Serving Printing, Packaging and Publishing Industries across Asia Pacific since 1985 Issue 2 20223
THE ASIAN PACKAGING EXCELLENCE AWARDS
Deadline for entries in the 2023 competition 10th August 2023
THE ASIAN AWARDS
Deadline for entries in the 2023 competition 10th October 2023
Entries will be open from April 2023
SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE PACKAGING WORLD
Whatever kind of packaging business you’re in, BOBST offers the connectivity, sustainability, digitalization, and automation you need to move your quality and productivity forward. Interested? Find your local BOBST representative at www.bobst.com/contact
AWARDS: 2023
Issue 2 - 23
Print - Packaging INNOVATION
Asia Magazine
Published by Asian Print Awards Management Pte Ltd 65 Chulia Street #46-23 OCBC Centre 049513 Singapore
Print Innovation Asia
Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia Asian Print Awards Packageing Excellence Awards Label and Packaging Conferences
Publisher Paul Callaghan paul@printinnovationasia.com
Editorial Elizabeth Liew elizabeth@printinnovationasia.com
Packaging Sales
Elizabeth Liew elizabeth@printinnovationasia.com
FUJIFILM Imaging Colorants, Ltd. has announced global commercial availability of an expanded range of colours to its series of high performance RxD pigment dispersions for water-based inkjet ink formulation. Fujifilm now offers dispersions in Orange PO71, Green PG7, and Violet PV23 pigments. The new inkjet pigment dispersions are now available world-wide through Fujifilm’s Ink Solutions Group.
OGV colours are typically used to formulate ink sets that extend the gamut of a print system beyond the colour space achievable with CMYK, which is particularly important for achieving higher vibrancy, colour accuracy and matching brand spot colours in packaging, textile and commercial print applications.
Grant Murney, product manager of RxD inkjet pigment dispersions, says “In developing the new RxD Orange, Green and Violet dispersions we’ve carefully selected the best polymers and processing conditions to ensure optimum stability and print performance for our customers, in line with the standard CMYK products already in the RxD product range.”
RxD pigment dispersions are used in Fujifilm’s aqueous ink developments for OEMs and are available to other ink formulators.
Fujifilm’s RxD dispersions are highly stable and suitable for ink formulation across a wide range of applications. They are engineered with Fujifilm’s proprietary reactive dispersant technology which uses a cross-linked
polymer to create a secure cage around the pigment.
This provides a stable dispersion that is compatible with a wide range of components used in inkjet ink formulation, enabling the design of stable ink formulations that meet demanding performance requirements. The high-quality pigments used in RxD dispersions comply with Swiss Ordinance SR817.023.21, making indirect food contact compliant applications accessible.
FUJIFILM Imaging Colorants, UK, specializes in the manufacture of inkjet colorants. It is one of several ink technology manufacturing companies operating under common manage-
ment, marketed as FUJIFILM Ink Solutions Group. The Ink Solutions Group provides high-performance inkjet ink and pigment dispersions to print system OEMs, converters and ink formulators looking to create the best digital printing products.
Through a collaborative, customerfocused approach, it provides expert knowledge and delivers products to meet customers’ exact requirements, enabling them to get the best possible inkjet performance. Fujifilm’s inkjet ink technologies global commercial team is supported by a network of dedicated development and manufacturing centres in the UK, USA and Japan. For more information, visit www.fujifilmink.com.
Fujifilm announces that the installation of the world’s first Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED got underway at Echo House in Surbiton, UK
The highly-respected design and sustainable creative production company has a long and successful history of partnering with Fujifilm –having installed an Acuity Select flatbed press in 2014 and, more recently, the world’s first Acuity Ultra in 2018.
The Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED was Fujifilm’s big reveal at Fespa 2022 – the latest development in its ‘new blueprint for wide format’ concept that introduced an all-new Acuity range redesigned from the ground up for maximum ease of use and ROI.
A 3.3m high-end printer offering exceptional print quality and performance on both rigid and flexible substrates, the Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED prints at speeds of up to 218 m²/ hr (RTR), and delivers a print resolution of up to 1200 x 1200 dpi. It is unique in being able to combine ultra-high quality and a competitive return on investment, for both rigid and flexible applications, all in one platform.
The machine features a range of intelligent design features to ensure unrivalled ease-of-use and excellent overall performance and Fujifilm has also created an entirely new ink range, Uvijet UH, especially for the new machine, with six colours (CMYK, Lm, Lc) available as standard and white ink also available as an optional extra. The new ink range has both Greenguard Gold and AgBB certification.
Peter Onyskiw, Director of Operations at Echo House, comments: “We’ve built a collaborative and trusting relationship with Fujifilm over the many years we’ve worked with them – that’s what led us to be the first company in the world to install a 5m Acuity Ultra back in 2018. That machine is still going strong – though we did have to move it to a new spot to make room for the new one! We’re excited to be first again. We work in a rapidly innovative and highly creative sector, serving some of the largest companies in the world, with brands who set extremely high
expectations for us. The Acuity Ultra Hybrid LED combines exceptional quality with greater flexibility through its hybrid capability – giving us even more creative potential to continue to meet, and exceed, our customers’ expectations. The technological efficiencies, flexibility and reliability further extend our sustainable credentials to boot.”
David Burton, Director, Fujifilm Wide Format Inkjet Systems says: “We’ve had a long and successful partnership with Echo House over many years – they’re never afraid to be first – so they were a natural fit to be the first to trial the latest press in our all-new Acuity range.
“We’re delighted to be starting a new chapter in our journey with them – and we look forward to working with them as they look to harness the considerable potential of this hybrid press to target new business opportunities.”
After a brief breather, prices in online print picked up again in the fourth quarter of 2022. According to the current ZOPI – the Zipcon Online Print Price Index – in the fourth quarter of 2022, new highs were reached in November of last year, followed by only a slight decline in December. Looking at the details, however, there have also been downward outliers, at least for flyers.
As 2023 really gets going, it is important to take another look at the past year with the latest ZOPI. While the Corona pandemic and the measures that accompanied it were scaled back step by step, the war in Ukraine shook the economy in Germany and around the world to its foundations – and will probably continue to do so in the new year.
Exploding energy prices in particular have dominated the discussion among private households and companies alike – and the last quarter of 2022 was no different. Over the year as a whole, energy products became 34.7% more expensive on average, as recently announced by the Federal Statistical Office. In 2021, energy was already 10.4% more expensive than in the previous year.
Overall, inflation in Germany fell by 0.8 percentage points at the end of December, but is still at a very high level of +8.6%. Calculated over the year as a whole, it stood at +7.9% in 2022, well above the figure of +3.1% in the previous year.
This is not leaving companies in the printing industry unscathed, as is regularly demonstrated by the economic telegram published by the Bundesverband Druck und Medien (German Printing and Media Industries Federation). Although the assessment of the business climate recently remained at the level of the previous month, the business situation itself was again assessed as worse. At the same time, companies were more positive about the new year.
But how did the online print shops fare in the fourth quarter of 2022? In
general, now as in the past, companies that have transformed digitally at an early stage are more resilient to developments in the market and can adapt more quickly and flexibly. Nevertheless, they had to react to the increased prices of energy and raw materials just like everyone else. So what does that mean in concrete terms? The latest Zipcon Onlineprint Price Index demonstrates this.
After slight stagnation, the price spiral is once again moving upwards At the end of September 2022, it still looked as if the prices for the print products surveyed in the ZOPI had reached their maximum, and even exceeded it. But what looked like the beginning of a plateau was, in retrospect, only a brief respite. As early as October, prices rose again for almost all suppliers included in the ZOPI, and even more so for the shopping basket than for flyers. However, first things first.
The Zipcon Online Print Price Index covers a total of nine suppliers in the flyer product group: Vistaprint, Wirmachen-Druck, Unitedprint/print24, Onlineprinters, Flyeralarm, Saxoprint, Onlinedrucken, Redprintgroup and sourc-e. All of them were asked to
print 10,000 flyers in A5 format, printed in four colors on both sides and on 135g glossy paper. The average price increase for this order was still 25.17% at the end of September compared to the June 2020 index value – and then climbed again: In December, it was 2.35 percentage points higher at 27.52%.
