Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia

LABELS & PACKAGING

INNOVATION ASIA

2 -21

Read the full article on page 32

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_018 21 ASIAN PACKAGING EXCELLENCE AWARDS Results announced very soon COVER STORY Packaging applications are a thriving and growing segment of the industry, full article on page 32 4

Planning for Profitability in Labels and Packaging 2021 2021

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MPS Systems - The Performance Supplier

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Demand is increasing for films with performance features

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Nuflex Graphics on a mission to bring the best in flexo pre-

press to a wider market

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Thailand’s packaging market to reach 74.5 billion units

at 2.7% CAGR by 2024

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Tullis Russell specifies Vetaphone for new Kroenert line

of all sizes and markets

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Woodworking surface decoration Digital horizons in reach?

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Flexible stand-up pouches free of potentially

hazardous chemicals.

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Packaging applications are a thriving and growing segment

of the industry

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XSYS – Stronger positioned in the Asian market

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BOBST is one step ahead featuring new capabilities for

converters and revealing a new gravure press

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Georgia-Pacific Acquires 3rd HP PageWide Corrugated Press

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Mega Label Malaysia installs second Gallus ECS 340

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Huge potential for innovative V-shapes single dose packaging

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FUJIFILM's ink expertise helps world leader to

reach new heights

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Packaging outlook is bright for Asia

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Extends its WB wrap-around packing platform to

handle RSC cases

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Companies in the Middle East upping folding cartonproduction

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News from around the world and around the region

Asian Print Awards Management Pte Ltd 65 Chulia Street #46-23 OCBC Centre Singapore 049513 Chairman

Paul Callaghan paul@printinnovationasia.com

Conference Director

Elizabeth Liew elizabeth@printinnovationasia.com Editor Sha Jumari sha@printinnovationasia.com

Chairman Judging Panel 2020 Packaging Excellence Awards Judges -Wim Swiggers - Phee Boon Eow Ben Kwok SHIFT_20 (AFTA) has 11 active Committee members for 2019/2020 For everything you need go to www.printinnovationasia.com

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 2 2020 -

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Planning for Profitab Packaging 2021 The Top 10 Trends that Will Influence and Shape the Year Ahead As the new year begins, label and packaging printers/converters are developing strategic plans to guide business and operational decisions in the year ahead. Setting a profitable course in the year ahead starts with identifying the key trends and forces that are shaping the competitive landscape and offering opportunities, so as to be best positioned to respond to them.

This special report leverages ongoing industry surveys and market monitoring to identify the top trends and considerations for harnessing profitable label and packaging opportunities in 2021.

TOP 10 TRENDS FOR 2021 #1. COVID-19 Déjà Vu? The most influencing force for what lies ahead in 2021 is the COVID-19 pandemic. Much of what happens this year will depend on when limitations on in-person events are lifted, when more businesses can operate at full capacity, and when schools can reopen fully. But there are many reasons for optimism, including the following: • The approval and rollout of vaccines • The availability of rapid in-home testing kits • The development of therapeutics necessary to control the virus • The expected growth of the U.S. economy, which economists surveyed

by The Wall Street Journal anticipate will this year exceed the fastest growth rate in two decades Prospects look good at the start of the year, but economic recovery will not reach full strength until people are comfortable traveling, staying in hotels,

being in large crowds, and participating in all types of activities they enjoyed prior to the pandemic. While no one knows when that will be, the start of the vaccine rollout is a positive sign.

The good news for labels and packaging is that this segment of the printing industry proved to be more resilient in 2020 than others that experienced steep sales declines.

Among the reasons that label and packaging printing were able to successfully weather economic shutdowns is that these print applications support many essential products, including food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, spirits, consumer product goods, and personal protection equipment.

The pandemic has increased and continues to increase demand for certain products that offer opportunities for labels and packaging providers, including: • Spirits/alcohol

• Household cleaning and disinfectant products • Bread machines • Yeast • Hair dye • Computer accessories • Fitness equipment • Board games • Jigsaw puzzles • Subscription boxes for pre-made meals • Face masks • Pandemic test kits and vaccine kits • Personal protective equipment (PPE) #2. The Packaging Evolution From Functional Container to a Brand Ambassador Continues Continuing innovations in printing technology will enable packaging to expand its functional role from that of a container that transports products or a label that identifies “what’s inside” to that of a marketing vehicle. Packaging is often the fifth “P” in the marketing mix for brand owners looking for

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 4 - 2020

bility in Labels and

Brand owners recognize the marketing and promotional potential offered by packaging and are looking for innovative and engaging packaging solutions for consumer and industrial applications. According to a recent NAPCO Research survey of brand owners, producing compelling or visually attractive packaging was a top priority for a majority of respondents (Figure 1).

Other important objectives centered on finding ways to enhance packaging’s ability to engage customers (i.e., more versions, personalization, ways to make products stand out from competitors, while connoting the quality of the product inside.

A product’s packaging makes a strong first impression on consumers, and 79% of brand owners participating in a NAPCO Research survey said that packaging is a key marketing tool for their products. Companies recognize that their products’ labels and packaging are a powerful extension of their organization and are often a customer’s first experience with a brand.

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 2 2020 -

6 released limited-edition tubes made from paperboard for two of its largest deodorant brands, Secret and Old Spice (Figure 3). By 2030, P&G brands have committed to using 100% recyclable or reusable packaging while reducing the use of virgin petroleum-content plastic by 50%.

Figure 3: Procter & Gamble Deodorants Feature Sustainable Design embellishment, smart packaging), improve supply chain management through better inventory management, and meet regulatory requirements. #3. Sustainability Is Top of Mind for Brand Owners The impact of labels and packaging on the environment will continue to be an essential priority for brand owners, retailers, and packaging printers and converters.

Consumer demands for sustainable packaging influence designs, substrates, printing processes, and provider selections.

In today’s marketplace, consumers want transparency. Customers want to know how a company is producing its packaging. Will the material make a negative impact on the environment?

Was the material sourced ethically? Was the process used to print the packaging sustainable?

According to NAPCO Research’s study Adding Value to Digital Printing, sustainable packaging is a top priority for brand owners and a key factor when selecting printers and convertors (Figure 2). Product packaging is a highly visible way to demonstrate commitment to sustainability. From using recycled and recyclable materials to using printing processes that eliminate chemicals and reduce waste, brand owners are turning to package printers and converters for guidance in overcoming challenges in developing more sustainable packaging.

The importance of sustainability can be seen in the actions taken across the many industries that use packaging. For example, Procter & Gamble recently

In another example, providers of bottled water are considering aluminum, paperboard, and flexible formats as alternatives to the traditional plastic bottle.

Digital printing is often considered more sustainable than other printing processes since it eliminates the use of printing plates and press chemistry.

Digital printing also reduces makeready waste, as presses can print salable products almost immediately.

In addition, the ability to print short runs can eliminate waste created from product obsolescence. A recent NAPCO Research survey found that combating waste created by rapid product obsolescence was a top challenge for 30% of brand owner respondents.

In addition, hybrid printing processes that combine digital printing with flexography offer production and sustainability advantages. #4. E-commerce’s Meteoric Rise Will Boost Label and Packaging Opportunities The pandemic increased the volume of online product purchasing, as people looked to avoid contact with others or found that products were sold out in local stores. Growth in e-commerce sales will likely continue in the year ahead, as consumers have become

accustomed to online ordering and the supply chain has adapted to meeting increased volumes.

Consider the following sampling of 2020 statistics on e-commerce: • U.S. consumers spent $211.5 billion online during Q2, up 31.8% from the previous quarter, ac- cording to the U.S. Census Bureau.

• Nestlé reports e-commerce sales grew 49% in the first six months of the year to reach 12.4% of sales (compared to 8.5% of sales in 2019).

• E-commerce growth for the week ended August 1 rose 71% Y/Y, per aggregated Bank of America credit and debit card data.

The increase in e-commerce retail sales is creating demand for all types of packaging, from labels to folding cartons to corrugated packaging.

Secondary packaging like corrugated material is assuming a heightened role beyond protecting products against breakage, maintaining freshness during delivery, and keeping a consistent look-and-feel across multiple selling channels.

The corrugated shipping box has become a key part of the e-commerce brand experience. Brands selling products online now require secondary packaging to carry their images beyond the retail outlet and into the consumer’s home, increasing brand owner demand for unique and high-quality designs on their corrugated shipping boxes.

Digital printing of corrugated material supports e-commerce marketers in their quest to deliver products in packaging that stands out and creates memorable customer experiences. Inkjet printing technology can now meet quality and

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 4 - 2020

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8 production speed requirements for printing the entire box — not just marking and coding. For example, inkjet technology, like Memjet’s DuraLink® platform, can print at speeds of around 15 boxes per minute, in high-resolution full color. More importantly, every box can be different, eliminating the need to warehouse preprinted boxes, as well as the time and labor of positioning and selecting from multiple-size boxes.

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#5. Digital Storefronts for Labels and Packaging: Not If, but When The buying habits of label and packaging customers are changing as a new generation of customers is emerging who want to order and submit jobs via online portals. Packaging and label producers who don’t actively sell through digital storefronts had better get used to the idea of ceding serious market share to those who do.

Brand owners participating in NAPCO Research studies frequently report that shelf competition, lifestyle shifts, changing regulations, and product safety are key packaging influencers that play directly to digital printing’s strengths. Digital printing’s ability to produce versioned packaging and labels more effectively than conventional printing lets brand owners offer more compelling versions that stand out on crowded retail shelves. Variable-data printing of expiration dates, barcodes, and batch numbers also enables manufacturers and distributors to track products and offer buyers essential product information.

Digital storefronts offer label and packaging buyers access to the shortrun, quick-turnaround production services they are increasingly demanding. In addition, online ordering appeals to customers who are often shut out of the market by high minimum-orderquantity (MOQ) requirements and other norms of long-run production.

These customers include emerging brands, start-up businesses, creative agencies, and others who need labels and packaging just like everyone else, only not in mass-market quantities.

Packaging and label printers who don’t actively sell through digital storefronts should investigate options for doing so, and determine whether to add them. #6. Digital Printing: The Time Is Now! Nearly three decades after the introduction of digital printing devices for commercial production environments, the move to more widespread use of digital presses in packaging printing has begun. The removal of barriers that halted more mainstream adoption in label and

Brand owner requirements, changing regulatory labeling requirements, substrate limitations, quality, production workflow, finishing, color matching, and technology investment costs were all among the factors inhibiting widespread growth of digital printing in packaging. Ongoing progress in technology innovation, early adopter successes, process simplification, brand owner creativity, and competitive drive are all forces removing former adoption obstacles, positioning digital printing of packaging for mainstream use.

Digital printing offers label and packaging producers and their customers many attractive benefits.

According to the NAPCO Research study Lowering Entry Barriers in Digital Printing for Packaging, sponsored by Memjet, the top benefits reported by survey respondents that print labels and packaging on digital devices include the ability to accommodate

customers’ short-run production needs (57%), faster turnaround (49%), personalization (48%), the ability to cost-effectively print prototypes or short-run samples (45%), the ability to print multiple versions in a single print run (43%), and the ability to print only what is needed (43%), thus reducing inventory (Figure 4).

Digital printing offers label and packaging producers the advantages of agility, efficiency, and opportunity.

According to a recent NAPCO Research survey, 80% of brand owners said that they prefer to work with printers and converters that offer digital printing.

Another proof point on the acceptance of digital printing in labels and packaging is from a survey of printers and converters serving the food-andbeverage market — one of the largest users of labels and packaging. Labels and packaging for food and beverage products can be as important as the product itself. Packaging printers and converters serving that market report in a NAPCO Research survey that their customers accept digitally printed labels and packaging (Figure 5).

Survey participants serving the foodand-beverage market were asked to rank the level of challenge in relation to customers resisting digital printing.

Close to three-fourths of respondents (74%) reported no or only a slight challenge, indicating that their foodand-beverage customers accept digital printing.

