Print Innovation 9

Print INNOVATION

Asia Magazine

Printing, Packaging and Publishing Industries across Asia since 1986 Issue 9 - 2018

N E W L E V E L S O F Q UA L IT Y A N D P R O D U CT I O N I N BLACK & WHITE P R O D U CT I O N

PRODUCT AT-A-GLANCE

CANON SINGAPORE PTE. LTD. 1 Fusionopolis Place #15-10 Galaxis Singapore 138522 Tel: +65-6799 8888 | Fax: +65-6799 8882 | www.canon-asia.com | www.canon.com.sg

Uniquely Mono It’s quality, capability, productivity, versatility, and reliability.

All of this combined makes it unique.

QUALITY : Outstanding image quality with rich IQ features CAPABILITY : Wide media range with thick paper and banner PRODUCTIVITY : Robust print speed with effective in-line finishing VERSATILITY : With more choice of end-to-end solutions and office functions RELIABILITY : No.1 market share for 5 consecutive years in mono production products*

Be unique with Fuji Xerox B9 series. www.fujixerox.com.sg

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

Asian PrintAwards 2019 th

Gold

Silver

PACKAGING EXCELLENCE AWARDS: 2019

Bronze

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Contents Page 4 Digital monochrome production presses from

Canon drives productivity and extends media flexibility 8 Konica Minolta installs first roll-to-roll label

printing in India 10 New entry-level solution for digital label production 12 Lucky and Agfa announce strategic alliance in

graphics prepress 14 Heidelberg showcases digital solutions in Japan 18 Digital label press installations surpass

conventional press sales 20 Canon’s Commitment to Sustainability Highlighted 22 Printing With Silicone -Based Inks 24 Exploring Alternatives Materials to Plastics 26 Large Format meets LED-UV 30 EFI Escada essential in the digital manufacturing ecosystem 32 Key strategy: innovate with technology & applications 34 Vietnam installs its first ROLAND 700 EVOLUTION 36 Why employ a Specialist Recruiter?

38 Chinese newspaper printed on

press in Germany!

40 How Smart Labeling Can Prevent Wine Fraud 42 These are the 4 key benefits of hybrid printing 46 Packaging with lives at stake 48 News from around the world

Issue 9 2018

Print INNOVATION

Asia Magazine

Published by Asian Print Awards Management Pte Ltd 39 Robinson Road, Robinson Point #11-01, Suite 25A Singapore 068911 Print Innovation Asia Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia Asian Print Awards Packageing Excellence Awards Publisher

Paul Callaghan paul@printinnovationasia.com

Editorial

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

Get the latest news and information, magazines Print and updates at the NEW INNOVATION

Asia Web Web Site. Go to www.printinnovationasia.com

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

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Digital monochrome produ drives productivity and ex Canon, a leader in imaging solutions, launches the new Océ VarioPrint 6000 TITAN series of cut-sheet monochrome production presses, introducing a range of technology innovations to further enhance productivity, quality and media versatility, while maintaining the VarioPrint 6000 series’ best-in-class environmental performance.

VarioPrint 6000 TITAN series of cutsheet monochrome.jpg Canon Europe introduces the new Océ VarioPrint 6000 TITAN series of cutsheet monochrome production presses VarioPrint 6000 TITAN series .jpg The Océ VarioPrint 6000 TITAN series offers a range of finishing options including booklet-making, perfect binding, tape binding, die punching and trimming.

The technology has been developed to help Print Service Providers (PSPs) who operate in the commercial, publishing and transactional segments to produce high quality black and white prints, at increased speeds and using a wider selection of media weights and formats.

The new TITAN series presses build on the well-established Océ VarioPrint

6000 platform, which set a new bar for monochrome digital production when it was first launched a decade ago. Its unique Gemini Instant Duplex Technology is still unmatched to this day.

Supporting volumes of up to 10 million A4 size impressions per month, the new presses are ideally suited for producers of commercial print materials, books and transactional documents, as well as large in-plants. The Océ VarioPrint 6000 TITAN series comes in three versions to meet specific customer needs - Standard/TP(Transactional Print)/MICR - and has a range of finishing options including bookletmaking, perfect binding, tape binding, die punching, trimming and offers an open Document Finishing Device (DFD) Interface for further connectivity to compatible 3rd party finishers on demand.

The Océ VarioPrint 6000 TITAN series represents a substantial redesign of the press, with an ultra-robust steel body to support customers’ industrial production requirements, facilitate maintenance and maximise press uptime.

Following on from its predecessor, the VarioPrint 6000+ series, the increased maximum running speed of 328 A4 images per minute (ipm) in perfecting mode translates to a potential of over 30,000 additional images, in one week, in one shift operation. Four models are available to meet different speed requirements (VarioPrint 6180, 6220, 6270 and 63301), with the option for customers using the lower speed models to purchase temporary licences

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

uction presses from Canon xtends media flexibility

for increased speed to handle shortterm or seasonal production peaks.

Increased productivity is also supported by extended functionality in the TITAN series’ PRISMAsync print server v7, which allows for advanced job scheduling for up to eight hours to enable unattended printing.

Further tools such as PRISMAsync Remote Manager, Remote Control App for smart devices2 and the new PRISMAlytics Dashboard3 cloud

service boost productivity by enabling remote management and monitoring of multiple engines. Windows 10 base, user authentication, and configurable UI are just some of the features that contribute to device security.

The new Océ VarioPrint 6000 TITAN series presses are optimised for the broadest range of media in the series’ history, designed to help print service providers to extend their applications

range and access new commercial opportunities. The new TITAN Light Weight Media (LWM) Option with LWM Air Guide Technology enables printing on substrates as light as 45 gsm, opening up multiple new product avenues for users, for example in applications such as legal documentation, specialist publishing and multi-language product and pharmaceutical inserts.

Océ VarioPrint 6330 TITAN configured with three Paper Input Modules and three High Capacity Stackers

5

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

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Océ VarioPrint 6330 TITAN base configuration

This new light weight media capability is supported by the proven Océ Gemini Instant Duplex Technology, which uses a twin print heads to print simultaneously on both sides of the media without the need to stop and turn the sheet. The Océ Copy Press technology, which presses toner into the substrate at a low fusing temperature, further reduces the physical stresses on the substrate, while also helping to maintain a flat surface for optimal print and finishing quality and delivering a matte, offset-like image.

The VarioPrint 6000 TITAN series supports plain, coated, textured and other specialty media such as NCR paper. It is also the only digital press in its class able to print double-sided tabs for products such as manuals and guides.

New Paper Input Module (PIM) options for the VarioPrint 6000 TITAN series give customers choices and configuration flexibility. The Standard PIM is for media up to 320 x 488 mm, while the Flex XL PIM is designed for media up to 350 x 500 mm, making it

ideal for multi-up digital on-demand book production. Depending on their work mix, customers are able to work with three Standard or three Flex XL PIMS, or combine two PIMS of one size with one of the other.

Canon stated: “When the first iteration of the Océ VarioPrint 6000 entered the market in 2007, it redefined expectations of what was possible from a mono press in terms of output speed, quality and reliability, and has since supported the growth and development of hundreds of businesses. Fast-forward ten years, and with the new TITAN series, we have engineered a range of high performance monochrome presses that brings together the best technical attributes of the original VarioPrint platform with new technologies to push the boundaries of heavy blackand-white production still further.

These new presses are at the pinnacle of speed, reliability, quality, versatility and sustainability in their class.”

The established Océ Gemini Instant Duplex technology delivers nearperfect front-to-back registration with a

tolerance of +/- 0.3 mm for exceptional print quality. Other existing features of the original VarioPrint series also contribute to highest output quality, for example ScreenPoint technology, which detects and optimises the image type (text, line or photo) for each individual page, and the intelligent SuperCell halftoning algorithm for excellent image sharpness and smooth gradations.

The new Océ VarioPrint 6000 TITAN series presses generate virtually no ozone emissions or waste toner, and their energy consumption is calculated to be 30% less than other machines in their category, helping customers to minimise running costs while supporting a healthy operator environment.

Black-and-white output remains a mainstay of industrial print production, and Canon is committed to continuous innovation in this technology space to anticipate our customers’ evolving needs. With our varioPRINT 140 series, imagePRESS Océ VarioPrint 6000 TITAN series and Océ JetStream solutions, we can meet the monochrome production requirements of print service providers and in-plant print facilities at all points on the production volume spectrum.

These latest products can help them meet evertightening deadlines, sharpen their competitive edge and embrace new business models that can transform their service offering and profitability.

THE PERFECT CHOICE FOR EVERY PRINT ENVIRONMENT

NEW LEVELS OF QUALITY AND PRODUCTION IN COLOUR PRODUCTION The imagePRESS C850/C750/C650C has been designed to meet the all the challenges of the colour production market. Ideal for busy CRD and GA environments, the imagePRESS C850/C750/C650 combines exceptional image quality with powerful productivity and offers the versatility to create extensive and innovative applications across a wide range of media, including heavyweight coated stocks and envelopes.

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

PRODUCT AT-A-GLANCE PRODUCTIVITY

PRINT QUALITY

CHOICE OF WORKFLOWS

ENVIRONMENT

• Production speeds of up to 85 ppm (color and B/W)

• Vibrant and consistent image quality on a wide variety of media

• PRISMAsync Color Print Server

• Meets ENERGY STAR® standards

• Maintains rated speed on uncoated stocks up to 220 gsm

• 2400 x 2400 dpi print resolution

• imagePRESS Server H300

• Rated EPEAT Gold

• Precise, front-to-back registration

• imagePRESS Server G200

• Compliant with RoHS

• Gloss optimization

• imagePRESS Printer Kit

• Recyclable toner bottles

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

• Variety of calibration options to help maximize color consistency

• No VOCs in consumables

CANON SINGAPORE PTE. LTD. 1 Fusionopolis Place #15-10 Galaxis Singapore 138522 Tel: +65-6799 8888 | Fax: +65-6799 8882 | www.canon-asia.com | www.canon.com.sg

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

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Konica Minolta installs first roll-to-roll label printing in India Konica Minolta Business Solutions has recently installed AccurioLabel 190 at Hora Art in India. The Hora Art installation marks the first roll-to-roll label printing installation made by Konica Minolta India and further strengthens the company’s domain leadership position in the country.

