July 2011, Flexo Mag by Print Innovation Asia

July 2011

Covering the Flexo, Gravure & Labeling Industries across Asia MICA(P)046-11-2010 - KDN PPS 1529/05/2012(022768)

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Table of Contents

PATTAYA 23-26 Nov 2011 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 32 36 38 40 44 46 48 52 54 58 60 62 64 66 70 70 74 76 78

Maintain leadership role in digital flexo platemaking DuPont Packaging Graphics Unveils First Cyrel DigiCorr System IST METZ expanding business to Southeast Asia A leading Australian label printer gains volume and efficiency China will fight European paper duties Fully automatic mounting of flexo plates is the new trend Packaging shortages hit Japanese food supply Epson enters the digital label market Spandex showcases the Gerber Edge Newest Multi-Material 3D Printer Pragati Offset installs Omet VaryFlex F1 Offers brand goods manufacturers technology for protection against counterfeiting Customers Rival Gravure and Litho Results Step into the Pro Label Studio First Lemanic Delta in South East Asia Current market conditions are influencing his vision A world first â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Gallus ECS 340 configurator Raises the bar with tough new environmental targets Flint Group Flexographic Products drives automation in flexographic form processing Reduce Carbon Footprint of Printing and Selling Books Chooses New Technologyand Forms New Division New image-based Quality Perception Benchmark for print jobs Kodak opens its Asia Pacific Solutions Centre in Singapore First time exhibitor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Heidelberg to showcase at Pack Print International 2011 Is Consolidation the Future? System for Anticounterfeiting Strengthens Brand Protection Trio shines at printing luxury packaging Trio shines at printing luxury packaging Zip-Pak opens first China factory Indian printshop enhances productivity with adhesive binding Industry news and happenings from around the world

July 2011

AFTA Pte Ltd No. 71 Geylang Lorong 23, THK Building, #07-02, Singapore 388386 Tel+65 6733 5342 Fax +656733 3586 tel+65 6733 5342 fax +65 6733 3586 Chairman AFTA Paul Callaghan paulftw@tm.net.my Managing Director Elizabeth Liew eliew@cpublish.com.sg Editor Christel Lee editorasia@cpublish.com.sg Advertising Sales Matthew Callahan matt@cpublish.com.sg Accounts Radika PS accounts@cpublish.com.sg Chairman Judging Panel 2011 Packaging Excellence Awards Head - Alf Carrigan

AWARD - WINNING

Packaging Excellence 2011 AWARDS

10 Anniversary th

A GA

Enter the 2011 Awards and win Gold or maybe US$2000

Asian Gravure Association

Prove you are the best Asian Label Association

See inside for all the details on how to enter

Also join the 10th Anniversary conference in Pattaya go to www.afta.com.sg

Sponsored by the industry leading companies, helping promote packaging excellence across Asia!

Dailian International Pte Ltd

Spengler Electronic AG

Gold Sponsors

Drex-Chem Technologies Pte Ltd

Join the Asian Flexo - Gravure & Asian Labeling Print Awards. Its BIGGER and

Anniversary

BETTER than ever before, so more reasons for you to go for GOLD

Entries submission close on the 5th October 2011 at 5pm and the Grand Awards Presentation Dinner will be held in Pattaya ,Thailand on the 25th November 2011. Also join the 10th anniversary conference and learn more about what makes a winning company, learn new technologies and processes that will help your business.

A GA Asian Gravure Association

Everything Gravure

Everything Flexo

The awards cover every process for the Gravure printing industry.

The awards cover every process for the flexo printing industry, from wide-web all the way to narrow web. Flexo awards conditions of entry: An entry must be from a commercial production job, printed between 3rd October 2010 and 2nd October 2011 within the Asian region. Entries can comprise line, stipple and/or colour halftone. Web entries must provide a minimum of five (5) cylinder repeats at full web width, not trimmed, slit or die-cut. Each flexible substrate entry must be wound onto a cardboard core. Post Print for Corrugated must provide five (5) consecutive sheets/boxes. 1. Narrow Web Flexibles (Web widths up to 500 mm) a: Paper b: Film 2. Mid Web Flexibles (Web widths 501 to 914 mm) a: Paper b: Film 3. Wide Web Flexibles (Web widths 915 mm or more) a: Paper b: Film

NU CA S$2, SH 000 !!!

Beverage Carton & Cups

Post Print for Corrugated

Judges Award for best in show AFTA The judging panel selects a best of the best from all AFTA categories. This award will be presented by the Chairman of the Independent Judging Panel at the Awards Presentation dinner.

Gravure awards conditions of entry: An entry must be from a commercial production job, printed between 3rd October October 2010 and 2nd October 2011 within the Asian region. Entries can comprise line, stipple and/or colour halftone. Web entries must provide a minimum of five (5) cylinder repeats at full web width, not trimmed, slit or die-cut. Each flexible substrate entry must be wound onto a cardboard core. All other substrates to be packed to avoid creasing and damage. 1.

Paper and Metallised paper - surface print

Metallised Films and Aluminium Foil - surface print

Films a. Surface Print b. Reverse Print

Security - any substrate

Carton Board -surface print

Publication - surface print Samples to be packed to avid damage and creasing

Specialty -any substrate - any type that does not fit the above categories such as decorative wall or floor covering, vinyl’s etc

Judges Award for best in show AGA The judging panel selects a best of the best from all AGA categories. This award will be presented by the Chairman of the Independent Judging Panel at the Awards Presentation dinner.

NU CA S$2, SH 000 !!!

Asian Label Association

Everything Label

The awards cover every process for the Labeling printing industry. Label awards Conditions of entry: An entry must be from a commercial production job, printed between 3rd October 2010 and 2nd October 2011 within the Asian region. Categories 1 -5 (one to five) are for pressure sensitive die cut web labels only. Entries can comprise line, stipple and/or colour halftone. Web entries must provide a minimum of five (5) cylinder repeats at full web width, not trimmed or slit and wound onto a cardboard core.

Flexo

Letterpress

Offset

Gravure

Combination Printing Any number of printing processes or embellishments.

Non Pressure Sensitive Material any Process Web entries must provide a minimum of five (5) cylinder repeats at full web width, not trimmed or slit and wound onto a cardboard core. Sheetfed Offset must provide two (2) full, untrimmed sheets of each entry and supplied in a tube or between two sheets of rigid board.

Digital Printing Web entries must provide a minimum of five (5) cylinder repeats at full web width, not trimmed or slit and wound onto a cardboard core. Sheetfed entries must provide two (2) full, untrimmed sheets of each entry and either supplied in a tube or flat between two sheets of rigid board.

Judges Award for best in show Labels The judging panel selects a best of the best from all Label categories. This award will be presented by the Chairman of the Independent Judging Panel at the Awards Presentation dinner.

Start collecting your entries for the bigger and better Asian Flexo, Gravure and Labeling Awards 2011. Go for Gold and prove you are the best of the best in Asia AFTA Pte Ltd No. 71 Geylang Lorong 23, THK Building, #07-02, 388386 Singapore 388386Tel +65 6733 5342 or email eliew@cpublish.com.sg

NU CA S$2, SH 000 !!!

www.afta.com.sg

FREE ENTRY FORM

10th Asian Flexo, Gravure and Labeling Excellence Awards ENTRIES CLOSE 5th October 2011 PLEASE INDICATE BELOW WITH AN

Section A

FLEXO AWARDS

(This will not be shown to judges)

GRAVURE AWARDS



Labeling AWARDS

Entered by (company name) Contact Address Telephone Country Postcode email Title of entry (description) Printed by (company name) Prepress House Type of substrate printed on (ie Board, Label stock etc) Category entered (See page before) By signing here you accept the rules and conditions of the Asian Flexo, Gravure and Labeling Excellence Awards Name

Signature

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Section B

Production information to be shown to judges

Category entered (Same as above)

Entry number

( tape this to the back of your entries) (Administrative use only]

Print method Number of ink colours

Ink Manufacturer

Quantity produced (Print run)

Name of press used

Other technical details (finishing processes etc)

Attach a separate sheet if necessary.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION Entries for all awards require : all entries must be from a commercial production run : 2 samples of each entry to be supplied : Web entries must be a minimum of 5 cylinder repeats, full machine width, not trimmed or slit and wound on a core to avoid creasing: Sheetfed entries must be full sheets untrimmed and supplied in a tube or flat between 2 sheets of cardboard to avoid creasing. All production details must be provided in all sections of the entry form and in English. (Otherwise, an entry will not be deemed eligible). Please note that all entries are non-returnable, unless a self addressed courier pack is supplied with an entry.