Looking at the details, the picture is much more mixed: While Unitedprint/ print24 invoked the highest price increase for the 10,000 flyers compared to the index value with 58.12% in December (September: 40.98%), Vistaprint marked the minimum value with -12.43% (September: -0.18%) compared to the start of the survey over two years ago. Sorting themselves out in descending order between these two extremes in December were Wir-machen-Druck with 39.10% (September: 30.55%), Saxoprint with 34% (September: 36.38%), Onlineprinters with 31.7% (September: 28.63%), sourc-e with 29.20% (in September: 29.20%) and Onlineprinters with 28.41% (September: 20.52%). Only the Redprintgroup with a value of 21.13% (September: 21.13%) and
Flyeralarm with 18.43% (September: 14.09%) were below the average value in December.
Second-highest value since the Zipcon Online Print Price Index was first compiled Incidentally, higher variances from the starting value in June 2020 – and in both directions – had only occurred in the month before, namely in November 2022 and thus in the middle of the Christmas business. Here, the average price for 10,000 flyers was 28.77% above the index value, while the various suppliers ranged between the maximum of 62.27% (Unitedprint/ print24) and the minimum of -17.25% (Vistaprint). Vistaprint stood almost completely alone last year with its policy of lowering prices significantly even from the June 2020 starting value. Only one supplier was also listed with a slight minus compared to the index value in January 2022, whereas Vistaprint has now been consistently charging a significantly lower price for the 10,000 flyers since June 2022 than it did two years earlier.
Price development in the shopping cart also shows a slight upward trend
A similar trend to that for flyers can also be seen among the seven suppliers that ZOPI regularly records for the shopping cart: Wir-machen-druck, Unitedprint/print24, Onlineprinters, Flyeralarm, Saxoprint, Onlinedrucken and the Redprintgroup. In addition to the 10,000 flyers in A5 format, the shopping cart also includes brochures (32 pages, A4, stitched, printed on both sides) and business cards (4/4 color, without finishing).
After a slight stagnation in the third quarter, prices for the basket of goods also went up again in the fourth quarter: The average price rose from 26.60% in September to 33.46% in December. With a 56.46% increase in prices compared to the first survey of this product category in November 2020, Unitedprint/print24 also set the maximum value here. In September, this figure stood at 40.98%. The lowest increase among all suppliers was 21.37% in December 2022 and was set by Flyeralarm, which again
lowered its prices slightly compared with September (26.54%).
Sorting themselves between the highest and lowest price increases in December, the five other providers were as follows: wir-machen-druck with 35.47% (September: 29.38%), Saxoprint with 34.67% (September: 35.01%), Onlinedrucken with 33.60% (September: 27.99%), Redprintgroup with 28.17% (September: 28.17%) and Onlineprinters with 24.50% (September: 24.29%).
A closer look at the figures reveals that November was also the most expensive month for customers in terms of the shopping basket, with an increase of 34.97%. However, with its 33.46%, December 2022 ranks directly behind it in second place.
However, the graph and figures only confirm what everyone – regardless of whether they are an entrepreneur or a private household – will associate with the year 2022: enormous price increases in all areas due to the Ukraine war. After all, energy is needed everywhere –companies in the printing industry and paper manufacturers are no exception, quite the contrary, they are particularly energy-intensive.
It is also noticeable that the spread between the lowest price adjustments and the highest, i.e. between the maximum value and the minimum value, has widened, particularly in the last quarter of the year. This is true both when looking at the flyers and when looking at the shopping cart. This indicates that the online printers are increasingly passing on the increased costs to customers to varying degrees. It should be exciting to continue to observe this development.
For the full year 2022, the Federal Statistical Office has just announced real growth in gross domestic product (GDP) of 1.9%. This was the first time that economic output had been above the figure for 2019. The feared recession has thus been averted for the time being, or rather the chances of Germany avoiding such a recession have increased. Nevertheless, concerns about this will continue to accompany business enterprises in 2023.
It is therefore important to remain vigilant in the coming months and to react quickly to developments. Experience in recent years has shown that companies that have already digitally transformed their business models and sales channels and automated their processes will
be particularly successful in doing so. Of course, this is no guarantee of success. After all, even online print shops that are already at the forefront of digitization must not slacken their efforts to think ahead and address developments and future issues.
At the turn of the year, I already described on beyond-print.net what these might be and what I think print shops should be looking at. However, it would be best if we talked about this in detail live – for example at the Online Print Symposium 2023 on March 23 and 24 at the Munich Science Congress Center in Munich. Will I see you there?
With the Zipcon Online Print Price Index, or ZOPI for short, the Essenbased consulting company zipcon consulting has developed a trend barometer that for the first time takes a close look at price developments in the online print market. Two clusters were formed for this purpose: One looks at a standard order for 10,000 flyers in DIN A5 format, printed in four colors on both sides, on 135-gram paper, glossy. Nine online print shops were selected for the job: Vistaprint, Wirmachen-Druck, Unitedprint/print24, Onlineprinters, Flyeralarm, Saxoprint, Onlinedrucken, Redprintgroup and sourc-e. The second cluster focuses on a shopping cart that includes brochures and business cards in addition to flyers. This basket involves the following printing companies: Wirmachen-druck, Unitedprint/print24, Onlineprinters, Flyeralarm, Saxoprint, Onlinedrucken and Redprintgroup.
The prices are recorded on a weekly basis. On this basis, zipcon calculates the average values for each month and presents the percentage change compared to the index value. The index value for the flyer cluster is from June 2020, and the index value for the shopping basket is from November 2020. ZOPI thus reflects the changes in prices in online printing over the entire period up to the present day - and puts them in the context of developments on the market and in the economy as a whole in the subsequent evaluation. A detailed look at and interpretation of the figures is provided on a quarterly basis.
THE
BEST MACHINE FOR SHORT RUNS, EVER
Onyx Go continues the long-lasting success story of Uteco’s Onyx flexo presses.
Schattdecor, a family-owned international manufacturer of surface decors, has responded markets by upgrading its printing machines with latest-generation BST inspection and
A pilot system tailored to the conditions of gravure printing proved so successful that the company decided to acquire 12 iPQ-Check inspection systems and 12 iPQ-View web monitoring systems from BST. Eight of each of these systems have been integrated at locations in Germany.
Schattdecor, based in the town of Thansau in Bavaria, is a leader in the global market for decor printing, and its modern surface decors have become quite popular. These surfaces, which are produced with gravurerotary and digital printing techniques, are used on furniture and for laminate
floors. Increasingly, they are also playing an important role in travel trailer interiors and in public spaces. Visually, the decors appear identical to natural materials such as wood or stone. Customers around the world are impressed by the authentic feel, brilliant colors and designs of the company’s latest developments, which are based on textiles, sand, concrete and pure fantasy decors.
Gravure printing, especially – a highspeed print method for premium products like decorative papers and films – requires maximum precision and continuous, comprehensive
quality control. At the same time, the costs for material and energy must be kept low, and material waste must be avoided as much as possible. The aim, in other words, is to achieve nothing less than the perfect print result, to make printing processes as profitable as they can be and every customer one hundred percent satisfied.
The challenge of gravure printing Schattdecor has been working successfully with BST for many years. Recently, in response to increased demands in gravure printing, the
responded to the increased quality demands of global web monitoring systems.
Well protected and easily accessible: to create room for the system in the existing printing machine, a steel structure was developed in which the cameras were integrated with additional guide rollers
faster than the human eye. They are completely reliable in identifying both recurring defects and one-time errors and allow an immediate evaluation during the ongoing production process. In the interest of boosting efficiency, operators can often refrain from performing subsequent quality checks on rewinders or stopping a production process. They are also supported in their quality control efforts by a complete log of events that have occurred during printing.
iPQ-Check and iPQ-View are the base modules of the versatile iPQ-Center. Various additional features are available as options, such as extra cameras and displays, or special illumination modes.
iPQ-Check: one hundred percent print inspection at full production speed
company began looking for a solution that can be used to show decors at full width and with a particularly high accuracy on screen. In decor printing, in particular, correctly identifying printing errors or substrate defects early on is a major challenge, because they can be difficult to differentiate against the background of grained wood patterns or lively fantasy designs.
