conference theme has been set at: Investing for Sustainability & Financial Returns. According to organisers, there will be about 25 international speakers lined up to present at the conference.

The conference this year aim to cover issues in prepress, digital, flexo, gravure, finishing, design and branding faced by today’s print packaging business owners.

region. The competition is open to companies involved in the production of packaging industry.

2019 Asian Packaging Excellence Awards opens for submissions SHIFT_019 will be held in conjunction with the 2019 Asian Packaging Excellence Awards. The competition is now accepting submissions.

An international, independent jury of industry experts will examine each submission anonymously within preestablished criteria.

All entries must be submitted by 20 March 2019. To be eligible, entries must have been commercially produced within the 12 months preceding the entry deadline of 20 March 2018. Now in its 17th year, the competition recognises and honours packaging excellence for the Asian

There are 26 categories divided into three segments of Flexography, Rotogravure and Labels. A new category of Mockup/Sample Production has also been inducted following requests from last edition of the awards.

Winners will be recognised during the gala dinner at SHIFT_019.

SHIFT_019 is also supported by the Association of Label Printers and Suppliers (ALPS ) and also IPAMA. The full catalogue of categories and entry form can be found at: www. printinnovationasia.com

Going beyond the only true metallic spectrum.

To make Metallicolour possible, the Iridesse™ Production Press uses 6-colour-1-pass technology with two types of special ink from Silver and Gold. This is the first time such an impressive overlay and underlay of speciality ink has been made available.

Discover what’s possible in Metallicolour www.fxap.com.sg/beyond-imagination

Iridesse™ Production Press. Beyond imagination.

Xerox, Xerox and Design, as well as Fuji Xerox and Design are registered trademarks or trademarks of Xerox Corporation in Japan and/or other countries.

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

22

HP expands PrintOS marketplace HP Inc. announced the expansion of HP PrintOS Marketplace with the introduction new ‘stores’.

A new ideas store aims to inspire HP print service providers (PSPs) to collaborate, innovate and grow, while implementing Industry 4.0 for automated printing of thousands of jobs a day. HP also introduced with apps in the marketplace from HP and solution partners.

“PrintOS Marketplace is an open platform designed to spread innovation and help customers adapt faster to the complexities of the changing print market,” said Alon Bar-Shany, general manager for HP Indigo. “HP PrintOS is empowering PSPs to be more productive, manage higher print volume, and automate and streamline workflow.”

PrintOS gives PSPs control over print operations virtually anywhere at any time, simplifies and automates print production processes, and provides a scalable architecture of productionready tools to grow digital business.

The cloud-based PrintOS has grown to more than 20,000 users since launching at drupa 2016. Users include owners of HP Indigo, HP PageWide and Scitex presses, and HP Latex and HP DesignJet printers.

Projects in a box Resources in the new PrintOS Marketplace ideas store include projects-in-a-box for labels and packaging, commercial and photo printing.

More than 50 free projects and design tools are now available for download exclusively for HP PSPs using PrintOS. Ready-to-go projects include HP Mosaic and HP Collage packaging templates, seed patterns, sample files, and royalty-free images and icons. PrintOS members are also invited to share or sell their print ideas in the store, with the goal of housing hundreds and even thousands of items by drupa 2020.

New print production apps An additional PrintOS Marketplace store for Applications features monthly, subscription-based apps from HP and solutions partners. The apps help HP customers win more business, increase press output, automate production, manage higher print volume, better control costs, and expand print offerings. The App store is expanding with new offerings from HP and solutions partners, including: • Locr – a GEO services batch tool to easily generate personalized maps for adding the value of location to printed communications.

• MindFire – a marketing automation tool to help PSPs promote business with targeted campaigns.

• OneFlow- The AutoFlow solution automates manual prepress operations

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

23 including artwork fetching, checking, fixing and manipulation.

• HYBRID Software- PACKZilizer is an intuitive and easy-to-use cloudbased application to prepare packaging files for production.

• PrintOS Jobs API: Enables streamlining of production-status and job-costing data such as substrate usage and time invested, from an HP Indigo digital press to a management system (MIS or ERP), to understand the true cost of completed jobs for more accurate quoting.

• PrintOS Composer: Helps printers save time by easily and efficiently composing variable data jobs, including HP Mosaic and Collage, of any size.

• PrintOS OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness): Helps PSPs uncover opportunities for improving operations, reducing overtime, and saving costs, while increasing press utilization.

• PrintOS Color Beat cuts color control time down to minutes per job, helps ensure color consistency across presses and sites, and track color performance from anywhere.

• PrintOS Site Flow: Enables to efficiently manage hundreds and thousands of jobs per day, all the way from automated order submission to

pre-press, shop-floor management and shipping integration.

PrintOS Marketplace is also now launching a new Licenses Store for easy self-service download and licensing of off-the-shelf software solutions from HP solutions partners integrated with PrintOS. Solutions licenses available for purchase include • HP SmartStream Designer: a powerful, easy-to-use variable data printing (VDP) tool for users of HP Indigo, HP Latex, and HP PageWide technologies.

• Esko: DeskPack Essentials and ArtPro+, powerful tools that shorten

pre-press of labels and packaging jobs.

• Memador: A photo enhancement solution that optimizes and automates photo book creation with algorithms for face grouping, face detection and more.

• Hybrid Software: PACKz, the powerful PDF editor and CloudFlow, Hybrid Software’s prepress workflow solution.

• Tilia Labs: includes a bundle of Phoenix & Imposition AI workflow and imposition tools for labels and packaging, available later this year.

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Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

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All-in-one printing solution will achieve a positive return Transaction billing company projects this allin-one printing solution will achieve a positive return on investment in just four years Memjet, a leading developer of inkjet printing technology, today announced BMS Direct has selected the WEBJet™ 200D from Konica Minolta Business Solutions, U.S.A., Inc. The WEBJet 200D is a continuous-feed, all-in-one solution that offers in-line cutting, perfing, slit merge and stack, and rollto-roll capabilities all manufactured by Superweb. BMS Direct will use this allin-one printer to support the growth of its invoice and statement processing business.

Based in Lynchburg, Virginia, BMS Direct was originally founded as a direct-mail service provider. James E. LaPrade Sr., BMS, President and Chief Executive Officer, assumed management responsibility in 1998 and has since led the organization through a period of evolution. Today, BMS is a transactional billing company servicing customers on a national level. BMS provides statements, invoices, notices and other types of general information to clients from a variety of vertical markets including municipalities, health

care organizations, financial services and government.

us to achieve a positive return on our investment in just four years.”

To keep pace with that growth and effectively service its growing client base, BMS sought a new printing solution

The WEBJet 200D from Konica Minolta sets a new standard for highspeed, high-quality digital inkjet web presses. The press includes a continuous-feed, all-in-one solution to print simplex or duplex, cut, perforate, slit, merge and stack all on the same machine. The WEBJet 200D also includes integrated finishing features that can easily be integrated into the company’s workflow solution.

“The purchase of this press was a big investment for our organization, so we did our research,” said Mr. LaPrade.

“We had a final list of five presses, and our team developed a list of criteria to effectively compare these presses.

The criteria included such factors as cost, breakeven, maintenance, service, speed and resolution. After running the numbers and doing the comparison, we saw that the WEBJet 200D came out on top. This press delivers the speed and quality we need and enables

In addition to its robust set of features, BMS also cites service as a key factor in its choice of the WEBJet 200D. “We have other Konica Minolta products in our organization, and we knew we could count on them to provide the support and service we need,” continued Mr. LaPrade. “We know Konica Minolta is committed to our success.”

“When Memjet announced our partnership with Konica Minolta at PRINT 18, we knew these solutions would make a positive impact on the marketplace,” said Gail Partain, vice president of business development at Memjet. “Memjet’s high print resolution of 1600 x 1375 dpi, combined with our powerful print engine, delivers the speed, quality and affordability BMS needs to advance its business.”