Send all entries to: AFTA Pte Ltd No. 71 Geylang Lorong 23, THK Building, #07-02, 388386 Singapore 388386 Tel+65 6733 5342 Fax +656733 3586

Entries must be in by 5th October 2011 www.afta.com.sg

AFTA AGA ALA • July 2011 - Book Your Seat at the 2011 Pattaya Conference 23-26th November Thailand

Maintain leadership role in digital flexo platemaking OEC Graphics, a leading flexographic prepress supplier to converters and consumer packaging companies, is diverting business from gravure and offset following the January 2010 installation of its EskoArtwork CDI Advance 1750 with EskoArtwork HD Flexo version 2.0 and inline UV capability Nine months after the installation, OEC combined two revolutionary technologies: EskoArtwork HD Flexo paired with in-the-round (ITR) sleeve production for with high-definition flexo imaging and screening of sleeves. The first solution of its kind in North America, the use of HD Flexo and ITR is the result of combing two leading edge technologies: EskoArtwork’s HD Flexo version 2.0 with Seamex, OEC’s proprietary seamless photopolymer sleeve solution. Being on the cutting-edge is nothing new for OEC, which has continually sought out innovative prepress solutions for its customers. Now closing in on 100 years of operation, OEC’s 220 employees provide digital platemaking, press-side consulting,

expanded gamut separations, digital and analog colour management, wide-format graphics, prepress facilities management, and digital asset management. Always the pioneer, it installed one of the first CTP devices in 1997, developed a digital ITR sleeve nearly 20 years ago, and was one of the first EskoArtwork HD Flexo version installations in the U.S. Leader of the pack “We were the first to have digital in-theround and the first to use it with HD Flexo,” notes Brad Vette, Corporate Managing Director, OEC Graphics, Inc. “We installed the CDI 1750 with HD Flexo version 2.0 because we were looking to meet our customers’ demand for higher line screens and increased gamut. Our goal is to create ITR solutions that are equal or better than flat

plates. We were the first to win an FTA (Flexographic Technical Association) award with HD Flexo flat plates, and we want to replicate that quality level throughout ITR sleeve production.” Although both EskoArtwork HD Flexo and the CDI 1750 can be used for flat plates as well as sleeves, OEC uses the imager primarily for ITR sleeve production. With a total of 11 flexo CtP devices, 10 of which are EskoArtwork CDI units (4 HD), OEC has a “platform

AFTA AGA ALA • July 2011 - Book Your Seat at the 2011 Pattaya Conference 23-26th November Thailand

where we can take a digital plate in any plant that we have and replicate it everywhere,” says Vette. EskoArtwork HD Flexo and ITR are helping to promote flexography to traditional gravure and offset users, allowing flexographers to print continuous images on a broad range of substrates. They deliver up to 4,000dpi screening for sharper images, an expanded gamut throughout the highlight areas, higher line screens--up to 200 lpi, a

minimum dot (0.4%), an increased tonal range, smoother shadows and tints for easier printing, and sharper copy. In-theround technology, and in particular their proprietary Seamex sleeves, provides continuous design capability, accurate registration, zero plate mounting, and no plate lift.

jobs previously done in offset or gravure. “There is a large opportunity in the beverage carton industry, for example, to replace rotogravure,” asserts Vette. “In fact, we have also taken business from roto, penetrating traditional gravure printing in folding carton, flexible packaging and labels.”

Meeting demands “Flexo did not have an answer to the quality demands of our customers, who often went rotogravure or offset...until now,” says Vette. “The quality of the dot created by HD Flexo 2 is exceptional. It lets us hold less than a 1% dot— something we can’t do with a traditional digital process. With HD Flexo, we can exceed the resolution and print quality of rotogravure and match offset. It gives us substantial improvement in quality, with more consistent and better resolution imaging. HD Flexo 2 allows us to deliver the some of the highest ink density transfer on the market.”

EskoArtwork HD Flexo and ITR have given OEC the capacity to make plates for other prepress companies. “They cannot do what we can do, even though they have platemaking on site,” notes Vette.

Adds Vette, “Without HD Flexo, we would have never landed awards for 7-color 200 lpi imaging. Easier printing and consistent results with CDI plates and sleeves make the printers happy, too.” Consistency is also improved with in-line UV, which cures sleeves on the fly, inside the imager. “Inline UV, for us, is all about exposure control,” says Vette. “The CDIs with inline UV gives us imaging control, as opposed to a light table which may present problems with the integrity of the lamps.” With EskoArtwork HD Flexo and ITR, OEC is expanding its business, taking on

Looking ahead, Vette expects to bring on additional CDIs, as it adds more CtP capability to its facilities management sites. EskoArtwork will continue to work with OEC, helping it maintain its leadership role in digital photopolymer flexo platemaking, “EskoArtwork is a spectacular partner of ours,” Vette notes. “So many of the cutting edge technologies we employ, we are able to do so, because EskoArtwork continues to help us come up with solutions.”

ENTER TODAY win US$2000

AFTA AGA ALA • July 2011 - Book Your Seat at the 2011 Pattaya Conference 23-26th November Thailand

DuPont Packaging Graphics Unveils First Cyrel DigiCorr System DuPont Packaging Graphics recently introduced the first DuPont™ Cyrel DigiCorr System in China. The system was installed in the DuPont Customer Technology Center in Shanghai China to welcome its first group of visitors. A total of three groups including 30 customers from converters and printers visited the DuPont Customer Technology Center (CTC) to experience and view the demonstration of the newly installed DuPont™ Cyrel DigiCorr System that was conducted by DuPont Packaging Graphics. During the visit, customers were most interested in the key advantages of the economic workflow and new digital plate making technology, producing a unique hybrid-fat topped dot, to enhance print performance while reducing fluting on images, as well as increasing print contrast overall quality.. “When comparing samples printed by DuPont Cyrel DigiCorr with conventional technology, the printing quality is obviously superior in terms of reduction of fluting and smoother vignettes,” said Qiu Dong, general manager -- Dongguan Yihua Flexo Technology Co. Ltd. “I believe that converters will definitely benefit from this new technology and feel more confident on conversion from offset to flexo printing.” “We are glad to see this new technology has been introduced to China,” said Joyce Qi, packaging manager -- Black & Decker (Suzhou) Co. Ltd. “Consumers will enjoy a better looking corrugated package than ever.” Besides the Cyrel Digicorr system, the Cyrel 2000ECLF Exposure system, Cyrel 4260 FAST processor, Cyrel Smart 2000P and 2000 Dryer as well as a Digital flexo suite for plate pre-mounting application

AFTA AGA ALA • July 2011 - Book Your Seat at the 2011 Pattaya Conference 23-26th November Thailand

9 from Esko Artwork also have been installed in Shanghai CTC for the purpose of training and technology developing. The DuPont Cyrel DigiCorr System from DuPont Packaging Graphics produces uniquely shaped hybrid digital dots that print with minimal “fluting” or “washboarding,” the condition that results when the printing process reveals the corrugated flutes that provide the structural strength specific to corrugated shipping containers and store displays. In addition, the increased dot support with optimal shoulder angle results in a longer plate run length.

plate-making systems in digital and conventional formats, including DuPont Cyrel brand photopolymer plates, Cyrel FAST processing equipment, Cyrel round sleeves, mounting and finishing products. For more information about DuPont Packaging Graphics, please visit http:// cyrel.dupont.com.

Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 90 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.

DuPont (www.dupont.com) is a sciencebased products and services company.

Last year, the DuPont Cyrel DigiCorr system received the 2010 Technological Innovator of the Year Award from the Flexographic Pre-Press Platemakers Association (FPPA). To date, there have been 20 installations of DuPont Cyrel Systems worldwide. Corrugated packages printed by the DuPont™ Cyrel DigiCorr system will soon appear in the China market. DuPont Packaging Graphics is the world’s leading supplier of flexographic

“ We are the color and inspection experts who also sharpen your competitive edge, and strengthen your profit margins.”