“In the past, the printing press had to be stopped to take a sheet from the role and check it. With the new BST systems, this step can often be avoided. And if
it is needed at some point after all, the response times are much shorter. That makes quality control easier for the machine operators and saves material,” explains Josef Maximilian Hintler, a project engineer at Schattdecor.
Faster than the human eye
Anomalies in the decor are automatically reported by the BST system iPQ-Check and displayed at high resolution by iPQView. Thanks to the good resolution of the cameras, they can be inspected without interrupting the printing process. The systems are many times
iPQ-Check is an innovative 100% print image inspection system for quality assurance that enables inspection across the entire print area and can be fully integrated into the digital workflow. In conjunction with LED lighting, three high-resolution line scan cameras identify defects in real time and provide high-definition color image data at machine speeds of up to 1,000 m/min and web widths up to 2,800 mm. A machine can be equipped with up to four cameras.
The iPQ-Check system quickly and reliably detects defects like fogging or streaking even on decors with rich and
lively patterns. This allows the operators to intervene right away in order to correct the problem – preventing wasted material and additional costs. Furthermore, iPQ-Check is also suitable for highly reflective materials, holograms and transparent materials as well as those that are highly flexible.
The intuitive operating concept minimizes response times and allows the operator to give more attention to other work. Christoph Kalb, a project manager at BST, cites further benefits: “iPQ-Check is the ideal solution for first-class print inspection. The system not only supplies reliable results but is also fun to use. And more iPQ products can be integrated into the user interface at any time.”
As the perfect complement to the iPQCheck inspection system, the old Web Video systems of BST/Eltromat have been replaced with the more advanced iPQ-View web monitoring system.
Digital web monitoring supports continuous inspection of production results and serves as an effective quality control measure while the printing process is under way.
Coupled with high-resolution 3-chip HD cameras, the intelligent imageprocessing software of the system enables print image visualizations of the webs at high levels of detail
and color fidelity during the printing process. Even weak contrasts are displayed, which means the system can make it possible to see “invisible” problems, like areas where finish is missing or the image is fogged. At the push of a button, the image will be displayed with improved contrast. Based on this view, informed qualityassurance decisions can be made, along with any required adjustments. Volker Reinholdt, product manager at BST, comments: “When it comes to image quality and features, iPQ-View leaves nothing to be desired and allows fullcoverage print inspection. As part of the iPQ-Center, these products are integrated seamlessly into a unified user interface.”
Both iPQ-Check and iPQ-View are integrated into a unified and intuitive multi-touchscreen in the iPQ-Center, which offers prominent and easy-toread notifications of any faults that occur. Every defect is documented with the first and last defect image, as well as the image of the worst defect. This allows fast and informed decisions to prevent waste.
Before the new systems were put into service at Schattdecor, they had to be adapted to the conditions in gravure printing. The new iPQ-Check inspection system had never been used in decor printing before. As part of the
test phase, the system was adjusted so that it can now detect defects even in wood decors with branch structures and shifting grain patterns.
Creating room for the system in the existing printing machine required developing a steel structure through which to guide the paper web after printing. As a result of the customized installation, the system is well protected but still easily accessible. The additional screen was incorporated into the ergonomic operating console so that, as before, the system can be monitored and adjusted from the management station, too. During the test phase, smaller optimizations were carried out as well in order to adapt the system to the special requirements in decor printing.
Schattdecor itself installed the BST systems, including the wiring and insulation. The steel structures used for the mechanical integration of the systems were built by a partner firm hired by Schattdecor.
Smooth start-up after extensive test phase
For a year, the pilot system was thoroughly tested until all of the challenges had been overcome. The installation of the systems required only two to three days per machine. When they were started up, an engineer from BST once more examined all the wiring. Employees at Schattdecor were given training as well, and final optimizations were made to the machines.
Schattdecor has been using systems from BST/Eltromat for over twenty years. These include web monitoring systems of various generations as well as register control systems. The 100% inspection system iPQ-Check now forms a valuable addition to that equipment. Hubert Rothmayer, who has been working at Schattdecor for more than 20 years and knows how the printing business has changed during that time, comments on the advantages: “BST is a reliable and skilled partner, and we’ve been working with them for many years. From the reliability, userfriendliness and performance of the systems to the service and support –everything is just right.”
Mimaki expands their textile portfolio with the TxF150-75, a printer designed for high quality, customisable textile applications.
Mimaki, a leading manufacturer of inkjet printers and cutting systems, announces its first ‘direct to film’ (DTF) inkjet printer, the TxF150-75, at its Global Innovation Days event. Utilising a heat-based transfer method, the printer is ideal for creating premium, customised merchandising, sportswear and various other promotional textile applications.
DTF printing provides an easy and affordable process for decorating apparel, most commonly T-shirts. The design is initially printed directly onto a special transfer film, which is then sprinkled with hot-melt powder. Once heated and dried, the transfer sheet is ready to be applied to the fabric using a heat press.
Based on Mimaki’s existing 150 Series, one of its best-selling models, the new TxF150-75 responds to the market need for a reliable, stable DTF technology. Built-in ink circulation system and degassed ink pack design prevent common DTF issues, such as poor ink ejection and white ink clogging. These core technologies, which also include the nozzle check unit and nozzle recovery system, all ensure that processes are carried out efficiently with minimal intervention needed.
Apparel decoration is a hugely popular and dynamic sector, one which we are already operating in with our other textile technologies. However, we could see the impact DTF technology has had on the industry in recent years, with its significant advantages over existing technologies. Namely, DTF
avoids the time intensive process of plate creation in screen printing and the required weeding in traditional vinyl heat transfer. The technology can also create vibrant designs with its full colour printing capabilities. We’re excited to bring a solution to the market that is designed for those already active in the decorated apparel sector and those looking to enter it, which excels in usability, reliability and quality.
As the company’s first entry into a new segment, Mimaki has created its own range of water-based pigment inks (PHT50) especially for this solution. As of March 2023, these inks are OEKOTEX® ECO PASSPORT certified[1], guaranteeing safety and environmental standards are met in line with Mimaki’s sustainability pledges. Unlike sublimation heat transfer printing, DTF is much more versatile when it comes to materials, able to work with more than just polyester and TC blended (polyester blended) materials, and on light or dark coloured fabrics.
The printer also comes with Mimaki’s RasterLink7 RIP software, allowing users to have full oversight and the ability to streamline the process from the design to the final product. Like with all Mimaki technologies, buyers can expect extensive in-house support from Mimaki throughout the initial setup and use.
Connect to Grow. That is your key to stay ahead in a demanding market. By connecting with MPSConnect, you ensure the best in reliability and productivity from your printing press. You will increase competitive advantages and maximize profits.
To improve productivity and profi tability, it’s critical to increase the understanding of your overall label print operation. With MPSConnect, you get real-time insights in the operator activities. You dive into the printing press and see exactly what’s happening.
With MPSConnect we see recurring annual cost savings of €50,000 - €100,000 and even more thanks to a more efficient workflow, time management and waste reduction.
mps-printing.com/connect-to-grow
PLL Packaging Sdn Bhd is an integrated packaging printshop located in Kempas, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, specialising in heavy duty carton and boxes, slip sheets, paper pallets, offset boxes and other paperboard pro-ducts for various industries, including aerospace, foods, electronics, supply chain and logistics.
The company, which currently employs 160 people, was established as a enterprise in 2001 and converted to a private limited company in 2003. The business originally started as a subcontractor provides finishing services and gradually moved upstream in the supply chain to include print production.
Mr Phan Nong Kok, managing director of PLL Packaging says “Initially, we installed a second-hand five-colour printing press (without coater) but we were unable to achieve the high print quality required by the market, which result in limited types of jobs to be produced and a loss of competitiveness.
However, the Covid pandemic created a new demand and the compa-ny decided to invest in new presses and expand its own production.” The company offers a wide range of packaging printing both domestically and
internationally, and the installation of the Speedmaster CX 104-5+L and other solutions is aiming to further expand our export business sector.