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 4 - 2020

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Overall, market demand for digital printing in the food-and-beverage market is growing as brand owners seek to meet customer demands for more variety, expanded product information, and reimagined containers aligned with changing lifestyles. #7. Inkjet Will Expand Digital Printing Adoption Many forces at play are allowing more companies to leverage the benefits of inkjet in printing labels, corrugated materials, folding cartons, and flexible packaging. The ability to print directly onto various substrates, including corrugated material, folding cartons, and flexible films, makes inkjet an attractive and less complex process compared to alternatives.

Inkjet printing of packaging is the next stage in print providers/converters’ evolution to serve brand owners.

Competitive cost structures, faster printing speeds, enhanced image quality, and the ability to print on a wider variety of substrates are breaking barriers that previously restricted inkjet technology from achieving wider use in label and packaging applications.

According to Lowering Entry Barriers in Digital Printing for Packaging, survey respondents who printed labels and packaging on digital presses were asked if they printed those applications on inkjet presses. Over half of respondents reported printing labels and/or packaging on inkjet presses, with 45% printing labels and 22% printing packaging (Figure 6). Of the

respondents who did not print labels and/or packaging on digital inkjet presses, 11% were planning to do so in the future.

Inkjet printing is creating new opportunities in label and packaging applications for current providers and those organizations looking to expand in this print market. Ongoing innovations in printheads, inks, and substrates are enabling printers and converters to transition work from analog presses to new-breed digital printing systems that can handle both current products and new ones not previously possible.

Printheads with modular designs — versus fixed print bars —are enabling flexibility in developing solutions for a wide range of applications and investment budgets. The ability to stitch together multiple printhead modules enables equipment manufacturers to build a wide range of inkjet presses, from entry-level to high-end production. This means companies

can enter the packaging market without having to make large investments in complex equipment.

Inkjet printing can accommodate many features brand owners expect in their packaging. Buyers of labels and/or packaging expect their providers to offer products that: • Are compelling and visually attractive • Engage customers • Meet color standards • Adhere to tight deadlines and fast turnaround schedules • Can be ordered in desired (required minimum) quantities • Accommodate higher numbers of stock keeping units (SKUs) • Support more targeted versions • Comply with changing regulations • Meet environmental standards #8. Tabletop Options Are Advancing Use of Digital Presses There is a digital printing device for every budget and pressroom size, from presses costing well into the seven figures to tabletop devices for a few thousand dollars. A typical barrier to entering or expanding in the packaging market is investment cost.

Over half of respondents to the recent NAPCO Research/Memjet survey report that digital presses for labels and packaging are more affordable and offer attractive opportunities (Figure 7).

As label and packaging printers pursue digital printing, it’s important to recognize that the technology is not limited to full-size production presses.

Tabletop digital printers are an option

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 2 2020 -

10 to achieve value-add embellishments similar to those produced on conventional presses.

Flexo units can print different embellishments or even print whites.

For example, in jobs that require a heavy flood coat of underlay white, using a flexo white instead of a digital white costs a lot less.

that help label printers in a wide range of markets.

While not the optimal choice for longer runs or massive campaigns, compact digital tabletop printers serve a vital niche by offering affordable short runs, personalization, and prototyping.

Digital benchtop printers give users a cost-effective way to add shortrun and small-batch label printing to their businesses. Label converters can use these systems for micro runs and prototyping work.

Many converters new to digital printing are using a benchtop solution to bring digital inkjet printing into their business for the first time. As demand and volumes for shorter runs or versioning work increase, such converters typically scale up solutions. #9. Hybrid Flexo/Inkjet Printing Offers the Best of Both Worlds As digital printing continues to expand its presence in the packaging industry, printers and converters are investing in offerings that combine digital and conventional technologies to benefit from the advantages each technology offers. Hybrid printing systems that combine technology types are offering advantages and benefits to packaging printers and converters.

The creation of a “hybrid” printing system entails adding an inkjet-powered print engine, often called a retrofit, onto an existing analog printing press.

This combined use of digital inkjet and analog production processes within one printing system is commonly referred to as “hybrid printing.”

In the label segment, hybrid printing, which often combines inkjet and flexographic technologies, has emerged as a solution to provide the best of both worlds in a single-pass process. A few years ago, the printing speeds of digital and slow changeovers of flexography would have been prohibitive to the use of hybrid solutions. But times have changed.

Hybrid printing solutions give label printers much greater production flexibility. They can still use their flexographic presses to produce longerrun jobs, while the hybrid option extends their capabilities to include customized labels and packaging, higher graphic content, smaller lot sizes, and faster cycle times.

Label provider G2 ID Source, Jacksonville, Fla., reports operational benefits from investing in hybrid printing. The company added the Colordyne 3600 Series AQ retrofit to its existing flexographic press and finishing equipment, an investment that enabled it to produce more work faster. For example, company officials report printing a job 100% flexo takes four times longer and costs four times more than producing it on its hybrid press.

Hybrid technology can help packaging printers/converters achieve the shortrun advantages of digital, while still implementing the embellishment capabilities of flexography. A growing product benefiting from hybrid printing is alcoholic beverages. Craft beer, wine, and spirits are products that often have short-run label requirements.

Printing these types of labels on hybrid presses enables digitally printed labels

#10. Enhancing Customer Experiences and Engagement Labels and packaging play a vital role in creating customer experiences and engagement. A visit to any retail store offers insight into the challenges brand owners face in improving and enhancing the marketing power of their labels and packaging. Crowded retail shelves are lined with a dizzying variety of product versions and sizes.

Brands of all sizes want innovative and engaging packaging options that enable their products to stand out from the competition Brand owners value print providers that can advise and educate them on ways and technologies available to enhance their labels and packaging.

A recent NAPCO Research study on value- added digital printing effects finds that over half of brand owners want to work with print providers that provide them with ideas for enhancing their labels and packaging, offer the latest environmentally suitable technologies, educate them on new capabilities and special effects, and offer recommendations for improving brand security and protection (Figure 8).

FINAL THOUGHT The year ahead offers label and packaging printers/converters many opportunities to enhance productivity, improve profitability, and strengthen customer relationships. While industry trends and customer expectations are ever-changing, making strategic business investments in technology and serving brand owners — based on market realities — are solid approaches for staying ahead of the competition.

Aligning strategies and tactics with the forces influencing competition and customer expectations are essential for setting a course to profitability in 2021 and beyond.

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MPS Systems -

The Performance Supplier PIA sat down with Atze Bosma, CEO of MPS Systems, to discuss the company’s ‘Beyond the Machine’ concept and what this means to the label industry. By Sha Jumari.

Headquartered in The Netherlands, MPS Systems is a manufacturer of flexo, offset and hybrid printing presses. The company’s printing presses are used in the fast growing label and flexible packaging industries in food and beverage, household products and pharmaceuticals. At the helm of MPS Systems is CEO Atze Bosma. He joined the company in 2019 and has led MPS for nearly two years.

When asked on his experience at MPS thus far, Bosma said: “When you start a new career ambition like this, you never know what to expect. When I stepped in at MPS, I was really welcomed and felt I could add value because of my experiences from other industries, such as global responsibility for all packaging lines at Heineken. So it was a good match, I would say. There's lots of ambition and innovation, and it's a great company to work for.”

MPS is a Dutch company, a trait Bosma takes pride in as this sets the company

apart from competitors: “Besides having very robust, high quality and highly automated machines, compared to our competitors, we are a small company, kind of a family business.

We have a very lean overhead so we are more flexible, and can easily adapt.”

This flexibility can attribute to MPS’ quick adaptability to its customers when COVID-19 first hit. MPS continued operating at full production with 24hour service to support all business demands for its customers.

Redefining Customer Experience in COVID-19 Times Like many industries all over the world, the print and packaging industry has been affected by the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. Within the label industry, however, there has been an uptick. Many of MPS’ customers continued running high production levels as demands remained high for the sectors served.

“Actually, it's a strange thing, because we were prepared for the worse from the alarming messages earlier on in the year, but the reverse is taking place,” said Bosma. “In fact, we’re experiencing very strong business with a good turnover. But the fact is that most of our clients deliver to retail, food- and pharma-related companies.

Global demand for these products heavily increased from the beginning of the pandemic, upwards of 30%.

We continue to work closely with our customers to make sure their capacity is sufficient.”

As physical and social distancing became the new normal in the advent of COVID- 19, industry events are being put on the backburner and traveling to meet clients has become almost impossible. The industry has experienced a major transformation in which the bulk of customer contact is by conference calls and remote meetings. While it has its limitations, Bosma highlighted one key benefit.

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14 “Usually when we send someone to visit a customer, there are sometimes business complexities that is hard for just one person to grasp. With conference calls, we can have an engineer, application specialist and a salesperson all together in the same conversation - a far broader team is available to serve the client,” Bosma said.

In addition, MPS provides remote access to its machines. Should there be any issues that affect productivity of an MPS press, the company is able to remotely connect to the machine and acquire real-time data exchange.

“We’ve already implemented this for over a decade. This team is exceptionally active in understanding various issues that our customers face, and we can easily have direct access to what is happening in the press because of the data exchange. That brings a lot of value to our customers; about 80% of all machine issues are solved remotely,” said Bosma.

How to achieve optimal press performance This valuable real-time data exchange capability was the core of MPS’ concept, ‘Beyond the Machine’. Initially unveiled at Labelexpo Europe in 2019, the approach places the focus on the processes outside of the printing press in order to have the most efficient production.

“The idea of ‘Beyond the Machine’ is really our vision, and we have fully developed this and embrace it completely. We discovered that having a very robust machine is great, but there's so much more to having a great machine to achieve its highest performance. You need the right logistics, you need well trained operators, you need to properly prepare your material and inks; there's a number of other factors which take place around the press,” said Bosma.

Bosma further explained that having a high-quality machine is simply not enough anymore: “We want our presses to run with the absolute highest quality, at the most efficient speeds, and lowest change-over timing, in order to be the most successful presses in the world.

We can only do this by focusing on the elements that affect performance, and

we call this going beyond the machine.”

In order to do so, MPS Systems collaborates frequently with industry partners, as well as its customers.

According to Bosma, this concept is being embraced by its customers.

“We strive for customer performance.

When we do that, we can increase the performance of our presses. In fact, this can be at the expense of press sales.

We’ve had quite a few cases where we could help our customers achieve much higher performance levels, and as a result, they didn’t need to buy a new machine,” Bosma continued. “That is a strange thing for a press manufacturer to do, but not for a performance supplier - which is our focus.”

Bosma added that ‘Beyond the Machine’ needs to be an industry norm. Within the label industry, there is still a large manual aspect in the business. Even with digital presses,

the printing process still requires some form of manual work and movement, such as when it comes to managing the material. Compared to other industries such as automotive, there is not a strong focus on automation.

“The whole performance can be on a higher level that it is today, in the label industry at least,” Bosma explained.

“The conventional label industry is still not a fully automated process.

Therefore, the costs of waste and inefficiencies is quite high. All the efforts which can improve a customer’s performance is a good thing, so there’s much to be gained for the industry.”

Focus on Data Connectivity ‘Beyond the Machine’ places the spotlight on four key processes:

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 4 - 2020

15 The platform enables constant communication between MPS and the print operators.

“We focus on the sensor technology in order to see all the elements which are automated in impressions. MPS presses are heavily automated, so we can capture all the data from the motors, sensors, even the temperature - and from operator settings as well. We have hundreds of data points and we collect them every few seconds, so we can see exactly what is happening inside the press and how it is done,” Bosma continued.

connectivity, applications, productivity, and service. One of the elements that MPS heavily invests in is connectivity.

“We have over 500 presses distributed all over the world. We want to support our customers on a detailed level, such as how to do the better changeovers and set ideal pressure settings while making sure they don’t lose too much material. If you want to find your ways on operational elements, to understand and give feedback and service to customers, you need to know a lot about the entire production process,” said Bosma.