“We wanted a digital label printing solution which could seamlessly cater to our various small-lot printing requirements. The AccurioLabel from Konica Minolta is perfectly suited to our business needs and allows us to deliver superior quality prints at fast speed, with better overall productivity and profitability,” said Pradeep Hora, managing director and Sanjay Hora, director of Hora Arts.

Speaking at the latest equipment installation, Ashok Sethi, EGM PP & IP Sales, Konica Minolta Business Solutions India Pvt ltd, said: “The growing demand for differentiated labels and packaging options has made it necessary for print and printing businesses to look beyond the conventional and towards more advanced, future-ready solutions.

The installation of AccurioLabel 190, our first roll-to-roll label printing installation in India, follows close on heels of its India launch and is proof that the print and printing market is ripe for disruption through technological innovation.”

A compact, high-performance digital label printer, the AccurioLabel 190 from Konica Minolta operates at the optimal intersection of performance, quality, and cost. It uses dry toner electrophotography to deliver

outstanding high-quality images.

The AccurioLabel 190 ensures extremely accurate image processing and formation for industrial printing requirements; the print quality is as high as the most high-end digital label printers and is comparable to offset printing.

The AccurioLabel 190 also boasts of the highest speed and most stable printing performance in its class with per-minute speeds of 18.9m, 13.5m, and 9.45m, depending on the paper type. It can handle a wide range of media such as ordinary/matte paper, glossy paper, tack paper, synthetic paper, and film with paper thickness of 60-250 micron and maximum input width of 330 mm.

All of this makes the AccurioLabel 190 perfect for new-age label printing operations such as small-lot printing, VDP, and barcode printing.

The AccurioLabel 190 is equipped with advanced colour adjustment software, allowing it to deliver consistent, stable, and superior quality output from sample production to actual production.

This enables the AccurioLabel 190 to ensure higher productivity and better profitability, even for small-lot printing.

“Through our range of offerings, Konica Minolta aims to deliver bestin-class productivity, profitability, ease-of-usage, and cost efficiency to its customers, while enabling them to cater to the ever-evolving print requirements of the digital age,” Sethi concluded.

EXQUISITE FINISHINGS YOU CAN

TOUCH

YOUR ADVANTAGES WITH THE JETVARNISH 3D EVO & IFOIL-L Expandable System Format Available with 3 different widths: 52 x 120cm, 64 x 120cm, 75 x 120cm

Varnish and Hot Foiling To achieve distinctive effects with outstanding print quality

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

Innovative Software Suite Developed by MGI To improve efficiency and productivity

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

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

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New entrylevel solution for digital label production Xeikon 3030 + entryDCoat = digital print and converting solution with lower cost of entry and operating cost for professional printers Xeikon has announced an entry-level label printing and converting solution, offered at a price point that brings the lucrative label market squarely within reach for label converters of all sizes.

The Label Discovery solution consists of a Xeikon 3030, an entry-level webfed digital label press and the new entryDcoat, a digital converting line that can be used inline or offline with the Xeikon 3030. The new solution will be featured at the company’s booth at Labelexpo Americas, September 25-27, Rosemont, Illinois.

“Although digital label printing has become a fast-growing mainstream business, some companies are still reluctant to invest in the technology – either due to the cost or lack of a truly professional-quality entry-level solution,” said David Wilkins, Xeikon’s Vice President of Sales for the North American market. “The lower cost of the Xeikon Label Discovery solution enables these companies to embrace digital technology and capture a business potential that previously required a steep investment – the crucial business of producing shortrun labels.

“The Label Discovery solution is a turnkey label production system that provides everything needed to offer

an expanded range of services to their customers and to experience the benefits digital production can bring to their businesses. In addition to enabling an affordable entry into this lucrative market, the Label Discovery solution is a platform that can be field upgraded in terms of productivity as the business grows, ensuring long-term viability of the investment.”

The Xeikon 3030 digital label press is a dry toner solution ideal for producing labels for a broad range of applications using standard flexo materials. This avoids the need to use speciallytreated substrates, and eliminates the associated warehousing costs. Its fivecolor printing features CMYK and white or even a special spot or gamutextending color. Changing toner colors on the system is relatively easy, a clear benefit of dry toner compared to other printing technologies.

In addition, dry toner is recognized as the best technology for food labels in terms of food safety due to its nontoxic nature. Xeikon dry toner has also received FDA certification for both indirect and direct food contact with dry food, which is unique in the digital landscape. The entryDCoat is a compact converting unit which consists of a varnish, die-cut and

rewind station. To limit startup and tooling costs, the die-cut unit uses semi-rotary die-cutting technology.

This ensures the lowest cost converting without loss of productivity while still delivering the well-known quality of conventional die-cutting. With semirotary die-cutting, costs can be reduced by as much as 50% with no need to acquire special tools and no setup time as required with conventional diecutting.

“We are looking forward to featuring the Label Discovery solution at a busy and exciting Labelexpo Americas,” said Filip Weymans, Xeikon’s Vice President of Marketing. “We’ll also be demonstrating the Xeikon PX3000 UV inkjet label press, as well as the tonerbased Xeikon 3500 and Xeikon CX3 presses, offering attendees the ability to evaluate multiple technologies to determine what best meets their label needs.

“We also are pleased to be participating in the American debut of Labelexpo’s Automation Arena, illustrating the industry 4.0 enabled, automated selfadhesive digital label production.

Xeikon label experts will be available throughout the show to speak with visitors about their business needs and provide guidance on the best possible ways to profit and grow.”

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

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

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

direct. dedicated. digital

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

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Lucky and Agfa announce strategic alliance in graphics prepress Lucky HuaGuang Graphics Co. Ltd. and Agfa Graphics announced that they have entered into a strategic alliance in the graphics prepress business.

mainly for the printing industry and the healthcare sector, as well as for specific industrial applications. Agfa’s headquarters and parent company are located in Mortsel, Belgium. The AgfaGevaert Group achieved a turnover of 2,443 million euro in 2017.

The strategic alliance aims to allow both companies to grow their respective businesses by optimizing their respective strengths in manufacturing, technology and distribution of graphic prepress products and services.

Under the intended collaboration, Lucky HuaGuang Graphics Co. Ltd. will provide manufacturing capacity for printing plates in Nanyang, China, with Agfa Graphics’ support and using Agfa Graphics’ high-end technology and intellectual property to manufacture products for Agfa.

Furthermore, both companies intend to join forces to accelerate growth in mainland China, managed through the set-up of a joint venture combining their prepress distribution activities in the country.

Agfa and Lucky HuaGuang Graphics Co. Ltd. plan to expand their cooperation in other areas in the future, allowing both companies to grow their businesses and brand presence internationally.

“Joining forces with Lucky HuaGuang Graphics Co. Ltd., a leading supplier of prepress plates in China, will offer us a unique opportunity to grow our business and to restore our profitability.

It is an important step in the further development of our strategy to offer our customers more choice,” says Stefaan Vanhooren, President Agfa Graphics.

“Agfa’s strong reputation and ambition to grow in the prepress industry will accelerate our plans to strengthen the presence of Lucky HuaGuang Graphics Co. Ltd. in the global printing industry,” says Mr. Tao Zhang, President of Lucky HuaGuang Graphics Co., Ltd. The parties have agreed not to disclose any financial details. The implementation of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory and other conditions.

About Agfa The Agfa-Gevaert Group develops, manufactures and distributes an extensive range of analogue and digital imaging systems and IT solutions,

About Lucky Huaguang Graphics Co., LTD. Lucky Huaguang Graphics Co., LTD., founded in 1972, is a state-owned enterprise under China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

It is China’s key printing photosensitive material production and R&D base, advocating the concept of green printing. The main products are Offset printing plate, Graphic-arts film, PCB film, High-barrier film and Flexo plate, etc.. As for offset printing plates, it is a leading manufacturer in the world.

“Huaguang” brand is a well-known trademark in China’s printing and photosensitive industry.

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

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WE EMBODY PRINT At Agfa Graphics, print is part of our DNA. We live and breathe it.

Relying on 150 years of experience, we not only develop sustainable solutions for both offset and inkjet printing, we also open doors to new print markets and applications, including smart packaging, security and industrial printing.

The ultimate aim? Creating value for you!

Agfa (ASEAN) Sdn Bhd No. 18, Jalan Sepadu 25/123A, Seksyen 25, 40400 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia T +603 5525 5300 | +603 5525 3515 (Order desk hotline) F +603 5525 2779

www.agfagraphics.com

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

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Heidelberg showcases digital solutions in Japan Over 450 visitors experienced how productivity can be significantly increased with digitized and automated processes at the open house at Heidelberg Japan in Tokyo.

Under the motto “Smart Print Shop” with “Push to Stop”, the guests from Japan and Asia saw how an integrated workflow incorporates all processes and optimizes the overall equipment efficiency (OEE).

Push to Stop is setting new rules for the game: whereas in the past the operator had to manually initiate a large number of steps in the production process, now he only needs to intervene in the automated process chain as necessary.

Thanks to intelligent networking and automation, the machines can organize and handle the production process on their own. This goes as far as autonomous printing, and has the potential to double the OEE. Heidelberg has sold over 400 machines suitable for Push to Stop since it was introduced at drupa 2016.