“We are a corrugated paper supplier, but due to increa-sed demand of our
customers, we moved to offset printing, and PLL has become a one-stop center to produce fully integrated paperboard-related products, without having to rely on other suppliers. Today, PLL has set up excellent facilities and with modern machinery to provide its
"We are aiming further expand of our business in the future as one-stop centre." Mr Phan Nong Kok, managing director of PLL Packaging
customers with innovative, high-quality and reliable products and services.” Mr Phan stated.
Over the past decade, the quality requirements on the market have never been higher. Basic four-colour printing is already sufficient for corrugated board printing. But we now need to be more competitive, and demands and expectations are getting higher. Nowadays, a low resolution print quality is unacceptable, brand image, brand color, high resolutions with spots colors are the basic quality requirement nowadays.
Installed several software and equipment for significant improvement.
Mr Phan says “In particular, the Heidelberg workflow Prinect Production, integrated with CtP and printing press, allows seamless end to end management of the production process. In prepress, there is no need to rely on external colour separation houses for plate output and colour management. This significantly increases the efficiency and quality of our in-house production and gives us complete control over the entire production pro-cess, without having to rely on external suppliers.”
PLL's proximity to Singapore means that we can at-tract customers from neighboring Singapore, but the shortage a skilled workforce is an issue. This is a major concern for us as many workers prefer to work in Sin-gapore due to the major differences in exchange rate. We therefore need to be more efficient with our limited resources, and we have installed the Speedmaster CX 104-5+L to help us achieve this. We have also installed the workflow system Prinect Production Manager, the CtP Suprasetter A106 and the Polar Cutter 137PF.
The quality of service made it different.
Another reason for installing the Speedmaster CX 104 was the quality of support. We were initially users of the other press manufacturer, but when our press went down during the pandemic, we were unable to get support from the manufacturer. So, after many internal discussions, we decided to partner with Heidelberg Malaysia,
not only for their product technologies that give us cutting edge in our business but also their service support.
As a total solution provider, solutions from Heidelberg are user-friendly and Heidelberg remote IT support made it easier to deal with any problems that arose, saving us time. In addition, queries to the Key Account Manager are handled quickly, which is very reassuring for us as users.
Heidelberg solution provides efficiency in the production.
We are currently practicing ISO 14001 and 9001 since year 2009. ISO qualification is very important to us in order for us to maintain our production, processes, environment and quality consistency.
We are happy that Heidelberg is offering ISO 12647-2 certification for offset printing standardization as well
and we have successfully implemented it with the support, guidance and help from Heidelberg Malaysia. With this certification, we hope that we can explore more of the overseas markets and gain the confidence of international print buyers and in turn gain more business to come.
With the Speedmaster CX 104, the production team has been able to reach higher production efficiency.
Waste paper has been reduced by approximately 50% and pre-paration time has been significantly reduced. From ink profile to print, the process is fast - less than 30 minutes - and the productivity (OEE) reporting from Heidelberg Prinect Production Manager give us a clear picture of how production is going.
Efficiency is an essential requirement in the face of rising labor and material costs and the need to become more competitive and strengthen our business in the future as one-stop centre. In this respect, we are satisfied with the complete solution and partnership provi-ded by Heidelberg.
CtP Suprasetter A106
Polar Cutter 137PF
Speedmaster CX 104-5+L
• Integration into medium- and large-format sheetfed offset presses
• No manual operations necessary
• Modular system design for maximum flexibility
• Economical production of increasingly short print jobs
More and more commercial printers are equipping their Rapida sheetfed offset presses with fully automatic plate logistics systems. Web-to-print providers are being particularly active
when it comes to doing so. Several Koenig & Bauer systems are already in use in daily practice and further installations are expected to follow.
To date, both medium-format Rapida 106 X presses (max. sheet format 750 × 1,060 mm, production speeds up to 20,000 sheets per hour – including perfecting mode) and large-format models of the Rapida 145 series (max. sheet format 1,060 × 1,450 mm, production speeds up to 18,000 sheets per hour) have been integrated into fully automatic plate logistics solutions. Depending on the particular system and location, they convey up to 1,280 printing plates to the changers on the printing units of an eight-colour press per shift. This number alone illustrates the strengths and potential of plate logistics on modern sheetfed offset presses.
Short print jobs without additional waiting times
In commercial printing with its many
short and medium runs in particular, fully automatic plate logistics helps operators to harness the full potential of their highly automated presses. Makeready times are noticeably shorter and the printshop personnel can concentrate on the decisive aspects of the production process and on print quality. An eight-colour perfector press exhibits the accustomed efficiency with fast makeready and 4-over-4 production at maximum speed even when presented with a succession of short-run jobs requiring just 300 sheets each. All plates are in the corresponding printing units right when they need to be. The transfer from the plate logistics module to the simultaneous plate changing system DriveTronic SPC is so precise that manual interventions in operations become a thing of the past.
Thanks to the modular design of its logistics systems, Koenig & Bauer is able to offer practically every conceivable solution for fully automatic plate transport to the plate changers on the press (including subsequently fully automatic plate changing). The following standard modules can be selected to suit the existing printshop installations and the desired level of automation:
- Separation of individual plates and transfer to the transport system
- Plate identification (data matrix)
- Transport to the printing unit
- Plate changing
- Transport to the disposal station
- Disposal of the used plates
In addition, there are various components that cater for special circumstances, for example for the integration of several presses into a single logistics system.
The individual modules are either installed above the press or outside the immediate press area, so as not to hinder the press operators. This means that the Rapida remains fully accessible during plate changes. The printing units are only placed off limits for a few moments by light barriers during vertical plate loading and changing motions.
The transport systems (chain conveyors) can be tailored to the particular requirements of the customer’s printshop. As the plates take different routes during transport to and from the printing units, there is no risk of interference or assignment errors.
To enable uninterrupted production at maximum speed and with short runs, the system holds the plates for the next job right at the printing units. The job sequence is otherwise determined by the order in which the plates are placed on the plate trolley. Any necessary amendments can be realised on the trolley before the individual plates
are separated and passed on to the transport system.
Before transfer to the chain conveyors, the plates are identified by scanning a data matrix code added to the plate image at the time of exposure. The job list communicated to the console using LogoTronic can be adapted at any time to reflect the actual order of the plates. Enormous performance capabilities
Few human operators would be in a position to match the performance of a plate logistics system for sheetfed offset presses. They would need to carry plates weighing 110 kg over a distance of 3.2 km over the course of each shift. What’s more, with a run length of 300 sheets, they have barely 3 minutes to remove all the old plates from the eight changers on the press and to replace them with the correct new plates. This workload would soon push even experienced operators to their limits.
The automation of plate loading and then removal to a disposal station permits optimum utilisation of the performance capabilities of the press, especially where very short runs are involved. Short-run production, as is characteristic in the web-to-print segment, can be implemented much more profitably.
Chain conveyor with plate holders at a buffer point ahead of the loading station
Lowering of the plates directly into the mounting channel of the plate changer on an individual printing unit
The investment with BOBST was made in response to demands for highquality standards, consistency, and fast turnaround time.
Established by its Koreanheadquartered parent company, which has been in operation since 1982, PT. Samheung Indonesia has grown into a sizable business since going into full production in 2014. The company is a specialist supplier to the hygiene product segment, shipping out printed diaper packaging to national and international brands, including Unicharm Indonesia, Kimberly Clark, and Procter & Gamble.
With an annual turnover in excess of €10 mio (USD 10.8 mio), Samheung relies on BOBST’s advanced flexo technology to maximize process consistency in the printing of highquality flexible packaging. The company employs 130 staff at the modern factory, which sits on a 1.25-hectare plot in Cilangkara, in the Serang Baku district, Bekasi, West Java.
The production floor revolves around two high-productivity BOBST wide web flexo presses – a 20SIX model installed in 2016 and the newer EXPERT CI which joined the mix five years later in 2021 – allowing the company to deliver the most efficient performance and best quality for any job lengths on a wide range of substrates.
Chris Han, who is President Director of PT. Samheung Indonesia, commented, “Our two state-of-theart BOBST flexo presses are key components in our factory setup. We specialize in PE polybags with systems in place that efficiently manage the whole manufacturing process from printing and laminating to slitting and bag making. By utilizing our extensive knowledge and experience, we leverage our advanced equipment to be a leader in the industry.”