MPS’ latest generation of label printing presses is equipped with MPS’ ‘talk to me’ connectivity platform. This platform connects printing machines and workflow with Management Information Systems (MIS) for realtime data exchange and control.

“In order to do so, we needed to delve very deep in the data, so we invested in an Internet of Things (IoT) platform.

We have edge computing, meaning that we are delivering the data streams in a very modern way, via a data factory. We set up a so called “digital twin” for our machines so that we can see the data every second and view what’s going on.”

Interpreting the Data into Practical Information In addition to having a range of intelligent presses, MPS offers support from its expert panels that interpret the collected data in performance reports and benchmarking, and give recommendations for improvements.

With the data intelligence collected from the presses, analysts can determine what can be improved in a company’s printing practices and processes.

“We’ve heavily invested in data analysts; people who are able to crunch the data and make valuable information from it. From the data and the dashboards, we provide unbiased insights to the customer. We just give the facts, and from there we determine whether improvements are possible,” said Bosma.

“What should be highlighted is that the data is not the key; the information is.

It's not that we show the dashboard and then walk away. We really go in and try to interpret what we see,” Bosma emphasized.

At a defined frequency such as once a month, depending on the chosen Performance Program, the customer

and their operation managers can have an in-depth discussion with a multidisciplinary team from MPS that includes trainers, engineers, and data analysts to discuss the captured data over the last month.

“For example, if the customer has difficulty with maximizing speeds, we will do an analysis on the speeds to find why they’re not optimal. Then we define action plans, which can include training to help check for reasons why the speed is low and how to increase it. In due time, perhaps in a month or a few weeks, the speed goes up. Once we see the result, we celebrate this, and then we go to the next issue. It's always with a goal to improve.”

All of the data control and interpretation is done via a cloud.

Geographical boundaries are a nonissue in the cloud, so MPS can cater to all its customers, including those from Asia. Additionally, the data factories are delivering secured and protected information to the customer, so customers can be assured that the data is never outside of the communication line.

If a customer wants to have access to the data, MPS can provide the dashboards: “In the end we have business intelligence dashboards, where we are doing analysis today, every day, with all kinds of customers.

The customers which are front runners can have access to this dashboard, so that they can have their own perspective on the situation,” Bosma added.

“A year ago, ‘Beyond the Machine’ was a revolutionary concept for our customers and the label industry. We understood the importance it has, and were at the forefront of a dramatic and positive change. We’ve since had many discussions with customers who understand and are ready to implement this concept, showing that we are on the right track. I’m personally embracing ‘Beyond the Machine’ with even more enthusiasm and energy, because we know we are right, and we want to share the benefits with all our customers as soon as possible. Our quest is to not simply sell a machine, but to increase our customer’s performance and success,” Bosma concluded.

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Demand is increasing for films with performance features DIC and Jindal Poly Films Reached a Consensus to Collaborate in the Area of Functional CPP Films in India—Alliance will leverage the competitive resources of both DIC and Jindal to meet rising needs for sustainable food packaging in India

Examples of food packaging made with functional CPP film DIC Corporation has for some time been exploring the possibility of an alliance with India’s Jindal Poly Films Limited, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film, with the aim of helping to foster a market for functional cast polypropylene (CPP) film in India.

Today, DIC announced that the two companies have reached a consensus to collaborate in this area. India, like other countries, is experiencing a greater need for products with performance features that respond better to environmental concerns—including by complying with tighter restrictions on the use of disposable plastics—and sanitation issues.

In the food packaging field, demand is increasing for films with performance features that meet such needs. Of particular note, demand for functional CPP film, which contributes to the realization of reducing plastics, monomaterial packaging, is expected to expand in the future.

Anticipating growth in the Indian market for CPP film, Jindal Poly Films entered this business in 2018, at which time it also approached DIC to propose collaboration.

Having determined that working with Jindal Poly Films would be an important first step in nurturing demand in the promising Indian market, DIC explored the proposal in detail.

Collaborative initiatives in the following three spheres are under consideration by the two companies, with concrete activities expected to commence within fiscal year 2021 at the earliest: • Entering into a technology licensing agreement whereby DIC would extend packaging technologies to Jindal Poly Films; • Developing and mass-producing functional CPP film using DIC technologies at Jindal Poly Films’ plant in India.

• Conducting joint sales of functional CPP film manufactured by Jindal Poly Films in India with a view to establishing a joint venture.

DIC’s packaging materials business has focused primarily on Japan. Through this business, the Company has sought to provide value to society through the improvement of environmental performance, i.e., by making films thinner to reduce plastic use, and enhancing performance features such as easy peel, which makes packaging easier to open.

Amid growing sustainability-related needs, DIC aims to expand its films business by capitalizing on this collaboration with Jindal Poly Films to introduce advanced technologies cultivated in Japan to the Indian market, which offers substantial opportunities for Japanese companies seeking to make inroads and which is expected to see significant growth going forward. wth this year despite the challenging trading conditions created by a global pandemic.

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Nuflex Graphics on a best in flexo pre-press Based in Pune, India, Nuflex Graphics is a company providing flexo prepress solutions. Formed in 2019, the new company adopts a “sell on technology” principle.

“We want to democratize high-quality pre-press for packaging, because too many smaller brands think it’s only for the bigger players. We aim to make it available to every brand at a pricepoint that’s right for them. That will benefit everyone, elevating the industry through a better understanding of technology,” said Nikhil Puntambekar, director of Nuflex Graphics.

According to Puntambekar the “sell on technology” principle is a goal that every technology-based business aims for, and one that Nuflex is achieving, recording strong growth this year despite the challenging

trading conditions created by a global pandemic.

Right technology, right partner It helps having the right technology at the heart of the business — in Nuflex’s case, the KODAK FLEXCEL NX System, supplied and supported by Miraclon — and the right partner.

Nuflex is part-owned by Mumbai-based Numex Blocks, which brings over 30 years’ experience in flexo packaging prepress to the partnership, and serves all packaging segments, including narrow, mid- and wide-web.

The company offers customers large and small the same proposition: a complete prepress solution, including press fingerprinting and trials as well as final plate imaging.

“Smaller customers really welcome such an extensive package, because the smaller the business, the more support it needs to get to the next level,” said Puntambekar.

Nikhil Puntambekar, director of Nuflex Graphics

Fast turnaround and consistent quality Nuflex’s offering has been shaped by Puntambekar’s in-depth understanding of local market conditions, and his strong links to the corrugated packaging sector. He identified fast-

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mission to bring the s to a wider market NX DigiCap NX patterning technology won over a sceptical customer.

“They doubted our claim that DigiCap NX meant a single hit of white instead of a double, but we achieved it with the same densities and visual results.

White’s the most expensive pigment, so reducing consumption at the same time as speeding things up brings real value to the process,” said Puntambekar.

He added that consumer pressure for more sustainable packaging production is a further driver of process conversion.

turnaround delivery of FLEXCEL NX plates to customers as a major reason for Nuflex’s success, usually within 24 hours and often on the same day.

“It’s becoming the norm, so it’s expected of us. Production runs are getting shorter as consumption patterns change. It helps that from the start we’ve been able to put robust production practices and disciplines in place,” said Puntambekar.

the simplified workflow and problemfree printing at their end, so there’s value throughout the production chain.”

Just as important is the consistent quality of the plates: “FLEXCEL NX delivers the right densities and colors, and these hold true across the spectrum of the work we produce — labels, flexible packaging, pouches, shrinksleeves and corrugated. Customers like

“This is apparent in every segment, but especially in flexible packaging,” added Puntambekar.

A further analysis of Nuflex’s performance shows that most growth is organic, encouraged by the quickening pace at which flexo is taking is gaining market share from other processes, gravure in particular.

As an example, he cited a shrink sleeve product where the better halftone reproduction achieved with FLEXCEL

Similar process conversion, this time from offset to flexo, is apparent in the corrugated segment, which Puntambekar regards as a good avenue for growth, helped by FLEXCEL NX’s ability to print 150lpi.

“Liquor brands in particular are actively exploring conversion, and the nationwide ban on plastic bags imposed in 2019 means paper bags are a good opportunity. In some cases, we’ve converted customers from five colors to four colors using FLEXCEL NX,” said Puntambekar.

Predicting the future is difficult at the present time, but Puntambekar expects these trends to continue, and for circumstances to generate more inorganic growth: “We’re seeing production return to India from neighboring countries, and a move to localized manufacturing even within national borders.”

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Thailand’s packaging market to reach 74.5 billion units at 2.7% CAGR by 2024 The packaging sector in Thailand is expected to reach 74.5 billion units by 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.7% for the forecast period of 2019-2024, according to GlobalData.

Consumers are showing more curiosity to know how the actual product looks like, prompting the manufacturers to offer flexible packaging formats which allow a see-through packaging option so as to enhance product visibility and offer consumer satisfaction,” said Anchal Bisht, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData.

Food industry characterized the most use of packaging in Thailand and accounted for 44.9% market share.

It was followed by non-alcoholic beverages industry with share at 38.6%, respectively.

The new report, ‘Thailand Packaging Industry – Trends and Opportunities’ revealed that the sector is majorly driven by growth in the rigid plastics packaging, which is forecast to register the fastest volume CAGR of 3.0% during 2019–2024. The category is closely followed by paper & board

packaging, which is expected to record a CAGR of 2.8% during the next five years.

“Rising consumer interest on product quality made transparency a critical factor in purchasing decisions of various consumer products.

Rigid plastics was the most consumed pack material in Thailand packaging industry that accounted for a market share of 35.8% in 2019. It is expected to reach 36.3% by 2024. Glass and flexible packaging were the other popular pack materials.

Non-alcoholic beverages industry was leading in terms of usage of rigid plastics with a share of 65.4% in 2019.

It was followed by food industry which accounted for a share of 31.8% in the same year.

“Growing plastic waste has resulted in the growing demand for sustainable measures so as to curb the volume of waste generated. With the growing awareness of plastic-free packaging among consumers, manufacturers are using green packaging initiatives and other eco-friendly measures to gain the popularity among the Thai consumers which will drive innovations in the sector,” Anchal concluded.

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Tullis Russell specifies Vetaphone for new Kroenert line One of the UK’s longest serving manufacturers of security and label stock coated products, Tullis Russell, has chosen to install Vetaphone corona treatment technology on its state-of-the-art production line in Bollington, Lancashire.

The commissioning has allowed the company to expand its portfolio of coatings on paper and film for complex specialist applications.

chromo white and tinted enamels, tin foil and gold foil.

But to appreciate the importance of this project, one needs to look back at the company’s unique history and current structure of ownership. It started life in Manchester in 1865 under the ownership of Leigh Slater, whose brother Henry soon joined from running cotton mills in Italy.

Fast forward to 1949, when an 84” (2.13m) wide air knife coater was installed to give the company six coating lines all running at around 60m/min.

The Tullis Russell connection was made in 1989 when the Scottish paper maker acquired Henry & Leigh Slaters’ business and merged its other existing paper making plant in Stoke-on-Trent into the Bollington site.

Lancashire was the UK hub of the cotton industry at that time, and by 1899 the company was manufacturing

Tullis Russell has an unusual background too. Managed by brothers David and Patrick Russell during the

Second World War, David was so affected by his brother’s death in action that the Russell family took the decision post-war to share ownership with the community and established the Russell Trust. Today, the Trust holds a 28% equity share in the business and the remainder is in the hands of the 105 company employees.

By 2016, the company had become closely involved with Kroenert, the leading German manufacturer of coating machine technology, with a plan to integrate advanced coating capabilities at the Bollington site. A key element of the project was to

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ensure that any proposed solution gave Tullis Russell the flexibility to remain agile in the range of markets in which it operates.

The result was a Kroenert coating line that is one of a kind in many ways. It’s designed and built to handle thin films as well as high caliper board and apply thin aqueous coatings as well as thick and highly viscous coatings.

The system design is characterised by duplex coating that allows Tullis Russel to coat one layer on the front and one layer on the back, or two layers on the same side giving maximum flexibility.