Japanese customers want to increase productivity Japanese and Asian print shops are already highly industrialized, but want further productivity increases to remain competitive and be profitable.

Heidelberg’s responded to this at the open house in the shape of a Speedmaster XL 106 eight-color machine with perfecting, which independently produced twelve magazine signatures with a run length

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

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of 150 sheets within 30 minutes.

This record was possible thanks to the high level of automation of the machine, standardized jobs, and the integration into the Prinect print shop workflow. The Speedmaster XL 106 was equipped with Prinect Press Center

XL 2, Wallscreen XL, and Intellistart 2 as well as the Prinect Inpress Control 2 inline spectral measurement and control system.

dry sheets in the delivery, which were sent directly for further processing in the postpress machines also integrated into the workflow – the Stahlfolder KH 82 folding machine and Polar cutting systems. Saphira coordinated consumables from the Lifecycle Solutions division also optimized the overall process.

The new Versafire EV and Versafire EP digital printing systems were presented at the open house and printed 28 different jobs on a wide range of substrates and with different applications. The Versafire EV is aimed at customers who want to realize creative applications and enhanced business models. The Versafire EP is designed for flexible production and maximum performance.

The innovative DryStar LED UV drying technology resulted in instantly

Digital presentation was well received by visitors

ONE. FOR ALL. The world‘s leading system for packaging proofs and dummies.

Contract proof quality, with native screening.

On every stock: film, cardboard, sheet metal, aluminum, sleeves, IML and much more.

Including finishing effects: Spot varnish, embossing, cold foil, foil blocking, drip-off, soft-touch and much more. www.cgs-oris.com

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

17 The company also proved this at IGAS, which took place in Tokyo from 26 to 31 July 2018. The audience there was amazed by the Primefire 106 presentation using virtual reality (VR).

As the first commercially available industrial inkjet digital printing system in 70 x 100 cm format, the Heidelberg Primefire 106 allows print shops to produce an increasing number of variants with declining run lengths in a profitable way, bring products to the market faster, and reduce logistics costs through print-on-demand functions.

Sample runs can also be produced quickly and easily for market research purposes or decision making. The “Primefire 106 Super Journey� VR shows were all booked out down to the last place and over 1,700 visitors experienced the machine and all its details up close and in 3D.

Heidelberg Japan is a full subsidiary of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg). It is headquartered in Tokyo and has branches in Osaka,

Nagoya, Fukuoka, and Sendai. Over 200 employees look after more than 1,500 customers.

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

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Digital label press installations surpass conventional press sales European digital label press installations overtook conventional press sales for the first time in 2017, according to the latest FINAT RADAR.

Published twice a year by the international label association FINAT, this market monitor report compiles focused research and analysis based on surveys conducted by LPC Inc. FINAT RADAR also reported that 2017 was a year of growth for the non-prime label sector.

A unique perspective The ninth edition of RADAR provides a unique perspective on the trends and developments in the European label and narrow web industry, its markets

and its prospects. In addition to data and analysis obtained from the RADAR Converter Survey, it contains a special section on the evolution of digital printing, and the inaugural edition of the FINAT Digital Press Index featuring press installation volume figures from every European digital label press manufacturer for 2017.

The latter found that 2017 was the first year that, with nearly 300 digital press installations, the volume of newly added digital label presses surpassed that of new conventional label press installed volumes.

Digital trend set to continue This is a trend that is set to continue, with 45% of FINAT converters indicating they will be purchasing a digital press over the next 18 months, with inkjet projection volumes surpassing toner-based and hybrid system projections.

The RADAR report also included details about investment levels for digital presses. Nearly 60% of digital presses sold into the European marketplace in 2017 were in the price range of €250,000 to €750,000. 10% of digital press installations were priced below €250,000, and 8% of installations were more than €1million.

Growth segments shifting Historical RADAR analysis has often indicated that highest growth sectors for converters were the prime label markets of food, beverage, health and beauty. However, in this year’s RADAR Converter Survey, respondents indicated that 2017 was a year of robust growth in markets such as automotive, consumer durables and industrial chemicals. The only prime label market that was among the four highest-growth sectors for 2017 was the beverage segment.

Critical criteria for end-user procurement The survey also asked converters to rate specific technical application areas and to indicate their criticality when it comes to customers and prospects.

More than one in four converters indicated that the ability to offer digital printing capabilities was critical, while just 4% said the ability to offer digital was ‘not important.’ After digital, the next most-critical ranked criteria included removable adhesives, low migration inks and extended text/ extended content labels.

A valuable benchmarking tool FINAT President Chris Ellison concludes, “Again and again, brands claim that their label solutions providers offer more innovation and agility over other packaging sector providers, and FINAT’s RADAR helps our members assess their own performance against the industry average. It helps them make informed decisions about their business strategies going forward.”

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

More difference, more profit

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

HP PageWide T400S Press

HP Scitex 17000 Corrugated Press

HP PageWide T1100S Press

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

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

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

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

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Canon’s Commitment to Sustainability Highlighted The company exceeded 2017 goal for lifecycle CO2 emissions improvement.

Highlighting the company’s focus on embracing sustainable practices throughout its business processes, Canon Inc., has released its annual Sustainability Report.

For 2017, Canon exceeded its goal of a three percent lifecycle CO2 emissions improvement index per product over 2016 results through efforts to make products more compact, lightweight, and energy efficient, as well as through improved efficiencies during manufacturing and transportation.

Among the 2017 highlights of the Sustainability Report are: Toner Cartridge Recycling Among Canon’s various environmental sustainability initiatives is the Toner Cartridge Recycling Program, which has been in place for more than 25 years, and uses a process of sifting and melting to turn waste toner cartridges into pellets that can be used to make recycled products.

Collection of toner cartridges is now conducted in 23 countries and regions

for recycling at four sites in the United States, Japan, France, and China, with a cumulative collection volume of about 394,000 tons since the program began, as of the end of 2017.

Product Size Canon also strives to make its products smaller and lighter to help reduce the consumption of resources in the form of raw materials. For example, when the TS8100 series inkjet printer was redesigned last year it introduced a 31% smaller footprint than the model it replaced.

Additionally, the imagePROGRAF PRO-6000S large-format inkjet printer is just under 12-inches narrower than previously released imagePROGRAF models, requiring fewer materials to be used in the manufacturing of these models.

Product Development and Lifecycle Canon actively strives to reduce the environmental impact that its activities have throughout the product lifecycle.

As an example, the Sustainability Report highlights the environmental achievements of the imageRUNNER ADVANCE C5500 II Series of office multifunction devices, which were developed with the goal of reducing energy costs and CO2 emissions as compared with previous imageRUNNER ADVANCE models.

This C5500 II Series reduces CO2 emissions compared to previous models by incorporating on-demand fixing, induction heating fixing, and the latest technological advances in low-melt-point toner to reduce the amount of electricity needed during operation. With the imageRUNNER ADVANCE C5550F II, Canon achieved a reduction in CO2 emissions during use of approximately 47% and a reduction in lifecycle CO2 emissions of approximately 23% compared to previous comparable models, based on such measures as lowering the typical energy consumption (TEC) rating.

Learn More To view the Sustainability Report in full, please visit www.canon.com/csr/ report/.

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

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LET US BE THE FUEL

Industrial Textile

MIS Systems

Hybrid Superwide

Wide Format

Roll-to-Roll Superwide

Soft Signage

Thermoform Printing

Web to Print Solutions

Fiery Servers

Ceramic

EFI offers you the broadest choice of products across the widest range of TM

applications to fuel your success. From superwide LED inkjet, to ceramic printing, to powerful Fiery print servers. From the lowest cost per print, to soft signage ÂŽ

textile printing, to delivering peak performance by running your business through EFI Productivity Suites. Contact your local EFI specialist at EFI_ANZ@efi.com.

Nothing herein should be construed as a warranty in addition to the express warranty statement provided with EFI products and services.

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

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

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Printing With Silicone Based Inks Boston Industrial Solutions has a leadership role in the field of innovative inks. The highlight of their product range are silicone-based inks, which are perfect for printing on items made of silicone rubber.

Have you ever tried to print something onto a silicone-based item and noticed that it is not really easy to do? The major challenge for printers with silicone is, that common inks are not able to cure on it. Traditional solvent-based screen and pad printing inks will easily rub off the product and are therefore not really suitable. As the only thing, which sticks to silicone, is silicone itself, Boston Industrial Solutions started their innovative development of new inks exactly at this point.

The technology company for printing needs from Woburn Massachusetts, has a leadership role in the field of innovative inks. With its variety of silicone-based inks they became a real pioneer in the market. They follow their motto “Enabling Innovations” within their complete workflow. For example, they offer a special customer service by making free complementary ink

adhesion tests for any silicone product as well as a 24-hour turnaround for all ink colour matchings. Important for them is to work one on one with the customer and to use technology to make it easy to work with them.

“Our interest in the printing market is to solve customer challenges and develop cutting edge solutions and technologies that are easy to use and help move the ink industry forward. In addition to solving difficult to print materials challenges, we are also interested in improving existing printing inks and printing methods – we believe that there is room for advancement, says Jayson French from Boston Industrial Solutions.

Natron SE & DC Silicone Ink One of the company’s highlights is the development of new silicone-based inks, like the Natron SE Silicone ink. It

was specially designed for pad printing and screen printing on any object made from silicone, such as in promotional, medical, toys, drink-ware and industrial applications. Furthermore it has a very high opacity, gloss and flexibility compared to any other ink. The ink is so adhesive that it seemingly becomes part of the product. Another major advantage comes with the Natron DC Silicone Ink, which is for pad printing and screen printing on siliconebased objects that cannot be cured with heat, for instance, heat sensitive silicone rubber products like speakers.