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

More difference, more profit

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Make every job different cost-effectively, with HP digital solutions for Corrugated packaging and displays

HP PageWide T400S Press

HP Scitex 17000 Corrugated Press

HP PageWide T1100S Press

HP has reinvented the versatility, productivity and quality of Corrugated printing so that you can stay ahead of your competitors. From basic corrugated to high value boxes, reduce delivery times on long and short runs while providing offset-substitutable quality. Always with end-to-end support from HP. The HP PageWide T400S Press gives you preprint and digital in one. The HP Scitex 17000 Corrugated Press ensures high-quality results delivered cost-effectively. Meanwhile, the HP PageWide T1100S Press with Multi-lane Printing Architecture cost-effectively prints multiple short runs with variable box sizes on one roll.

As with all HP PageWide Presses, you can take advantage of HP PrintOS, an open and secure cloud-based print production operating system to help you get more out of your HP presses and printers, simplify and automate your production process and enable new forms of collaboration.

Find out more: hp.com/go/pagewidepress/corrugated, hp.com/go/scitex/corrugated and hp.com/go/PrintOs Š 2017 HP Development Company, L.P.

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India’s TCPL Pack 7th Koenig & Baue TCPL Packaging announced that it has installed a new Rapida 106 at its plant in Goa, India. The press has already started running since January 2019.

The seven-colour press with coater and extended delivery is the company’s seventh Rapida 106 sheetfed offset press from Koenig & Bauer to be installed at the company’s various production locations since 2011. Like all the other Rapidas operated by the packaging specialist, it is configured to enable both conventional and UV printing.

TCPL Packaging is one of the largest packaging printers in India. In Goa alone, 280 of the company’s 1,250 employees print mainly food and pharmaceuticals packaging at a plant with production floor space totally

28,000 square metres. With this latest Rapida 106, Koenig & Bauer press technology is now in use at all four TCPL locations. Apart from Goa, TCPL also has plants in Silvassa, Haridwar and Guwahti.

Three more Rapida 106 presses are to be installed at TCPL this year. The first will be arriving at the Haridwar plant in May, while the second is set for installation in Goa in the summer.

The installation of the third press in Silvassa is scheduled for the end of the year. One of the three will also be the longest Rapida in India to date, with a total of 12 printing and finishing units.

The configuration comprises seven colours followed by a coater, two dryer towers, a further printing unit and coater, and an extended delivery.

Once the presses are in place, TCPL will have installed 10 high-end Rapida presses with a total of 85 printing units.

“Ever since we installed our first Koenig & Bauer press in 2011, we have gone back to them whenever we bought another one, due to constant innovation and improvements being carried out by them. We have experienced higher productivity levels as a result. Moreover they are backed in India by an excellent partner who is very proactive and gives very effective after sales support,” said Saket Kanoria, managing director of TCPL Packaging.

The Financial Times named TCPL Packaging as one of the 1,000 fastestgrowing companies in the Asia Pacific region, assigning it to 839th place in this ranking.

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

kaging installs er press a greater substitution of the hitherto standard analogue printing processes and an increase in the internally-sourced production of decoration papers in the furni-ture and flooring industry. After a comprehensive evaluation process, the renowned packaging group Tetra Pak has opted for our large-format RotaJET for full-colour digital printing of beverage carton packaging. We have received two more RotaJET orders for digital decor printing.”

Koenig & Bauer is targeting group revenue of around €1.5bn with EBIT margin of between 7% and 10% until 2023 A strong future through systematic focus on growth markets • Highest EBIT in the company’s 201year history • 7.1% EBIT margin substantially surpassing the mean for the German engineering sector • Revenue in 2018 limited by parts availability • Good order situation • Strong cash flows from operating activities • Equity ratio of 38.5% • 2.7% dividend yield with higher proposed dividend of €1 per share • Guidance for 2019: organic revenue growth of up to 4% and EBIT margin

of around 6% With the progress achieved in the structurally growing and less cyclical packaging printing, the Koenig & Bauer group made further advances in its strategically aligning towards sustainable prof-itable growth. CEO Claus Bolza-Schünemann: “Driven by a record order intake, we have been able to widen our share of the global flexible packaging printing market to 9%. Revenue in mark-ing and coding has risen by around 50% in the last three years. Since the acquisition of flatbed die-cutter business in 2016, revenue in this business field has climbed by more than 50%. The entry into the market for folder gluers and the planned joint venture with inkjet pioneer Durst for folding carton and corrugated printing are further milestones.” CFO Mathias Dähn: “Pleasing reve-nue and earnings potential can arise with our RotaJET digital printing platform for decor and flexi-ble packaging printing following

Earnings target for 2018 well achieved Group EBIT climbed from €81.4m in the previous year to €87.4m despite some adverse circum-stances in the availability of parts and market conditions. With the increase in its EBIT margin from 6.7% to 7.1%, Koenig & Bauer achieved the target defined for 2018 of around 7%. CFO Mathias Dähn: “On the basis of an EBIT margin adjusted for special items of 5.4% in 2016, we are aiming for an annual improvement of 0.7% in this margin to around 9% by 2021 assuming linear execu-tion of the group projects for boosting earnings by €70m. This translates into a target of 6.8% for 2018, which we exceeded substantially with a margin of 7.1%.”

High order backlog The previously announced shifts of machine deliveries into 2019 as a result of bottlenecks in the parts availability burdened the achievement of our revenue target. At €1,226m, group revenue was only slightly up on the previous year of €1,217.6m. Koenig & Bauer had been targeting or-ganic revenue growth of around 4% for 2018.

With order intake coming to €1,222m (previous year: €1,266.3m), order backlog rose to €610.9m (previous year: €606.2m).

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Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

28 Dividend of €1 per share proposed High tax expenses resulting from the consumption of deferred tax assets on loss carry-forwards left traces on net profit. At €64m, group net profit (previous year: €81.1m) translates into earnings per share of €3.86 in 2018 (2017: €4.91). “Thanks to the good group net profit and the retained profit generated by the holding company Koenig & Bauer AG, we are able to continue our divi-dend policy with a distribution rate at the upper end of the target corridor of between 15% and 35% of group net profit,” said CEO Claus Bolza-Schünemann.

Accordingly, the Management Board and the Supervisory Board will be asking the shareholders to approve a dividend of €1 per share at the annual general meeting on 22 May 2019.

This is equivalent to a dividend ratio of 25.9% of group net profit and a dividend yield of 2.7% on the basis of the closing price of the share in 2018.

Sheetfed limited by parts availability At €613m, order intake in the Sheetfed segment was below the previous year’s figure of €656.2m. While the project situation is good, bottlenecks in the availability of parts dampened new business due to longer delivery times.

The situation with regard to parts also caused revenue to drop to €647.4m, down on the previous year’s figure of €660.2m. This is also reflected in EBIT, which fell to €36.5m, compared with €37.5m in the previous year. With an EBIT margin of 5.6%, Koenig & Bauer was able to maintain the level achieved (2017: 5.7%) despite the continued price pressure being exerted by competitors. The lower order backlog of €199.1m compared with the previous year (€233.5m) was followed by good order intake at the start of 2019.

Growth expenses burden Digital & Web earnings Orders in the Digital & Web segment rose from €139.6m to €167.6m, primarily due to the rec-ord order intake for flexible packaging printing, which reflects the initial success of the rea-lignment of this business field.

Whereas the demand for the HP press for digital pre-prints of corrugated liners was subdued, several presses were sold from the RotaJET digital printing platform for decor and flexible

packaging printing, substantially exceeding the previous year’s figure. At €150.7m, revenue was slightly down on the previous year (€154.2m). Together with market-entry and growth-related expenses for digital, flexible packaging and corrugated board printing, the lower revenue exerted pressure on EBIT. Accordingly, EBIT fell to –€10.5m, compared with –€4.3m in the previous year. The order backlog widened from €61.5m to €78.4m at the end of 2018.

Revenue up in Special Given large orders and with project business remaining generally favourable, volatility remained high in security printing due to often lengthy order placement and the domination of large-scale projects. Further market share was gained in marking and coding, while the market position in the tobacco and tyre industry in particular was expanded significantly. Lower orders for metal and glass/hollow container decorating presses caused order intake in the Special segment to drop to €502.4m, down from €533.7m in the previous year.