In addition, the coating head’s trolley design allows quick changes between five different coating technologies, which highlights the two-layer curtain coating capability.

“After an intensive test with the Tullis Russel team in our Technology Centre we were able to define the best setup for the coating equipment to ensure the success of the project. Because the quality of the components was such a key issue, Vetaphone was the obvious partner to choose for surface treatment,” said Markus Waterkamp, Managing Director of Kroenert.

One of the fundamental requirements was the ability to surface treat substrates accurately and consistently, and the decision to integrate Vetaphone technology was made following in-depth technical discussions

Danish

the device and set engagement at a speed of their choice.

Speaking for Tullis Russell, Sales & Marketing Director Mitch Lambert commented: “Vetaphone is acknowledged as the pioneer of surface treatment technology, and a third-party recommendation was instrumental in confirming our decision. Traditionally, we have worked with coated papers, but having the Vetaphone Corona unit has allowed us to expand our portfolio into developing coatings on films for specialist, complex applications.

Today, Tullis Russell produces a range of coated papers and typically PP and PET films for a variety of markets, some of which have security features built in. The 18,500 sq/m multi-level manufacturing plant in Bollington now has the capability of coating to very fine tolerances, manufacturing multilayer laminations, and converting and delivering the end products in sheets or reels. Production at the plant stands at around 30 million linear metres a year.

“That’s about three quarters of the way around the world,” quipped Lambert.

and appraisals manufacturer.

with

the

The ability to treat our own substrates now gives us the flexibility to produce constructions that would otherwise have been a specification challenge to our supply chain team.”

The Vetaphone equipment installed at the Bollington plant is a VE-1E-B treater unit with an iCorona 4 generator capable of supplying 24kW of power to the 9 finned electrodes. What the company specifically appreciates about the Vetaphone unit is its functionality.

The automatic watt density based on web speed allow the production team to maintain consistent treatment levels whilst being operationally efficient and speeding up the product development process. Other features such as the pneumatic engagement make it much easier for the operators to web through

“Working in partnership with our customers we develop innovative functional coating solutions for a variety of paper, board, and filmic applications by combining state-of-theart coating capabilities with inhouse technical expertise and an extensive network of suppliers,” he added.

Summing up, Vice President Technical Sales at Vetaphone, Kevin McKell commented: “To be acknowledged as a leading supplier of surface technology by a top notch OEM is great testimony to the quality of our expertise and product range – and to work in partnership with such a well-established and respected supplier as Tullis Russell is a double bonus for Vetaphone and its people.”

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Woodworking surface Digital horizons within For many years a range of industries have been using a variety of printing technologies to create decorative surfaces. From screen, offset and gravure printing, all have been used to create functional and decorative surfaces.

For many years a range of industries have been using a variety of printing technologies to create decorative surfaces. From screen, offset and gravure printing, all have been used to create functional and decorative surfaces. In the past decade we have seen the rise in digital printing.

Inkjet printing innovations in material science and innovation software along with other solutions have emerged in the market.

This article will focus on two key areas where industrial printing has a significant impact, digital décor paper for laminates and direct printing in the woodworking industry. We will explore the opportunity and technology that is driving this innovation to be adopted.

A brief overview of surface decoration markets The woodworking industry is an example of the vast use of decorative surfaces in a range of applications.

While it has existed for thousands of years, today this segment is mainly influenced by the construction industry, where many of these materials are used in the building and renovating of homes and commercial buildings. A few key industry segments that dominate decorative printing in woodwork are flooring and decorative laminates.

Flooring as its own sub-industry is projected to reach $448 Billion by 2023, according to Markets and Markets research. About 23% of this value is concentrated in Europe. Decorative laminate is another segment that has massive uses, totalling over 11 Billion M2 printed today.

Europe currently houses about 20% of the total decorative laminate volume produced.

Henry Ford in 1909: “Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black."

Like other segments, manufacturers for products such as flooring and furniture, are looking to digital technologies as a means to meet growing needs by customers for more customised products. Successful implementation of digital printing allows these manufacturers to offer innovative solutions that not only offer short run production but also have a unique value proposition that commands a premium billing.

Fast-forward over a hundred years and technologies and client priorities have drastically changed. Mass customisation, once a pipedream, is now a hotly demanded capability, driven in part by expectations set by e-commerce, social networking and innovative technologies.

Recent research by Keypoint Intelligence indicates that digital printing is fast becoming a necessity.

Client demands for devices capable of shorter print runs and faster turnarounds are growing (61% and 72%, respectively).

Just-in-time manufacturing demand is also on the rise (59%), and personalisation (54%) is also seeing a sharp increase.

The expectation by clients for a fast turn-around and a higher degree of customisation is driving adoption of digital technologies.

The reality of consumer demand When mass production first gained steam, it was all about speed and simplicity. For the first time in human history, a wide array of products could be created piecework by trained human hands and mechanised assistance. This lowered prices and increased availability of many items for the consumer market. Early industrialisation meant efficiency, availability and low cost per unit. As noted by

That said, there is another consumer demand that must be mentioned when discussing woodworking – and that is sustainability. Sustainability is a topic that makes more headlines every year as consumers (particularly younger generations like Millennials and Gen

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decoration reach?

by Ron Gilboa

Z) increasingly worry about the future of the planet. Consumers in these age groups want products that are ecofriendly and do not deplete the planets limited resources.

Digitally printed surface decoration as a differentiator With these two factors rising to prominence, digitally printed surfaces in woodworking applications look to be a notable way for differentiated products going forward.

Digital printing can address the growing needs for short run as well as the need for operational efficiencies in longer run printing as well. This makes it ideal for direct customer suppliers as well as impregnators (High Pressure Laminates manufacturers) who are looking for differentiated product offers.

Digital printing of decorated surfaces in woodworking industries brings new manufacturing efficiencies such as small

batch manufacturing, reduce make ready, gravure cylinders preparation and the integration of digital solutions with current manufacturing lines (meaning companies do not have to completely re-invest in their workflow processes to see some benefits). Given that PSPs are also seeing increases in shorter run printing (61%) and justin- time manufacturing (59%), it shows that digital printing technology is suited to address the top three developing consumer demands that are impacting the market.

The Digital Advantage - Reshaping the supply chain Decorative surfaces traditionally were decorated using spray painting or using conventional printing such as gravure printing. These typically needed long lead time as designs were developed and cylinder engraved ahead of final lamination onto surfaces. With minimum orders of about one ton in the case of décor papers these are limited to the circumference of the press impression cylinder.

Moreover, due to changeover time needed between jobs the number of jobs produces in a shift is limited. With digital printing, jobs can be produced to a specific length required by the client, as well as no longer being limited to the circumference of a cylinder, instead they can be produced to fit the size of the lamination press or the unique

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28 printers have been developing solutions that are suitable for woodworking.

However, the woodworking space typically presents a challenge, as printing is part of a process that requires multiple steps for surface decoration. These steps require deep understanding of the supply chain, processes, materials and applications (e.g. flooring, cabinetry, furniture, lamination, impregnation) and several companies with woodworking heritage entered this space with digital solutions.

pattern design in the case of direct printing.

Improving on natural materials While natural wood brings an air of class to any project, it also comes with an established set of drawbacks.

Apart from the sustainability aspect of natural wood, it may not be suitable for some applications where exposed to the elements or in close contact to humidity, or insects. In many cases we may also find products with mixed materials, however their decorative surface is uniform and they all look alike.

Digital printing technology, such as the decoration of rigid surfaces through direct printing or laminating, allows different material surfaces to mimic natural surfaces. This means, composite wood, metal, or vinyl (among others) can be printed in such a way that they resemble real wood in colour, texture, and pattern. That said – these substances can be stronger, more durable, and more water resistant than the real thing – giving consumers a product that satisfies every need in their woodworking expectations.

Technology impact The woodworking industry offers opportunities for solutions aimed at custom short run work as well as massive production for high volume manufacturing. From flatbed inkjet printers to systems that can produce décor materials at a whopping speed of 150 meters per minute. New devices are being unveiled that can print to a

wide variety of surfaces – from basic flooring to elaborate prints directly onto wooden doors and chairs.

There are several technology providers in this space, some yield from the graphic arts industry and some are suppliers that developed solutions that are dedicated to woodworking applications. Some of the suppliers from the graphics arts space that are now migrating to industrial printing include companies such as Kodak with the Prosper line, Koenig & Bauer with their RotaJet product line, Inca with the Onset product line, as well as a new introduction by EFI with the Cubik product line.

Many others with flatbed UV printers as well as rolled aqueous based inkjet

These include companies such as Hymmen with their Jupiter and Saturn product lines, Cefla Finishing J-Print product line, Barberan JetMaster as well as the Schattdecor Palis 750 a collaboration between décor paper manufacturer and Palis a developer of inkjet systems.

These offer a range of solutions for direct to surface printing that not only provide surface image – they also offer dimensional texturing that is in in sync with the image underneath it, whilst maintaining the permanency standards for the surface.

Predictable production and quality assurance Advancements in digital printing technology are not all about speed and increasing substrate variety. We have observed focus improvements in the area of quality assurance as well.

Printing onto surfaces (whether natural or artificial) can be expensive and mistakes are costly – not to mention

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29 a slowdown in production. Many new pieces of hardware are prioritising defect detection and classification, ensuring colour and texture consistency across the print run.

One interesting piece of innovation on this front is the use of digital twin technology. Digital twin is a virtual and a dynamic simulation of all process steps in a manufacturing line. With digital twin, companies can simulate all process steps for each tool, robotics and human interaction in real time.

The digital twin can predict problems and breaks before they occur – letting the manufacturer address them before the physical production line is commissioned.

Digital twin is a technology that already impacts much of the manufacturing segments – and the woodworking industry is joining the wave as manufacturing processes in this segment are complex. Digital twin provides a new level of workflow, maintenance and reduce downtime.

For example, new surface decoration lines with digital printers and other connected hardware.

Automation All the solutions we noted thus far in this review are innovative and can produce a product quality that is consistent and will meet client demand for standard or customised products. However as with many manufacturing processes a clear understanding of production status, manufacturing line productivity and the profitability of the creation are critical.

To aid manufacturers, we now have solutions that are dubbed ‘Industry

4.0’ ready. These solutions use digital toolset in the planning, development as well as monitoring production and uptime of the fully integrated line.

These solutions may initiate the planning process using a Digital Twin simulation of the production line and its operation created before the line is built. After full debugging, this digital plan is turned into a fully integrated and assembled line. The digital cloud-based infrastructure used in the Digital Twin is now used to track live production and monitor key performance indicators (KPI).

Woodworking has traditionally been one of the smaller printing industries, restricted by a lack of consumer interest.

This disinterest can be at least partially attributed to a lack of customisation,

as well as the time/costs involved in creating any personalised product. With technology advancements and digital printing in woodworking becoming more common, some of the barriers in this industry are becoming relaxed.

Once customers see that they can express themselves in wood without breaking the bank, this industry may experience new growth.

Given the realities of the market – a focus on mass customisation and a growing demand for sustainability, it is difficult not to see digital printing becoming more vital in woodworking.

We expect to see continued growth in the woodworking industry as a whole – including categories like furniture – as digital printing moves closer toward becoming the standard.

color your process

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Flexible stand-up pouches free of potentially hazardous chemicals.

ACTEGA, manufacturer of specialty coatings, inks, adhesives and sealing compounds for the print and packaging industry, today announces that it has successfully removed Bisphenol A (BPA) and Epoxysilane from its laminating adhesives product range. designs by printing additional colours, as well as replacing white-colored polyester films.

The ACTEbond® Hardeners range includes: HT-049-S – An aliphatic, yellowingresistant hardener for aluminium laminates.

HT-020 – An aromatic, reactive hardener with exceptionally low curing time and no tempering necessary.

HT-038 – An aliphatic, yellowingresistant hardener for transparent laminates.

This now enables customers of ACTEbond® Laminating Adhesives to produce stand-up pouches for food, pet-food, cosmetics and household goods with increased confidence in consumer safety.

