News from around Asia and the world

Flint Group announces launch of XSYS

Flint Group, a global leader in the supply of print consumables and services to the packaging industry, today announced the launch of XSYS, a brand-new division, the result of combining Flint Group Flexographic with Xeikon Prepress. Although the two groups have been working closely for some time in support of the flexographic and letterpress markets, this formal alignment will bring even more collaboration and innovation to the group and to its customers. With the tagline Be Brilliant, the new division will work with its customers to honour its claim of Print Solid. Stay Flexible.

“With the integration of Xeikon Prepress with Flint Group Flexographic, we are now connecting the dots and are implementing an important step of our strategy to become a full solution provider for the flexographic prepress industry,” said Dagmar Schmidt, President of XSYS. “In forming this new division, we bring together what belongs together: Plates, Processing Equipment (solventand solvent free), Imagers, Sleeves and Adapters.

And with this move, we expand our expertise towards our customers. The name derives from ThermoFlexX, nyloflex, Xpress and other brands that feature the X, combined with Systems to form the name XSYS.”

Friedrich von Rechteren, Global Commercial Vice President XSYS adds: “With a complete portfolio and a distinctive name we want to inspire not only our customers, but also our colleagues. Understanding, Flexibility and Consistency are our core values and our promise to customers and partners. Our values are what set us apart from competitors as a proactive, future-oriented player in the flexographic industry.

Our customers can count on us and on the quality of our products and services. At the same time, we are able to offer our customers flexibility and freedom in their decision-making – a key requirement in today’s world and even more so in the future.” With the new name comes a new mission and vision as well and a new logo and new website.

Explaining the Be Brilliant tagline, Schmidt says, “Be Brilliant, reflects our belief that the world needs brilliance. Brilliant ideas and developments to meet the challenges of the future. Brilliant people who have the courage and will to do the right thing. Our story started with a brilliant idea, and brilliant ideas are what keep us going.”

The existing products and brands that will be incorporated into XSYS include nyloflex® flexographic solvent and thermal plates & equipment, nyloprint® letterpress plates & equipment, nylosolv®, rotec® sleeves& adapters, ThermoFlexX TfxX Imagers, ThermoFlexX Catena Plate Processing equipment, and surface screening solutions.

All will operate under the divisional brand XSYS, keeping in place all existing brands and continuing to leverage them in the marketplace. “We are confident that by joining them together, we will further strengthen that position,” Schmidt notes. “Our division is primarily focusing on the prepress part of the value chain complemented by sleeves, which gives us excellent access to the printing press room. We are organized in three subdivisions who will all work closely together: Prepress, Plates and Sleeves. ”

Xiaomi special edition packaging gets sparkling makeover

Chinese electronics company, Xiaomi Corporation, will be using Scodix Crystal to transform the packaging of its latest release, the Xiaomi MI 11 Special Edition.

In honor of the company’s founder, Lei Jun, the Special Edition includes the Lei Jun signature and a special aesthetic effect on the back cover. Under customary glass, ribbed materials across the back of the smartphone shimmer in different colours depending on how the light hits the glass. Xiaomi has simulated the dazzling effect on the smartphone packaging using Scodix Crystal.

The Xiaomi MI 11 is the first Snapdragon 888-powered smartphone in the world and, as a flagship product for the company, packs a top-tier display, premium speakers, great cameras, and more.

Scodix Crystal allows users to create real 3D items and colourful sparkle effects using proprietary highbuild polymer, replacing the need to manually position crystals. The Scodix technology used to create Xiaomi’s Crystal enhancement was from the Scodix Ultra 1000’s Digital Enhancement Press Series.

The series includes six models, each specifically designed for a particular market, from commercial and specialty to Web 2 Print, Web 2 Pack and packaging. Each press includes up to nine Scodix applications – including Scodix Crystal – and a large variety of application combinations on one press. Ziki Kuly, Scodix VP APJ & Product Marketing added: “We are very excited to be part of such a major launch.

The use of Scodix Crystal on the box complements the premium nature of the smartphone and adds to the opulence of the product. Crafting such engaging, high-end packaging creates a luxurious experience for the consumer as they unbox their freshest purchase. It’s an ideal application for Scodix Crystal.”