Revenue climbed from €467.9m to €490.5m thanks to growth in security printing, marking and coding and glass/ hollow container decorating. EBIT came to €49.7m in 2018, down from €53.7m in the previous year. With the order backlog increasing to €344.6m (2017: €324m) at the end of December, good capacity utilisation is assured over the next few months.

Strong financial power and balance sheet Cash flows from operating activities was particularly strong, coming to €66.3m, up from €23.8m in the previous year. The substantial improvement in free cash flow to–€19.5m compared with the previous year (–€59.6m) was burdened by high investments and the final payment instalment for the external funding of a part of the pension provisions. Together with the solid internal liquidity, the syndicated long-term credit facilities give Koenig & Bauer a strong and stable financial basis. The strong balance sheet structure was additionally enhanced with the increase in the equity ratio to 38.5%.

Guidance for 2019 CFO Mathias Dähn: “The order backlog, which rose to €610.9m at the end of 2018, together with the good order development in January and February 2019 gives us good forward visibility across the entire group until the summer of 2019 and, in security printing with its good order situation, until 2020. The printing production output of our customers all around the world is growing, espe-cially in packaging and banknote printing.

With the exception of the packaging printers in China producing for export markets, our order intake has so far largely shrugged off the effects of the recent political and economic developments. In the absence of any material deterioration in the underlying conditions over the next few months, we target organic growth of up to 4% in group revenue and an EBIT margin of around 6% in 2019. This includes the annual 0.7% improvement in margins on group projects to boost earnings as well as the margin impact from the growth of-fensive 2023, the cumulative costs of which we expect to reach around €50m for 2019 to 2021 with a heavier load in the first year. In the event of a slowdown in the economy, we cannot rule out an up to 2 percentage points lower EBIT.” CEO Claus Bolza-Schünemann: “With our growth offensive 2023, we want to actively exploit the currently available market opportunities in the cardboard, corrugated board, flexible packaging, 2-piece can, marking and coding, glass direct and decor printing as well as in postpress to achieve sustained profitable growth. The impact of volatile security printing will be reduced by higher pack-aging share of group revenue. For web offset presses for newspaper and commercial printing, we expect a further business decline.

With all our initiatives and projects, we are targeting to increase group revenue to around €1.5bn with an EBIT margin of between 7 % and 10% until 2023.

All three segments are to contribute to the growth in revenue and earnings.

Our further targets in-clude a dividend ratio of 15 - 35% of group net profit, an equity ratio of over 45%, a target corridor for net working capital of 20 - 25% of revenue, and a share of 30% in total revenue for service business.”

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Kornit Digital targ for growth Sha Jumari catches up with Andy Yarrow, the newly-appointed president of Kornit Digital in Asia Pacific on heights he's planning to take the company to.

1. Tell me more about Kornit Digital and what are some of Kornit’s current activities in Asia Pacific?

Kornit Digital is dedicated to offering innovative digital printing solutions to textile industry which revolutionizes the supply chain. Primarily this is direct to garment, or DTG as we call it, but also a growing part of the business in DTF, direct to fabric, which are roll to roll systems.

Headquarters are in Israel and the company has been public since 2015.

There’s a great commitment to Asia, because textiles and the growth opportunity here is huge, so we have a fantastic experience centre in Hong Kong (Asia Pacific headquarters are a couple of streets away).

We have very strong partners across the region, supported of course by a team of Kornit sales and technical professional.

2. Now that you’re on board, what will be your first tasks and focus?

To build scale the will enable growth.

The company has big plans for

ATLAS aggressive growth in the next 3-5 years, and Asia Pacific HAS to play a part in getting that growth.

4. What are some trends or applications in Asia that you think Kornit will especially excel in?

We have to first of all give our current channel partners the ability to scale up, but then recruiting and onboarding new partners in key markets is critical too.

Online, print to inventory and customization are going to be key to growth in Asia. If you look across the globe brick and mortar stores are closing at a rapid rate, where we see opportunity, especially in markets as “connected” as Asia Pacific is to have customers ordering online, small quantities, very unique designs and personalized.

3. Why Kornit versus the competition?

Our process is unique. We all know that the benefits of digital over traditional methods of any type of printing are generally that it removes touch points and processes. With our technology we remove processes in digital that other technologies still have.

So, whereas for some digital processes pre-treatment and then drying of the garment is still a separate process before printing can take place, we combine this into the one step, so we print and dry the garment and we’re done. Our solution is sustainable and environmentally friendly.

5. What are some interesting things that Kornit’s customers have done before?

It’s no secret that one of Kornit’s largest customers is India’s Fashion Matrix Overseas (FMO). FMO is a Bangalore-based manufacturer and supplier of high fashion apparel. In 2017, the company embarked on an ambitious venture to print eco-friendly fashion with the opening of ENVS Eco-friendly Digital Fabrics India Pvt. Ltd. (ENVS).

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

gets Asia/Pacific Kornit’s eco-friendly digital textile printing solutions, for which the company holds an Oeko Tex 100 certification and is positive-listed for GOTS, were a natural choice for ENVS which is missioned to produce complex designs for high fashion apparel with SA8000/ WRAP certification.

At ENVS’ production site is state-ofthe-art production technology supplied

by Kornit Digital. The company purchased India’s first Kornit Allegro for this site. ENVS relied on Kornit’s Allegro for digitally printing on roll fabrics and on an Avalanche 1000 for direct-to-garment printing.

Kornit launches innovative industrial polyester printing technology

Kornit Digital Ltd. introduced the new Kornit NeoPoly Technology, touted as the industry’s first digital, industrial process for high-quality printing on polyester.

Polyester is the second largest category in the overall T-shirt market. It is key in the sport segment, and is growing in the athleisure and functional apparel segments. Currently polyester is printed predominantly by analog solutions, Avalanche POLY PRO

which creates major technological, cost and sustainability challenges.

The Kornit NeoPoly Technology addresses these challenges with a new process and ink set implemented in the renowned Kornit NeoPigment process.

Kornit’s new process handles polyester applications without compromising on design, run size, substrate or labour.

The breakthrough technological innovation is achieved by an innovative ink set and a physical and chemical process specifically developed for low temperature curing, and polyester enhancing functionalities developed to maintain fabric characteristics and provide superior fastness. This unique process prevents dye migration on polyester. The inks are Oeko-Tex and Eco-Passport certified and do not contain PVCs or other toxic ingredients.

The first system equipped with the Kornit NeoPoly Technology is the new Kornit Avalanche Poly Pro, singlestep Poly Pro is the perfect system for the industry, enabling easy and cost effective short-runs and on-demand printing on polyester garments.

One of Kornit’s first customers to embrace the NeoPoly Technology is DTG2Go, a Delta Apparel, Inc.

Andy Yarrow company and leader in the directto-garment printing and fulfillment marketplace.

“With our business serving the discerning activewear and performance apparel markets, we see increasing demand for personalized, decorated polyester garments,” said Deborah H. Merrill, Delta Apparel, Inc.’s CFO and President, Delta Group. “We are excited about the new opportunities the Avalanche Poly Pro creates for our business. Through DTG2Go, we can now deliver individualized and smallrun prints on a variety of polyester fabric types at the quality levels our customers demand.”

Omer Kulka, Kornit’s VP of Marketing and Product Strategy, said: “Kornit is on a mission to reinvent the garment and textile printing industry with game changing technologies for growing market segments. We continually work to break technology boundaries, so that our customers can innovate and open new markets and new business opportunities, while being more operationally efficient. The new NeoPoly Technology is further proof of this innovation and reinvention mission.”

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Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

32

China’s Xiamen Yingsheng invests in second press Xiamen Yingsheng will install its second Heidelberg Intro Web-Flexo press to expand production capacity.

To take advantage of the growing market for Aseptic Liquid Packaging, in 2012 Xiamen Yingsheng made a strategic decision to open a green field production facility. With a total investment of almost 40 million Euro and a workshop area of more than 100.000 sqm., they were able to produce 6 billion packs per year in the first phase.

One of the machines installed in the new facility is the Heidelberg INTRO, formerly known under the name of Gallus INTRO. “Yes, we have decided for Heidelberg, which is first class production machinery, and yes, it was a high investment,” said Mr. Li, Vice General Manager says. “However it paid off, because we convinced big groups to become our customers.”