Additionally, it has the same key features as the SE ink, as it has a high opacity, gloss and flexibility and the same adhesive quality.

“We’ve developed several silicone ink lines for printing onto silicone rubber using various printing methods, e.g. pad printing, screen printing and spraying,” says French.

“These ink lines are superior to any other in the world in terms of compliance, opacity, available colours and ease of use.”

There is More to Come Boston Industrial Solutions lives for the challenges. As there are many challenges for their costumers every day, they want to solve these problems with offering the right solutions. They see themselves as a high innovative company, keen to revolutionise the ink industry, to develop the needed technologies and to take the chances these innovations bring along. Or as Jayson French says:

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Exploring Alterna to Plastics 80% of the plastics that end up in the oceans come from Asia. 40% of that lot comes from packaging. Sha Jumari delves a little deeper on what’s out there in alternative materials to plastics.

According to a 2017 report by Ocean Conservancy, Thailand is one of the world’s top five plastic polluters.

Thailand is one of the world’s top five plastic polluters, according to the Ocean Conservancy. The other four are countries within Asia: China, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Altogether, these countries were responsible for more than half of the plastic that gets into the world’s oceans annually, said to be between eight and 13 million tonnes.

Of all the packaging types, flexible packaging is by far the largest contributor to waste in the region.

Within this category, single-use plastics such as plastic bags and food packaging have been identified as main culprits.

Plastics are so ingrained in our everyday lives that it is hard to imagine

life without plastics. Outside of ocean pollution, there is noticeable plastic pollution in our daily lives. Additionally, extracting petroleum and natural gas required to produce plastic is damaging.

On a more direct effect is that toxic chemicals in plastic can leak into the food and beverage product it holds.

Fortunately, the increased focus on environmental impacts of plastics are constantly creating new opportunities for sustainable packaging material producers. Today, there is an array of eco-friendly alternatives already available on the market.

Glass Before there was plastic, there was glass. Packaging that is plastic now, likely originated as glass. Glass is a 100% recyclable packaging option, and in the food packaging world is generally recognised as safe. Glass is made from sand – an abundant natural resource.

Glass is renewable, easily recyclable and reusable.

Glass works great for food storage, as it does not contain chemicals that can leach into the food, drink or body.

Furthermore, food containers made

from glass can withstand extreme hot and cold temperatures. Apparently glass has some taste preserving qualities due its odourless nature. Perhaps there’s a truth to this, haven’t we often heard how soft drinks taste better from a glass bottle than a plastic one? Additionally, glass has a distinct, stylish look beyond nostalgia.

The two only but perhaps major cons would be its weight and its fragility compared to plastic.

Corrugated Packaging Corrugated is renewable. One popular reason for the use of corrugated material for packaging over many others is that it is inherently environmentally friendly.

Corrugated is manufactured using a renewable resource, is recyclable, and can be manufactured using recycled content. Most corrugated boxes can also be reused to pack new items which reduces the cost of energy and other materials required to make a new packing box. Use boxes that are produced out of 100% recycled linerboard to take eco-friendliness a step further.

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

atives Materials

Approximately half of the goods manufactured in the world are stored in corrugated packaging. This is not only due to manufacturers knowing the immense benefits associated with this form of packaging, but also due to consumer preferences. Benefits of going corrugated is its light and provides better protection. The look may not be attractive at its raw form, but there are technologies to easily customise corrugated packaging.

Bioplastics Types of eco-friendly packaging include bioplastics that are biodegradable or bio-compostable. Bioplastics can also be materials that are bio-sourced, or made out of renewable raw materials.

Bioplastics can help companies stay competitive by helping to meet rising consumer expectations of sustainability. There are different types of bioplastics: 1. Aliphatic Polyesters Aliphatic Polyesters are a biodegradable collection of biobased polyesters such as PLA (polylactic acid), PHB (poly-3-hydroxybutyrate), PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates), PHV (polyhydroxyvalerate), polyhydroxyhexanoate PHH, polyamide 11 (PA11). Among these, PHB and PLA are the most extensively studied as both are truly biodegradable and biocompatible and have a relatively high melting point.

However, its use is still limited due to its high price, overall look, low physical performance such as brittleness, and narrow processing window. They can be mixed with other polymers and compounds to improve its properties.

2. Starched-Based Bioplastics Starch-based bioplastics can be derived from corn, wheat, potato, tapioca, sorghum, cassava and even mango seeds.

Starch is defined as a natural polymer that possesses many unique properties, which make it ideal for packaging and edible film applications. Starch-based bioplastics are produced from starch, blended with thermoplastic polyesters with an aim to obtain a biodegradable and compostable product.

Starch is an attractive biopolymer owing to its abundance, low cost, and potential application in the production of biodegradable films in the form of thermoplastic starch (TPS). The global starch-based bioplastics market is expected to reach $561 million by 2023, registering a CAGR of 3.7% from 2017 to 2023. Asia-Pacific is anticipated to lead the market in 2023, and is projected to grow with a CAGR of 4.5%, in terms of value. The flexible packaging segment occupied nearly one-fifth of the total market in 2016.

3. Fibre-based Bioplastics Fibre-based bioplastics that are produced using fibres or cellulose

esters. These are typically made out of wood and bamboo, although other unique derivatives include durian, yuka, banana peels and pineapple waste.

Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) is a 100% renewable material based on cellulose fibers extracted from wood.

According to a report by GlobalData, the use of MFC is currently niche and severely limited by production capability, but has the potential to replace existing paper & board in food and drink cartons. Another fibre-based bioplastic is Durapulp, which is a mixture of wood fibre and a bio-polymer called PLA. Durapulp is a material that is approved for food contact and is one of the leading contenders in replacing food packaging for ready meals and raw meat products.

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Large Format meets LED-UV The reel sheeter in action at the maximum press speed of 15,000 sheets/hour

At the beginning of September, Koenig & Bauer placed large-format sheetfed offset in the spotlight again in Radebeul.

The latest customer event left packaging printing to one side, however, and instead shifted the focus onto highly efficient commercial production, webto-print and online applications. The press on show was an eight-colour Rapida 145 with perfecting unit for 4-over-4 production. The highlights of this press included LED-UV dryers to enable immediate further processing, as a world premiere in large-format perfecting, a large-format reel sheeter of the latest Quantum generation, the high production speed of 15,000 sheets/hour in perfecting mode, and the autonomous printing of multiple jobs and job sections with ErgoTronic AutoRun. Dirk Winkler, head of printing process technology at Koenig & Bauer in Radebeul, took general and current demands of the print market such as fast makeready, low waste, Alexander Stern, workflow specialist and project manager, explained how press data come together in LogoTronic Professional and how all important economic indicators are determined

ultimate quality and high outputs as the starting point for his presentation of automation solutions and unique features of the Rapida sheetfed offset presses specifically for the commercial and online market. These included the DriveTronic dedicated drive components which actually make simultaneous processes possible and thus contribute significantly to makeready reductions. The same can

be said of the CleanTronic washing systems for optimised, parallel washing processes matched to each individual application. Fast, high-performance inline measuring and control systems (QualiTronic), a broad spectrum of VariDry dryers and end-to-end digital workflows are further key factors for extraordinarily cost-effective print processes.

Going beyond the only true metallic spectrum.

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

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

Iridesse™ Production Press. Beyond imagination.

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

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

28 plates from the plate changers and to insert the new ones in time for the next change.

The jobs also switched back and forth between formes with high and low ink coverages, illustrating one of the particular strengths of an LED-UV process when printing gang formes.

To conclude, two further gang formes with business and greeting cards were printed on 350 g/m2 board. For these jobs, the printer disengaged three inking units at the press of a button, enabling 4/1 production to proceed with any delay for roller washing and without the need to apply roller oil in the unused units.

Benefits of LED-UV production Alongside general plus points such as fast further processing, improved print quality on uncoated papers, the elimination of odours and heat input into the substrate, waste and energy savings compared to other drying processes, reduced powder and coating consumption and less need for cleaning of the post-press machines, the LEDUV process offers further benefits particularly for perfector presses, for example: • Higher production speed • Elimination of the intermediate dryer tower which is otherwise necessary ahead of the perfecting unit • No danger of ink drying on the impression cylinders • No need for special ink-repellent jackets on the impression cylinders after perfecting • Minimised makeready times for frequent format changes • Optimum inline quality control as the QualiTronic ColorControl cameras can be placed in the ideal positions to scan both sides of the sheet The eight-colour Rapida 145 in Radebeul was fitted with two LEDUV dryers, one above the storage drum of the perfecting unit and one in the swan neck of the delivery. It was also configured with a DriveTronic feeder, the sidelay-free infeed DriveTronic SIS, and simultaneous plate changing using DriveTronic SPC and Plate Ident. CleanTronic Synchro (including

CleanTronic UV) provided for parallel and thus ultra-fast washing processes.

Flying job changes in practice The print demonstrations began with the production of content pages for a magazine on 80 g/m2 paper. This paper was supplied on a reel and cut into sheets at the full production speed of 15,000 sheets per hour on the reel sheeter. Subsequently, the audience was able to witness fast conversion of the feeder for production using sheets from a pile, in preparation for printing of the magazine cover on 150 g/m2 glossy paper.

The next jobs were three sections of a cookery book, for which the substrate was changed yet again to a 115 g/m2 matt paper. The job changes between the individual sections were realised fully automatically in an AutoRun process. As a result, only 1.5 minutes passed between the last good sheet of the old job and the first good sheet of the new job. These jobs were followed by another cover on 200 g/m2 glossy paper and two sections of a travel guide on 135 g/m2 glossy paper.