THE COLOR AND INSPECTION EXPERTS

MOVING YOU FORWARD. Visit us at AFTA Pattaya, Thailand 24th-25th November

Mr. Karl Fritchen, President QuadTech, Inc. Sussex, Wisconsin, USA

We can help you brighten your future. Let us show you how.

quadtechworld.com 100% inspection for 100% confidence The QuadTech® Inspection System provides TRUE 100% inspection on 100% of your print or non-print product, web or sheet, 100% of the time.

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Accurately measure color information in the image, inline, on paper or film QuadTech’s SpectralCam™ delivers L*a*b* data for precise, cost-effective color management.

6/9/11 3:18 PM

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IST METZ expanding business to Southeast Asia Specialist for UV drying units opening a new subsidiary in Bangkok in the summer of 2011 – Consolidation and acquisition of new markets The IST METZ Group is further expanding its presence in Asia: With the new subsidiary in China proving to be a great success, the Group is looking to drive this expansion in Southeast Asia forward with a further company in Thailand. “IST METZ SEA Co. Ltd.” will cater to the developed region that includes Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. “These regions have an enormous market potential that we don’t want to see go to waste,” explains IST METZ Marketing Director Dirk Jägers. The IST METZ Group already has a number of customers in Southeast Asia and is, above all, looking to tap into new client bases outside of the graphics industry with this new move. In cooperation with the existing OEM partners the company will also continue to look after existing customers in the printing industry. “Bangkok is the ideal base,” continues Jägers.

The Thai capital city, with its convenient location, facilitates short and quick flight connections to the parts of Southern Asia being targeted. Head of the new subsidiary will be Oliver Thiele. The sales manager has gathered plenty of international experience, working in various positions for printing machine manufacturers. The 39-year old has been with the IST METZ Group since October 2010 and will be relocating to Bangkok with his family to establish the new subsidiary. He will initially be helped in this task by four employees, two of whom will be responsible for customer technical services in Southeast Asia. With the founding of IST METZ SEA Co. Ltd., IST METZ has succeeded in filling another gap on the international markets. Six subsidiaries in Western Europe, one company in the US, along

Oliver Thiele.

with the IST METZ UV Equipment China Ltd. Co. founded in Shanghai, are the independently operating sales pillars supporting the company’s actions abroad. This is complemented by worldwide sales partners and agencies.

REALLY GREAT

GRAVURE COMES FROM REALLY GREAT TOOLS EskoArtwork offers the most advanced PrePress solutions for gravure packaging and label workflows.

DESIGN

Whether you prepare basic or complex gravure packaging, EskoArtwork has all the right tools for you to do the job with ease and precision. DeskPack is the ideal product to add production packaging prepress tools to your desktop (based on Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop). DeskPack allows you to view, predict and correct problems, map inks, trap artwork, add production barcodes and prepare files for print. The latest ArtPro 9.5 has a sleek and functional new interface and continues to be the industry standard tool for preparing complex packaging and gravure cylinder layouts. With a host of new features for error-prediction and quality control ArtPro can handle even your most problematic files allowing you to deliver industry standard Adobe PDF or TIFF files to the engraving systems. Add to that 3D design and prototyping, proofing, color management, expert workflow automation and online collaboration allowing you to cut down on costs and human errors while guaranteeing quality and consistency. No errors and guesswork, only superb quality through expert tools. Connect with EskoArtwork for great Gravure!

DeskPack

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11/4/2009 5:52:16 PM

AFTA AGA ALA • July 2011 - Book Your Seat at the 2011 Pattaya Conference 23-26th November Thailand

A leading Australian label printer gains volume and efficiency Australia, the smallest continent in the world that is known as home to kangaroos, koalas, kookaburras, is also home to insignia, a forward thinking label printer. insignia, with two plants located in Brisbane and Melbourne, was started as an off shoot of parent company Signet, which has an annual turnover of $80m. Jack Winson, insignias General Manager with operator Brett Hardiker.

has focused on the prime label sector. The dedication to delivering quality products and service, coupled with a team of passionate staff, has helped insignia produce award winning labels. In 2009, they won best in show at the LATMA (Label and Tag Manufacturers Association of Australia) awards. Insignia recognizes that a product’s packaging and labelling is the crucial expression of a company’s brand at the point of sale. By conducting business through a framework of common strength, stability and mutual understanding, insignia actively works in synergy with clients, toward their business objectives. And with a customer list that includes such companies as Nestle, Shell, Avery Dennison and Fosters, insignia realizes that they need to go above and beyond the status quo. insignia is so steadfast in their belief of “above and beyond” service that they made it part of their mission statement: Founded in 1967 by John Winson , Signet was initially a marking business selling a range of stenciling products. Through the 1970’s and 1980’s, the business expanded into general packaging lines and labels as the technology developed. In 2000, insignia was launched to focus on the labeling sector.

insignia is run by a management team headed by Jack Winson, son of the founder. Early on, the new company’s business focused on thermal labels, selling barcode printers and manufacturing the associated labels. The 40 person manufacturing team operates 10 flexo presses (Mark Andy and Gallus) and in the last five years, the company

“Through People, Process and Passion build a labelling business which brings unprecedented delight to customers, fear to competitors and delivers long term security and opportunity to all of us.”

AFTA AGA ALA • July 2011 - Book Your Seat at the 2011 Pattaya Conference 23-26th November Thailand

Operations manager, Howard Gill, attended Label Expo Europe in 2009 with the task of sourcing equipment that would improve the company’s productivity and reduce its waste. While there, he spent some time at the Martin Automatic booth watching demonstrations of the flagship butt splicer, the MBS. Martin has installed nearly 1000 MBS butt splicers on narrow web presses around the world. The MBS unwinds rolls of stock, from film to light board, without stopping the press and while providing exceptional tension control over the web. Because the press

does not stop for manual roll changes, users of the MBS and other Martin products typically experience increases in productivity, improvements in print quality and significant decreases in material waste. Gill quickly saw the efficiency gains and waste reduction that an automatic splicer would offer insignia. But while he knew the Martin Automatic brand and the excellent reputation the company has in the printing and converting industries, he had concerns that the Martin butt splicer might be too expensive for his budget . After consulting with David Ho, General Manager/Asia Pacific for Martin Automatic, he was pleasantly surprised to hear that Martin offers global support for their machinery and he received a competitive offer and came back to Australia with a butt splicer on the top of his shopping list.

to 1000mm diameter and 330mm wide, the Martin butt splicer quickly justified Howard Gill’s confidence. “It operates faultlessly and productivity has improved significantly. In an industry where on time delivery is critical, efficiency gains -while growing volume-are the keys to making it in a competitive environment. Our Martin butt splicer helps us to do just that.” It appears that Melbourne’s motto is equally true for insignia: Vires acquirit eundo “We gather strength as we grow” and after four decades, insignia is still growing stronger every year. •

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The new butt splicer was installed on a Mark Andy 2200XL press at insignia’s Brisbane operation in July 2010 and was up and running promptly, thanks to Keith Chao, Martin Automatic’s Service Manager for Asia Pacific. Providing continuous unwinding of rolls up pluess-ag.com

According to the company’s website, insignia’s values are: “embrace change to improve and grow, and act with diligence by taking responsibility for our work and actions as we strive to achieve our goals.” With over 40 years of experience in marking and labels, insignia understands that making the right machinery decisions is crucial to its success as they move forward in a very competitive environment. In addition, the company is environmentally aware and committed wholly to the preservation of the environment through its business practices.

SOFT DOCTOR BLADE

www.swisstec-ag.com

For decades Daetwyler SwissTec, formerly known as Daetwyler, has been the leader in innovation for doctor blades. During this time many of the Daetwyler products have set new standards in the printing industry. | The innovative SOFT Doctor Blade is made of carbon doctor blade steel with a corrosionresistant coating. With its self-repairing feature this doctor blade has a softer, gentler point of contact, resulting in a significant reduction of score lines in Flexographic printing and reduced streaks and hazing in Gravure applications.