Xiamen Yingsheng’s INTRO, a 7 colour web-printing press which produces the Aseptic paper material at a width of 1340 mm and a max. speed of 500 m/min. is a key factor

in the safe production process. The entire machine was quickly installed and operators were trained by the Heidelberg experts. The ergonomic design, intuitive operating concept and easy accessibility makes the INTRO to a particularly user-friendly machine. In case of additional support-requests, the staff has access to Heidelberg Web Carton Converting (WCC)’s 24/7 service hotline.

to a demand for additional production capacity. Due to the positive experiences with Heidelberg WCC, it’s team and the Intro-machine, the company purchased the second Intro press at the end of 2018.

Despite being a newcomer in the liquid packaging business, Xiamen Yingsheng has grown very quickly, and this has led

The new machine will be installed in 2019 and will double the printing capacity of Xiamen Yingsheng.

Mr. Li said: “We are very convinced that this further investment is another step on our further growth and continued partnership with Heidelberg WCC”.

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Xerox, Xerox and Design, as well as Fuji Xerox and Design are registered trademarks or trademarks of Xerox Corporation in Japan and/or other countries and are used under license. *IDC, 2012-2016, World Wide Monochrome Laser cut sheet products, 91ppm+

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

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Luxury packaging market is growing at a rapid pace The global luxury packaging market is growing at a rapid pace. According to a market research report from Arizton[1], it is anticipated to reach values of more than $21 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of approximately 5% between 2018 and 2024.

As consumers around the world continue to demand greater choice, the need for brands to differentiate across a range of retail platforms has never been greater. Metal packaging, with its ability to promote a feeling of premium quality and refinement, is a critical component of the go-to-market strategy of many luxury brands ranging from confectionery to coffee and tea.

Crown’s broad portfolio of promotional packaging includes also a unique, round-to-square container available now in 100mm height. Previously launched in a taller size specifically for the wine and spirits market, the shorter format opens up the use of this distinctive package to markets such as confectionery, biscuits, tea and cosmetics. Square at the bottom, the tin tapers into a perfectly round opening at the top, providing strong differentiation

that enable products to stand out in the busy retail environment. The flush lid further enhances the modern shape.

The uniqueness of the round-tosquare container makes it a collectable item before a decorative finish has even been applied. A wide variety of finishes, inks, varnishes and effects are available, from crackle, matt and gloss to soft touch, perforations and detailed embossing. Crown’s in-house design team ensure all visions are brought to life in metal, offering everything from packaging design and artwork services to proofing and specialist advice on materials, colours, effects and samples.

In addition to differentiation, the tin offers all the benefits that come with being made from a 100% recyclable and infinitely recyclable material.

Incredibly, between 80% and 90% of all steel ever produced is still in use today. Its physical properties remain intact after recycling, unlike other materials that are downgraded to less demanding uses. A metal container recycled today could be available on a retail platform in a similar form in a short time, although it is highly likely that once bought, the round-to-square tins will remain with the purchaser for some considerable time thereafter.

About Crown Holdings, Inc. Crown Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is a leading global supplier of rigid packaging products to consumer marketing companies, as well as transit and protective packaging products, equipment and services to a broad range of end markets. World headquarters are located in Yardley, Pennsylvania.

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RUN top speed of 30m/min or 98 ft/min substrate widths up to 330 mm or 13 inches full rotary printing, variable repeat true 1200 dpi FDA food-safe toners

CREATE YOUR ULTIMATE LABEL SUITE with a Xeikon CX3 Combining speed, versatility and quality in a league of its own - have it your way and have everything you need to handle any type of label order and make your business run like never before. www.xeikon.com

direct. dedicated. digital

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

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The latest plate developments of Flint Group Flexographic 2019 As it is Flint Group’s ambition to become the innovation leader in Flexographic Plates and Sleeves Solutions, they are addressing this challenge by continuous innovation leading to superior products.

A platemaking advancement is the change to inherently flat top dot technology versus the process of converting round top dot plates to flat top dot plates by means of an equipment driven approach (inert gas, LED exposure etc.). Flat top dot plates can be provided now directly from plate manufacturers.

The advantage of flat top dot plates is that they’re more war resistant and they provide greater control over the ink carrying capacity of the plate surface.

It gives you some freedom on the press to adjust impression as needed. Flint Group responded to the demands for convenience, higher print quality and longer plate life by offering a growing portfolio of inherently flat top dot plates.

The nyloflex® Flat Top Dot Printing Plates for the corrugated market segment and the award winning nyloflex® plate with a texturize surface for flexible packaging meet every challenge.

The award winning nyloflex® FTF plate is an inherent texturized flat top dot plate for the flexible packaging market, where higher SID and improved ink laydown is needed out of the box. No change in the workflow, no additional equipment, processing steps or consumable items are needed.

Besides that, Flint Group is going down the inherent flat top dot road, by commercializing the nyloflex® FTC plate, an inherently smooth flat top dot plate, which is capable of reducing the washboard effect in the corrugated market on various corrugated board.

Furthermore, Flint Group serves as well the thermal plate processing

market with the nyloflex® Xpress Thermal Processing System. This incorporates the speed of thermal plate making with an incredible plate and print quality, and offers a smart design of the revolutionary nyloflex® Xpress Processor as well as an enhanced user interface. The distinctive characteristic of the processor provides unprecedented control and allows for more consistent and stable plate production encompassing Thermal Like You’ve Never Seen Before. Friedrich von Rechteren, Global Commercial VP stated: “We believe our new, integrated solution, is in a class of its own. We achieved this result by looking at the thermal process holistically. By combining the best in equipment design, plate development and engineered fabric, Flint Group is offering a system which leads to reduced costs, improved quality and improved sustainability”.

Flint Group works daily on all customer critical topics to satisfy their needs for improving cost and quality according to the key principle of “Better, Faster and Easier to use.”

Flint Group is dedicated to serve the global printing and packaging industry.

The company develops, manufactures and markets an extensive portfolio of printing consumables. This includes a vast range of conventional and energy curable inks and coatings for most offset, flexographic and gravure applications; pressroom chemicals, printing blankets and sleeves for offset printing; photopolymer printing plates and sleeves, plate-making equipment and flexographic sleeve systems; pigments and additives for use in inks and other colorant applications. With a strong customer focus, unmatched service and support, and superior products, Flint Group strives to provide exceptional value, consistent quality and continuous innovation to customers around the world.

WWW.MPS4U.COM

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OPERATOR FOCUSED, RESULTS DRIVEN

EF

THE MULTI-SUBSTRATE PRESS An optimal combination in quality, productivity and flexibility.

A unique press that makes it easy to produce high-end work.

HIGHLY AUTOMATED

MPS EF, FLEXIBILITY IN PRINTING ∫ Endless printing possibilities ∫ Maximising press performance ∫ Easy to operate

The EF is a high-quality flexo press, designed for printing labels and flexible packaging on a wide variety of substrates. The EF offers operators the ultimate in flexibility thanks to its ease of operation, reliability and full automation possibilities.

MPS Systems Asia Sdn Bhd Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia info-asia@mps4u.com www.mps4u.com

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Expanding their cooperation in the sheetfed offset printing sector Market and technology leaders IST Metz and Heidelberg are further expanding their cooperation in the sheetfed offset printing sector.

UV unit manufacturer IST Metz will cover the LED retrofit business for various Heidelberg Speedmaster series and manage the handling and installation of the systems directly.

IST Metz will also supply LED curing systems for various new machines in the Speedmaster series for small and medium-size formats.

From the basic model to the peak performance class, Speedmaster machines are renowned for their high productivity and long service life.

Retrofitting these printing presses with the latest LED curing technology from IST Metz will accelerate the production process.

The LEDcure highperformance LED system developed

by IST offers outstanding curing performance and its flexibility makes it a perfect alternative for retrofitting Speedmaster machines (built in 2004 and onwards).

Heidelberg and IST Metz have been working together successfully in the UV printing sector for more than 20 years.