As brand owners actively look to remove these potentially harmful substances from our food chain and improve consumer safety, the new ACTEbond® formulation is expected to provide ACTEGA customers with a valuable competitive advantage – key to boosting profitability and driving business growth.

“Of course, this latest achievement for ACTEGA does not compromise our product quality, price or performance either. Added to which, flexible standup pouches are a more environmentally conscious packaging choice as they are light weight, as well as help to reduce the amount of plastic and overall waste generated by packaged goods. As such,

it is important for us to support their continued use by further developing ACTEbond® to meet all performance and safety requirements, for today and tomorrow,” said Dr. Thomas Sawitowski, Global Head of Business Line Flexible Packaging, ACTEGA. Offering versatility and very high resilience for most application requirements, ACTEGA ACTEbond® Laminating Adhesives are the solution of choice for many world leading packaging convertors around the world. The portfolio includes: ACTEbond® ASB-908 – A highperformance laminating adhesive for all types of stand-up pouches.

ACTEbond® ASB-903-W205 (white) – Using this solution, packaging converters save processing time and costs by eliminating the need for fullarea printing with white. It is also suitable for creating custom packaging

The eradication of BPA and Epoxysilane from the ACTEbond® portfolio is also in line with ALTANA’s wider business focus on market leading sustainability standards. The company has set itself an ambitious target of reducing its CO2 impact from production and energy procurement, to zero worldwide by 2025. In support of that goal, in March 2020, the power supply at all its locations was converted to renewable energies.

“This will enable us to achieve climate neutrality in our direct sphere of influence,” concludes Dr. Thomas Sawitowski. “ACTEGA is fully committed to supporting sustainable, environmentally-responsible packaging production. While it’s not yet regulation that we remove BPA and Epoxysilane from our products in Europe, it’s important to us that all steps are taken to ensure the highest consumer standards. What’s more, early customer feedback confirms that ACTEbond® without these potentially harmful substances continues to deliver the usual high performance, but with the additional competitive advantage of enhanced product safety.”

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Packaging applications are a thriving and growing segment of the industry

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XSYS – Stronger positioned in the Asian market In the new year, Flint Group made an important announcement for the flexographic industry. Flint Group has amassed a great deal of knowledge and expertise about flexographic prepress.

XSYS added two taglines. The first is Print Solid. Stay Flexible. It is designed to convey the company’s dedication to bringing vibrant and innovative solutions to the market. The second is Be Brilliant. This reflects their belief that the world needs brilliance. Brilliant ideas and developments to meet the challenges of the future. Brilliant people who have the courage and will to do the right thing.

From using innovative materials and technologies to create flexographic plates, to processors with a minimal environmental footprint, to software solutions that help automate and control the entire flexographic prepress process.

Now all of these resources are consolidated under one umbrella in a new Flint Group division called XSYS that combines Flint Group Flexographic with Xeikon Prepress.

“The merger is not only a result of economic synergies, but above all pursues the goal of offering our customers even better, comprehensive solutions: In prepress, consisting of plate and equipment including the related service.

In the case of printers, this also includes sleeves and adapters. Combining the areas under one management in Sales and Technical Service means that customers can be advised and supported more quickly and comprehensively. The merger will optimize decision-making paths and accelerate integrated product development for the prepress market”, stated Friedrich von Rechteren, Global Commercial VP at XSYS.

The sales and service teams of plates and prepress equipment were fully integrated on a regional and global level without losing focus and expertise. The customers thus benefit from faster and coordinated decision-making paths as well as fully comprehensive product advice from a single source.

Roy Schoettle, VP Asia Pacific of XSYS, stated, “We constantly pursue the goal of improving our customers' print quality and increasing competitiveness by optimizing production processes and minimizing downtime. Our primary goal is to use system solutions to push the cost curve of flexographic printing further down and thus continue the success story of flexographic printing.

Wherever possible, we use open systems to increase our customers' flexibility.”

Roy Schoettle, VP Asia Pacific of XSYS,

These two taglines and the merging of the two divisions under the XSYS brand is particularly suited to meet the broad challenges of a market as diverse as the Asia Pacific region. In a region where you have an extremely wide range of flexographic expertise, from almost non-existent to state of the art, it is important that you meet the very different knowledge levels with innovative solutions that satisfy the seasoned flexo expert as well as the flexographic novice.

Printers and repro houses need consultation to choose the right solution for their current and future challenges, therefore, they need partners whom they can trust and who have an in-depth understanding about the entire process from prepress to printing.

XSYS new website (www.xsysglobal. com) and product brochures provide a simple but holistic overview of the market segments they serve and the associated products and systems.

Upcoming integrated tools such as a product or market segment selector, will help users find the right solution or product quickly and easily.

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BOBST is one step ahead f converters and revealing a BOBST hosted a gravure printing and laminating virtual event from its Competence Center in San Giorgio Monferrato, Italy, on 10 February 2021, which enabled attendees to witness the future of flexible packaging production.

The event demonstrated how BOBST latest advances in gravure and lamination are shaping the future of flexible packaging through solutions built around automation, digitalization, connectivity and sustainability. This creates value for all users along the interconnected value chain, elevating packaging quality and making printing and converting operations more agile, sustainable and profitable” explained Davide Garavaglia, Managing Director of Bobst Italia.

The machines showcased were the EXPERT RS 6003 gravure press and the multi-technology NOVA D 800 LAMINATOR. Extremely fast job changeover on the gravure press was completed in under 14 minutes with only 95 m of waste! The impressive results have been achieved using two gravure jobs printed in oneECG BOBST extended

color gamut process allowing to print a 14c job (CMYK + 9spot colors + white) with just 7 fixed process colors and unique automation features - from the TAPS pre-setting at the touch of a button through to the highly flexible Flex Trolley, and the automatic prewashing system.

Matching the remarkable gravure press performance, the NOVA D 800 also demonstrated its high-level capabilities together with the unique flexo trolley, the flat tunnel design and the driven rollers.

The lamination job demonstrated was processed at 400 m/min coating the solvent-based adhesive directly on the 8 μ alu-foil substrate, at speed with flawless optical quality and webhandling.

The PET-Alu-foil substrate combination highlighted the capabilities

of the BOBST compact laminator to handle complex applications typical of the demanding food, beverage, cosmetic and pharma segments, such as retort pouches, thanks to features that are usually the domain of higher range machines.

BOBST presented a brand-new gravure press. The VISION RS 5003, which is an evolution of the very successful RS 5002 and NOVA RS 5003 series, now featuring speeds up to 450 m/min with

- The virtual open house team answering questions from the audience after the equipment demonstrations.

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featuring new capabilities for new gravure press and develop the solution that best fit the given requirements at every stage of the production process”, concluded Davide Garavaglia.

About BOBST We are one of the world’s leading suppliers of substrate processing, printing and converting equipment and services for the label, flexible packaging, folding carton and corrugated industries.

Founded in 1890 by Joseph Bobst in Lausanne, Switzerland, BOBST has a presence in more than 50 countries, runs 15 production facilities in 8 countries and employs more than 5 500 people around the world. The firm recorded a consolidated turnover of CHF 1 636 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. fully automated job changeovers at production speed.

BOBST technologies and novelties can and will continue helping converters to answer the new industry requirements in a profitable manner. The use of biobased and polyolefin substrates, job customization, shorter runs and faster time-to-market, set new challenges for the actors along the value chain, for which BOBST is already providing solutions.

“At BOBST we are best placed to support the industry transformation and overcoming the challenges now and in the future. We have all technologies for production of flexible packaging so we can approach each challenge from an end-to-end view

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Georgia-Pacific Acquires 3rd HP PageWide Corrugated Press Georgia-Pacific, a leading U.S. integrated packaging solutions provider, has announced the expansion of its Hummingbird® digital print solutions with the purchase of an HP PageWide T1190 Press, the world's highest-volume digital corrugated packaging solution.1 In a move to extend the reach of digital services across the U.S., the new 110-inch wide web press for pre-print corrugated production will be installed later this year at a new Hummingbird site opening in Arizona. The HP T1190 will be the converter’s third inkjet web press installed since 2015 when it launched digital print services with the HP T400S press and subsequently deployed a T1100 110-inch press.

Georgia-Pacific’s Hummingbird provides a range of digitally printed corrugated packaging solutions for consumer-packaged goods, electronics, and food and beverage brands across North America.

Hummingbird’s digital offerings include corrugated shelf-ready packaging (SRP), food trays, large-format boxes, e-commerce solutions, and volume displays (POP).

“Our brand and trade converting partners can now reduce their printed packaging inventory levels, shorten turnaround time, make frequent design changes and offer more graphic versions,” said Robert Seay, vice president, digital print solutions, Georgia-Pacific. “With our continued investment and network of operations in 30 U.S. states, we have unparalleled digital print capacity with a national

printing footprint to provide efficiency and redundancy that can fundamentally transform brands’ corrugated supply chain across North America.”

Worldwide volume of inkjet corrugated packaging grew by more than 20% in 2020 compared with 2019 even with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to Smithers market analysis.

“Georgia-Pacific’s continued investment in digital print positions Hummingbird to enhance brands’ supply chain efficiency with easier inventory management and quick turnaround,” said Carles Farre, vice president and general manager, HP PageWide Industrial. “HP digital corrugated printing solutions are gaining worldwide traction with an accelerated pace of customer installations, enabling converters to run digital operating models based on fast speed-to-market and sustainability advantages.”

The high-productivity HP PageWide T1190 digital pre-print press is a sixcolor (CMYKOV) inkjet press with a 110-inch (2.8 meter) web width that efficiently aligns with corrugator capacity and provides offset print quality, unmatched digital speed,

economy, and flexibility. The press uses HP A30 true water-based inks.

With the HP PageWide T1190’s industry-leading throughput of up 305 meters (1000 feet) of corrugated liner per minute, up to 100 million corrugated boxes per year can be delivered.

About Georgia-Pacific Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, cellulose, specialty fibers, nonwoven fabrics, building products and related chemicals. As a leading packaging supplier, we offer a full range of innovative customer-focused packaging solutions. Hummingbird® digital print solutions is the only packaging supplier in North America to offer 110-inch wide web digital inkjet printing, giving customers unparalleled flexibility for high graphic packaging. Its GeorgiaPacific Recycling subsidiary is among the world’s largest traders of paper, metal and plastics. The company operates more than 150 facilities and employs more than 30,000 people directly and creates approximately 89,000 jobs indirectly.

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Mega Label Malaysia Gallus ECS 340

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Another Gallus press for Southeast Asia: Mega Label Malaysia invested in a new Gallus ECS machine system. The second Gallus ECS 340 for the printing company was installed in September 2020 in the middle of the corona pandemic.

a installs second

Key reasons for the investment were the print quality, the Gallus Service Support and the option to use LED UV for an environmental impact.

The LED UV flexo label printing press includes ten flexo printing units, two interchangeable Gallus Screeny units for more flexibility, movable cold-foil unit, Infrared (IR) dryer for waterbased inks and an automatic register control for handling critical substrates perfectly.

The machine system is further fitted with auto splicer at the unwinding and rewinding units. Mega Label is able to print either with LED or conventional UV with this machine configuration.

This new Gallus ECS 340 is used for the production of self-adhesive labels, shrink sleeves, wrap-around labels and further narrow web applications.

Gallus Service Support “Key reason for this investment for us at Mega Label was the high quality of Gallus service support and the print quality of the label press”, explains Edmund Chan, Group General Manager at Mega Label. “A good machine performance comes from a good after sales service.

The Gallus ECS 340 has it all: great

precision of the machine and thus, reliably very good print results coming along with a great Gallus Service Support. The planning and the execution of the installation was very good and impressed me a lot!”

As label printer Mega Label knows very well that reliability in high print quality and a smooth production process are indispensable to be successful in the market in the long term. “In order for us to be successful we need to make sure that the machine is performing to our standard.