Next level flexo production
The decision to invest in the EXPERT CI in 2021 was made to enable
Samheung to continue its growth path. Delivering accurate process automation for increased cost efficiency and easy manufacturing, the new BOBST flexo press provides exceptional productivity with stable and controlled printing results. This means that Samheung can satisfy the demands from brands owners for reliable product quality – including consistent brand colors across multiple print runs – and faster time-to-market.
With BOBST’s unique smartGPS technology, Samheung has been able to minimize waste and operator time in the job setup, with automated register and impression settings. Downtime has been reduced significantly as job changeovers take less than six minutes on the EXPERT CI, while only 15 metres of substrates is used between last saleable product of job 1 to first saleable product of job 2. These savings on material, time, and energy also add to the sustainability of the process, which is another highly important issue for today’s brand owners.
“The flexibility and agility of the EXPERT CI flexo press convinced us to extend the partnership with BOBST,” explained Mr. Han. “The efficiencies gained with the many exclusive automation features, such as the smartGPS technology, have given us a great competitive advantage and truly taken our production to the next level.”
The installation was smooth and efficient according to Mr. Han, who was also keen to point out that the ease of operation and intuitive HMI meant that operators could quickly transfer their experience from the older
BOBST press to the new EXPERT CI. He said, “Our operators really enjoy the similarity with the 20SIX, which we have been running for six years, and the common tooling means that we can optimize the use of our existing inventory.”
Samheung Indonesia is an excellent example of a printing company reaping the many benefits of the advances made by BOBST in CI flexo technology. In a region where gravure is often still the preferred printing method, the company is fully exploiting the costeffectiveness and flexibility of flexo to increase its dominance in the market.
In addition to praising BOBST’s flexo technology, which he described as the best in the market, Mr. Han was also keen to emphasize the great partnership that
has developed between his company and the Swiss press manufacturer. “We continue to put our trust in BOBST as the leading company in our industry, because we have experienced their unwavering service and support over the past six years. We have excellent 24/7 support from Bobst Bielefeld as well as a local service team to rely on and that is crucial for our business and for our customers,” he declared.
But there are plans afoot to take an even bigger market share. “Our objective is to continue expanding in the Southeast Asia region where we see plenty of growth opportunity in the basic hygiene product segment. Our duo of BOBST CI flexo presses with their sophisticated technology put us in a very strong position, so we can pursue this strategy without fail,” concluded Mr. Han.
“We are very proud to support an
ambitious company such as Samheung Indonesia, which has carved out a large slice of the local market in a relatively short time,” said Hengki, Sales Manager, Bobst Indonesia, “Clearly the installation of the BOBST 20SIX in 2016 was a great success, proven by the fact that Samheung chose to add an EXPERT CI press to the company’s capabilities when they needed to expand. We wish the team even more success for the future and look forward to many more years of cooperation.”
HP launches its newest high-speed, post-print digital corrugated press, the HP PageWide C550 Press. This advanced single-pass platform is designed to help converters optimize manufacturing costs and improve operational efficiency for the production of corrugated packaging.
Based on the award-winning, fieldproven technology of the C500 press, the C550 offers enhanced productivity and value to the industrial packaging industry. It uses HP's Thermal Inkjet technology and true water-based inks to deliver consistent offset print quality at fast production speeds, while also supporting packaging converters' circular economy goals
With a speed of 90 linear meters per minute (295 linear feet per minute), the C550 press is capable of producing high-quality Flexo and Litho boxes at a constant speed, without slowing. It will also help converters to optimize inventories, reduce obsolescence, and accelerate turnaround times through digital printing technology
By enabling improved economics, greater production versatility and more sustainable packaging solutions, the C550 press presents a significant opportunity for business growth for converters facing increasing supply chain pressure. It allows them to say 'yes' to jobs that require flexibility, which can only be achieved with digital production.
in the packaging market to create new opportunities for packaging converters and brands to benefit from the analog to digital transformation. We are very excited to deliver the C550 press to the corrugated industry. It is built on the field-proven success of the C500 press and allows converters to economically produce Flexo and Litho boxes at high speeds without slowing down the press. We are constantly working on innovative solutions that not only improve post-print stability and productivity for converters, but also meet the quality and flexibility demands of brands for packaging."
Available for installation later this year, the new press runs at a constant speed of 90 lm/min (295 lft/min), delivering outstanding print quality. The press supports increased plant capacity and helps reduce manufacturing costs for corrugated packaging production
The company is committed to digital transformation and using innovative technologies to respond to the growing demand for shorter and customized runs. The press is set to be installed later this year and will support increased plant capacity for corrugated packaging production.
HP has recently collaborated with HYBRID Software on prepress workflow for packaging to easily transition artwork from litho and flexo formats. HYBRID PackZ provides a unique blend of automated actions and dedicated prepress tools.
Tomer, General Manager of HP Post-print
David
corrugated solutions, said, "HP is continuing its investment
Corrugated packaging specialist, Saica Group, has ordered the C550 for their operations in Viana, Spain.
The professional PDF editor makes designs ready for any print process, by enriching them with priming and finishing separation, handling ink sets and object-based screening, as well as applying trapping and generating dynamic marks and panels. HYBRID PackZ will enable C550 converters to prepare files efficiently, and reduce errors, making prepress easier and more productive
The Goka Plant, the core of the Kyodo Printing Group's publishing and commercial printing business, was built in 1993, during the heyday of weekly comics magazines. The strength of this factory lies in its production system, which allows platemaking, printing, processing, and delivery to be completed in one location. In May 2022, the plant installed the Lithrone GX40RP advance (40-inch doublesided offset printing press) to further strengthen integrated production.
We asked Hiroaki Amemiya, Director and Plant Manager of the Goka Plant; Takao Nagai, General Manager, First Manufacturing Department; and Hideki Iwano, Section Manager of the First Section, First Manufacturing Department, about the installation process, the assessment after operation, and the outlook for the future.
About 400 people, including those from partner companies, work at the Goka
Plant on a site of about 80,000 square meters. The plant manufactures a wide variety of publications and commercial printed materials, providing one-stop services ranging from printing to bookbinding, wrapping for individual shipments, sorting, and shipping.
Regarding the concept of equipment supporting the plant's integrated production system, Plant Manager Amemiya said, "From a profit, cost, and productivity standpoint, a one-pass double-sided press is essential. Since the customer's paper is used for nearly all our publication printing, a press with paper-size flexibility is required. A perfecting press was not an option due to the margin at sheet tail, so we chose the RP press, which offers a single-sided gripper configuration with no limitations on paper size."
This time, the decisive factors for choosing the Komori press were the applicability to current production and the possibility of handling high-mix, low-volume printing. "The RP press is
superior in terms of maximum printing speed and paper loading capacity, and we judged that it would be sufficient for production for current business. For small lot production, which is increasingly accelerating, a press and equipment offering quick changeovers were necessary.
It is just shortly after the press's introduction, even though the average lot size is one half and job changeovers are about twice as many compared to our existing double-sided UV press. High operating results have been obtained and output is more than equal although it is an oil-based press. As to the number of colors, we adopted a press with six colors on the front side and four colors on the back side because we can print the front cover, which often uses special colors, and text in one pass," he explained.
Challenging automatic printing with parallel control
"Since most of the work we do on the new press is small lots, we installed the latest printing system in order to print efficiently, quickly, and at low cost," says Nagai. "In particular, parallel control enables almost fully automatic operation from plate changing to startup printing.
"Reductions in paper, energy, and transportation naturally lead to reductions in CO2 emissions. This press not only greatly reduces waste paper but also contributes to integrated production. When printing can be completed this quickly, postpress processing must also be more efficient, and the challenges in ensuring even more efficient production become apparent."
-- Hiroaki Amemiya, Director and Plant ManagerIn addition, jobs that require high quality are run on the RP press even for high-volume work due to its sharp reproduction of halftone dots." To handle high-speed oil-based doublesided printing, this press uses Komori's newly developed belt-type suction wheel in the delivery.