This has resulted in impressive quality,

quick curing processes and therefore printed sheets that can be processed directly without any loss of time. The new LEDcure system from the UV unit manufacturer is ideal for printing companies that want to take advantage of LED printing in order to be able to react more flexibly to changing market requirements such as uncoated papers, gloss effects and extremely short turnaround times. LEDcure systems already form the backbone of various national and international Heidelberg customers' successful business models, i.e. printing companies that rely on the latest and most innovative technology to provide their customers with the best at all times.

When it comes to the interaction between machine, LED dryer and consumables, optimum dryer integration determines the stability and productivity of the printing process.

The installation and commissioning of curing systems in existing printing presses can be complex and have farreaching repercussions. As the world market leader for UV curing systems

based on ultraviolet light, infrared and warm air, and with more than 40 years of expertise in UV unit construction, IST offers comprehensive consulting services and safe, professional retrofits of LED curing systems.

The communication between the machine and the curing system and the interaction between the interfaces must function perfectly when retrofitting – this is guaranteed with IST Metz systems.

IST Metz also offers its customers the opportunity to produce orders on its own Speedmaster CD102 in NĂźrtingen before making an investment. And after making a successful investment in a UV or LED system, the UV technology specialist ensures a smooth and straightforward transition for the customer. Services range from seminars and technical training at the customer's site to comprehensive aftersales services including fast preventative services on request.

Limitless Possibilities Be free to grow with the endless applications of the HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press

HP Indigo has reinvented versatility so that you can create unique solutions for your brand customers, to set them and yourself apart from the competition. The HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press thrives in the most demanding converting environments to deliver the highest quality for the world’s leading brands. And with Pack Ready, you can deliver high performance applications with immediate time to market.

As with all HP Indigo Digital Presses, you can take advantage of HP PrintOS, an open and secure cloud-based print production operating system to help you get more out of your HP presses and printers, simplify and automate your production process and enable new forms of collaboration.

Reinvent your ability to be unique, with the HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press.

Find out more: hp.com/go/hpindigo20000 and hp.com/go/PrintOS Š 2017 HP Development Company, L.P.

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Writing a good All of us have to apply for jobs for a start, a change or a necessity as the need may be.

How many of us, do you think, apply with the same generic, standard CV for all different and varied jobs that we come across?

I will say that a whole lot of us do that.

Do you think this is good? My answer will be NO, it is not good. In fact, it is quite “off putting” for the recruiters and decision makers.

Why do we do that? I guess it is an easy way out. It saves effort and saves time. But does it get the job done, does it serve its purpose? Well sometimes it may, but most of the time it does not.

A generic CV is only good for a profile, i.e. explaining and describing yourself to a specific audience. Say you are to be introduced to the management or

Board of Directors. Or you will appear as a guest speaker in a forum. A generic CV is what is required. The audience want to know you, learn about your background, want to know what experience you have and what you have you been doing.

To understand more, put yourself in a recruiter’s position. He/she is looking for specific experience/skills and background to find the best fit for the candidate and client. Time is limited and a whole bunch of CV’s have to be scrutinized.

Most of the recruiter’s will be focused on filling the position by choosing the required experience/attributes and will not be greatly inclined to search for additional or bonus attributes.

Now if the recruiter comes across a CV, in which the required experience and attributes are shown but are only a part of the CV, very hard to find, no effort on the part of the candidate to highlight and single out the most relevant period of his experience which is suitable for the position applied for, it is very likely that the recruiter will ignore this candidate.

Take the same candidate, if he/she had taken time out, studied the required profile and requirements, drafted the same CV in which all experiences were recorded but the required experience and attributes were highlighted in such a way that they stood out and were hard to miss, the recruiter would be more inclined to take the CV to the next stage. This is not the only advantage,

by doing this, it also showed that you cared for recruiter’s time, and you really do want this job. You have made a

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d CV special effort so that you would stand out and be selected.

Next time when applying for a position, take some time out, study the advertisement, try to find out as much as possible about the company (if the company name is given) on the net, do some research and then sit down to prepare the CV. Don’t hide, don’t put something which is not true, but ensure your skills, experience and required attributes are easier to see and quicker to find. This will make it easier to find your dream position that you are looking for.

About the Author: Rizwan Ghani is an Associate Director of Mood Group – A specialist headhunting and recruitment practice to the Printing, Packaging & Industrial Processing Sectors.

Rizwan’s LinkedIn profile https:// www.linkedin.com/in/rizwanghani2/ Please visit Mood Group www. moodgroup.co.uk

2019 PACKAGING CONFERENCE FAST TRACK FOR YOUR BUSINESS NEW DELHI - INDIA - MAY 6 - 8 - 2019

_018 019

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Global print in good health overall Global figures remain positive overall, with some regions and markets doing much better than others Political and economic concerns for the future cloud otherwise positive prospects for the majority Globally 40% of printers stated their company economic condition was ‘good’ in 2018 versus 13% who described their condition as ‘poor’, the rest were ‘satisfactory’. This gives a positive net balance of 27%. For Suppliers the positive net balance was 19%. Both groups remain optimistic with c.50% expecting things to be better in 2019.

Conditions vary between regions and between markets. So North America continued to enjoy strong growth in 2018, Europe and Australia enjoyed steady growth, whilst Asia, the Middle East and S/C America were cautious and Africa was in decline. The 2018 results reflect the established pattern

in most regions, although the decline in the Middle East and S/C America appears to be worsening.

Commercial market and Publishing remains subdued, with the encouraging exception of the books market.

The Packaging market thrives as does Functional, but there are clear signs of increasing caution in the

Sabine Geldermann, Director drupa, Messe Duesseldorf, commented, “The report shows that with a little more than

touchpoint packaging

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

Join the touchpoint packaging initiative Be part of it now:

www.drupa.com/tpp-en

drupa 2020 June 16–26, 2020 Dßsseldorf /Germany

45

Steering Committee:

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

46 a year to go to drupa 2020, the global industry is in robust health overall.

Clearly, there are significant differences in prospects across different regions and markets as demand rapidly changes with economic conditions and evolving uses of print. That is the real value of this drupa Global Trends series. It allows readers to track those trends over time and identify how printers and suppliers alike can best invest to secure a strong future within the industry.”

The findings come from the 6th major annual survey issued last autumn to the drupa Expert Panel of senior decision takers recruited from printers and exhibitors at drupa 2016 and run by Printfuture (UK) and Wissler & Partner (CH). Over 600 printers and 200 suppliers participated with all regions well represented.

Richard Gray, Operations Director at Printfuture stated, “Most panel members are positive overall about the future, despite very clear concerns about the economic and political prospects for 2019 and beyond. It is striking that many show an increasingly confident grasp of how to exploit the rapidly changing opportunities for print, as the

wider markets make increased use of digital communications.“ Most printers make money despite huge pressure on margins by increasing revenues through raising utilisation while keeping overheads as stable as possible. Globally we even saw a small increase in prices, despite substantial increases in paper/substrate prices.

Suppliers also saw revenues and prices rise globally but with an even sharper decline in margins.

Conventional print volumes continue to decline but slowly. In 2013, 23% of printers reported that Digital print was more than 25% of turnover.

In 2018, the proportion of printers had increased to 29%. Nevertheless, Sheetfed offset remains the most common form of print technology, present in 66% of all printers. Sheetfed offset volume continues to grow in Packaging but there was a clear decline amongst Commercial printers for the first time.

Web to Print volumes are climbing, but slowly. In 2014, 17% of participants with W2P installations reported more than 25% of turnover

came from that source. By 2018, that proportion of participants had increased to 23%. Yet the proportion of printers with W2P installations is static – 25% in 2014 and 25% in 2018.

In terms of Capital Expenditure, 41% of printers spent more in 2018 than 2017, while just 15% spent less and expenditure grew in all regions except Africa. Those in Packaging and Functional markets were very bullish while those in Commercial and Publishing markets were more cautious.

It was broadly the same pattern amongst Suppliers. For printers, Finishing equipment was the most common target in 2019, followed by Print technology and then PrePress/Workflow/MIS. As for Print technology, Digital toner sheetfed colour was the most common target for investment in 2019 for all markets, except for Packaging where Sheetfed Offset took first place. Yet the Packaging market saw a 5% growth in the proportion of SKU’s specifying digital print across all applications, except for Labels where the figure is already 40%.