Canon ranks 3rd in 2020 Patent Ranking

Canon Inc. ranked third for the number of U.S. patents awarded in 2020 with 3,226 patents. With this year’s ranking, Canon has now ranked in the top five for number of patents granted for 35 consecutive years, according to the latest ranking of preliminary patent results issued by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services. Additionally, Canon once again ranked first in patents among Japanese companies for the 16th consecutive year.

“As the world continues to shift and the needs of our customers evolve, we too will continue exploring new areas and future opportunities for innovation that will benefit our customers,” said Seymour Liebman, senior managing executive officer of Canon Inc. “Canon is proud to be in the top three patent holders as it further demonstrates our commitment to delivering innovative ideas and solutions that meet market and customer demands.”

Canon actively promotes the globalization of its business and places great value on obtaining patents overseas. Among these, the United States, with its many high-tech companies and large-market scale, represents a particularly important region in terms of business expansion and technology alliances.

Canon promotes the acquisition and utilization of intellectual property rights, not only for fundamental technologies required for next-generation products, but also for such technologies as wireless communication and imagecompression shared by the nextgeneration social infrastructure.

Alon Bar-Shany with Highcon now

Former face of HP Indigo Alon BarShany returns to the industry with a new role in Highcon.

Highcon has announced the appointment of Alon Bar-Shany to the role of Chairman of the Board. The announcement comes after Highcon raised $45 million on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in an “oversubscribed offering”.

Bar-Shany is a recognisable face in the graphics industry as the former General Manager of HP Indigo. During his tenure at HP Indigo, Bar-Shany was recognized for having grown the company by over $1 billion in revenues. Prior to that, he ran the HP Indigo business in EMEA, led the worldwide Indigo channel business and was CFO of Indigo at the time of its acquisition by HP. Alon was also a member of DSCOOP.

Bar-Shany will be joining Highcon's Board of Directors comprising another familiar print name: Benny Landa, founder of Indigo and chairman of the Landa Group.

Alon Bar-Shany said: “I am looking forward to joining the Highcon Board and taking part in the ongoing digital transformation of the printing and packaging industry. Highcon has been a pioneer in the digitalization of the post-print part of the process which, after the growing adoption of digital printing, is where many bottlenecks now occur.

I have known Shlomo for 25 years and in fact, he recruited me to Indigo. I have been following the company and its customers for quite a while and will be supporting Shlomo and the Management team to ensure the success of Highcon customers, which will be a key driver for the company’s growth.”

Bar-Shany takes over the role from Amichai Steimberg, who has held this position since mid-2020 during the company’s successful IPO process, and who will be stepping down as planned.

Shlomo Nimrodi, Highcon CEO, added: “I am proud and happy to have Alon joining us in our digital transformation journey of the packaging industry. Alon’s industry expertise and

reach, coupled with his experience in growing a capital equipment company, will be instrumental in executing our go-to-market strategy and scale-up.”

“As we start the year ahead, with this new team of expert players, Highcon is now well poised for growth and the ability to drive the digital change that is essential to optimize supply chains and reduce the inefficiencies that face the conventional folding carton and corrugated packaging industry.”

White Ink option has led to reliable quality output and positive return on investment

With various branches in the Netherlands and Belgium, Verhoef has a proud heritage stretching back over 60 years. The company, based in Veldhoven just southwest of Eindhoven, supplies customers throughout the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and France, with high quality, durable products. Verhoef prides itself on delivering both the highest quality print – on various substrates including wood and plastic – and also on its rapid order fulfilment. In order to boost still further both production quality and speed, the company invested in an Acuity B1 from Fujifilm in early 2019.

Using a mix of screen and digital printing technologies, Verhoef’s blend of expertise allows for the creation of innovative ideas. “Our working method is to be practical, inventive and cost-effective,” says company owner Jan Verhoef. “We stand by these principles in every area we work in. We produce products such as modular systems, labels, banners, window decorations, signage, vinyl, floor stickers and tiles – each product is very important and we strive to deliver it to the highest specification and in the most optimal time.

“We did have another digital printer in the years leading up to the investment in the Acuity B1 – but we found that we needed something that was quicker from a production standpoint and cheaper to maintain,” explains Jan. “We noticed the Acuity B1 for the first time at an exhibition and we were immediately impressed by its capabilities, especially the fully automated printing aspect. We already had (and still have) an Inca Digital Onset X1 from Fujifilm and having seen the quality output and reliability from that machine, we knew that partnering up with Fujifilm again made sense.