The presentation was rounded off with a series of five jobs typically handled by an online printer. The first three were corridor-free gang formes with flyers requiring run lengths of just 300 copies each. Again making use of the AutoRun function, production was here so fast that the helper on the press had his work cut out to remove the old

Live view of job data The print demonstrations were about more than just live print production on the Rapida 145, however. On external monitors, the visitors were able to follow how press data were gathered in the production planning system LogoTronic Professional and transferred to the management information system (MIS). The LogoTronic cockpit displayed all important production parameters, and it could be seen, for example, that the net production output was still 13,000 sheets/hour despite the many job changes. All makeready times were documented and the OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) was calculated and displayed. The Koenig & Bauer specialists explained the JDF/ JMF workflow and use of the MIS Optimus Dash in daily commercial and online print production.

Further presentations were devoted to data-driven Connected Services, Visual PressSupport and use of the Rapida LiveApps for decentralised press operation, maintenance, inventory management and consumables tracking.

The conclusion reached at the event: Assuming a corresponding job pool, the Rapida 145 perfector is an ideal means of production for both long runs and jobs requiring only 250 sheets.

The high production speed permits the efficient processing of long runs, while fast job changes with AutoRun enable extremely economical production when short runs are the order of the day.

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

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

direct. dedicated. digital

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EFI Escada essential in the digital manufacturing ecosystem As a world leader in cutting edge solutions for the packaging industry, Escada’s place in the EFI digital manufacturing ecosystem is well deserved.

EFI’s digital manufacturing ecosystem brings together elements from EFI’s range of technology. Starting with the Nozomi C18000 press and high-quality Genuine EFI Inks, the entire process is powered by the EFI Fiery digital front end technology and a complete end-to-end corrugated business and manufacturing workflow with the EFI Corrugated Packaging Suite.

The EFI Corrugated Packaging Suite is the only end-to-end digital ecosystem for corrugated package printing in the world and is the result of significant investment by EFI in research and development.

Its intuitive workflow system offers a range of benefits for users, including reducing time from estimate through to order acquisition and every step from beginning to end. It deals with management, production, shipment planning, shipping and billing – all automatically.

An essential part of the EFI Corrugated Packaging Suite is EFI Escada and its full line of Corrugator Control management systems.

Escada is EFI software – marketproven and efficient. It serves as a complete modular system that drives automation and helps ensure consistent

board quality across multiple shifts.

Fully implemented, users can look forward to a 6% increase in production and a waste reduction from 6% to 7%.

Escada has been leading the world with cutting edge solutions for the packaging industry for decades, offering greater efficiency, increased productivity and increased profit for better customer outcomes.

Better still, EFI Escada easily integrates with most current systems, including the Corrugated Packaging Suite. It’s an end-to-end solution configured to meet each printer’s individual needs.

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

EFI Escada systems EFI Escada’s corrugator control management systems take care of a range of tasks.

be sourced from any data point. A brand can use the data to increase and monetise engagement taking personalisation to a whole new level.

• Optima keeps track of paper stock in real-time, thanks to barcode and RFID roll tracking.

• Syncro 7 allows you to increase productivity while reducing waste.

It’s a control system that automates corrugators from the wet end to the dry end.

• Profile takes care of multiple processes covering improved quality, reduced waste and increased customer satisfaction. It works as a closed-loop process control system that manages these processes from a single point.

• Vision focuses on sales order entry and management, order and pallet tracking and sheet counting.

• Clarity is designed to produce information to make real-time, fact based business decisions. As an analysis and reporting tool it’s userfriendly and flexible to adapt to your business needs.

The digital inkjet printing technology used by EFI increases the quality of high-speed, high-margin digital corrugated printing for customers.

Messaging used on the boxes can

EFI is a global technology company, based in Silicon Valley, and is leading the worldwide transformation from analog to digital imaging. The company is passionate about fuelling customer success with products that increase competitiveness and boost productivity.

EFI’s range of printers, inks, digital front ends and business and production workflow suites are designed to streamline production processes, increase competitiveness and boost productivity. Find out how to integrate EFI’s technology into your printing business - www.efi.com

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The Corrugated Packaging Suite EFI’s Corrugated Packaging Suite makes printing high-quality corrugated boxes with any messaging possible.

The Corrugated Packaging Suite is designed for the corrugate industry.

It’s made up of scalable, integrated solutions to cater to printers of all sizes and requirements. It also offers out of the box value for sheet plants, box plants and sheet feeders.

NEW DELHI INDIA MAY 2019

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Vietnam installs its first ROLAND 700 EVOLUTION Commercial printer Phu Tinh expands into packaging with new installed press

Phu Thinh Printing recently invested in a new six-color ROLAND 700 EVOLUTION with coating module press. Its aim is to expand into the label and packaging field and focus on the growing domestic market for plastic and foil printing.

With a 150-strong manpower, Phu Thinh Printing was founded in 2005 and specializes in the printing of books, magazines, catalogues and calendars.

In order to meet the requirements of customers in the growing market for plastic and foil printing, which requires LED UV, the company decided to invest in the award-winning ROLAND 700 EVOLUTION press.

“We strive to provide customers with high-quality products at reasonable prices, and in a timely manner, to suit their individual needs,” said Tran Duc Phuong, director and co-founder.

“We believe the world’s latest printing

technology is crucial for us to satisfy customer demands for diverse creative products. We are proud to be the first company to own a ROLAND 700 EVOLUTION in Vietnam. We are also a pioneer in Vietnam for LED UV drying.”

He added that the ROLAND 700 Evolution will be able to strengthen the company’s existing business of printing books, magazines and catalogues, on top of providing more scope in packaging.

For label printing it is vital to maintain the consistent and premium quality of these types of substrates without compromising productivity.

The unique features of the ROLAND 706 EVOLUTION are well suited, such as a printing speed of 16,000 sheets/hour,

combi-inks with three LED Interdecks and LED UV EOP; a SmartCard printing performance package with Ink blowing devices, additional washing line and TripleFlow inking system.

Several QuickChange functions together with PressPilot Visualization, ColorPilot Smart and SpectroDrive minimize make-ready time and guarantee higher performance and more efficient quality control for highquality label printing jobs.

With this new investment Phu Thinh Printing will be much more flexible in its diversification program and at the same time increase its competitiveness and profitability.

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

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

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

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

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

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Why employ a Spec

As my father always says….To attract you have to be attractive – here’s why specialist recruiters are attractive and why you should

read on

…….. having to do this. They are impartial and only focus on the best candidate fit for your business.

Does your HR team have experience in your Industry? Do you or they have time to build lots of relationships with all the top talent across your industry sectors and niches, for future recruitment requirements to cater for your growing business needs? Let a specialist recruiter take away your concerns and let us do what we love to do, allowing you time to get on with what you love to do.

Top reasons to partner with a specialist recruiter.

Market Knowledge: Small boutique recruiters concentrate on building and maintaining relationships with valued clients and top candidates, now and for future assignments, as you never know what clients may require tomorrow. That’s what specialist recruiters are passionate about and they do, day in and day out and they love it, allowing you time to concentrate on your daily business.

They speak your language: Specialist recruitment teams have a wealth of contacts, networks and experience. They will sometimes

collaborate for a challenging niche assignment. It is their passion and skill as their careers have all been in the Industry. That’s why they will already have a good understanding of your business. They should be ahead of the curve as they have a good understanding of what makes your business tick.

Relationships: They work every day with, the movers and shakers in your industry and know who might be passive but receptive to hearing about a highly confidential new opening. For the right challenge and fit they may be interested to move.

Professional candidates understand and trust people from their industry and perhaps the only way you will get to know of them is through your specialist recruiter who takes time to get to know their wishes and desires.

Top Talent: Their unique data base only contains candidates from within your industry and their combined networks reach across many disciplines. They are skilled and read through thousands of CV’s a week and can handpick potential to present you with a premium shortlist, rather than you or your HR team

Execute & Deliver: They strive for excellence just like you and frequently broker relationships and bring like-minded people together.

In special circumstances, they may suggest creative ways forward in order to fill gaps in your business which HR departments may not be aware of, if they do not have a similar Industry background. Specialist recruiters can also independently smooth the path for candidates looking to relocate or become expatriates. For some, this can be a daunting thought and the paperwork and documentation required alone, can sometimes be a huge task.

Your specialist recruiter will have a good understanding and experience of what is required.

Technology: They talk to their clients and candidates at all hours of the day or night depending where they are in the world and what their requirements are.

Alleviating concerns or issues that may occur during the process, especially in delicate negotiations. Your specialist recruiter doesn’t have to be sat at their desk or wait till after the weekend to handle any issues. Technology allows for anytime anywhere.

Delivering you talent: Your success is their success. It is usual that only when a new member joins your team and reports for duty that they can request a fee. Therefore its in your recruiters best interests to continuously work tirelessly on your behalf, otherwise they will not be able to collect their fee. I would suggest your HR department might not pursue new talent in the same way or have the same motivations for success.

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

cialist Recruiter?

Partner with a specialist recruiter: If you wish to appoint strategic key personnel or have a highly confidential assignment that requires professional discretion and diplomacy, then go find a specialist recruiter to your industry, and even better who understands your geographic location. They are out there just waiting to hear from you. Do what you love and let the specialist recruiters do what they love. In the long run, they will save you time and money.

They are passionate about their business, let them understand a bit more about yours, so they may speer

head your recruitment campaign quickly. I recommend you take time to research before you select and work with a specialist recruiter. Only partner with a reputable, professional recruitment agency. Check around with your trusted colleagues who have had dealings with and can speak with authority, in their recommendations.

After-all their website only shows a part of the product. Do some background checks before embarking on and signing new contracts together.

Go to a specialist recruiter who understands your business and has a running start at presenting you with

top talent to keep your business profits growing.