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A Key for the Packaging Industry?

With package damage and loss still being an issue in the packaging and transport industry, Intel now offers their Connected Logistics Platform. Lowcost IoT sensors that are attached to packages collect data to inform about damage, location, shock, tilt, temperature and humidity of the shipped goods.

Now Intel offers a new Connected Logistics Platform (Intel CLP) that could be a key to reducing package damage and loss in the packaging and transportation industry.

With low-cost IoT sensors, the Intel CLP lets businesses monitor the condition and location of products within the supply chain. The platform

uses sensor tags, gateways and cloud components to monitor packages from loading to unloading.

Smart Sensors Collect All Relevant Data One of Intel’s sensors of their CLP is a single-use sensor tag that is attached to a standard deliverable good or a perishable product. The sensor

Günter Mazur and Heiko Mazur, Managing Directors, Häuser KG & DruckDiscount24.de

d

According to the European Space Agency’s Real-Time Intelligent Cargo Monitoring project, the struggle in the logistics industry is real: Round about 30 percent of all shipments are either damaged or delayed. Another 30 percent of delayed shipments are perishable goods that go to waste during their transportation. Some never even reach their destination.

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

51 collects data points on location, shock, tilt and damage. When it comes to food products the sensor informs the provider about atmospheric conditions, such as temperature and humidity. So, if a package is damaged, the sensor directly sends an alert. That means that the time when no one knew what happened or where the parcel got damaged, is over – thanks to Intel’s invention. Before reaching its destination, the sensors already transmit all information – if it’s necessary.

“Imagine the Possibilities of Shipments that are Smart and Connected” According to Tony Romero, responsible for Planning and Logistics at Intel, Intel ships over 170.000 tons of goods and materials every year: “Imagine the possibilities when these shipments are smart and connected.” The data that will be gathered and communicated during the transportation shall help to improve numerous business decisions

like rerouting if the demand shifts or even intercepting damaged shipments.

the data and alerts if it’s required. It communicates with industry developed cloud-based tracking applications.

The collected data will be sent to a gateway by using a proprietary wireless sensor protocol. If a sensor is unable to communicate with the gateway due to a blocked signal path, for example because it’s at the bottom of a pallet, it will reroute through other sensors in its proximity establishing a secondary link.

The gateway is battery-powered, collects

To reduce the initial set-up costs, the IoT sensors communicate with a low-cost proprietary wireless sensors network, instead of an expensive 4G connection. With the entire project Intel will provide a low-cost IoT solution for companies.

„With the new LEDcure,

we can get a huge amount of printing done. Here in Cologne‘s biggest printing company, tradition and innovation work hand in hand. The LED system from IST Metz is designed to offer top performance at low running costs. The new LEDcure can do even more than its predecessor, and

we can now print very efficiently!“ IST Metz LEDcure: The most efficient UV LED system of its kind

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Xeikon appoints new Asia Pacific director Xeikon has appointed Klaus Nielsen as Director Xeikon Asia Pacific. tNielsen will oversee Xeikon’s ongoing growth in the APAC region (Greater China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand).

This appointment enables Xeikon to manage the fast moving growth and demand in this region for greater brand creativity and consistency with its broad portfolio of versatile and innovative print production capabilities. Nielsen will also build on existing successful partnerships and seek to establish additional collaborations.

Nielsen joins Xeikon from Heidelberg where, since 1996, he has held various roles including Business Unit Manager (India), Project Manager (Australia), National Sales Manager (New Zealand) and Product and Marketing Director (Korea). He also held the role of Managing Director in India from 2007 to 2018.

"I am looking forward to sharing my years of experience from working in this very exciting region and promoting the benefits that Xeikon’s digital print portfolio can deliver,” said Nielsen. “As brands embrace shortrun, digital, fast turnaround print they can enjoy greater product versioning and focused targeting to elevate visibility.”

“We are delighted to welcome Klaus into his new role where he will continue to drive growth in this buoyant market,” said Benoit Chatelard, Xeikon President and CEO. “With his wealth of experience and years of knowledge he is perfectly placed to support the regional demand for brand integrity and

consistency. Xeikon’s portfolio enables enhanced packaging print production capabilities, greater versioning for languages, legislation and product options. It also helps deliver flexibility, quality and creativity while addressing developing trends.” Mr Nielsen is married with two children.

that won a Red Dot Design award this year – Fujifilm’s highest record to date.

19 other Fujifilm products across various divisions also received iF Design awards in 2019.

JET PRESS 750S WINS COVETED RED DOT DESIGN AND IF DESIGN AWARDS

New company Miraclon to meet packaging industry needs with KODAK FLEXCEL Solutions

Fujifilm’s Jet Press 750S has been recognised for its innovative design, collecting both the 2019 Red Dot and iF Design awards. The awards are two of the world’s three most prestigious design awards, alongside the American International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA), recognised internationally as a sought-after seal of approval for quality design.

Eastman Kodak Company and Montagu Private Equity LLP announced the completion of the sale of Kodak’s Flexographic Packaging Division (FPD). Now part of Montagu’s portfolio, the division operates as a standalone company known as Miraclon. As previously announced, Kodak’s flexographic leadership team has transitioned as part of the deal and will continue to directly manage this business.

The Jet Press 750S, new in 2018, features a striking and sleek, black and silver panelled body designed for easier to cleaning and maintenance. It is more compact in size than the 720S model, in order to maximise usability and streamline production workflow processes. Controls can be viewed remotely from a tablet or smartphone, contributing to the aesthetic appeal and functionality of the machine.

Mark Stephenson, Product Manager, Fujifilm Graphic Systems Europe comments: “We are delighted for the Jet Press 750S to have won these awards, as they are recognition of our dedication to continuous development in design and innovation. We have created a visually striking machine with every aspect tailored to enhance and improve the user experience, the functionality and the value of the product.

We are proud of what we have created in the Jet Press 750S, and delighted it has been recognised with these two awards.”

The Jet Press 750S was one of 24 Fujifilm products across its many divisions

Kodak completes sale of flexo division to Montagu

Proceeds at close were approximately $320 million, which included the gross purchase price of $340 million less agreed indebtedness, other items, and delayed proceeds related to a deferred close entity.

The net proceeds from the transaction will be used by Kodak to reduce outstanding term debt. The Company expects to refinance the remaining outstanding term debt.

Over the past five years, FPD has grown and thrived within Kodak and become a significant player in the package printing industry.

“Closing this sale was a priority for Kodak, and I’m proud we were able to execute on this plan and leverage a homegrown asset,” said Jim Continenza, Executive Chairman of Kodak.

“This is one of many steps we are taking to increase our financial stability and focus on generating cash for our shareholders.”

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53 Kodak remains committed to the print industry and delivering products and services that meet the evolving needs of printers. Following this transaction, Kodak will continue to focus on the demonstrated growth areas of SONORA environmental plates, enterprise inkjet, workflow software and brand licensing.

The Company is well positioned for the future by leveraging these growth engines and continuing to maximize value in commercial printing, film and advanced materials.

UBS Investment Bank acted as exclusive financial advisor and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP acted as legal advisor to Kodak for the transaction. Ernst & Young acted as financial advisor, Bain & Co. acted as commercial advisor and Linklaters LLP acted as legal advisor to Montagu for the transaction.

QLM GROUP NAMED GRAND WINNER The QLM Label Makers Group has won a total of 9 awards at the 12th HP Indigo Print Excellence Awards - Asia Pacific and Japan, announced in Dongguan, China on Wednesday night. The Awards ceremony was hosted at the Regal Palace Hotel as part of the Print China Exhibition being held concurrently to over 800 of the region's premier digital print companies in labels and packaging.