This second Gallus ECS 340 with its high standard regarding print quality, stability and service proves once again, that trust in Gallus and our long term partnership”, states Edmund Chan.

With more than 150 employees, 13 lines including 4 Gallus presses and 3 digital presses, Mega Label is based in the state of Johor, south of Malaysia with multi sites in Selangor and Penang.

The company especially serves as key markets the pharmaceutical, FMCG and garment markets. Mega Label is able to expand its business with this new investment not only because of the quality of the print results and the reliability of the machine, but also

because of the flexibility of the machine configuration.

“We are a leading company in the environmental protection in Malaysia.

With the installation of the LED curing system we can ensure the reduction in the carbon footprint, our factory is also partially powered by solar”, explains Edmund Chan from Mega Label.

The Gallus ECS 340 is a quiet, userfriendly and exceptionally costeffective printing press for commodity labels with a very short web path and a running speed up to 165 m/min (541 ft/min). High flexibility regarding substrates and minimal setup times due to full servo-drive integration are just two reasons that the Gallus ECS 340 is the best-selling machine system in its class with short web path.

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Huge potential for inno single dose packaging Simplicity of use, hygienic dispensing of product, improved recyclability – drivers for both brands and consumers to make the switch V-Shapes, an innovative supplier of vertically integrated products and services for convenient, hygienic and sustainable single-dose packaging, today reported that Orlandi Inc., a global organization headquartered in New York with four manufacturing facilities and three labs in the U.S. as well as sales offices in Brazil and Paris, is an early adopter of V-Shapes’ unique packaging solution for singledose powders and liquids that can be dispensed using one hand.

It produces fragrance and cosmetics samples, passive air freshening for home and auto, and offers contract packaging services as well as digital direct to consumer marketing.

Most recently, Orlandi has added a V-Shapes ALPHA automatic packaging machine to its production platform for manufacture of unique, sustainable, and convenient single-dose packaging solutions for its own packaging operation and well as for contract packaging use.

“We have known Christian Burattini, CEO of V-Shapes, for more than a decade,” said Philippe Ughetto, Senior Vice President at Orlandi France, “As he was developing the concept for V-Shapes, he reached out to me, and we decided this new technology was of interest to us. We initially entered into an agreement for distribution of V-Shapes monodose sachets and equipment in France for cosmetics and beauty products, and then acquired the equipment for production and contract packaging in North America.”

V-Shapes sachets are a brand-new way to safely, affordably, and sustainably deliver single-dose products from hand sanitizer and cosmetics to honey and more. These recyclable single portion sachets can be printed on the top and/ or bottom sides in multiple languages with customized brand messaging and use instructions.

They represent a new and innovative way to distribute single-dose liquid and powdered products. Up to 98% of packaged product can easily be

dispensed using just one hand, resulting in little product waste and no mess or spillage.

Orlandi’s V-Shapes ALPHA was installed in late 2019, and the pandemic that hit in early 2020 brought the company’s sales and education efforts to a near halt. Sven Dobler, CEO, said, “Part of the strategy was manufacturing samples that retailers could hand out in the stores, but with the pandemic, that became very difficult because of traffic drop in retail stores. Our first major launch happened the week of March 19th, and that’s when all the chaos broke out.

We repositioned ourselves during COVID to offer hand sanitizer and in fact have developed our own brand, KleanTouch™, that we will sell directly to consumers. It’s a wonderful product, can be opened with one hand, and there has been great interest in it. Once we are past the pandemic, we will be able to put our ALPHA to full use once again for our cosmetics customers.”

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ovative V-shapes g

Shiseido Skincare is taking advantage of Orlandi’s V-Shapes packaging to expand brand awareness in Europe through sampling and magazine insertions.

Working with V-Shapes has been a terrific experience, according to the Orlandi team. “The installation was very smooth,” Dobler recalled. “We actually went to Italy for a validation demonstration of the ALPHA prior

to it being shipped. Once installed, they continued with their exceptional support and partnership.”

Per Dobler, Senior Vice President, stated, “V-Shapes is not simply an

equipment manufacturer.

They continue to develop new materials and new capabilities and have built a global network of contract packagers. In my experience, typically after you buy equipment, you are kind of on your own.

With V-Shapes, you are part of a global network, and there is a coordinated global strategy behind it, so they are much more than a machine manufacturer. They are a true business partner that is interested in helping us grow in innovative ways with products that protect people and the environment, while giving people an easy-to-use and hygienic way to dispense single-dose products.”

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FUJIFILM's ink expertise helps world leader to reach new heights Leading labelling expert SKANEM has high praise for FUJIFILM's Sericol Flexo Inks, which have delivered consistency, quality, strength and vibrancy to the companies narrow web production for almost three decades.

An international labelling manufacturer with over 100 years’ experience, Skanem is a packaging industry expert. As a producer of self-adhesive, liner-less and smart labels, alongside flexible packaging film, Skanem has an international reach, with production sites in the UK, Scandinavia, Poland, Asia and Africa.

It offers its customers, from all industries and segments, a full service, including portfolio optimisation, warehouse management, logistics and design.

Since the 1990s Skanem’s Cardiff branch has relied on Fujifilm’s Sericol high quality inks and expert knowledge to help them produce pristine, striking products, all while adhering to the company’s environmental beliefs.

“Worldwide, Skanem produces millions of labels every day for over 3,000 customers,” says Paul Morgan, Ink Technician at Skanem Cardiff.

“Manufacturing all of these products for so many brands means we need the most reliable equipment and the best quality inks in our production sites to ensure we’re delivering what our clients expect of us.

“In the Cardiff branch of Skanem, we specialise in labels for over-the-counter pharmacy products, beers, wines and spirits, household cleaning products,

skin care and cosmetics – we also provide labels for the motor industry.

We started using Sericol inks around the mid-90s when we were using screen printing primarily.

Then, as our facilities in Cardiff expanded, the company realised we needed an ink supplier in the UK that could deliver a quality ink within just a matter of days – in 2007, we turned to Fujifilm’s Sericol JD flexo range of inks

as a solution and haven’t looked back since.”

Morgan is keen to outline the benefits that UV cured flexo inks have provided his narrow web applications: “With our customers expecting their branded colours to be perfectly reproduced, we know we can put our faith in the JD flexo ink range – the colour consistency, strength and vibrancy in each and every print is excellent and so important to

www.xeikon.com

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raw materials, design optimisation, production processes and logistics.

The whole emphasis is to ensure our customers design their packaging with recyclability in mind.

“Our principles are clear, but they wouldn’t be anything without our suppliers who must also fit in with our ethos. Fujifilm’s Sericol inks are always delivered with minimal packaging, meaning there is very little wastage. The metal and plastic tubs the inks arrive in are easily stacked and simple to recycle, saving space and reducing the number of collections required.”

our operations. It has also allowed us to create bespoke colour matches first time, rather than after several submissions, which cuts the speed to market in the label development process.

“These inks offer our customers a wider colour palette, higher quality metal effects, solid whites, and by using denser ink pigments, allows for less ink usage overall, which is better for the environment.”

Skanem proudly promotes its environmental stance. Ian Furmage, Production Manager at Skanem Cardiff, explains: “To protect the environment is our responsibility and at Skanem we offer our ‘Sustainable Labels, Designed for Recyclability’ program, where we utilise every opportunity to help our customers to achieve their sustainability goals through the selection of the correct

Morgan is delighted with the relationship that Skanem’s Cardiff division has developed with Fujifilm: “They have been fantastic over the years,” he says.

“From the initial introduction to their screen printing ink range back in the 1990s to the world class Sericol JD flexo ink range they deliver today, we have formed a great relationship with the tech support team who are always on hand to provide help.

“I remember when I joined Skanem many years ago, I wasn’t very knowledgeable when it came to flexo, but the support I had from Fujifilm was superb and still is to this day.

Occasionally, I will get a customer request that requires a particular ink that we don’t stock, but a quick call to the Fujifilm support team solves the issue – they advise the best route for me to take to achieve the required result.

“We have full confidence in Fujifilm’s products, as well as the sales and support teams. We have a great relationship and I would highly recommend working with them.”

Steve Wakefield, Marketing Manager at Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems says: “We’re delighted to see how Skanem have been utilising our flexo inks for a variety of industries. Their relationship with us, stretching back almost 30 years, has enabled us to build a great partnership and we’re looking forward to using our flexo range to help them in other areas of their business.”

5th INTERNATIONAL PACKAGING AND PRINTING EXHIBITION FOR ASIA

22- 25 SEP 2021 BITEC • BANGKOK

www.pack-print.de

325

National Pavilions and Groups

leading exhibiting companies from

from Germany, Taiwan, Thailand, China and Singapore

30

countries and regions

International Visiting Delegations

More than

19,000

from the Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Korea, Japan and many more, as well as local group visits from Thailand's printing and

trade visitors from

63

countries, making up a 30% overseas participation Supported by:

I

Messe DUsseldorf / Organizer of:

packaging industries

For enquiries:

Within Thailand:

Exposis Co., Ltd Tel (66} 2559 0856 _ Fax (66} 2559 2893 info@exposis.co.th

Overseas:

Messe DUsseldorf Asia Tel (65} 6332 9620 _ Fax (65} 6332 9655 ppi@mda.com.sg

Jointly organized by:

8* au1Aumsuss,il'irurllna

THE THAI PACKAGING ASSOCIATION

The Thai Printing Association

f Messe Diisseldorf Asia

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Packaging outlook is bright for Asia Food industry will account for most use of packaging, followed by non-alcoholic beverages According to the latest research by Globaldata, the packaging sector in Asia is expected to grow at healthy CAGRs for the forecast period of 2019-2024. The research covers major markets in Asia, including in Southeast Asia, namely Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.

For all the markets, the food industry characterized the most use of packaging. Non-alcoholic beverages come in second for use of packaging.

Unique to Japan and South Korea, alcoholic beverages accounts for the third highest use of packaging.

Southeast Asia The packaging sector in Thailand is expected to reach 74.5 billion units by 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.7% for the forecast period. The sector is majorly driven by growth in the rigid plastics packaging, which is forecast to register the fastest volume CAGR of 3.0% during the same period. The category is closely followed by paper & board packaging, which is expected to record a CAGR of 2.8% during the next five years.

In 2019, rigid plastics was the most consumed pack material in Thailand packaging industry that accounted for a market share of 35.8%. It is expected to reach 36.3% by 2024. Glass and flexible packaging were the other popular pack materials.

Meanwhile, the Philippines is expected to reach 69 billion units by 2024 at a CAGR of 3.3%. Similar to Thailand, the sector is majorly driven by growth in rigid plastics packaging, which is forecast to register the CAGR of 6.4%.

The category is followed by rigid metal, which is expected to record a CAGR of 4.0% during the next five years.

In 2019, flexible packaging was the most consumed pack material in the Philippines packaging industry and accounted for a market share of 34.9%.

It is expected to reach 33.2% by 2024.

Glass and rigid plastics were the other popular pack materials.

In Malaysia, the packaging sector is expected to reach 18.5 billion units by 2024 at a CAGR of 3.8% for the forecast period of 2019-2024. The sector is majorly driven by growth in

the paper & board packaging, which is forecast to register the fastest volume CAGR of 9.8% during 2019–2024.

The category is followed by flexible packaging, which is expected to record a CAGR of 2.7%.

The packaging sector in Indonesia is expected to reach 159.2 billion units by 2024 at a CAGR of 2.4% for the same forecast period. The sector is majorly driven by growth in the flexible packaging, which is forecast to register the fastest volume CAGR of 4.2% during 2019–2024. The category is closely followed by rigid plastics, which is expected to record a CAGR of 1.9%.

Flexible packaging was the most consumed pack material in Indonesia, accounting for a market share of 40.2% in 2019. It is expected to reach 43.8% by 2024. Rigid plastics and paper & board were the other popular pack materials.