"The new suction wheel has excellent paper braking and is quite effective in stabilizing paper alignment even at high
Speedometer indicates 18,000 sheets per hour. Realization of high-speed printing. "For extremely small lots such as 1,000 or 2,000 sheets, we take advantage of quick changeover and finish printing right away. For large lots, productivity can be improved while maintaining quality by using high-speed printing and the color monitoring system."
Manufacturing Department
speeds. The ability to preset not only paper size but also paper type is good," Nagai assesses.
The Goka Plant has positively implemented the use of quality inspection systems, and the RP press is equipped with PQA-S (Inline Print Quality Assessment System) and PDCSX (Spectral Print Density Control System).
"We have changed from visual inspection to quality checks using the electronic eye, which is ideal," says Nagai. For color control in particular, "Target densities are obtained very quickly.
Being able to check the current status on the large monitor from the start of printing is very desirable. Anyone can check the printing status of each color numerically, so that part of the operation is moving toward
labor saving." Iwano said, "Color adjustments can now be made on the assumption that the operator does not touch the fountain keys."
Regarding the PDF Comparator System that can check the image information on the plate against that of the printed matter, Nagai gives his stamp of approval, saying, "This function allows the RP press to perform color measurement and quality confirmation at the same time." Amemiya said,
"While there are many jobs with strict quality requirements, such as skin colors, we are getting high assessments from clients for quality, including color and register."
Young people bring dramatic changes to operator work
Regarding changes in work, Iwano said, "Due to the functions of the automated systems, press operation is no longer dependent on the experience and ability of the operator. Up to now, register adjustment for a double-sided press was time consuming for both front and back sides, and individual differences occurred. With the RP press, the method has completely changed
because PDC-SX can automatically adjust register on both sides and it's possible to confirm numerically."
"It's really amazing how the color matching can be done in the minimum number of times even for jobs with difficult quality requirements. My sense is that in many cases, it's at a level that's good enough to start production printing in the print start-up stage, and the number of test printings and sheets have decreased dramatically," he says. It also contributes significantly to the plant environment.
Nagai says that with the progress in automation, there has been a change
in hiring. "It's actually easier for young people to learn how to use new functions. Since automation and numerical management compensate for the skills of experienced workers, we have selected a third-year employee to be the press chief."
The company is focusing on human resource development, and actively utilizes KGC's (Komori Graphic Technology Center) hierarchical operator training. The RP press operators are in training, and it seems that not only performance improvement on the system side but also these daily activities are the factors increasing the company's production efficiency.
This new press is attracting attention even throughout the Kyodo Group and is positioned as a strategic machine that will lead to the securing of orders in cooperation with sales because of improved production efficiency.
"There are still many things I want Komori to do. I would like to ask for Komori's help in promoting further visualization, improving bottlenecks between processes, proposing preventive maintenance to reduce machine downtime, including for existing machines, providing more human resource training, and cultivating employees who can take on challenges such as the pursuit of what more can be done in printing," concludes Amemiya.
We are in the midst of the 4th industrial revolution, a revolution driven by sensor technology and data transmission. A quantum leap was achieved when manufacturing equipment was fitted with sensor technology and individual units enabled with the ability to exchange data.
The result was far-reaching and momentous: whereas before our machines were essentially a black box where we relied on the operator to manually record press activities, now we have access to volumes of realtime data on running processes and performance parameters. And the wealth of data can be used to optimize time, material waste, and profit. Here’s how.
Smart manufacturing Machine sensors give us valuable production and productivity data, but this benefit can be further enhanced in the future by communicating information with other machines and other processes. In flexo, for example, where so much is determined by
prepress, the level of ink in each ink tray could be communicated via a PDF file and the trays topped up if necessary. You could check whether the correct anilox rollers are in each printing unit, connect finishing and logistics systems,
and connect with your suppliers and customers.
Using the sensor data in an open system connected with other downstream and upstream systems creates a fully
transparent ecosystem less prone to human errors, open to better planning, and the prevention of waste. Connected ecosystems lead to smart manufacturing. The printing industry has been a bit slower to embrace this concept, but it’s being developed quickly in the automotive, airline, agricultural and medical industries.
Each new MPS press is equipped with an edge server, allowing multi-directional data collection from hundreds of sensors every second (MPSConnect). This data is interpreted to generate real, useful information and then put into the cloud to make it available for management and operators whenever they want and from wherever they are. They need only be connected to the internet from a mobile phone, tablet, or PC.
We currently have over 100 printing presses on the market that are connected, generating interpreting data on 10 million events per year.
Access is available to many types of statistics and graphs detailing machine performance, similar to what you see from the control center in F1 car racing. Our machine monitor provides information such as time used to change a roll at the unwinder and rewinder, production time, set-up time, waste, running speed, and much more. You determine the time period parameters.
The benchmark monitor allows for an anonymous comparison of similar applications being run on presses worldwide. You can accurately evaluate your performance while eliminating the subjectivity that inevitably influence discussions with operators or the production team.
At 10% to 20%, the ‘Overall Equipment Effectiveness’ (OEE) rate in the label printing industry is comparatively low. In the automotive industry it can be 80% to 90%. Obviously, in car manufacturing a world-class OEE is easier to achieve than in the print industry. Car manufacturers make more or less the same model day in and day out, whereas printing jobs constantly change. Still, an increase in efficiency can be achieved.
Typically, among connected MPS presses, an OEE of 11% is obtained. This figure is calculated as follows: a machine is only staffed for 50% of the time, and only actively producing 60% of the time it is staffed. The production runs only operate at 60% of the maximum speed possible for that application (speed efficiency). Thus: 50% x 60% x 60% x 60% is only 11% OEE.
There is great room for improvement! Business value Our customers who actively use connectivity through MPSConnect report major gains in productivity, a reduction of waste and errors, and capacity gains. On average, the benefits of active use of the available data are as follows:
- 2% waste reduction
- 30% increase in capacity
- EUR 150,000 savings per year as a result of improved cost per label/ cost per job
In addition, label printers experience an improvement in their annual turnover and profit as a result of the extra capacity to run more jobs. This is not included in the above calculation.
Smart Support
What is the main difference between
printers that benefit from connectivity and those that don’t?
The successful label printers actively use the data. They conduct weekly or monthly meetings to analyze the data and discuss what they see and how they can improve operations by making use of best practices and reducing errors. Experience has shown that just having the data on a monitor is not enough. In quite a few cases we have seen that, when the production manager is in charge of the information, not much happens, as the production manager is often too busy solving all kinds of urgent problems. The printers that implement a special team or person dedicated to productivity improvement, things will happen.
The organization must be geared to productivity optimization.
MPS has programs to support this optimization through monthly meetings with our customers. Using the data feedback, we:
• Encourage and support a ‘lean’ working culture and a mindset of continuous improvement
• Support the optimal use of all of the machine’s technical features
• Look at the processes and workflow around the machine
The results for productivity and costsavings are phenomenal.
To conclude, it’s worth noting that sensor technology and the intelligence around this technology is rapidly developing. The use of data and intelligence requires working methods different from the traditional methods of craftmanship prevalent in our business.
Certainly, many operators, factory managers, and owners have been working in this industry for many years. They know their business and applications well. Nevertheless, these new technologies provide insights to do even better and to remain competitive. Connecting to the available data, integrating it, and adjusting to the new technologies ensures your competitive advantage and increased profit.
David Luttenberger, CPPL, Global Packaging Director at Mintel, examined the political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors impacting global packaging evaluations, planning, and decisionmaking:
“The decision to use a PESTEL analysis was based on the fact that currently there are so many extraordinary outside influences on package innovation and the packaging supply chain. Pressures from the environmental perspective, the conflict in Ukraine, global inflation, social issues, legal challenges, extended producer responsibility, and other forces mean packaging must navigate new and more challenging routes to market. The PESTEL format enables us to succinctly identify the opportunities and present clear recommendations to retailers, brand owners, and package manufacturers.”
Economic factors impacting packaging
“Economic uncertainty and the associated rising cost of goods have forced consumers to rethink budgets and discretionary spending. Across categories, brands are tapping messaging, technology, and retail
strategies to show consumers how packaging can stretch a budget.