SwissTec AG Inserat_Soft_EU_178x130.indd 1

11.02.10 11:26

AFTA AGA ALA • July 2011 - Book Your Seat at the 2011 Pattaya Conference 23-26th November Thailand

China will fight European paper duties China said it would take measures to protect local companies producing fine-coated paper following the European Union’s decision to impose antisubsidy and dumping duties on the product. Yao Jian, Ministry of Commerce spokesman, claimed the EU’s decision to impose anti-subsidy and antidumping duties on the same product is against World Trade Organization rules. He said, “China will carefully study and evaluate the final ruling and reserves its right to take legal action to protect the interests of Chinese enterprises.”

The European Commissionsays that the dual duties will last five years and could

be extended if they hurt the European paper industry again. John Clancy, EU Commission spokesman, said, “This is the first time we have ever put in place measures

against the strategic and targeted subsidisation of a specific industry by the Chinese government. Today’s measures will restore effective and fair trade conditions on the EU market.”

pluess-ag.com

After a 15-month investigation, the EU decided to charge dual duties for Chinese fine-coated paper producers. The anti-subsidy duties range from 4 to 12% and the anti-dumping duties from 8 to 35.1% on fine-coated paper used for high-quality printing, such as brochures.

Goldstar doctor blade

www.daetwyler-usa.com

Daetwyler SwissTec continuously strives to develop specialized doctor blades for flexographic printing. Through extensive lab and field research, we put the best tools in the pressman’s hands to a ddress specific printing problems. | The G OLDSTAR doctor blade combines extraordinary durability with a smooth and rounded, coated edge. It has a low coefficient of friction and the corrosion resistant coating has a self-lubricating effect. This adds to its long lasting properties, as well as further extends the life of the anilox roller.

Inserat_Goldstar_US_b_190.5x123.8.indd 1

11.02.10 11:32

AFTA AGA ALA • July 2011 - Book Your Seat at the 2011 Pattaya Conference 23-26th November Thailand

Fully automatic mounting of flexo plates is the new trend AV Flexologic in the Netherlands is the inventor of the FAMM, a flexo plate mounting machine that mounts flexo plates fully automatic on sleeves. The first FAMM was already introduced in 2008 and after a hesitant start, more and more flexoprint companies show a growing interest in this fully automatic mounting system.

This is not surprising, since time is money; the necessary time for mounting flexo plates on sleeves is very costly, especially if the flexo press experiences longer down times due to the operator waiting for the ready mounted sleeves. One of the most important arguments to choose for a fully automatic mounting machine is the time factor. The average mounting time of a sleeve is just about 5 minutes, including change over times. Another important argument is the ultimate print quality; the register is always 100%. After the mounting, there are no further adjustments needed, regardless of whether the sleeves are mounted on a Friday evening or Monday morning. Thanks to the AV plug-in software, the desktop publishing layout of the print job is able to prepare the FAMM completely automatic. The installation process works as follows: 1. The operator puts the flexo plates on a conveyor belt (and can attend to other things afterwards) 2. The cameras automatically detects

the register marks on the flexo plate 3. The system transfers the plates to the pre taped sleeve and mounts the flexo plates automatically in the correct position 10 FAMM’s are already in use worldwide, mainly in large flexo print houses who are printing flexible packaging and paperboard. With the development of the FAMM, AV Flexologic is able to meet the demands of the flexo industry for speed and quality improvements, as well as cost saving, especially in the prepress departments. The already installed FAMM’s have shown in practice that this Fully Automatic Mounting Machine could replace two, or in some cases, three existing flexo plate mounting machines. These printing companies are achieving much shorter work flow times and are very satisfied about the return on investment of this kind of automatic mounting machine.

Those who have the FAMM already in use have shown that mounted flexo plates using the FAMM are even lower in cost than the purchase of ready-made sleeves, supplied by pre-press trade houses. Specifications: FAMM 1700 Maximum sleeve length: 1700 mm Maximum sleeve repeat: 1250 mm Machine size: 5,220 x 1,920 x 1,740 mm (length, width, height)

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Packaging shortages hit Japanese food supply A shortage of packaging is preventing Japanese food producers from supplying food and drinks to supermarkets in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami, according to reports in the country. Milk cartons, bottle caps, films and containers for a Japanese dish called natto are all reported to be in short supply, leading to supermarket shelves remaining empty in many parts of Japan including Tokyo. News of the problems comes almost a month after the north east of Japan was rocked by the country’s biggest-ever earthquake. Packaging News reported two weeks ago that manufacturing companies were facing months of blackouts following the earthquake and tsunami. However, details are now emerging of how the earthquake has affected the packaging supply chain specifically. According to The Yomiuri Shimbun, production has been hit by the temporary shutdowns at a number of packaging companies in the wake of the 11 March disaster and packaging suppliers have been unable to boost production elsewhere to meet demand. Production stoppages The paper reported that companies including carton maker Nippon PaperPak, Japan Crown Cork and Nihon Yamamura Glass have all been forced to suspend production – for varying

lengths of time – following the earthquake. A major producer of the femented soy bean-based food natto, Takanofoods, told the paper that it was having particular difficulty securing flexible film, in large part because of earthquake damage suffered by a major petrochemical complex in the Ibaraki Prefecture, the area of Japan that was sorts hit by the disaster. It has also had difficulty securing a stable supply of containers for the product, the paper said.

In the drinks market, Nippon Paper-Pak was forced to suspend operations at its two plants in Ibaraki Prefecture and is now working to catch up with demand from its customers in the milk market. Demand for bottled mineral water has also skyrocketed due to fears over water contamination. Supply, however, has been hampered by a shortage of caps due to suspension of production at Japan Crown Cork Co.’s plant in Ishioka, Ibaraki Prefecture, and Nihon Yamamura Glass Co.’s factory in Utsunomiya. An official of a major beverage maker told the Yomiuri Shimbun: “We haven’t been able to get the amount of caps we want. This is now having a negative impact on our efforts to boost production.” Ink supplies are also reported to be seriously hit in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Make a note in your schedule. 23-26th November it's our

Anniversary 10

A GA Conference and Display, Pattaya Thailand Asian Label Association

Asian Gravure Association

Details will follow shortly

AFTA AGA ALA • July 2011 - Book Your Seat at the 2011 Pattaya Conference 23-26th November Thailand

Epson enters the digital label market It may appear a late entry to the label market, however, Epson claims the company used partnerships to study other players before making its own entrance. Targeted at the short-run market, the Epson SurePress L-4033A – first shown in 2010 – is touted to be the next generation in digital label printing. Christel Lee reports. Epson held its “Industrial Print Revolution” device showcase in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on June 30, 2011 giving some 40 participants from India, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand a preview of its bold, albeit late, entry into the digital label printing and outdoor advertising markets. Epson is known for its flagship Micro Piezo printhead, which is a feature of almost every printing product in its range. James Lim, department head for commercial and industrial printing division for Epson South and Southeast Asia, acknowledged the late entry. “We partnered with many players in

the market to study and observe things before developing our own products based on feedback from customers,” he told the crowd. The Epson SurePress prints on a range of off-the-shelf papers and film up to 330mm wide at speeds up to five metres per minute and fits easily into existing digital workflows. The Epson SurePress is currently the only digital label press in its class that is optimised for short print runs of up to 6,000 100mm x 118mm labels. It offers a print on demand capability and needs a makeready time of only 15 minutes, which is a significant time saving over

traditional letterpress or semi-rotary press systems that need a minimum of three hours for setup. There were conspicuously skeptics from the offset market in the audience who tried hard to fish out the “limitations” in terms of both size of substrate and other issues, including those from third parties. Lim replied, “To date we have been working with UPM, Linktec and Avery Dennison, and have found that over 80% of the substrates we have tested are compatible with the Epson SurePress L-4033A. We welcome customers to bring us their substrates for testing so we can find out almost immediately whether they are compatible.” When asked if the current printing speed of five metres per minute would be enhanced, Lim remained tightlipped. However, he commented that the next model is expected to be targeted a higher volume print runs. Users of the current model are given the option to upgrade to the next generation at its debut. The first shipment outside of Japan, other than the unit at the beta test site we were shown, will be in September 2011.