With winners from a total of 8 countries including Australia, China,

India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, the Australian headquartered company QLM Label Makers took top honours as the Grand Winner - Labels for their Food Label: Pukara Estate Mosaic Series that feautured over 1000 unique label designs. Brand owners Steve and Racquel Goodchild were there to receive the award along with representatives from QLM Label Makers Australia and Hoang Ha Label Co.Ltd (a member of the QLM Group) in Vietnam, where their marketing team is based. The QLM Group won awards in Grand Winner: QLM Group - Pukara Estate Mosaic Series Winner: Food Labels - Hoang Ha Label Co.: QLM Group - Vietnam Winner: Wine & Non-Alcholic Beverages - QLM Label Makers Australia Winner: Health & Beauty Labels QLM Label Makers Malaysia Special Recognition: Wine & Non-Alcholic Beverages - QLM Label Makers Malaysia Special Recognition: Wine & NonAlcholic Beverages - Hoang Ha Label Co.: QLM Group - Vietnam Special Recognition: Health & Beauty Labels - Hoang Ha Label Co.: QLM Group - Vietnam Special Recognition: Pharmaceutical Labels - QLM Label Makers Malaysia Special Recognition: Event and Campaign Labels - DIGI-WOW - QLM Group - Vietnam Other winners from Australia included Multi Color Corporation Australia as a joint Winner and Special Recognition Award in the Wine & Non-Alcoholic

Beverages category and Intelligent Media in the HP Indigo Fluorescent ElectroInk category for packaging.

Marketing Manager for the QLM Group Lindsay Nutley stated "We are both humbled and honoured that the QLM Group has won so many awards this year. We have been working hard with our digital platforms in all countries to achieve truly effective market outcomes for clients. These awards reflect both amazing print quality but also labels that achieve results in the market place. By working together as a group we have been able to see some really DIGI WOW outcomes."

Flint Group Announces Launch of nyloflex® FTH Digital Plate for Flexible Packaging Printing • Increased press uptime due to optimized plate formulation, avoiding ink fill-in • Cost savings through low ink consumption due to high solid ink density and improved ink laydown • Customizable inherently flat top dot plate for use with surface screening The newest member of Flint Group’s family of flat top dot plates, nyloflex® FTH Digital Plate, provides greater versatility for meeting the highest standards in flexible packaging printing. A solvent-processed plate with a smooth surface designed for use with surface screening, the new flexo plate provides high solid ink density and superb highlight performance for ultimate overall print results.

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The inherent flat top dot surface of the nyloflex® FTH Digital Plate is achieved without additional processing steps or consumable items. Exposure with either standard tube or LED UV-A light results in a flat top dot surface on the plate, which can be texturized with the latest surface screening technology to create a customized surface pattern to meet the specific requirements of the printer. The resultant micro-textured surface of the plate provides excellent ink laydown and improved solid ink density on flexible foil substrates.

The nyloflex® FTH Digital plate prints with extremely sharp highlight detail due to the very hard durometer of the plate. Its optimized formulation imparts special characteristics, including anti ink fill (AIF) properties, which allow for cleaner running plates with increased press uptime and excellent solvent resistance for longer lasting plates and consistent print. Extended print runs, fewer stops and the ability to reuse plates, decrease waste and offer additional cost-saving advantages to printers.

Plates are commercially available in .045” (1.14 mm) and .067” (1.70 mm) standard thicknesses and in 35 x 47 in. (900 x 1200 mm), 42 x 60 in. (1067 x 1524 mm), and 50 x 80 in. (1270 x 2032 mm) sizes. Contact your local sales representative or visit www. flintgrp.com to request a sample kit.

The nyloflex® FTH Digital plate is another example of Flint Group’s dedication to developing innovative solutions that are Better. Faster. Easier to use.

EFI Announces Definitive Agreement to be Acquired by an Affiliate of Siris Capital Group, LLC in all Cash Transaction Valued at Approximately $1.7 Billion EFI Shareholders to Receive $37.00 Per Share and Acquisition Expected to Close by Q3 2019 Company Announces Preliminary Q1 2019 Revenue Results of $220-$225 Million Electronics For Imaging, Inc. a world leader in customer focused digital printing innovation, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement (the “Agreement”) to be acquired by an affiliate of Siris Capital Group, LLC (“Siris”) in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.7 billion. Siris is a leading private equity firm focused on investing and driving value creation in technology companies that provide missioncritical solutions and are facing technology transitions.

Under the terms of the Agreement, which has been unanimously approved

by EFI’s Board of Directors, an affiliate of Siris will acquire all the outstanding common stock of EFI for $37.00 per share in cash. The purchase price represents an approximately 45% premium over EFI’s 90-day volumeweighted average price ended on April 12, 2019.

EFI may solicit alternative acquisition proposals from third parties during a “go-shop” period over the next 45 calendar days. EFI will have the right to terminate the Agreement to enter into a superior proposal subject to the terms and conditions of the Agreement. There is no guarantee that this process will result in a

superior proposal, and the Agreement provides Siris with a customary right to attempt to match a superior proposal. EFI does not intend to disclose developments with respect to the solicitation process unless and until it determines such disclosure is appropriate or is otherwise required.

“We believe this transaction delivers superior and immediate value to our shareholders while providing us with a partner that can add strategic and operational expertise to our business,” said Bill Muir, Chief Executive Officer of EFI. “We are excited to partner with Siris’ highly experienced team on this next phase of growth for EFI.” Commenting on the transaction, Frank Baker, a Siris Co-Founder and Managing Partner, said, “EFI is at the forefront of the digital transition in the imaging and print industry, underpinned by a strong software heritage and culture of innovation. We believe that, by partnering with Siris, EFI will be well positioned to capture this transformational opportunity associated with increased digital inkjet penetration, industrial automation and software enablement. We are eager to partner with management to help the Company achieve its strategic objectives.”

Commenting on the transaction, Al Zollar, a Siris Executive Partner, said “EFI has a 30-year legacy of leadership in the digital imaging market, with strong brand equity and a rich history of pioneering innovative solutions for its customers.

The Company’s portfolio of missioncritical products and services are united by a common thread of impressive technological enablement and software integration. I look

M

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PRODUCT TO-END IVIT D Y N E M U TIM

• Speeds up to 100 prints per min • Deliver vibrant image quality even on textured media • 2,400 x 2,400 dpi print resolution • Multi Density Adjustment Technology • “Right-first-time” output

EX CEP TIO

N A L P R I N T Q UA L I T Y

Setting New Standards in Image Quality & Productivity

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56 forward to supporting EFI’s strong team to help the Company anticipate evolving customer needs and drive new opportunities for innovation and growth.”

EFI’s Board of Directors has unanimously recommended that its shareholders adopt the Agreement with Siris. Subject to the goshop, a special meeting of EFI’s shareholders will be held as soon as practicable following the filing of the definitive proxy statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission(“SEC”) and subsequent mailing to shareholders.

Subject to the go-shop, the proposed transaction is expected to close by the third quarter of 2019 and is subject to approval by EFI’s shareholders, along with the satisfaction of customary closing conditions including antitrust regulatory approvals. The transaction is not subject to any financing conditions. Upon completion of the acquisition, EFI will become wholly owned by an affiliate of Siris.

EFI will file its quarterly report on Form 10-Q reporting its first quarter financial results but does not intend to host a quarterly earnings call. EFI currently expects Q1 2019 revenue to be between $220 million and $225 million.

Financing & Advisors Equity financing will be provided by investment funds affiliated with Siris.

Siris secured committed debt financing for the transaction from RBC Capital Markets, KKR Capital Markets LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Barclays, Credit Suisse, and Macquarie Capital.

Sidley Austin LLP is serving as corporate counsel, Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as financing counsel, and RBC Capital Markets is serving as M&A advisor to Siris in connection with the transaction. Morgan Stanley & Co. and Greenhill & Co., LLC are serving as financial advisors to EFI, and O’Melveny & Myers is serving as its legal counsel.

SC inks cited as the driving force Screen has confirmed the popularity of its Truepress Jet520HD series today with an announcement that 100 units of the Truepress Jet520HD and Truepress Jet520HD+ have now been shipped worldwide. With exclusive access to Screen SC inks, Truepress Jet520HD series users can maximise the exceptional quality already available on each press by printing on a wide range of paper stocks including standard offset coated stocks, without the need for pre-treatment.