“Consumers will look to brands to help them overcome economic-induced stresses with products and packaging that mesh with purchasing abilities and reflect value without compromise. Offering packaging that represents financial value propositions, while not compromising quality, convenience, freshness, safety, and environmental responsibility, will be a differentiator in 2023 and beyond.”
Social factors impacting packaging
“From food shortages and ethical sourcing to responsible water and land use, consumers want to know more about the products they buy and the brands that produce them. In addition to achievements, brands and package manufacturers must be transparent about their weaknesses. Consumers are pursuing transparency through clearer labeling and what those claims mean for the greater good.
“In the future, packaging will paint a picture of a brand's equity, which increasingly includes social and
environmental capital. Consumers want to hear what companies have to say on controversial topics related to diversity, inclusion, and equity.”
Legal factors impacting packaging
“A myriad of laws have been enacted to protect consumers from deceptive or fraudulent business practices. New rules around the use of plastics and pollution-causing materials, as well as protecting human and planetary health, will greatly affect consumers. To get ahead and stay competitive, companies must get a firm grip on current and future legislation around plastics, PFAS, and EPR.
“Consumers will rally behind legislation that benefits the environment. Their support will spur additional bans which will put significant cost pressures on manufacturers in their quest to meet mandates and find suitable, though more costly, alternatives.”
Packaging
Mintel’s 2023 Global Packaging Trends also discusses the packaging industry implications of the 2023 Global Food
Mintel, the experts in what consumers want and why, has today announced Global Packaging Trends for 2023, featuring a PESTEL analysis* that explores the macro-environmental factors impacting the packaging industry in 2023 and beyond
and Drink, Beauty and Personal Care, and Household Care Trends, including the future of packaging within these industries.
“The macro factors impacting packaging are universal across all enduse categories, including what my colleagues outline in Mintel’s 2023 Global Food and Drink, Beauty and Personal Care, and Household Care Trends. How the challenges manifest within each category varies, but the data, insights, and expert recommendations are applicable and actionable across all end-use categories, package formats, and regional markets,” continued Luttenberger.
“Although costs of living are rising globally, consumers will not be motivated solely by low prices in 2023. They will find value in affordable food and drink that promises clarity, nutrition, and versatility. Package manufacturers must enable clear communication of added-value nutritional content and provide efficient portioning and product preparation. Clean packaging designs that highlight natural ingredients and health benefits will stand out to shoppers. In the future, brands seeking to be trusted partners in the kitchen need to take energy consumption into account and
deliver packaging that enables energyefficient cooking.”
“Post-pandemic consumers are seeking experimentation, social responsibility, and value from brands in-store and online. Package manufacturers must deliver physical, emotional, visual, digital, and environmental attributes that mesh with consumers' changing lifestyles. Packaging remains not only a constant but an integral part of the beauty consumer experience—whether through new eco-responsible structures and materials, 100% product evacuation dispensing systems, messaging about eco-attributes, or messaging about a brand's values. Companies must create strategies that embrace next-generation
package technologies to connect with consumers at retail, at home, and in any/all channels they prefer.”
“The inward focus on one's self and the planet has become intertwined with saving money in the household care space. That triad of forces has created new opportunities that will redefine the definitions of responsibility and value. Companies must invest in innovations that optimize such parameters as cube efficiency, weight reduction, materials management, extended shelf-life, and end-of-life or second-life scenarios. The key to delivering the next generation of household care packaging will be simple design, convenient dispensing, and an overt display of environmental and social responsibility.”
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towards more environmentally friendly, sustainable materials and print designs is in full swing. An industry that is dominated by media technology and where presses are increasingly controlled via an HMI (Human Machine Interface) like a smartphone. These developments help make it interesting for female and male trainees alike.
Since the spring of 2022, just as the industry was beginning to recover from the economic and social effects of the pandemic, HR managers in numerous industries have been asking themselves: Where are our employees, where are our young people? This situation revealed a labour shortage that began well before the pandemic. The reasons for this are obvious. But what to do to change this?
You don't have to look far to understand the reasons for the younger generation's disinterest in the printing industry. The fact that it is not very attractive to young people when choosing a career is mainly due to a perceived image. Numerous company closures in the commercial sector as well as the environmental problems of packaging have shaped the image of the industry. In an overall competitive labour market, it is currently not very attractive.
Yet label and packaging printing has a lot to offer. According to one study*, bottlenecks in skilled workers are mainly to be found in gender-typical professions, i.e., professions that are mainly practiced either by women or
by men. Such hindrances are not as likely to exist in occupations that are equally attractive to women and men. For the printing industry, this means emphasizing the attractive employment prospects in label and packaging printing for women and men alike, as well as their crisis-proof and futureproof jobs.
After all, packaging printing is an industry in which fundamental parameters are currently being rethought. A market where the shift
What the industry has learned is that there is a growing shortage of operators for machines where there is little or no automation. The pandemic has also shown that if skilled workers are absent, printing presses can no longer be operated. This is one of the reasons that mechanical engineering companies like Gallus Ferd. Rüesch AG are breaking new ground. Their developments support the converter's efforts to counter the shortage of skilled workers through automation.
The Swiss mechanical engineering company, whose name stands for
conventional and hybrid narrow web technology in the market, recently surprised the industry with the presentation of the Gallus One. With this model, the company is bringing an independent digital printing machine into the market and is thus pursuing the clear goal of preparing the digital transformation in narrow web printing for upcoming requirements. Pure digital printing is a practical option to renew the machine park, since highend hybrid machines are out of the question for many converters due to their capital requirements.
Digital printing is changing the job description »printer«
What is exceptional about the Gallus One machine concept is the extensive standardization which has been incorporated into the digital machine. It’s defined process parameters are designed for consistent automation, which enables the operator to confidently complete the demanding tasks in day-to-day business.
The high level of automation of the Gallus One changes the field of activity at the press. Self-monitoring of basic functions on the digital press frees the operator from time-consuming routine tasks. No more manual make-ready as in conventional printing, no more manual mixing of inks, no more colour changes, no more adjusting of inks and many other manual activities. These are eliminated in digital printing.
Here, the operator carries out the order change with predominantly IT-related activities. They take the print data from the pre-press stage with integrated
colour management and load it into the frontend that controls the digital printing machine. They then selects the appropriate substrate profile for printing.
This processed data is then printed with high production reliability and productivity. The orders are completed with a data backup. Apart from material handling, process steps that are carried out via the control console characterize and automate the job description of the machine operator in digital printing.
Gallus One with additional ease of use
What makes the Gallus One technology
a particularly attractive workplace for young professionals? Thanks to its extensive level of automation, the machine offers a level of operating convenience that is well above the standard. An operator controlling the machine via the human-machine interface (HMI) receives all important information from it directly on the display.
During operation a proprietary image processing system (Vision System) takes over several functions serving as the heart of the central machine, and is the basis for the high level of automation. One of these time-saving functions is the user-friendly adjustment of register settings at the push of a button.
Defects caused by missing nozzles as well as density differences are monitored by a camera and compensated for by algorithms.
Digital printing's ease of use makes it an attractive career choice.
This ensures that the individual colours are precisely superimposed. The Vision System with its high-resolution camera outperforms comparable solutions by automating essential quality assurance measures detecting not only missing nozzles, but also density variations (Density Uneveness) in solids. Compensating for these two sources of error prevents both white lines in the print image and the formation of rainbow effects that would cause colour drift in solids.
The Gallus One has other user-friendly functions that make working on the machine a pleasure. With the Gallus One, the print heads are not movednot even for cleaning. This innovative concept minimizes service calls and increases machine availability. The newly designed cleaning system moves the entire substrate table down in the printing area, giving access to the print heads as a whole - including web tension control.
When cleaning is triggered by the operator, the cleaning unit is then brought to the print heads and cleans them. In addition to this standard cleaning through the use of the innovative features of the cleaning system, ultrasonic cleaning can be
activated to support the cleaning process as needed. This makes the entire process extremely simple for the operator, with the aim of replacing manual cleaning as completely as possible.
The glass covers of the pinning modules, which fix the ink droplets directly after they hit the substrate using UV light, are just as easy to clean. Their cleaning takes place outside the press, without any contortions during the cleaning process. Both of these solutions make working on and with the press easier.