“We’ve been very impressed with the Acuity B1. While our production has quickened, the quality has also been outstanding. The white ink option, which we were the first in the world to take up, allows us to produce vibrant work that really stands out, especially on transparent materials. The white ink print heads are very stable and, two years on from our investment, we’ve had no issues at all.”

Mr Verhoef also notes how impressed he and his colleagues have been with the automated operation of the machine: “The operator will start the printer up, and then the production run requires no intervention at all, allowing our staff to focus on other tasks. Overall, it’s helped with cost savings and shortened our production times, which is essential given the demands of our customers.

“Working with Fujifilm and Inca has been a pleasure once again,” concludes Jan. “They are good listeners and provide helpful advice – they are the perfect partner for us.”

Jaap van Duren, General Manager at Fujifilm Sericol comments: “Verhoef has always stood by its principles of delivering high quality work costeffectively, and we’re delighted to see how the Acuity B1 is aiding that pledge. Having already benefitted from the reliability and quality of the Onset X1, the company is now seeing identical success with the Acuity B1. We look forward to continuing to work with them and helping them to improve still further on the service they offer to their customers.”

Print over 1 million codes per hour!

Whilst most of us were glad to see the end of 2020 with all the disruption and distress caused by Covid-19, many label and packaging printers experienced a healthy growth due to growing trends in e-commerce and with brand owners using more variable data printing (VDP) and personalisation to communicate with consumers during this time […]

Whilst most of us were glad to see the end of 2020 with all the disruption and distress caused by Covid-19, many label and packaging printers experienced a healthy growth due to growing trends in e-commerce and with brand owners using more variable data printing (VDP) and personalisation to communicate with consumers during this time of uncertainty.

In the video link below, witness high speed digital printing at its best, as Domino’s dual bar K600i digital inkjet printer prints variable data onto labels, each with a unique linear barcode, QR code and data matrix code, at 150

metres per minute. This means it is capable of printing 9,000 linear metres with 350,000 labels and over one million completely different codes per hour! Visit: https://go.domino-printing.com/K600iVDPLabelexpo2019

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

The Domino K600i is all about high quality and high speed digital printing of variable data. This ranges from simple alpha-numeric text and sequential numbering, to a wide range of industry standard machine-readable barcodes and 2D codes, including QR and Data Matrix codes. These are used for logistics and reverse logistics in ecommerce and online retail, for ‘track and trace’ applications in the food and beverage sectors, and for security applications including brand protection, in the pharmaceutical and tobacco sectors.

This versatile, monochrome UV inkjet printer is available in seven different print width formats, ranging from 108mm to 782mm, in either a standard single print bar or the high speed dual bar configuration. It can be retrofitted onto most conventional printing presses and finishing lines. The K600i can be used with Domino’s UV-curable, LED-curable and aqueous pigmented ink sets, with a high opacity white ink, a fluorescent ink and a clear varnish also available. with optimum print density, but can print at up to 150 metres per minute. The dual bar unit demonstrated in this video prints 150 metres per minute at optimum print density, and can still print at 600 x 600dpi at up to 200 metres per minute.

With over 42 years’ heritage of developing and manufacturing digital inkjet printing equipment, Domino has created a flexible system with superior performance and reliability. In the video, Philip highlights and explains the benefits of Domino’s unique i-Tech intelligent Technology features, which together result in reduced setup time and maintenance costs, high reliability and uptime, and improved profitability.

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

Best of 2020 – A Year in Print

2020 has no doubt been a challenging year for us all. Looking back on these past twelve months though, we are happy to see all the interesting advances and exciting innovations made in the print industry nonetheless!

2020 might have been a year dominated by the global pandemic, but it also was a year full of print revolution and groundbreaking innovations. To make sure those advances don’t get lost – and to hopefully give you a more positive outlook on the future – we have gathered the most interesting and exciting articles of our drupa blog for you!

Shaping the Future

In 2020, 3D printing was everywhere! In design, it was a valuable asset for Adidas’ new running shoe and for HorizON, they combined the ground-

breaking print technology with traditional Italian glass-making. 3D printing changed the world by creating the first-ever community of 3D printed houses for poor families in Mexico. It started a food revolution with the first 3D printed vegan steak. 3D printing even made it to space:

When NASA goes back to the moon in 2024, the new lunar base might be built using astronauts‘ urine and moon dust. Researchers from Norway’s Østfold University College found out that these materials are capable of withstanding enormous weights while retaining their structure when used to form samples in a 3D printer.