About the Author: Marcus Doo is a Managing Partner at Mood Group, a specialist Head-hunting and Recruitment Agency to the Print, Packaging & Industrial Processing sectors. www.moodgroup.co.uk

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

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Chinese newspaper printed on press in Germany!

The Koenig & Bauer Commander satellite press helped ColdsetInnovation Fulda win major contract.

ColdsetInnovation Fulda has been printing two newspaper titles for a customer in China since the beginning of the year.

Published by the Guang Hua Culture and Media Group, the Nouvelles d´Europe is produced in Chinese, and the China Rundschau in German.

The newspapers are produced for the Scandinavian region, the Benelux countries and Germany.

“Our Chinese partners are very demanding when it comes to newspaper quality. Our Commander satellite press’ register accuracy, extremely low fan-out and minimal makeready times tipped the scales in our favour,” said Siegfried Wahl, assistant vice-president and technical director at ColdsetInnovation Fulda. Contrary to the general trend, the circulation of both newspapers (Berlin format) has increased by more than 10% this year.

“Without our Commander this deal would not have come about. Our press operates flawlessly. We have been working successfully with Koenig & Bauer for decades and are very satisfied with the services they provide,” said Wahl.

ColdsetInnovation banks on Koenig & Bauer A Commander satellite press with an hourly output of up to 90,000 full-colour newspapers has been in operation at ColdsetInnovation Fulda in Eichenzell, Germany, since 2010.

The highly automated press that was extended in 2011 consists of three reelstands, three printing towers, a KF 5 folder and numerous add-ons for inline finishing. The 70 employees at ColdsetInnovation Fulda guarantee economical, high-quality production.

THE PERFECT CHOICE FOR EVERY PRINT ENVIRONMENT

NEW LEVELS OF QUALITY AND PRODUCTION IN COLOUR PRODUCTION The imagePRESS C850/C750/C650C has been designed to meet the all the challenges of the colour production market. Ideal for busy CRD and GA environments, the imagePRESS C850/C750/C650 combines exceptional image quality with powerful productivity and offers the versatility to create extensive and innovative applications across a wide range of media, including heavyweight coated stocks and envelopes.

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

PRODUCT AT-A-GLANCE PRODUCTIVITY

PRINT QUALITY

CHOICE OF WORKFLOWS

ENVIRONMENT

• Production speeds of up to 85 ppm (color and B/W)

• Vibrant and consistent image quality on a wide variety of media

• PRISMAsync Color Print Server

• Meets ENERGY STAR® standards

• Maintains rated speed on uncoated stocks up to 220 gsm

• 2400 x 2400 dpi print resolution

• imagePRESS Server H300

• Rated EPEAT Gold

• Precise, front-to-back registration

• imagePRESS Server G200

• Compliant with RoHS

• Gloss optimization

• imagePRESS Printer Kit

• Recyclable toner bottles

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

• Variety of calibration options to help maximize color consistency

• No VOCs in consumables

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How Smart Labeling Ca Counterfeiting is a major problem for the global wine market. New and highly innovative printing and labeling technologies are needed to prevent the fraud.

Counterfeiting is an issue within different industries all over the world, and also is a serious problem in the global wine market. Since the late 1980’s more and more cases of really professional wine fraud occur. With the modernisation of wine industry and label printing, fraudsters gained access to more technologies to fake bottles and to print own labels at a very high quality. But there are several means how the printing industry can prevent counterfeits. Let us have a look at them.

A Brief History of Wine Fraud But first let us start with a short history lesson: Due to the recent death of Hardy Rodenstock, a famous wine collector and one of the most famous counterfeiters, the topic popped up again in a wider audience. In 1985, Rodenstock “discovered” some old bottles of Bordeaux belonging to Thomas Jefferson and sold them to Christopher Forbes and Bill Koch.

When Koch wanted to give these bottles to the Museum of Fine Arts for an exhibition in 2005, experts determined the bottles as fakes.

This is how the era of professional wine fraud began. For instance, there were more vintage Lafite for sale in Hong Kong auction houses than were ever produced. In 2013, Rudy Kurniawan’s arrest was a major scandal.

He had simply relabelled cheap bottles as expensive ones, and earned about 500 million dollar with selling these fakes at auctions.

When it was uncovered that as many as 66.5 million bottles were counterfeit it sparked a public outcry, too. Affected were especially France’s Côtes du Rhône and Châteauneuf du Pape, as the bulk wine trading company Raphael Michel sold cheap red table wine as these premium labels since 2013 all over Europe. Next to the financial

damage it also meant damage an image loss for the region and their brands.

Anti-Counterfeits Technologies from the Printing Industry As there is not much space on a bottle to implement anti-counterfeiting technologies it is not surprising that the label became key when it comes to these things. As Jean Guillaume Prats, chairman of Chateau Cos d’Estournel, states in an article in Le Nouvel Economiste, the most practicable solution would be to ensure that the bottles are difficult to copy and easy to identify. Therefore the industry is using technologies, which are easy to bring up to a bottle or better to say, to the label.

One way to print anti-counterfeit labels is to use holographic elements like these used for banknotes and passports.

Covert parts, such as latent images are added to the label, only visible with a special detector. Additionally, these

an Prevent Wine Fraud and secure identification solutions, launched some months ago their newest RFID/NFC label, which is totally temper-proof due to a high innovative and state-of-the-art aluminium-etched antenna. Furthermore, the antenna is guaranteed to be destructed when the label is removed from the surface of the item.

labels can be made tamper-evident to prevent a reuse, which is, as we know from the case of Rudy Kurniawan, a major problem. A similar way is to use special inks, especially when the items do not have a flat surface or not enough area to adhere a label to. For example, this is the case when the anti-counterfeit technology cannot be connected to the label.

A more technical approach is the usage of RFID (radio frequency identi-fication) and NFC (near field communication) technologies for the label printing. The idea behind both is to give the printed item some sort of own DNA making it really unique and preventing copies or reusal. Therefore, the label is equipped with a chip, which has a unique international identifier.

With an additional NFC system, these information can be authenticated with any smartphone, for example, by the customer himself. A major advantage to QR (quick response) technologies is,

that it does not require an application.

Nevertheless, OriginTrail, a technology company from Slovenia, just launched a QR-based anti-counterfeit solution which uses a combination of photochromic ink, QR codes and a block-chain-based protocol. Identiv, a global provider of physical security

Which Anti-Counterfeit Technology is the Best?

To name one solution as the best would be much too sweeping statement.

Basically it depends on the pricing, the company’s budget and strategy.

But, experts envision the RFID/NFC technology to surely rise in the next years and become increasingly important, since solutions like holograms are easier to copy. Other solutions like DNA protection are useful but very expensive and complicated as the authentication requires dedicated laboratory-type equipment. RFID/NFC are more likely to become mainstream. After all, they have a very good cost-benefit factor and are easy to use, especially as the customer can authenticate fakes directly at the supermarket. All in all, the conclusion for all brands and the industry remains the same: They have to update and develop their anticounterfeit solutions to always be one step ahead the counterfeiters.

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These are the 4 key benefits of hybrid printing Growing demand for high-quality labels, customization and quicker lead times, shorter print runs andcontinual pricing pressure has led to a rapidly evolving label printing industry. And increased challenges for production leaders, too.

New printing technologies, like digital printing, have entered the market and continue to expand its presence.

However, the industry is looking for ways to combine the benefits of both digital and conventional technologies.

What is hybrid printing?

In short, hybrid printing is combining several printing technologies and converting techniques in a single-pass process. It aims to merge the capabilities of conventional and digital printing methods, for example integrating the reliability, efficiency and in-line features of flexo printing with the creative possibilities of digital printing.

Key benefits of hybrid printing To understand how hybrid printing is the future — and how it is strengthening the label printing industry, let’s take a look at four key benefits of this innovation: 1. Serving a larger part of the market segment Hybrid printing enables you to serve

a larger part of the market segment because you can combine several printing techniques and utilize the advantages. For example, in flexo you can’t print variable data, and you can’t do cold foil in digital. With hybrid printing, you can do both.

Hybrid presses combine a suite of advanced features that enable you to customize print runs — and meet customer demands. The advantage?

You can offer a wide range of applications and possibilities to your customers.

2. Increased productivity Due to the demand for quick lead times, it is crucial to make sure your printing process is as short as possible.

Increased production is a key benefit of hybrid printing; it enables more work to be done in a shorter time span.

Most tasks within the printing process — printing, labeling, finishing, coating, and cutting — are done automatically.

Also, hybrid presses can handle more jobs in less time. You’ll gain flexibility to print a larger number of short print runs or cut productions costs on large runs.

DON’T DELAY: Get more from Goss today

Professional solution provider for all production requirements including: Packaging, Commercial, Textbook and Newspaper applications.

Maintain and optimize the productivity and competitiveness of your press with Goss Lifetime Support solutions.

FIND YOUR EXCLUSIVE GOSS INTERNATIONAL AGENT: • Indonesia: PT. Sinar Grafindo • Thailand: Comprint (Thailand) Company Limited • Malaysia & Brunei: Goss Singapore / Printmac Marketing • Philippines: Heidelberg Philippines Inc. • Vietnam & Indochina: Rieckermann GmbH • India: Goss Singapore

• Pakistan: Sal-Im International Co. • Bangladesh: Printech Corporation Limited • Sri Lanka: Scan Engineering (Pvt) Ltd. • Korea: Alles International • Japan: Goss Japan • Australia / New Zealand: Goss Australia

www.gossinternational.com

MPS EF SYMJET hybrid press that combines the MPS EF flexo platform with the integrated Domino N610i inkjet engine.

3.Fail cost reduction and no semifinished products In many print shops, when several printing and converting techniques are combined, different machines are needed to print an end product. You have semi-finished products in stock of which you don’t know if the end product will meet the requirements.