Market Share: Thailand Food: 44.9% Non-alcoholic beverages: 38.6% The Philippines Food: 39.5%

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54 Non-alcoholic beverages: 37.5% ‘Other industries’: 11.4% Malaysia Food: 60.3% Non-alcoholic beverages: 26.6% ‘Other industries’: 6.5% Indonesia Food: 44.2% Non-alcoholic beverages: 38.3% ‘Other industries’: 15.3% India & China The packaging sector in India is expected to increase from 307.8 billion units in 2019 to 422.3 billion units in 2024, at a CAGR of 6.5% during 20192024. Changing lifestyle of consumers along with rising demand for products that offer an ease of convenience are the key attributes prompting the demand for portable packaging solutions.

The sector is majorly driven by growth in the paper & board packaging, which is forecast to register the fastest volume CAGR of 7.8%. The category is followed by rigid metal, which is expected to record a CAGR of 7.1% during the next five years.

In 2019, flexible packaging was the most consumed pack material in India, aaccounting for a market share of 66.2% in 2019. It is expected to reach 67.3% by 2024. Rigid plastics and paper & board were the other popular pack materials.

The packaging sector in China is expected to reach 1,004.9 billion units in 2024, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.8% during the forecast period. Consumers are preferring and picking time-saving and convenient options in food and drinks, which is driving the demand for innovative packaging options.

Rigid plastics was the most consumed pack material in Chinese packaging industry accounted for a market share of 28.7% in 2019. It is expected to reach 30.1% by 2024. Flexible packaging and paper & board were the other popular pack materials.

Interestingly, rigid metal packaging will be the major growth factor in the next five years; forecast to register the fastest volume CAGR of 5.9%. The category is followed by rigid plastics, which is expected to record a CAGR of 2.8% in the same period.

According to Anchal Bisht, consumer analyst at GlobalData: “Busier lifestyles along with long working hours among the Chinese consumers is leading to a substantial rise in demand for timesaving, convenient, and easy-to-carry options in food and drinks. Factors such as strong built, recyclability and convenience are driving the usage of rigid metal packaging in alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.”

The packaging industry in South Korea is expected to reach 51.7 billion units in 2024, growing at a CAGR of 1.3% during the same forecast period. The industry is majorly driven by growth in the rigid metal packaging, which is forecast to register the fastest value CAGR of 4.5%. The category is followed by glass, which is expected to record a CAGR of 2.0%.

Market Share: India Food: 56.5% Non-alcoholic beverages: 25.5% Cosmetics & toiletries: 3.9% China Food: 43.2% market share Non-alcoholic beverages: 23.9% Other industries: 17.1%

Japan Food: 44.0% Non-alcoholic beverages: 32.8% Alcoholic beverages: 12.0% South Korea Food: 48.0% Non-alcoholic beverages: 26.5% Alcoholic beverages: 12.1%,

Japan and South Korea The packaging industry in Japan is expected to reach 164.7 billion units in 2024, growing at a CAGR of 0.5% for the forecast period 2019-2024. The sector is majorly driven by growth in the rigid plastics packaging, which is forecast to register the fastest value CAGR of 2.2%. The category is closely followed by flexible packaging, which is expected to record a CAGR of 0.6% during the next five years.

In 2019, rigid plastics was the most consumed pack material in the Japanese packaging sector and accounted for a market share of 31.9%. It was followed by flexible packaging and rigid metal with market share of 25% and 20.5%, respectively.

Rigid plastics represented the most consumed pack material in South Korea, accounting for a market share of 36.7% in 2019. It was followed by flexible packaging and paper & board packaging with market share of 18.9% and 16.1%, respectively.

Heidelberg Heidelberg Speedmaster CX 102 is a new 2020 generation printing press with speeds of up to 16,500 sheets per hour. It can handle almost all changes in commercial, label, and packaging printing, and can process all materials, from lightweight paper to rigid cardboard with ease.

Bobst The Bobst Master M6 is designed for flexibility to print labels, flexible packaging and folding carton up to 670-mm web width. The Master M6 can handle all types of substrates for labels, flexible packaging and folding carton production.

Komori Built for high speed production, the Komori GLX740 is designed for high end commercial and publishing applications and also for high quality folding carton applications. It has a speed of 18,000 sph, and a wide stock range to easily accommodate the substrates used in paperboard packaging production.

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Extends its WB wrap-around packing platform to handle RSC cases Sidel has launched a new Cermex WB47 case packer, expanding its WB wrap-around range to handle not only the wrap-around blank family, but also American cases (RSC and HSC).

Additionally, the upgraded WB platform ensures enhanced flexibility with shorter changeover times. In 45 years, Sidel has installed more than 8,000 packers, including 1,000 wraparound machines. More than 130 units of the best-seller Cermex WB46 and the new Cermex WB47 have already been manufactured in four years.

The current market situation demands greater adaptability of equipment that is capable of handling various combinations of primary and secondary packaging grouped in many batch sizes and configurations.

Moreover, production runs are becoming shorter, and therefore high flexibility with reduced downtime and fast, easy and repeatable changeovers for case packing are essential.

Meeting the various requirements of supermarkets, discount stores, online retailers and more, the Cermex WB packing platform is truly unique for

the Food, Home and Personal Care (FHPC) markets.

“The Cermex WB’s case-packing range is able to handle a great variety of primary and secondary packaging types, including complete wrap-around blanks, trays, trays with ledges, two-

piece packaging (tray plus lid), and provide Shelf-Ready Packaging (SRP) and easy-to-open functionalities. With the Cermex WB47, Sidel extends the flexibility and adaptability of the solution even more,” said Didier Saussereau, Packing Product Manager at Sidel.

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their well-known, proven and reliable Cermex WB46 solutions and decided to acquire the new WB47 to complete their packaging options,” concluded Didier.

The new case packer makes it possible to run RSC and half slotted cases (HSC) with an increased speed of 22 cases per minute compared to 15 cases per minute with the traditional RSC case-packing range. Moreover, the wrap-around version can run at up to 30 blanks per minute. Thus, if some brand owners are still operating today with RSC cases, choosing a WB47 still allows them to switch easily in the future to wrap-around blanks, thanks to this common platform and a simple upgrade kit.

Additionally, the WB case-packing platform can perform “easy-tooperate” up to fully automatic

changeovers, thus reducing downtime when changing products, packaging, batch sizes or configurations. The average time for the changeover is five minutes, depending on the version.

For those manufacturers who already have Cermex WB46 machines in their workshop, the new Cermex WB47 will not only widen their secondary packaging options but will also maintain consistency of case-packing assets, with operators and maintenance staff easily trained, while optimising spare parts management.

“This was the case with two global brand owners who were satisfied with

Sidel designs and manufactures packing solutions for any secondary corrugated packaging. In 45 years, Sidel has installed 8,000 packers worldwide, including 1,000 wrap-around machines. Thanks to various infeed and collation systems adapted to the primary packaging types, more than 130 Cermex WB units have been sold with different configurations for different market category needs since 2017.

Furthermore, Sidel’s dedicated packing site in Corcelles-lès-Cîteaux (France), where the WB platform is manufactured, received the official “Vitrine Industrie du Futur” award in 2020. This prize recognises the implementation of Industry 4.0 initiatives with new technologies, such as robotics, cobotics, mechatronics, virtual commissioning, connected machines and digital twins.

“Alliance Industrie du Futur” (AIF) also appreciated the site’s ambition regarding eco-design and its strategy for training and talent recruitment, including the co-creation of a robotics school.

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Companies in the Middle East upping folding carton production Economic development in the Middle and Near East is underpinned by oil prices and politics. Both have given rise to a spirit of optimism in recent years.

The Shater Al-Ebtekar print shop in Saudi Arabia invested in a new Speedmaster XL 106 six-color press with UV coating.

In addition, societal and current social conditions like a booming young population and growing urbanization have played a significant role in helping to shape the economic upswing in the region. For example, fast food restaurants and the growing number of online food delivery apps are increasingly taking their place alongside the traditional dining options. Quite a number of foodstuffs are produced locally as competitively priced base substrates.

The changes are benefiting the food and packaging industries and, of course, also the packaging printers.

Folding cartons account for over 80 percent of the printed products in the Middle East, with most produced for the local markets. Competition between printing press manufacturers is stiff in these growth markets.

Thanks to its solutions, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) is a leader in this flourishing market segment. Its overall offering consisting of machines –both used and new –, software, consumables, consulting, training, service, and spare parts is well received in the markets. Heidelberg is represented locally by dealers with whom it enjoys long-standing relationships. It was this alone that enabled printing presses ordered

before the coronavirus pandemic to be installed at customers’ sites by the dealers’ service experts during the pandemic.

New 2020 generation Speedmaster XL 75 ensuring high flexibility at PrintKraft in Pakistan In fall last year, Pakistan Printing Equipment Co. Pvt. Ltd (PPECL), Heidelberg’s representative in Pakistan, installed a complete production line at the packaging printing company PrintKraft (Private) Limited in Faisalabad, Pakistan. The bundle included the Speedmaster XL 75-6+L UV from the new 2020 generation and a Suprasetter A 106 CtP system .

The new equipment gave the printing companies the productivity boost they needed along with greater flexibility.

“In the packaging printing sector we offer our customers in the Middle East machines tailored to their needs,” explains Rainer Hundsdörfer, Chief Executive Officer of Heidelberg.

“By installing machines on schedule in compliance with all the safety regulations we also showed that we are a reliable partner in both good times and bad.” Numerous recent customer installations underline this.

The machines are fully integrated via the Prinect workflow and equipped with the Prinect Axis Control color measurement system for stable print color management. The installation is the first of its kind in Pakistan’s Punjab province. PrintKraft moved into a new building specifically for this in a strong strategically location in a special economic zone of Faisalabad, giving it a base in one of Pakistan’s largest cities.

The former print shop, which also uses Heidelberg presses for its production needs, will remain at the old location.

Flex Print in Egypt produces with a new Speedmaster CX 102-8+LYYL UV.

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62 “We see enormous potential in packaging printing thanks to a rapidly growing manufacturing industry and a beneficial economic policy,” explains Zain Sadiq, CEO of PrintKraft. “Our goal is to become a leading player in the packaging industry with high-quality and innovative solutions. As a first step, our plan is to offer folding cartons for the textile, pharmaceutical, food, and FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) industries.

We once again chose Heidelberg as a technology partner for this, and have confidence in its high quality and good service.”

The installation took place during the difficult period of the pandemic. “The PPECL service engineers brought a great deal of expertise to the task and trained our team in how to produce various materials on the new printing press so that we can have a high level of flexibility,” confirms Fuzail Arif, Manager Operations at PrintKraft.

Flex Print in Egypt uses doublecoating technology of Speedmaster CX 102 to produce premium folding cartons Egyptian consumers have high standards when it comes to packaging. It was this that prompted Flex Print to invest in a Speedmaster CX 102-8+LYYL UV for its printing and packaging needs.

Flex Print is the only printing company in Egypt and the Near East with one of these presses.

Its configuration offers the company the flexibility it needs for its intended printing applications. For example, four primary colors and two spot colors can be printed in one pass if required.

Special effects are achieved with dispersion and UV coatings using the double-coating technology. A further benefit is the wide range of substrates, from cardboard to different plastics to aluminum foil.

The Shater Al-Ebtekar print shop in Saudi Arabia invested in a new Speedmaster XL 106 six-color press with UV coating Their experience so far has been extremely positive: the ease of use and high level of automation have enabled PrintKraft to shorten its makeready times and consequently its delivery times, while the data provided by the Prinect workflow ensures high transparency. The company uses Saphira blankets, coatings and fountain solutions, that are optimally coordinated to the press.

Faisalabad is the center of Pakistan’s textile industry. “Interloop Holdings Private Limited”, PrintKraft’s parent company, is a multi-industry company and operates one of the largest sock factories in the world.

“Our intention with this new press is to develop the market in Egypt with premium folding cartons that catch the eye at the point of sale through metalized and other special effects,” explains Ashraf Maher Mounir, CEO of Flex Print. “In addition, the short makeready times mean that we can now offer our customers faster delivery.”