They even survive repeated freezethaw cycles without breaking. But that is not all, 3D printing might even conquer Mars. A first step toward 3D printing in space was taken by installing a 3D printer on the International Space Station in 2016 and in an interview with the Observer, Made in Space president Andrew Rush says that 3D printing can make even Elon Musk’s dream of landing a million people on the Red Planet by 2050 a reality.

Experts see 3D printing being used pretty much in every product development process in the near future. It is already entering a new phase, the phase of mass production. The next Industrial Revolution seems to be very close and 3D printing is quite literally shaping the future.

Sensors Finding Their Way Into Various Areas

When it comes to future technologies and functional printing, “sensors” seem to be the number one buzz word in 2020. A team of researchers led by Francesco Greco developed inkjetbased “tattoo electrodes”, revolutionising brain signal measurement.

Engineers even developed a new, heat-free sintering process that allows to print wearable sensors directly onto the human skin. But we didn’t just find new ways to use printable sensors for humans to find new, convenient ways to monitor human body functions, we also found a way to secure supply chains with printable sensors: Chromatic Technologies, Inc. (CTI) created printable thermochromic ink to help ensure the safety of pharma products and vaccines.

Keeping the supply chain for pharmaceutical and medical products stable and secure has always been an especially challenging task, not only do producers and suppliers need to maintain the cold chain, they also have to prevent tampering and ensure the authentication of the products every step of the way. freezing, thawing and gradual warming, as well as tampering and even authentication. The effects of COVID-19 and the upcoming challenge of producing and distributing the vaccine all over the world, have reminded all of us of how pressing the need for a secure supply chain actually is for our everyday life.

A Story of Sustainability: Adapting to Customers’ Demands

In packaging production, sustainability turned out to be the top trend of 2020. In addition to the usual industry 4.0 and workflow automation advances, it was one of the most discussed topics of this print sector and showed promising advances these past twelve months.

Food packaging has been criticised a lot in recent years, so it comes as no surprise that we saw a rise in innovative sustainable food packaging options right at the beginning of the year. Sustainability rose to its prominence by being the top priority of both consumers and retailers which signified a huge shift in the market.

In an attempt to make packaging more eco-friendly, paper became a new, yet familiar packaging trend! But all in all, almost every company tried to play its part to go with the mantra of the green revolution “reduce, reuse, recycle” by focusing on circular economy and leading packaging materials back into the recycling circuit.

But combating the challenges facing the packaging industry will take more than just a nice new coat of green. The e-commerce sector has proven to not only be a chance of growth for the packaging industry but also a challenge: Customers’ demands call not only for eco-friendly alternatives, but also for more flexibility which requires improved management systems that in the end pay off in every area of our industry.

We are looking forward to seeing what the creative minds in companies, research institutions, start-ups, agencies and associations have in store for us in 2021!

More than 50 million cards with personalized and embossed foils

Scodix announces record breaking numbers of enhanced prints during Q4 2020 holiday season in North America. Scodix customers in North America have surpassed a combined total of more than 50 million cards with personalized and embossed foils for the 2020 peak holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Jason Rollo, Scodix President of North America, states, “We are delighted that the Web-2-Print business has seen outstanding continued growth, even during the Covid-19 pandemic. The numbers tell the story of how end-customers have chosen digital enhancement to boost their printed family holiday cards.”

Two main factors affecting Scodix’ success during the 2020 holiday season are the Scodix Studio Web-2Print Automation Workflow package coupled with the Scodix Ultra Digital Enhancement Press throughput and reliability. The Scodix Studio Web-2Print automation workflow maximized throughput by automating print data pre-processing, whilst the Scodix Ultra press printed continuously in three shifts daily during the entire period, ensuring on-time delivery.

In addition, Liza Yitzhaik, Scodix Director of Customer Support, adds, “With no reports of customer downtime, and superb productivity performance, Scodix is proud to have successfully delivered the prints our customers required during this critical season. Whilst every holiday season is significant, this one was particularly momentous, as many people across the world are missing close-contact with friends and family, a special card can go a little way to help bridge that gap.”