To further explain: after each step an intermediate test is conducted, however only the final test will indicate if fault free quality is ensured. There is always a risk that things can go wrong, even in the last step. If a product doesn’t pass the test, you have to start over again.

This increases costs and lead times.

In hybrid printing, you can print and

convert labels in a single pass. After finishing a job, you can immediately see if the label meets the (quality) requirements. As a result, you reduce fail costs, and you have no semifinished labels in stock.

4.Easy scheduling and less prepress time Because you only need one press to print an end product, imagine how scheduling jobs gets a lot easier. Also, hybrid printing requires less prepress time before you can start printing a job.

Why? When you are limited to one printing technique, you need to make more adjustments in the prepress stage to get the quality that is required. When

printing techniques can be combined, you can decide how you are going to run the job — based on quality and cost price. This makes the process easier.

Discover more about hybrid printing Hybrid printing has — compared to using a single printing technique — even more benefits than described in this blog.

If you would like more information about this innovation, download our free whitepaper. You’ll learn more about the differences between hybrid, digital and conventional printing and how it compares from a time and cost perspective and what industry experts have to say among other things. It helps you to find out if hybrid printing is a viable solution for your business.

Hans Poortinga is Printing Technology Expert at MPS since 2015. He knows all about printing technology, the total printing process and is a specialist in connectivity within the printing industry.

WWW.MPS4U.COM

OPERATOR FOCUSED, RESULTS DRIVEN

EF

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

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

HIGHLY AUTOMATED

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

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

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

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

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Packaging with lives at stake Sometimes people who work with food packaging feel tied down by all the regulations and standards that exist to guarantee safety.

However, the regulations for packaging medical technology (“medtech”) products are equally complex.

These products must be manufactured in a sterile environment and then transported all the way into an operating room without risking contamination.

Otherwise, people’s very lives could be in danger.

One of the most important requirements is that the packaging solution can successfully deliver the product – which might be an implant or surgical equipment – into the operating room. To ensure this, numerous standards place demands on the packaging material’s permeability, that it can withstand the sterilisation processd, that its closures are durable, that the materials do not allow

microorganisms to pass through them, and much, much more.

All these requirements must not only be met, they must also be documented with the support of statistically significant data. Quality control systems that emphasise risk management must of course be in place. The natural explanation for why medtech packaging regulations are so stringent is partly that people’s lives can be at risk. Another reason is that the product itself is of high value, especially if its underlying R&D costs are included in the calculations. Last but not least, huge costs could result if something goes wrong – if a product’s packaging is inadequate the manufacturer may have to do a major recall and could also be held responsible for non-delivery.

“I’ve seen examples where a medical implant is packed in a sealable bag made of a plastic material, put inside an outer packaging made of paperboard, and then put inside a transport packaging made of cardboard,” says Ian Huskinson , Technical Service Manager at Iggesund Paperboard. “Then the An implant must be transported from its sterile manufacturing environment to the operating room without risking contamination.

transport packages are stacked onto a pallet and secured with shrink wrap.

The whole pallet is then loaded into a sterilisation chamber and sterilised.”

Supplying material for use in medtech packaging can also involve demands that rarely occur in other industries.

Because all input materials must go through extensive and thereby costly qualification and validation processes, subsequently altering or replacing them is strongly discouraged.

“Sometimes we must commit to not making any changes to the product’s composition for a number of years into the future. That might mean we have to abstain from improving a product even though we could do so – but that’s the price of being considered as a supplier to the medtech market,” Ian Huskinson emphasises.

“One of our foremost assets in this context, in addition to the purity and hygiene that are associated with using virgin fibre, is our strong focus on product consistency,” he adds.

Both of Iggesund Paperboard’s paperboard brands, Invercote and Incada, are used in a number of medtech applications.

We introduce our most talented candidates to our valued customers

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

Which are you?

Printing, Packaging & Industrial Processing Specialist Head-hunters & Recruitment www.moodgroup.co.uk

47

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

48 Mira’s ‘Print & Prepare’ function enables the operator to load one side of the table while the other side is printing for non-stop productivity.

The Jeti Mira reaches speeds up to 2,669 ft²/hr (248 m²/hr) and produces industry-leading print quality in six colors (CMYKLcLm) and white, with optional (3D) varnish or primer.

Agfa wins four product of the year awards In a record-setting competition, Agfa Graphics has won four Product of the Year awards from the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA).

The brand new Jeti Tauro H3300 LED won the Roll-to-Roll UV (Over 80 Inches) category, the Jeti Mira won in two categories: UV Flatbed + White ($200,000–$500,000) and UV Flatbed ($200,000–$500,000), and the Anapurna H3200i LED won in the UV Hybrid ($100,000–$500,000) category.

A total of 255 entries in 68 product categories were submitted for the competition. Judges evaluated prints based on overall colour appeal, tonality, image detail, objective color matching and grayscale colour cast.

“Our Agfa team around the globe worked tirelessly on our Product of the Year submissions,” said Deborah Hutcheson, director of marketing, Agfa Graphics, North America.

“These highly coveted awards are a testament to the dedication and commitment we have for bringing extreme productivity and extreme quality to market. Winning Product of the Year is a great honour. We

are thrilled to be recognized in the industry for our innovations and technological leadership.”

Agfa Graphics will showcase all of their Product of the Year winners at the 2018 SGIA Expo this October.

The Jeti Tauro H3300 LED, Jeti Mira LED and Anapurna H3200i LED feature impressive image quality with low ink consumption and outstanding productivity. These UV inkjets offer the following technologies: The flagship Jeti Tauro H3300 LED is designed to offer extreme productivity with extreme quality coupled with extreme flexibility. This new LED system offers a combination of vivid six-color prints (plus white or primer) up to 3.3 meters wide at speeds up to 453 m2/hr and cutting-edge automation. Ruggedly built for 24/7 multiple shift operations, Jeti Tauro H3300 LED offers the ultimate automation flexibility and can be configured to the needs of the user: manual loading and unloading; master roll-to-roll; semi-automation and full automation.

Jeti Mira MG2732 HS LED with varnish and RTR – This powerful moving-gantry flatbed printer is designed for optimal flexibility. Jeti

Anapurna H3200i LED – A 3.2 m hybrid, the Anapurna H3200i LED is ideal for a variety of uncoated rigid media and roll media applications. The 6-color engine includes a white ink function that creates possibilities for printing on transparent material for backlit applications or printing white as a spot color. It offers a solid, robust design to sustain higher workloads. manroland and Goss completes merge manroland web systems and Goss International, both long-time web offset printing manufacturers and service providers, announce that they have completed the transaction to combine their businesses.

The new company will operate under the brand name “manroland Goss web systems”.

Alexander Wassermann, CEO of manroland web systems, will become CEO of the new company with global headquarters in Augsburg, Germany.

The company’s North American headquarters will be in Durham, NH. Mohit Uberoi, previous CEO of Goss International, will stay connected with the business as a board member and assist the management team with business integration.

The shareholders of manroland web systems and Goss International, the Lübeck-based Possehl Group and NYbased American Industrial Partners (AIP) respectively, will both remain shareholders of the new company supporting the established businessbuilding strategy.

The Contiweb business as well as the manroland web production business are not included in this transaction and will stay independent as AIP and Possehl portfolio companies, respectively.

“Both manroland web systems and

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Goss International were on a sustainable path to success. We will strengthen this path by increasing our global reach, continuing our innovative and focused R&D activities, and enhancing our market presence through targeted consolidation. Our customers will be able to choose from an even broader portfolio of products and services, supported by the industry leading e-commerce platform MARKET-X,” said Wasserman. manroland Goss web systems will concentrate on four main business areas: System Solutions (highly automated press and post-press equipment including pre-owned offerings, press relocations), Engineered Solutions (mechanical, automation and closedloop solutions for all types of presses), Service Solutions (best-in-class service in parts, labor, tele-support and performance based service agreements) and E-Commerce Solutions (electronic marketplace for efficient ordering and logistics performance for all suppliers to the web offset industry).

With its broad range of products and services, the new company will be the high-performance partner for all web printers. The common goal is to support the performance of customers with a “best of the best” approach.

Starting August 17th, 2018, the combined company will work actively with all customers on a positive development of the web-fed printing business.

Japan’s Big Six to prioritise smart office technology and production print capabilities Konica Minolta, Canon, Ricoh, Toshiba TEC, Sharp, and Kyocera are focused on creating solutions to improve office and workflow efficiency, according to The Cannata Report.

According to Access Japan 2018, a special issue by The Cannata Report, the Japanese Big Six manufacturers - Konica Minolta, Canon, Ricoh, Toshiba TEC, Sharp, and Kyocera—

are focused on creating solutions to improve office and workflow efficiency.

• All manufacturers interviewed are looking to firmly establish themselves in the top three in market share.

In meetings with leading executives at the Japanese Big Six conducted in Japan in May of 2018, The Cannata Report confirmed that each manufacturer recognizes the business of traditional document printing is contracting and each is innovating aggressively to compensate for that decline.

Access Japan 2018 reports on meetings with top global industry executives including, Shoei Yamana, president and CEO, Konica Minolta, Inc.; Yoshinori Ikeda, advisory director, deputy chief executive, Office Imaging Products Operations, Canon, Inc.; Hede Nonaka, corporate SVP and GM, Visual Communication Business Group, Ricoh; Sachio Koyama, vice president, general manager of products, marketing & service division, Toshiba TEC Corporation; Fujikazu Nakayama, senior executive managing officer – president & CEO, Sharp Marketing Japan Corporation; and Norihiko Ina, president, Kyocera Document Solutions Corporation.

The two priorities of the manufacturers are to develop and scale the “smart office” and office output efficiency, and production/high-end print capabilities.