James Lim, department head for commercial and industrial printing division for Epson South and Southeast Asia, introducing the press.

We welcome customers to bring us their substrates for testing so we can find out almost immediately whether they are compatible. ~ James Lim

Epson also took the chance to showcase its Epson UltraChrome GS Ink, which is nickel free, thus rendering any pressroom odourless, and the Epson UltraChrome HDR with white ink, which is water-based. Lim added during the presentation Epson hopes to lead the market with its Ultrachrome series by 2015. .

Koichi Endo, chairman of Epson South & Southeast Asia and Singapore Epson Industrial Pte Ltd, also one of the engineers behind Epson’s Micro Piezo print head technology, posing with the 15 print head array for the Epson SurePress L-4033A Outdoor advertising Apart from digital labels, Epson has also announced its entry in the wideformat printing market, joining the fierce competition in the arena of billboards and signs with the Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 and Pro WT900. The first is marketed as the “world’s fastest 64-inch eco-solvent printer”, while the second as the first aqueous white ink printer that can print on clear proof film. Another feature of the printers is the elimination of curing systems. Lim highlighted, “The secret lies in the first stage of heating the substrate. By the time the second stage of ink is deposited on the media, curing is done instantly.”

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Spandex showcases the Gerber Edge Spandex, the pioneering one-stop supplier of leading brands for graphical solutions worldwide, is showcasing the profitable printing solutions the Gerber Edge has to offer at Label Expo 2011 in Brussels.

The Gerber Edge is an advanced, versatile digital printing solution designed for sign makers, screen printers and other graphic professionals seeking to quickly produce durable, customized, highly profitable, short run graphics such as safety labels, barcode printing and digital prints. “Spandex is excited to participate at Label Expo as it provides an excellent platform to highlight the fantastic features the Gerber Edge has to offer in terms of high end label printing and digital printing. The Gerber Edge is the perfect low cost, high profit printing solution for graphics professionals seeking to expand their range of applications. Imagine printing to more than 30 different substrates. From sequential barcode printing to scratch resistant safety labels and more’’ explains Leon Watson, Director of Sales & Marketing - Hardware at Spandex. At the Spandex stand 9H38, visitors will have the opportunity to discover

the endless possibilities of the Gerber Edge through practical hands-on demonstrations. In addition Spandex will display its vast portfolio of specialty materials such as static films, abrasive resistant overlaminates, holographic films and more. Its small footprint, environmentally friendly operation (no harmful VOC´s are released) and wide range of special-

ty converting make the Gerber Edge the ideal tool for any graphics business. Next to the Gerber Edge, Spandex will also showcase the Mimaki UJF 3042, a tabletop UV printer that prints directly to substrates up to 50mm thick and the Mimaki CJV30-60 print and cut solution. •

AFTA Pte Ltd No. 71 Geylang Lorong 23, THK Building, #07-02, Singapore 388386 Tel+65 6733 5342 Fax +656733 3586

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Making Mounting Fast and Easy tesa Softprint® Fast & Easy has a new adhesive, that meets the modern requirements of flexographic printers; a tape so pliant that it will form itself to every sleeve or cylinder, is easy to use and enables fast mounting without problems. After the job is done, demounting can be managed without damaging the plate or leaving behind adhesive residues.

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tesa SE · D-20253 Hamburg · Phone: +4940-4909 2103 · Mail: flexo.tapes@tesa.com · www.tesa.com

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Newest Multi-Material 3D Printer Objet Ltd., the innovation leader in 3D printing for rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing, today revealed the Objet260 Connex, a compact and attractively priced addition to Objet’s family of multi-material 3D printers. The Objet260 Connex is based on the company’s patented inkjet 3D printing technology - the world’s only rapid prototyping system able to jet 2 materials at the same time. This technology allows users to select from a large range of composite materials when building 3D models, such as Objet’s recently released ABS-like material. The system can also print a model replica made of up to 14 individual materials in a single print run. Commenting on the new 3D printer, David Reis, CEO for Objet said, “The compact Objet260 Connex brings our high-resolution, multi-material 3D printing to new levels of accessibility for front-line designers and engineers who demand the highest quality prototypes and true-product representation. And all this in a system that is quiet, reliable

Toy prototype printed on the Objet260 Connex

and small enough to run in the corner of any office.” The Objet260 Connex allows users to create prototypes containing distinct material elements, such as rigid walls with flexible, rubber-like joints or models combining transparent and opaque parts. According to Eli B. Hamou, R&D Product Manager for Medtronic, a leading medical technology provider, “The Objet260 Connex multi-material 3D printer allows us to produce realistic anatomical models and prototypes of our medical devices by printing both rigid and flexible material elements in a single print job. This has enabled us to develop better end-products in far less time. It has also opened up for us a whole new direction for future research, that until now we were unable to practically consider.” Lucien Hirschi, CEO for Zedax SA, a Swiss 3D printing service bureau said, “The new Objet260 Connex enables us to accurately simulate the real look

and feel of the complex watch designs that we receive from watchmakers. As the only platform able to simulate the different material properties of assembled watches, the Objet260 Connex gives us a major advantage and enables us to expand our business opportunities.” The Objet Connex family of 3D printers is the recipient of the EuroMold 2007 Innovation Award, recognizing the most innovative developments from the fields of mold-making and tooling, design and application development. It is used at companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, adidas AG, Trek Bicycles, DRS Tactical Systems, Vista Technologies, IPF, Zedax, Medtronic, and many others. Multi-material 3D Printing - Objet’s inkjet-based technology is the only one that allows 2 materials to be jetted at the same time. This opens up a whole range of new applications for 3D printing, including the accurate

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25 representation of assembled goods and consumer products. For example, consumer device prototypes that require a particular tactile feel such as mobile phones can be accurately reproduced in a single print job using a hard material for the shell and a flexible material for the keypad.

ABS-like Digital material base printed on the Objet260 Connex

Composite materials - Objet’s inkjet-based technology is the only technology that enables the mixing of 2 materials to produce new materials with distinct properties, textures and colors. From a base of 14 cartridge ready materials, users can create up to 51 composite, Digital Materials based on various combinations of the original 14. Examples include Objet’s newly released ABS-like Digital Material, able to simulate the toughness and high temperature resistance of ABS-grade engineering plastics.

This capability provides a unique user experience for simulating gaskets, seals, hinges, shoe soles, tires and many other soft-touch applications.

Mixed parts - Using Objet’s multimaterial 3D printers, users can print a model or prototype made of up to 14 distinct material elements. Such prototypes and models can consist of soft, flexible rubber-like elements, seamlessly joined with transparent elements, or rigid elements, in a number of various colors and shades.

The Objet260 Connex can use Objet’s range of over 60 printing materials which provide users with a wide range of mechanical, thermal and physical properties from rigid (Objet Vero family) to rubber (Objet Tango family) to clear transparency (Objet VeroClear) and ABS-grade engineering plastics (Objet RGD5160-DM).

The Objet260 Connex has a 260 x 260 x 200mm (10.2 x 10.2 x 7.9”) tray size and uses sealed material cartridges that are easy to insert and remove. Models are cured during the build process and can be handled immediately after printing. The system prints in 16-micron layers, producing models of unrivalled resolution detail and professional accuracy.