The printing company established in 1991 in Cairo has a broad customer base of brand owners and produces packagings for the foodstuffs market as well as for luxury goods.

The Speedmaster CX 102 was installed last summer by the Youssef Allam

Group, Heidelberg’s representative in Egypt. For this complex project, a service engineer was specially trained onsite in Wiesloch-Walldorf in skills like how to use the electronic level, a piece of software for exactly aligning the long printing presses.

The topic of UV in all its facets was also addressed in an online session in order to ensure the necessary safety here. “We’re extremely happy with the advice and service we received from the Youssef Allam Group and how they installed the press, and look forward to working with them again,” says Ashraf Maher Mounir in summary. Flex Print already uses two Speedmaster CD 102 presses and one Speedmaster XL 162 .

Greater productivity with new Speedmaster XL 106 at Shater AlEbtekar in Saudi Arabia “Even before the coronavirus pandemic we had decided on a new Speedmaster XL 106 six-color press with UV coating in order to boost our productivity in folding carton production,” explains Khalifa Al Zahid, General Manager of the printing company Shater Al-Ebtekar. Another reason for the investment was the increased demand for spot colors and spot coatings with UV. Shater Al-Ebtekar was founded in 1979 and its 180 employees in Dammam in Saudi Arabia mainly produce folding cartons for the local markets in the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Egypt. Its biggest customers are in the food industry. It processes around 12,000 metric tons of cardboard each month.

The new Speedmaster XL 106 replaces an older Speedmaster CD 102. “The new press fully met all of our expectations – with high quality, shorter makeready times, and ease of use. The high level of automation meant we could significantly increase productivity,” confirms Khalifa Al Zahid.

The new printing press was installed

by Heidelberg Saudi Arabia during the pandemic. The demand for packaging for home deliveries rose again during this time, enabling the company to expand this market and develop an effective and profitable business.

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Learn more

New solution for direct-to-substrate proofing on uncoated packaging media - now available for FLEX PACK!

www.cgs-oris.com

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 2 2020 -

64 Catena+ wins Chinese flexo award ThermoFlexX’s Catena+ inline plate making system won the CI Flexo Tech Technology Innovation Award. The new award programme was established in 2019, and is the first such award to cover the entire flexo industry in China.

Canmaker demonstrates the power of personalised print on a tin Personalisation and customisation are far from novel concepts in the graphics market – but in the stubbornly analogue world of print for metal packaging, they still very much are.

directly with Fujifilm to produce a short run of hot chocolate tins for a special Fortnum and Mason in-store display early last year. Since then, things have moved on even further.”

In 2020 Fujifilm entered into a technology partnership with Tinmasters – one of Europe’s biggest

The aim is “to discover, promote, encourage and commend innovative technologies in the flexo printing industry”. A committee consisting of 46 flexo experts including leading printers, brand-owners, universities, trade magazines and technology suppliers, judged the finalists in the 2020 CI Flexo Tech Technology Innovation Award.

ThermoFlexX imagers and Catena units are designed and built by Xeikon Prepress, Ypres, Belgium. Catena is a modular concept of individual units that can build up to a fully in-line solvent-chemistry flexo plate making system.

Christophe Lievens, Sales & Marketing Director said: “We’re very proud to win this award courtesy of so many peers in our field. We’re fully aware of the demand for the highest quality of flexo print in China. This is a very exciting time for us as Catena systems are our first project 100% combining our equipment design knowledge with Flint Flexographic plate making and flexo print expertise. Development has been a total partnership and we believe the result is a product portfolio of ThermoFlexX and Catena equipment with flexo plates that exactly fits the market-place.”

In a sign of how this is beginning to change though, William Say & Co., a company with a proud heritage dating back nearly a hundred years, chose to demonstrate the new potential for customisation and personalisation of printed cans by commissioning and forming a run of 100 unique individual tins to give away as Christmas gifts to valued customers.

“We’ve been watching developments in digital print technology in our industry for a while,” says Stuart Wilkinson, Marketing and Sales Director at William Say & Co. “We actually had the privilege of working

metal packaging printers. As part of this relationship, Tinmasters bought and installed an Acuity B1 inkjet printer at their site in Swansea.

“We’ve worked with Tinmasters for many years,” says Wilkinson. “And now they have this partnership with Fujifilm, and the ability to print extremely high quality short-run work, they were perfectly placed to help us.

We’re really excited about the growth potential inkjet offers our business and our industry and we wanted a way to clearly demonstrate this to our own customers.

“We printed a run of 100 tins, in full colour, each with a unique series number. It was a simple exercise that would have been extremely complex and costly using traditional offset print.

“There used to be a lot of canmakers in London. Now we’re the only ones left. And in large part, it’s because of our willingness to seize opportunities like this that we’re still here, and thriving, and will be for many years to come.”

Kevin Jenner, Business Manager, Fujifilm Wide Format Inkjet Systems says: “Inkjet is going to transform the print for metal packaging industry in the same way it has every other print sector from labels, to commercial print to sign and display. It’s happening later and more slowly than it has in other sectors – but it is happening.

We’re proud to be driving that change and all the possibilities it brings, and we’re delighted to be working with companies like William Say and Tinmasters to make it a reality.”

The latest static control monitoring solution for modern automated industries Meech has formally unveiled its newest remote monitoring solution, SmartControl Touch. An advancement of Meech’s SmartControl device – the new unit allows users to monitor, control and adjust the performance of multiple connected Hyperion ionising bars and sensors via an integrated touchscreen; or remotely via a mobile phone, tablet, or desktop.

“SmartControl Touch has been designed in line with the growth of Industry 4.0 technology, which is helping businesses maximise productivity and quality of output,” says Adam Battrick, Sales Director at Meech International. “It’s an advanced monitoring and controlling device that includes a 10” integrated touch screen and data logging, as well as being compatible with Meech voltage and distance sensors – so monitoring the performance of our Hyperion static control bars is easier than ever before.”

SmartControl Touch has the capacity to connect up to six devices, with an additional 12 per expansion unit.

In total, SmartControl Touch can monitor and control up to 30 devices.

Battrick continues: “Our customers use a variety of our static control bars from our Hyperion range, so giving them maximum visibility and

control of their performance via a single device allows for increased productivity and quality output on production lines.”

Fast and easy installation means SmartControl Touch can fit in seamlessly with operations. It is simple to use for operators, offering a userfriendly interface that requires minimal training. Changes can be made quickly and easily, and with voltage and distance sensor compatibility, SmartControl Touch offers more accurate neutralisation of all charges on materials. Data logging also provides graphic representation of performance, which can be exported for additional analysis.

“Like all Meech products, SmartControl Touch has been designed in response to feedback from the industry,” concludes Battrick.

“We work closely with our customers to understand their needs and how we can better help them to improve their quality control and productivity.

Static charges have always been a threat to productivity for many manufacturing and converting sectors and SmartControl Touch is yet another innovation from Meech designed to keep unwanted static under control and ensure smooth-running and safe production lines.”

The latest static control monitoring solution for modern automated industries Whilst most of us were glad to see the end of 2020 with all the disruption and distress caused by Covid-19, many label and packaging printers

experienced a healthy growth due to growing trends in e-commerce and with brand owners using more variable data printing (VDP) and personalisation to communicate with consumers during this time of uncertainty.

Jim Orford, K600i Product Manager from Domino Digital Printing Solutions, says: “Covid-19 has really accelerated the growth in e-commerce, a trend which is likely to remain after lockdown restrictions are lifted. Brand owners are also placing more emphasis on personalisation to engage with consumers through loyalty and promotional programmes, and to track their products through the supply chain. This has resulted in some of our label and packaging converter customers reporting a 40-50% increase in the demand for variable data printed labels during the pandemic.”

The Domino K600i is all about high quality and high speed digital printing of variable data. This ranges from simple alpha-numeric text and sequential numbering, to a wide range of industry standard machine-readable barcodes and 2D codes, including QR and Data Matrix codes. These are used for logistics and reverse logistics in e-

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commerce and online retail, for ‘track and trace’ applications in the food and beverage sectors, and for security applications including brand protection, in the pharmaceutical and tobacco sectors.

the benefits of Domino’s unique iTech intelligent Technology features, which together result in reduced setup time and maintenance costs, high reliability and uptime, and improved profitability.

Watch Philip Easton, Director of Domino Digital Printing Solutions, walk you through this high speed digital printing demonstration of Domino’s dual bar K600i inkjet printer integrated on an AB Graphic International Omega SRI high speed inspection and slitting line. This was shown in action for the first time at Labelexpo Europe 2019.

Philip concludes, “We recognise converters have a choice from the various inkjet printing equipment suppliers in the marketplace. We are delighted that so many have chosen Domino for high speed digital printing – we now have approaching 1000 global installations based on this 6th generation inkjet technology. Our customers recognise that the K600i digital inkjet printer is simple to run and maintain, offering exceptional productivity and efficiency, enabling them to react to this VDP opportunity and providing profitable, efficient, on-time delivery to their brand owner customers.”

This versatile, monochrome UV inkjet printer is available in seven different print width formats, ranging from 108mm to 782mm, in either a standard single print bar or the high speed dual bar configuration. It can be retrofitted onto most conventional printing presses and finishing lines. The K600i can be used with Domino’s UVcurable, LED-curable and aqueous pigmented ink sets, with a high opacity white ink, a fluorescent ink and a clear varnish also available.

The single print bar prints 75 metres per minute at 600 x 600dpi resolution with optimum print density, but can print at up to 150 metres per minute.

The dual bar unit demonstrated in this video prints 150 metres per minute at optimum print density, and can still print at 600 x 600dpi at up to 200 metres per minute.

With over 42 years’ heritage of developing and manufacturing digital inkjet printing equipment, Domino has created a flexible system with superior performance and reliability. In the video, Philip highlights and explains

Avery Dennison acquires label material company ACPO Ltd. producing pressuresensitive overlaminate products for the label and flexible packaging markets.

Avery Dennison announced that it has acquired ACPO Ltd. for the purchase price of $87.6 million, subject to certain post-closing adjustments. ACPO is a US company producing pressuresensitive overlaminate products for the label and flexible packaging markets and has approximately 170 employees.

Avery Dennison has acquired the majority of ACPO’s assets, includ-

ing coating, finishing and distribution operations at its Ohio headquarters, as well as three finishing and distribution sites all over the US. ACPO employees will transition to the Avery Dennison Label and Graphic Materials team.

“Our acquisition of ACPO will further strengthen our leadership in core label materials segments,” said Mitch Butier, Avery Dennison’s chairman, president and CEO. “By adding ACPO’s wellregarded and complementary overlaminate product, we are increasing our product portfolio and adding even more value for our customers.”

“We are delighted to have ACPO become part of Avery Dennison,” said Missy Larick, chief operating officer of Esperia Holdings LLC, the holding company of ACPO Ltd. “As anyone in our industry knows, Avery Dennison is a strong, sophisticated global organization and a brand known and respected worldwide, which will help accelerate the commercialization of ACPO products around the globe. We know that tapping into the know-how of Avery Dennison’s materials scientists, with their expertise in adhesives, base labels, and surface chemistry, will dramatically accelerate innovation of ACPO products.”

Jeroen Diderich, vice president and general manager, Avery Dennison Label and Graphic Materials North America, noted that ACPO’s reputation for quality and service, its entrepreneurial spirit and its agile, customer-focused way of working—from quick turnaround to low minimumorder quantities—makes it a good fit for Avery Dennison’s culture and the current state of the market.

“Our top priority is to ensure industryleading service, quality and unmatched customer responsiveness for customers of both businesses,” said Diderich. “We look forward to leveraging ACPO’s strengths, learning from their people, and welcoming them as valued members of the Avery Dennison family.”

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Windmöller & Hölscher KG Lengerich / Germany Phone + 49 5481 14 - 0 · info@wuh-group.com www.wuh-group.com Local Contact: Dr. Mathew John +234 8028025787