Refilling ink is also very user-friendly. For improved ink handling, the ink containers are easily accessible from the operator side. This design allows the containers to be changed without the operator coming into contact with ink, while the machine continues to run, so there is no need to schedule downtime or need to correct the web.
Additionally, the operator does not have to worry about splices in the parent roll. The Gallus One has an automatic detection system that works via sensors detecting splices in a roll and allows them to pass all print bars without any loss of register or speed. This function
In addition to the flood cleaning unit, the cleaning system also has an ultrasonic cleaning unit.
protects the print heads from damage without affecting production.
Of course, to operate the machine, the operator must be able to master the workflow. With the Gallus One, setup assistants (wizards) guide the operator step-by-step through the upcoming tasks and support, working through the necessary steps systematically, making the steps easier to learn. Using a clientserver architecture, tasks such as step & repeat can be taken over by either the operator or the prepress department. The latter relieves the operator and allowing them to concentrate more on downstream processes.
Automation also makes maintenance easier. In ongoing predictive service monitoring, sensors record the condition of the machine and transmit the data online to a cloud service set up by the parent company, Heidelberg. This is done in strict compliance with the European General Data Protection Regulation, which protects both personal and job-related data. The machine condition data is analysed, and if any irregularities become apparent the customer's maintenance department is informed. In this way foreseeable faults can be rectified before they occur. This approach has proven its worth in the sheetfed sector over many years.
These examples show how automation affects press technology and operations in label and packaging printing. Making full use of the automation possibilities involves embedding the presses in a workflow that links them to the factory management system. Despite extensive automation overall, the industry continues to rely on the technical expertise of its employees. Therefore qualified employees will continue to be indispensable in the future. To attract them, jobs need to be designed in an interesting way. Digital printing with the Gallus One is one example of technology being applied to accomplish this.
Singapore’s mandatory ‘NutriGrade’ labeling requirements to spur beverage innovation, says GlobalData
Singapore’s Ministry of Health introduced mandatory ‘Nutri-Grade’ labeling regulations and advertising prohibitions for prepackaged beverages and automatic beverage dispensers, effective from December 30, 2022. The move is aimed at encouraging consumers to make informed choices by helping them in identifying less healthy beverages containing high sugar and saturated fat content. In addition to redesigning labels to comply with the new labeling regulations, several drinks manufacturers have also reformulated their beverages to benefit from health claims, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Suneera Joseph, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The new ‘Nutri-Grade’ grading system is part of national efforts to tackle diabetes and obesity in the country. The new regulation is applicable to all sugarsweetened beverages, including fruit juices, milk, yoghurt drinks, and powdered dilutables. Beverages are rated according to their sugar and saturated fat content, classified into four-color coded grades, from A to D, with D being the unhealthiest. The color coding and rating will make it easier for consumers to understand nutrition claims and identify healthier options that are fat-free, low-calorie, and have less sugar.”
Health concerns are prompting consumers to seek greater transparency on labels, playing a significant role in their decision making. This is in line with GlobaData’s Q3 2022 consumer survey* results, wherein 53% of Singaporean consumers are often or always influenced by health labeling
information on protein/sugar/fiber/ carbohydrate content displayed on packaging while choosing any product.
Joseph concludes: “As sugar tax is associated with increased prices, the new labeling system is seen as a less disruptive and a gentler approach to reduce sugar consumption and will encourage manufacturers to innovate and reformulate their offerings to fit into the lower tax bracket and also align with the growing health & wellness trend.”
A new ThermoFlexX Catena-E 80 exposure unit from XSYS has allowed the UAE-headquartered company to elevate its plate-making capabilities to new heights. By integrating this innovative UV LED technology, NDigitec can now supply customers with higher-quality digital flexo plates and enjoy faster processing times than before, while reducing plate waste and energy consumption.
Willstaett, Germany, 09 January 2023 – Namma Int’l Digitec FZ LLC –known as NDigitec – is a family-run business founded in 2005 in Dubai (UAE). As the industry leader in the MEA region in terms of production facilities, staff members, and square meter consumption, the prepress division of the company supplies a complete package of services – from file reparation to final processed flexo printing plate.
Employing a total of 125 staff across two branches in Dubai, a
facility in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), and an office in Yerevan (Armenia), NDigitec also offers digital printing solutions, e-commerce, creative media production, and fabrication of exhibition equipment. Some 500 customers in 25 countries avail themselves of the company’s many high-end competencies, which also include Online competencies: the DUBAIPRINT.COM web-to-print platform with solutions for the widest variety of print applications, and FLEXOEASY.COM, an unprecedented digital platform that makes flexographic plate-making easy and allows customers to access highquality Prepress and Premedia services from anywhere in the world.
Plate innovation leader with big ambitions
NDigitec Prepress is known as an innovation trailblazer, always seeking out the latest plate-making technologies to stay ahead of developments and to deliver leading solutions to its global brand owner customers. Some 55% of the annual 50,000 sqm plate output is supplied to the flexible packaging industry, another 25% goes to the corrugated segment, while the remaining 20% is divided between folding cartons and labels.
We were the first prepress company in the region to bring in LED exposure technology for making flexo plates with the Flint Group nyloflex® NExT system back in 2016,” said Shahe Kavlakian, Executive Manager for Prepress at NDigitec and brother of the company’s CEO Vatche Kavlakian, who as a pioneer of integrated prepress and printing services, laid
the roots for the business in the early 1990s.
“Now we are once again taking the lead as the first to install the XSYS ThermoFlexX Catena-E system; an investment we have made because we believe that this solution will best support us in responding to the many varied customer demands we are currently facing and to allow us to continue our global expansion.”
Providing high-performance
LED exposure for precise image reproduction, the ThermoFlexX Catena-E 80 is an open system that can process plates in sizes up to 1270 x 2032mm (50 x 80”) and all thicknesses for any type of flexo printing. With a very high level of automation, the unit can also be combined with a ThermoFlexX imager and Catena washer, dryer, and light finisher units for a full end-to-end plate production
line, an option that NDigitec is closely evaluating as part of its future strategy. While the Catena-E 80 has been installed in Dubai, there are
more immediate plans to upgrade the company’s exposure hardware across the other sites.
“The effect of the new Catena unit has been very noticeable,” said Shahe Kavlakian, who explained more about the team’s criteria in evaluating the technology. “We are looking for standardization, durability, efficiency, and stability in plate production; these aspects are key to maintaining productivity and quality. Particularly in flexible packaging, consistent solid ink density with perfect highlights is a challenge, but with the Catena system and our own micro surface screening, we can deliver results that are much better than with other LED solutions.”
Among the other immediate benefits enjoyed in Dubai was a reduction in waste compared to the existing system. “The Catena-E is definitely helping to improve the sustainability of our platemaking operation because we can combine different jobs on the same plate. By our latest estimations, plate waste has gone down from around 26% to 16%, and we know that with the latest LEDs in the machine, energy consumption will also be less. So, from an environmental point of view, as well as in terms of costs, this is a great improvement.”
With any new technology, there is inevitably a learning curve, but the near plug’n’play nature of the Catena system meant that the unit was in full production at NDigitec within a week. Mr. Kavlakian praised the simplicity of the design and the user interface, and in particular, highlighted the ability to access the unit controls remotely.
“The Catena is very easy to operate with straightforward instructions and options, so training was pretty quick. It also comes with remote capabilities which means that calibration and regular maintenance checks can be done without having anyone coming on-site. This is of course a fantastic feature as we can avoid unwanted downtime because we don’t have to wait for an engineer to attend in person,” he said.
Looking to the future, NDigitec has major plans to take more of the global market share. To further this goal, it opened a new state-of-the-art 50,000 sqm factory in Dubai Production City in 2020. Another 3,000 sqm facility operates as an incubator for joint venture projects aimed at advancing innovation in flexo print production, complemented by more investment in best-in-class imaging, processing, and screening technologies.
“In addition to the immediate benefits we have already experienced, the ThermoFlexX Catena-E 80 exposure technology will give us a stable platform to build our future plate-making infrastructure, stay competitive, and support our ambitious growth strategy,” concluded Shahe Kavlakian.