Product Range _Register Control _ 100% Print Inspection _Web Inspection _Ink Fountain Control _Ink Fountains _Offline Colour Measurement _Spectral Inline Colour Measurement _Solutions for Digital Printing

www.eltromat.de eltromat Automation South Asia Pvt. Ltd. 206, Safal Prelude, Prahladnagar corporate road, Satellite, Ahmedabad – 380015 | India T +91 79 40322848 southasia@eltromat.de

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eltromat GmbH (Hong Kong office) 5/F, Concord Commercial Building 157 King’s Road, North Point | Hong Kong T (HK) +852 9426 5471 T (CH) +86 139 2602 7506 china@eltromat.de

16.03.11 10:42

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Pragati Offset installs Omet VaryFlex F1 Weldon Celloplast, a leading distributor of Omet presses in India, recently sold the Omet VaryFlex F1 inline folding carton press to Pragati offset, Hyderabad. The machine will be installed in the coming three weeks at Pragati. Pragati had ordered the machine in April but Weldon didn’t divulge the news to media till it decided to exhibit at PackPlus South. With this new machine, Pragati plans to shift most of its projects to inline ones once the machine is installed. The company which is known for its innovation purchased this eight colour inline carton press to meet high volume demands of its pharma customers in shorter time. The 8-colour flexo machine from Omet can handle a wide range of materials from 12 micron film plastic to a 600 micron folding carton. The VaryFlex F1 is an ergonomically designed platform that reduces operator intervention and increases control. Its multiple delivery options, which include pilers, conveyors and stackers, provide for total automation of

the machine. The possibility of combining UV and water base flexo with screen, offset and rotogravure and integrating hot or cold foil processes assure a complete finishing range. With large number of tooling and optional devices for inline carton converting, and with its separate independent motors, heavy duty and interchangeable creasing, die-cutting and sheeting, the press is also suitable for different types of work. Weldon Celloplast and Pragati have been in business relationship for a long time. Pawandeep Sahni of Weldon Celloplast is happy that Weldon has successfully taken its relationship with Pragati over the years to the next level. “Previously, we only used to sell consumables to Pragati. Now, we have taken the relationship a step further by selling them this press,” states Sahni. “The USP of Pragati is that it is one of the few printers who understand innovation that is highly technical. For

Pawandeep Sahni (Weldon Celloplast) along with Hemant Paruchuri at Pragati Offset’s stand number 39 in hall number 2. Photo: PSA

them cost has always been secondary. They analyse the machine, understand it and then make the decision to buy the machine,” Sahni adds. •

HEI_EC

Economy and ecology are not mutually exclusive. In fact, environmentally-friendly printing makes good business sense. It helps you cut costs and project a positive image to the market. Your customers will be increasingly interested in discussing your green credentials. Let’s work together to develop customized solutions: “Think economically, print ecologically”. www.heidelberg.com/eco

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Offers brand goods manufacturers technology for protection against counterfeiting • 1-TAG minimizes economic damage from product piracy • End customers can use commercially available smartphones to check the authenticity of products reliably, quickly, and easily • Free 1-TAG app out now in the Apple Store and the Google Android Market

The 1-TAG technology from Heidelberg offers brand goods manufacturers protection against product piracy and thus provides a solution for minimizing the resultant economic damage. For all end customers, this solution also offers a simple way of checking the authenticity of products using a smartphone. Figure: 1-TAG offers brand goods manufacturers a solution for minimizing the economic damage caused by product counterfeiting and provides end consumers with a means of identifying counterfeit products quickly and easily using their smartphone. •

For reliable protection against counterfeiting, the products are equipped with 1-TAG security labels. These comprise a pattern randomly generated from copper threads and an accompanying unique two-dimensional quick response code (QR code). The combination of these two elements on the product itself or on the packaging ensures the best possible protection against counterfeiting and creates a unique identity for each product, comparable to a human fingerprint. Free mobile software (app) specifically

developed for this technology allows end users to check the authenticity of the labeled products quickly and easily using a smartphone. The check takes place directly on the user’s phone without the need for a network connection. Consumers can download the relevant apps free of charge from the Apple Store and the Google Android Market. The solution is available now for manufacturers and offers a far higher level of security than popular hologram concepts, which can usually be copied by counterfeiters in just a few days.

1-TAG combines two elements for ultimate protection against counterfeiting 1-TAG is based on a combination of physical random processes and cryptographic signatures. The term cryptographic signature refers to processes that can be used to document the authenticity of data and enable this data to be checked by everyone. First, a pattern randomly generated from copper threads is applied to a label. This pattern is read off using a camera, and a cryptographic key that is unique to each manufacturer converts it into an equally unique code. This cryptographic signature ensures that the random pattern, code, and product information are linked up in such a way that they offer reliable protection against

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30 manipulation. The code is printed on the label next to the pattern of copper threads using a digital drop-on-demand inkjet system from Linoprint. “We designed 1-TAG primarily as a security system for brand goods manufacturers and their end customers to provide better protection against counterfeit products,” says Stephan Plenz, Member of the Heidelberg Management Board responsible for Equipment. “For the first time, this technology allows brand goods manufacturers to incorporate their customers into the process of counterfeit protection. Thanks to its high level of security and simple user handling, 1-TAG offers extremely effective protection, particularly for health- or security-critical products.” 1-TAG offers reliable brand protection Brand goods manufacturers can also use 1-TAG to protect their brand names against misuse by specifying in advance, for example, how many items a packaging company can label with the 1-TAG technology and which product information can be coded during this process. The quota of security labels defined in this way is produced just-in-

time on-site by applying signatures to a corresponding number of raw labels, i.e. labels that have not yet been assigned to a product through a signature. The quota is specified via a secure Internet connection and can be redefined quickly and easily each day. In this way, there are no superfluous labels that need to be documented by the packager. Remaining raw labels can be kept for the next order without the risk of misuse. Protection against the misuse or theft of the cryptographic key used with 1-TAG is comparable with the most secure solutions for Internet banking. Implementation is fast and risk-free for brand owners, because Heidelberg manages all the security-relevant processes. Consumers can easily check product authenticity using commercially available smartphones To check the authenticity of a product labeled with 1-TAG technology, end customers only need their smartphone and the freely available 1-TAG app. The software scans the security label and detects immediately whether the content

of the QR code matches the pattern of the neighboring copper threads or not. This process does not require access to the mobile data network, which means that the check is free of charge across the globe. In addition to the result of the check, the app also displays the corresponding brand, the product name, and the size of the packaging and can supply end customers with additional product-specific information. For example, the best-before date or batch number can be integrated into the code and accessed in parallel to the authenticity check. What’s more, users can also access the websites of the products or manufacturers from 1-TAG via weblinks. This gives brand goods manufacturers additional options for addressing customers – particularly now that more and more people are accessing the Internet through their smartphone while on the move. Sales centers and supermarkets can also integrate the check into their existing logistics systems. The additional data supplied can also be used for logistics purposes and enables interaction with inventory management systems.

For more information contact MacDermid 29 Dennis Street Campbellfield 3061 Ph: (03) 9303 5150 Fax: (03) 9303 5166 www.macdermid.com

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Customers Rival Gravure and Litho Results Print service provider Imball Center is using KODAK FLEXCEL NX Digital Flexographic Plates produced by Flexograf to deliver outstanding print quality in food packaging applications Italian prepress service provider Flexograf is helping flexo printers compete with gravure and litho after investing in the KODAK FLEXCEL NX Flexographic System. The company began using the KODAK THERMOFLEX Platesetter to make digital flexo plates six years ago, and in September 2010 they upgraded to the latest technology, the FLEXCEL NX System, which has enabled their customers to enhance production and significantly improve print quality. Headquartered in Sesto Fiorentino, Flexograf employs 20 people and has been involved in flexographic prepress since 1966. Much of the company’s success can be attributed to its commitment to innovation and modernization, an ethos that has ensured it has remained competitive. “Using the FLEXCEL NX System process for plate production has enabled us to make big strides forward in terms of efficiency and exceptional plate quality,” explains Alberto Bramanti, Flexograf ’s CEO. “Once the graphic design is finalized, Kodak’s technology ensures excellent repeatability and predictability of the printed result on any media.”