Truepress Jet520HD and SC ink users include renowned German printers, Hubert&Co and Kohlhammer, whilst UK-based Bluetree and PrintOnDemand-Worldwide, and French printer TagG Informatique, have also invested in the technology.

Hervé Lesseur, the Founder of TagG Informatique, explains, “There is no equivalent technology to the Screen Jet520HD press that is operational and readily available in the market.”

“The HD press combined with the SC inks was the turning point in getting PODWW to shift from a toner-first to an inkjet-first company,” states PODWW Owner and Managing Director Andy Cork.

Hubert & Co Technical Director, Jutta Reimann, adds, “It was the inks that really convinced us. Delivering that

level of quality on coated paper with no pre-treatment, without altering the appearance or the feel of the paper is a significant advantage.”

Launched at HID 2017 to wide acclaim, Screen’s Truepress Jet520HD and SC inks were honoured with an InterTech™ Technology Award presented by Printing Industries of America, the US’s largest graphic arts trade association, shortly afterwards.

The Screen Truepress Jet520HD series are high-definition inkjet web presses with a true print resolution of 1,200 dpi and precise droplet size control at up to 150 metres per minute. The addition of Screen SC inks continues to provide the same wide colour gamut and stability as the standard Truepress inks whilst also featuring Screen’s unique absorption technology.

The recently announced Screen NIR Dryer technology works in conjunction with both the Truepress Jet520HD+ and the SC inks. The Dryer features newly enhanced drying functions, improving drying performance for both lightweight coated stocks and heavier weight, coated offset stocks. Print service providers are able to access an extended range of applications whilst offering more productivity for difficult-to-dry substrates with increased print speeds on offset coated stocks.

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Revolutionary AIS Scanner Automatic varnish and hot foil registration and fully compatible with VDF jobs

Innovative Software Suite Developed by MGI To improve efficiency and productivity

For advice on how Konica Minolta can help your business move forward, contact us at (65) 6361 2800 or enquiry@konicaminolta.sg

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 3 2019

58 Bui Burke, Senior Vice President of Sales at Screen Europe, says, “The inks are proving to be a significant factor in potential customers investing in the Truepress Jet520HD series and have certainly accelerated the number of installations. SC inks provide Screen customers with unrivalled access to exceptional quality outcomes whilst being an economic, low-cost solution for faster print turnarounds. To have shipped 100 units of the Truepress Jet520HD series worldwide is a huge achievement, and that number will continue to rise!”

Cancellation of FESPA China 2019, FESPA regrets to announce the cancellation of FESPA China 2019, following the recent launch of the event in January 2019.

The decision not to proceed with this year’s event is disappointing as there was increasing demand from the manufacturing community for this show, however, as a result of challenges arising with the venue and co-located event, which FESPA was unable to resolve to its satisfaction, unfortunately, the only course of action available is to cancel at this time.

FESPA remains committed to serving the community of speciality printers and manufacturers in China and across Asia, and will return to the region with Asia Print Expo in 2021, dates and location to be announced nearer the time. This follows the recent 2019 edition of Asia Print Expo in Bangkok.

The possibility of a future FESPA return to the Chinese mainland remains under review. FESPA will also continue to work closely with its Asian member Associations to deliver

knowledge-sharing and networking initiatives for the region’s printers.

Heidelberg and MK Masterwork introduces new folder gluer Diana Go Completing the product portfolio for the packaging market, the Diana Go is an entry level machine In the middle of March, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) and MK Masterwork (MK) presented the new Diana Go folder gluer for the packaging market at an open house event in MK’s European factory in Slovakia.

The Diana Go was developed on the basis of Heidelberg’s market requirements by the MK development team in Neuss, Germany, and offers both commercial and packaging printers a cost-effective, flexible, and productive entry-level machine with a comparatively small footprint. It can run a wide range of carton styles such as straightline and lockbottom as well as optionally special styles such as envelopes or CD covers. The Diana Go is able to hit a top speed of 250 m/min in a machine just over 9 meters long.

The optionally integrated glue, inspection, and ejector systems ensure high production quality. Designed for customers needing higher productivity and the ability to offer an expanded portfolio of products to their clients, the Diana Go is attractively priced to ensure a high return on investment in a very competitive market. As a result of technology transfer, the Diana Go has many design features present in the high-performance folder gluers of the Diana series to ensure reliable performance and peace of mind.

Coming less than two years after the introduction of the successful Diana Easy, the new Diana Go has now been added to the portfolio of postpress machines. The new model completes the portfolio of folder gluer models developed and produced by MK and sold via Heidelberg. Service is also provided via Heidelberg. The portfolio now includes the Diana Go as a compact entry-level solution, the Diana Easy, a popular general purpose machine with more than 30 machines now sold in 18 months, the Diana Smart, a 450 meter/min workhorse, and the long established peak performance Diana X. The success of the cooperation between Heidelberg and MK Masterwork is founded on the perfect fit between the two companies’ core strengths. MK Masterwork is the largest manufacturer of post-press equipment in the Asian region and has invested heavily in the manufacturing and R&D capacity needed to meet the demands of customers in the growing packaging market as the extensive development of the Slovakia site shows. With its global sales and service infrastructure, Heidelberg provides a worldwide distribution channel for MK Masterwork.

Digital printing solution for pouches Xeikon announces its digital printing solution for pouches. This latest innovation has been developed for consumer goods markets – food, beverage, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The digital process for printing on pouches responds to current trends, i.e. significant numbers of SKU’s, shorter lead times, and the rising popularity of pouches in store.

Brand owners looking for shelf impact

versioning and last minute adaptations on the fly. For busy print operations with a high volume and complex jobs looking to assess which process and technologies will give them an advantage, the crossover point for flexo and the digital process is at least 4000lm.

for their products are drawn to flexible pouches for their ability to stand, their light weight and their sustainability.

Xeikon has simplified a key part of the overall production process to provide a fast turnaround solution.

Filip Weymans, Xeikon’s Vice President Marketing, states: “This is a prime example of what we call "customer driven innovation”.

By focusing on this application, we are supporting our customers’ requirements and also responding to the current trends in consumer preference. This development takes our digital production portfolio to the next level. With its technological expertise, Xeikon is ideally positioned to provide innovative digital processes.”

Pouches can be reasonably complex to manufacture because of the flexible nature of their multi-layers.

It is essentially a laminated bag made from several layers of material that requires a number of different steps in production. Xeikon is helping to simplify the overall process to provide a fast turnaround solution.

By firstly digitally printing the text and graphics on a thermal laminate, the outside layer of the pouch is prepared and ready for the next steps.

A variety of different layers is then constructed by lamination with a series of barriers for protection before the pouch is finally put together in the manufacturing process. Xeikon’s digital printing solution offers the lowest possible complexity and the broadest lamination construction possible.

Marketers and brand owners see a lot of value in this kind of packaging for a variety of reasons, such as product presentation and functionality for the consumer. Pouches can also be sustainable: a pouch has a so-called "product-to-package" ratio of 35:1,

which essentially means that it can carry up to 35 times its own weight, resulting in less energy consumption to produce and to transport. Pouches can have a variety of different shapes depending on size, end-use application and functionality. Many brands are transitioning from rigid types of packaging to more flexible versions such as pouches.

Digital printing with Xeikon’s dry toner technology has many advantages.

It is not only the highest print quality on flexible substrates but there are also reductions in start-up costs and no job changeover costs. Importantly, the printer has the ability to print variable data information in both single and full colour. Xeikon’s digital dry toner technology allows JIT production,

Weymans concludes, “Xeikon continues to develop new innovations for diverse markets to meet today’s challenging and fast moving world of consumerism. With our broad technology portfolio, we are in a perfect position to respond to current market trends and develop any solution required. Our digital printing solution for pouches utilizes our dry toner technology, which comes with a guarantee for food safety. This technology also ensures consistency and an equal finish to offset (am screen) and to flexo when colour matching is required. With our aXelerate programme, our dedicated teams provide direct and personal training and support for our customers every step of the way. Xeikon is committed to providing only the very best products and services.”

_018 019 2019 PACKAGING CONFERENCE FAST TRACK FOR YOUR BUSINESS MAY 2019