Additional trends identified include: • Emphasis on R&D will be with inkjet technology as opposed to conventional toner. While the current emphasis on inkjet is in wide and large format, that technology will be moved downstream to provide highly competitive products to be employed in the office.

• The manufacturers recognize MFP needs to evolve in a major way to remain relevant. Each is working to develop technologies to make their MFP products more efficient and productive and to further differentiate their products from competitors.

• Most of the manufacturers are planning to leverage data through the MFP and other smart devices to improve business processes.

• The emphasis on big data and ITrelated services and connectivity was notable.

Workflow Optimization in Print – Adapt and Survive With printers constantly asked to broaden their range, operations are getting more and more complex.

Optimizing workflows is needed to ensure a sustainable profit for print shops. Getting there, however, is not that simple.

Print shops nowadays face challenges that were unheard of just a couple of years ago. Jobs in the printing industry are getting more and more complex.

They require more knowledge and skills than they used to. And as if that wasn’t enough already, print operators are asked to do way more, too, as they are now required to play a significant part in their customer’s marketing

Printing Innovation Asia Issue 9 2018

50 issues, then grow from there. Don’t try to solve everything all at once.”

According to Bohan, for most shops it breaks down to: What are the parts that need to be the most efficient?

Printers have to assess and move on from there. However, different situations require different workflows.

Printers need to move past the notion that says automation equates to “human vs. technology”. It’s more about integrating the two, he says.

strategy and hence have to offer a way higher range of services.

But how are they supposed to go about all that while remaining profitable? The solution lies in improving their workflow which is, of course, easier said than done. Over the years, operations have become so complex that changing one single step would imply consequences spanning across all phases of production.

“Workflow is the core differentiator between competitive print providers; as digital production printers become more commonplace, the competitive differentiation that used to exist in terms of artisan skill in optimizing quality on offset presses (i.e., ink/water balance, etc.) start to disappear,” says Marco Boer, VP, IT Strategies.

tools and bottlenecks, but it’s going slowly. Larger PSPs are doing a better job of integrating new tools than their smaller PSP counterparts but, as a whole, there is a lot of opportunity to become more efficient and automated.”

Printers are perfectly aware that they need to optimize workflows, they just don’t know where to start. And honestly, who can blame them for that?

“Look at It from the Big Picture” This is not an easy issue to solve, as Marco Boer points out: “Do I start afresh, or do I try to integrate into existing workflow? Who do I turn to for integrating into my existing workflow? A software provider? A hardware supplier? Should I self-develop?”

The Keyword Is Automation In order to improve workflows and the velocity in which they can be executed, printers will have to look at automation. Removing human touchpoints and thus potential sources of error as far as possible is vital for ensuring a smoothly running operation. This is not news, printers know that and yet adoption of new automated workflows has been slow.

Printers often stick with what has worked in the past. And why would they change a running system?

Sadly, this mentality doesn’t lead to a sustainable business in print. In order to stay competitive, businesses, not just in print, have always had to adapt and will continue to in the foreseeable future – survival of the fittest. It is, however, not an easy task to change up workflows that have been working fine for years.

Keypoint Intelligence director for InfoTrends Production Workflow Service, Pat McGrew explains: “We know that PSPs [print services providers] in North America should be assessing their workflows and working toward elimination of manual touchpoints, supplicative software

Mark Bohan, Prinect & CtP at Heidelberg USA has an idea how to approach this: “Look at it from the big picture – the whole of the workflow – and then try to take things in a step-by-step process. You can start with the low hanging fruit and get the easy-to-address

Automation Requires Data With big data emerging throughout our everyday lives, print shops are no exception to the rule that understanding data more or less determines a business’ success.

Print shop owners already have to evaluate data to understand which operations run profitably and which do not. Understanding these key figures helps them make the changes significant to their future. It also puts sales people into better positions regarding contract negotiations.

But data is only as powerful as the one interpreting it. If done correctly, it can help figure out slow-downs and bottlenecks and eventually lead to a better workflow.

And in print, a better workflow leads to a better business.

PT Panverta installs BOBST K5000 with AluBond Indonesia-based PT Panverta installed the new BOBST K5000 2450 in its factory earlier this year.

First established in 1989, Panverta is known for being a trusted manufacturer of packaging film in Indonesia.

The company produces CPP and LDPE films and is also experienced in vacuum metallizing to provide extra value.

In order to expand its offering, Panverta decided to invest in their first BOBST metallizer due to BOBST’s reputation in the market as a proven solutions provider with process know-how. The new machine includes unique BOBST processes: AluBond for high adhesion and DarkNight for high barrier metallized film.

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

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

EX CEP TIO

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

Setting New Standards in Image Quality & Productivity

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52 nebacterium fermentation technologies to realize a low-cost production process for Green chemicals, which it aims to promote as a global technology plat-form for the biorefinery industry.

Panverta invested in AluBond to improve the bonding performance during the metallization process which is more cost effective than using special resins. AluBond is a unique metallizing process which achieves high bonding strength on any substrate with values up to 5N/15mm being achieved eliminating the need for chemically treated films.

The machine also includes a high rate evaporation source for higher speed of operation and reduced distance between adjacent boats to give better coating uniformity.

Another innovative feature also included on this machine is the Hawkeye Pinhole Detector which is a monitoring system that at full metallizer speed, detects, counts and categorizes pinholes and other defects from 0.1mm upwards. Hawkeye sets the benchmark for in-process control; bringing increases in speed and final product quality and an improved barrier performance.

“We have a lot of experience in metallizing films and when we needed to expand capacity to meet demand, we decided to also invest in processes which will give more added value to our films. BOBST are well-known in the market in particular for its AluBond process and their expertise in this area. The machine is now up and running in the factory and we are very happy with it and look forward to continuing our relationship with BOBST,” said Suherman Tanjung, director of PT Panverta.

DIC is working with biotech startups, companies and academic organizations with the aim of strengthening its biotechnologies using algae and other microorganisms to expand related busi-nesses. The company expects that this investment in GEI, which boasts outstanding expertise in the development of Green chemicals, will contribute to the expansion of its portfolio of chemi-cals and the sustainability of society.

DIC Completes Investment in Japanese Biotech Startup DIC Corporation announced that it completed an investment in Tokyobased Green Earth Insti-tute Co., Ltd. (“GEI”), a carve-out startup from Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (“RITE”) for the commercialization of sustainably produced (“Green”) chemicals.

GEI is engaged in the development and commercial production of bioethanol and amino acids (food and animal feed additives) from wood and other non-food biomass feedstocks that do not compete with food or animal feed.

GEI has leveraged innovative cory-

Virtual and Augmented Reality as Helping Hands in Production Today’s work environments become increasingly digitized and connected thanks to automation, cloud infrastructures, big data and the IoT. But this is not all that industry 4.0 has to offer: More and more virtual and augmented reality applications are entering productions plants.

Using virtual and augmented reality applications on printed products such as magazines and packaging is by far nothing new to the printing industry.

But these state-of-the-art technologies might also enhance the manufacturing

The market is changing

COST OF PRODUCTION

FLEXO

GRAVURE

HYBRID OFFSET

COST OF PRODUCTION

FLEXO

GRAVURE

HYBRID OFFSET

With hybrid offset, cost of production needn’t spiral If image changes, shorter runs and quicker turnarounds are becoming your new reality, it’s time to consider Goss Vpak™ hybrid web offset.

Goss International Singapore Pte Ltd 2 Toh Tuck Link, #05-01, Singapore 596225 PHONE: +65-6462 4833 www.gossinternational.com

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54 saves time and money. Next to fitting the equipment in their exact future position, it’s possible to test the ergonomic conditions. After all, cuttingedge sensors can virtually mimic how people move in real life. This allows the employees to arrange everything the way it’s most practicable for all of those involved.

process of such products since they empower employees and machines to work more efficient. This is why these applications match the industry 4.0 mindset perfectly.

How the Games Industry Changes Production Today, hardware, software and IT merge increasingly fast and closer supporting staff members to work more efficiently and avoid claims, accidents, or even total breakdowns. The constant optimization of workflows is needed to ensure a profitable business no matter what sector.

By means of automation, cloud infrastructures, big data and the Internet of Things, the growing digitization helps with this – just to name a few keywords. This development enables machines to exchange information with other components within the system. Finally, the gained insights allow for more control, efficiency and flexibility.

But the shift towards smart factories hasn’t finished yet. More and more companies think outside the box and draw inspiration, for instance, from the games industry. Augmented, virtual and mixed reality have long been standards and also have the potential of taking production processes to the next level. They are, for example, able to create surroundings that don’t exist (yet) or add information to reality. Thereby, complex technologies become more tangible and workers receive assistance in difficult tasks. We gathered two examples illustrating the added value virtual and augmented reality applications offer: Smartphones and Tablets as CoWorkers Smartphones and tablets increasingly enter production plants thanks to the smart services they provide: inexpensive prototyping or efficient planning processes in logistics. For instance, planning a facility or a warehouse with virtual reality before it’s even built

Troubleshooting From Far Away While virtual reality creates an entire digital environment, augmented reality is able to put computer-generated data or virtual objects on live images, e.g., when visualizing temperatures. Potential application fields are maintenance services and repair works, respectively.

Augmented reality goggles can enable mechanics to see machines that need to be maintained or fixed. For example, signal lights might display the maintenance requirement of certain components. It might even be possible for technicians to share their point of view with a location-independent expert giving instructions on how to repair a specific part.

A Science Fiction Workspace All in all it becomes clear that there are many changes ahead for all working in manufacturing companies. Even today, we already use technology which would have been considered as a Sci-Fi scenario just a few decades ago. But although highly intelligent technology is key for progress, it’s obvious that it can’t completely substitute mechatronic know-how.

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