Job-to-job print consistency A crucial aspect of the FLEXCEL NX System is the lamination step, where direct contact between the imaging layer and the plate prevents contact with the air and protects against oxidation. The result is stable, full-amplitude, flat-top dots on the plate. Alberto Bramanti believes the technology is a big step forward: “We chose the system to help differentiate ourselves from the competition and provide our customers with something truly novel.” “Jobs can be repeated with consistent print quality, from one print run to the next. The flat-top dots are more durable in printing and during cleaning. Bramanti has also been impressed by the imaging system with KODAK SQUARESPOT Imaging Technology: “The system ensures dot uniformity and tonal stability of the screens, giving us high line screens. Our print customers particularly appreciate the reliability and consistency of the FLEXCEL NX Plates’ quality, even on very long print runs.” FLEXCEL NX Plates offer a wider tone range than conventional digital

plates, with higher density and brighter lights, and no shifts in tone. And the ability to have high-density prints while preserving subtle gradations allows a wider color gamut and simplifies prepress processing. “In the past, we used to evaluate using special colors to support four-color printing-reds, greens, blues, or splitting black plates into line and tone work or using two white plates to reach the desired coverage,” says Bramanti “In addition to the processing time, this required adding variables to the system, which certainly didn’t help the repeatability and predictability of the final result. “Today, everything is much simpler. And when we come across a special color, we tend to ask if we can print it in the basic four colors. Our customers immediately noticed the impact of printing with fewer plates while at the same time increasing the quality of the finished product.” The excellent quality guaranteed by the FLEXCEL NX System meant that Flexograf could compete on applications traditionally dominated by gravure printing, such as those in

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the food sector. Bramanti continues: “We’re beginning to get the message across to flexo printers that things have changed-with this technology they no longer have to accept poor print quality and can set the bar higher than they thought possible.” Producing top-quality flexible packaging Imball Center is one of Flexograf ’s long-standing customers. The print service provider, which specializes in producing flexible packaging for the global food and medical markets, is already enjoying the benefits of Kodak’s technology. Handling mostly flexographic printing, with two plants for eight-color flexo printing, Imball Center is renowned for its high quality standards and its use of cutting-edge technologies. The company’s philosophy is to increase efficiency and reduce waste, not only to minimize costs, but also to limit the company’s environmental impact. Using FLEXCEL NX Plates fits perfectly with this philosophy, as they enable rapid startups, reduced waste and less rework thanks to a longer life. And being able to use the four basic colors to print jobs that previously required seven or eight colors means significant cost savings. Gianluca Dattili, Imball Center’s Technical Manager, is pleased with the results obtained with the KODAK Plates: “The plates produced by Flexograf using the FLEXCEL NX System have helped us increase quality when printing thermal envelopes and films for food packaging. For example, we have printed images with screens up

to 70 lines/cm (175 lpi), using only the four basic colors, plus white. “Our customers are beginning to realize that flexo quality is fast approaching gravure printing, and can see that they’re now able to reduce the number of print colors while at the same time increasing image quality. The benefits for customers are clear-we’re helping them to reduce their start-up costs, save time and improve the quality of reprints.” Promising growth prospects Flexograf and Imball Center are optimistic about the future of flexography. Bramanti adds: “Our investment in the FLEXCEL NX System is paying off and has a key role to play in our future growth. Kodak’s technology will help flexo lose its reputation as a poor man’s printing technology, and could even make inroads into the gravure printing market.” Growth of flexographic printing is assured for Flexograf, proof being the fact that they have ordered the Wide version of the FLEXCEL NX System, which gives a maximum plate size of 1,067 x 1,524 mm (42 x 60 inches). Dattili concludes: “There is still plenty of room for development, because Kodak’s technology is suitable for all kinds of applications. In the food industry especially, many people use gravure because they lack confidence in flexo. But with the advances Kodak has made, it’s clear that flexo is catching up fast. Its flexibility, quality and the ability to handle smaller quantities make it a viable alternative to gravure printing.”

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We bring you the latest technology in gravure and flexo to help your business Arcotest Series of Test Pens and Inks

Recyl’s products for flexo and gravure

Ecograph products for flexo and gravure

DAILIAN INTERNATIONAL PTE LTD 71 Ubi Crescent #02-08 Excalibur Centre Singapore 408571 Tel +65 6748 2662 Fax +65 6747 9929 Email: info@dailian.com or visit www.dailian.com

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36 IKS KLINGELNBERG GROUP · THE KNIFE MANUFACTURERS

IKS KLINGELNBERG GROUP · THE KNIFE MANUFACTURERS

For more than 40 years we are a continously growing and developing company, specialize in manufacture of doctor blades, high performance knives and spare parts for the printing and packaging industries.

Flexoprinting FlexoTip - less scoring lines on the anilox - better dot gain - longer life time - cleaner print and stable production - ideal for chamber doctor blade system - available in different materials

higher reliability of the production process and better productivity

Gravure Printing Preground Doctor Blades very tight tolerances ensuring a consistent contact zone with no variation in tonal values.

Stable Doctor Blades This variation has a long bevel giving the working edge extra strength and rigidity. This design is best suited for small tip sizes and long runs.

Combi Doctor Blades Both ends of the Doctor Blade (the non printing zone) remain at full thickness. This design is best suited where the edge of the printing cylinder can be rough or if high pressure is required in conjunction with a small tip.

Our Doctor Blades are available in following qualities:

- RMB PowerPrint:

- RMB MegaPrint: - RMB Polyprint:

UPM Raflatac has launched a new website for label and packaging designers.

Tip thickness is held within

- reduced back doctoring

- RMB MeyerPrint: - RMB OptiPrint:

Step into the Pro Label Studio

micro clean special spring steel 5 times more chromium content compared with MeyerPrint, offering as much as to 50% longer blade life high–alloyed tool steel makes for optimum print quality with longer durability, even with abrasive inks high quality steel blade enhanced with a coating ceramic particles synthetic doctor blade available in a variety of materials with different edge designs

Pro Label Studio presents visual examples and valuable information about the numerous possibilities that self-adhesive label materials offer for building brands and enhancing the shelf-presence of consumer products. On the website, designers can learn about the challenges and requirements that different packaging materials, special effects and printing techniques place on label design and the choice of label material. Pro Label Studio helps designers select the right label materials for end-uses including wine, beverage and personal care labelling, and renders textured previews of selected designs and materials on various kinds of product packaging. By rotating the previews, users get a feel for how the selected combinations work in real life. For designers who want to create something new and exciting, Pro Label Studio presents Innovations: new materials that offer fresh combinations of colour and texture for innovative label solutions.

IKS Knives & Saw (M) Sdn. Bhd Tel: +6 03 5511 1754 Fax: +6 03 5511 1757 www.iksasia.com

Pro Label Studio also provides access to more detailed technical product information and an opportunity to order free samples of UPM Raflatac labelstock products in Europe. Visit the website at www.prolabelstudio.com•

Put the power of these leading brands in your hands today.

Other products : Steel and PE, PET doctor blades, Core Cutting Machines, Rubber Engrave Printing Plates, European & Japanese Plate Processing Machines Drex-Chem Technologies Pte Ltd Address: 9 Tuas Ave 13 Singapore 638982 Telephone: (65)-68611116 Fax: (65)-68616266 Direct Tel: (65) 6860 8213 email: Ivan.Lim@drexchem.com.sg

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First Lemanic Delta in South East Asia Bobst has sold its first Lemanic Delta line in South East Asia to PT Bukit Muria Jaya – Indonesia. BMJ is a leading player in specialty paper and packaging in the cigarette business. Established in 1989, this company is committed to use and spread best practice and to “setting the standard”. The choice made by BMJ was driven by new market opportunities. This press acquisition will now allow BMJ to access contracts with high end international companies, leading to potential production volume increase. BMJ opted for a Bobst Lemanic Delta press including 11 printing units with a rotary die cutter and a sheeter in bypass mode. The two environmentally friendly UV light curing stations, first of such a kind in this region, is an example of BMJ’s commitment. Bobst’s experience in the converting field brings advanced solutions to meet the needs of a high end market in constant evolution. The unique fourstation rotary die cutter covers most existing market requests for converting solutions with a look to the future for debossing applications. The in-line sheeter in a by-pass configuration echoes existing Chinese market trends for high value added packaging. While providing customized solutions for our printer & converter’s corporate goals, this purchase is the confirma-

Top and Bottom Rotary tool cassette

tion of the right technical solutions in a very competitive and highly demanding market. Its success is in having a Bobst showroom and reference line which satisfies the price to value ratio in every aspect. The LEMANIC DELTA is a printing and converting solution for paper and board starting from reels and delivers finished blanks. The LEMANIC DELTA is making gravure a viable alternative to processes such as offset printing

and is perfectly dedicated for short to medium runs. Flexibility in Printing The gravure printing process has the highest quality in terms of visual impact and consistency. Combines with varnishing and coating, EB and UV inks, the LEMANIC DELTA is a flexible printing line. The LEMANIC DELTA ensures until 12 colours perfectly registrated with inline converting solutions: Rotary diecutter: consistent method adapted for standard shapes Sheeter: sheet fed process dedicated to value adding post-processing Flexibility in the Process The LEMANIC DELTA is optimized for fast change-over with printing carriage concept and quick register setting with electronic line shaft. The REGISTRON iQ 300 is a system which controls the entire web and allows operators to ensure the required quality to the final customer. •

HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press The new benchmark in industrial printing The new and enhanced HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press brings with it technically advanced innovations that add production efficiency and flawless magnificence to medium-run labels and packages. With exceptional throughputs and reduced turnaround time, it empowers you with the perfect opportunity to expand your production portfolio and boost profits. It’s the new benchmark that will help you raise the bar in label and packaging digital printing.

HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press • Ideal for medium-run labels and packaging production • Print speed of 30m/min (4 colors) • Supports large format printing (317mm x 980mm) • Outstanding color reproduction, with the ability to achieve up to 97% of Pantone colors • Supports a wide range of print media 12-450 microns thick

HP Indigo Press WS4500 • Efficient and cost-effective end-to-end solution for labels and packaging • Print speed of 16m/min (4 colors) • One-shot color printing for precise color matching • Offset quality printing with unique HP ElectroInk liquid ink technology • Supports a wide variety of print media such as labels, PVC, PE etc

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Current market conditions are influencing his vision Eighteen months after taking over the mantle of Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Martin Automatic Inc, Gavin Rittmeyer talked to Nick Coombes about his new job, and how the current market conditions are influencing his vision of the future for the Illinois based manufacturer. ing, tags, folding cartons, liquid cartons, the cup and paper plate markets, and nonwovens. Typically the substrate range spans 12-1300 micron, but the company has also designed equipment that successfully works with such materials as 7-micron soft aluminium foil. Aside from the printing industry, the company is now also working with suppliers to the building trade who variously handle sandpaper, fibreglass, scrim (for reinforcing nonwovens), plastics, and floorcovering, to name but a few. “If it can be unwound, spliced and rewound, we believe we can provide a solution,” added Rittmeyer. Designed on the principle ‘keep it simple’, Martin prides itself on the durability of its technology under hard working conditions. Some of the best endorsements from Martin users describe the machinery as ‘set it and forget it’, such is the built-in dependability.

Compared with his quietly spoken English-born predecessor David Wright, Rittmeyer brings a very different style of management to the position. Having worked for the company for nearly 20 years, and experienced at first hand the tasks undertaken by many of the company departments, he brings a dynamic hands-on approach to day-today operations and a critical eye as to how the company operates. “I call the Martin way of working a kind of disciplined entrepreneurship,” he said, alluding to the spirit of private enterprise that pervades the company and actively encourages employees at all levels to assume responsibility for

the wider aspects of their own jobs. “We ask them to manage the area for which they are responsible as if it were their own business, which means going the extra distance to improve efficiency by being creative,” he added. Founded by the late John Martin in 1968, day to day running of the company since 2003 has been the responsibility of Roger Cederholm, who oversees an organization that serves a variety of industries from its headquarters in Rockford, about a two-hour drive from Chicago. For the printing trade, Martin Automatic supplies unwind/splicing and rewind machines for self-adhesive labels, shrink sleeves, flexible packag-

‘The most sophisticated design is the one that accomplishes its task with the fewest number of components,’ was a familiar mantra of John Martin, according to Rittmeyer. “If a function can be reliably achieved by simple mechanics, why fit complicated electronics?” he asked, illustrating the point that Martin unwind splicers use the simplest, most reliable closed loop brake control feedback system in the world – the renowned oil-column brake feedback system. “This really is genius level engineering – sophisticated brake control without any electronics to tune or troubleshoot. This typifies our philosophy that sophistication does not mean complexity. There is a right time to tailor-make so-

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41 lutions, but this has to be underpinned by simple but sound principles. It is what separates us from our competitors,” he added. Martin Automatic is self sufficient for machining and all forms of manufacture except metal bending. It even manufactures its own control cabinets, and has a comprehensive R&D section that is sufficiently well equipped and staffed to offer additional production capacity in times of factory overload. “We are constantly striving to push the boundaries of our technical capability,” he said. “For example, we recently achieved an industry first: a splicer for the nonwoven industry splicing at 900 m/min. This machine featured nine different drive axes – combining both AC Vector and Servo Drive technology along with Martin’s new, proprietary MDR (magnetic drive roller) idler roller technology. We found a way to eliminate friction and inertia factors from our equations regarding web transport. It is an exciting advancement, and promises to revolutionize web transport for delicate webs.” One of the company strengths that has been particularly important during the current recession has been the degree to which manufacturing staff are able to multi-task. Amusingly described as ‘the pig in the python’, the principle is that different departments are under pressure at different times and that if trained staff can be re-located to wherever the ‘bulge’ is at the time, factory output is maintained and delivery deadlines are met.

twin_check _ Simple setup and immediate availability at production start _ Intelligent print defect management including print error classification _ Inspection of reflective and transparent materials _ Complete integrated web monitoring functionality without additional camera

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It all adds up to a more efficient way of keeping the customer happy, and motivates employees to work smarter, removing the need to inflate staff numbers. “This allows us to keep our costs under control which ultimately benefits the customer,” he said. “It’s all about maintaining our technical excellence with a fast return on investment for the customer,” he said. “We would rather walk away from a project

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eltromat Automation South Asia Pvt. Ltd. 206, Safal Prelude, Prahladnagar corporate road, Satellite, Ahmedabad – 380015 India T +49 5208 987 - 681 southasia@eltromat.de

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eltromat GmbH (Hong Kong office) 5/F, Concord Commercial Building 157 King’s Road, North Point Hong Kong T (HK) +852 9426 5471 T (CN) +86 139 2602 7506 china@eltromat.de

29.09.10 23:36

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42 world. “We know there are thousands of narrow web label presses worldwide, many of which can certainly benefit from the waste reduction, productivity improvement and profitability enhancing benefits of non-stop production” Key to the success of this roll-change package is its engineering, which is focussed on providing specific solutions to a segment of the label market for which automation was previously out of reach. It is built down to a size without compromising the engineering integrity or operational performance. “What the customer gets is an unmatched combination of proven performance, attractive price, and fast payback on his investment,” he explained.

than compromise our engineering and technical expertise because of a lack of time to fulfil it properly.” Rittmeyer knows that the company needs to offer short, medium and longterm solutions. “We work diligently to help customers identify and define their own specific needs. We offer custom and standard solutions that can usually meet their current and long-term growth needs. But, no two printers or converters are the same, and we remain passionate about providing the right solutions and executing projects to the most exacting of details.” “Take a recent project,” he said. “We had to find a solution for splicing rolls of fibre glass using hot melt glue to join the webs at the splice. The web was 1 metre wide, with a 2.4 metre diameter. It was just one of hundreds of different substrate samples that we have on file and for which we have provided splicing solutions.” All Martin zero speed splicers have three basic sections: two unwind stations, a splicing unit, and a festoon – there the similarity ends because the company adapts its expertise to suit individual requirements. With demand in the developed markets of North America and Western Europe somewhat flat at present, Martin Automatic is renewing its efforts in the growing markets of Latin America, In-

dia, China, and South Korea, as well as Eastern European areas such as Russia and Turkey. “We have, for example, taken steps to become more pro-active in Turkey, having been invited to present a paper on waste management to the Turkish Label Federation earlier this year,” he said. “We are also looking to support our customers in the Middle East more effectively by establishing technical sales representation in the region. We exhibited at the Gulf Print Pack expo in Dubai, and have already begun working with XOL Automation in Beirut.” ”Like most manufacturers, we are looking ahead for new markets to serve,” he said, “whether geographical or needsbased. We are excited, for example, about new technology we have developed in the building materials industry that require customized solutions. Another important development is the launch of our MBSC/STR combo package of unwind/splicer/rewind for the narrow web label market.” This is a first for Martin as it is not a bespoke solution, but an introductory package of what automated roll changing can offer even the smallest label converter in terms of greater efficiency and profit margin. In the 12 months since launch, Martin has installed more than 16 of these packages of equipment around the

On the subject of bespoke solutions, Rittmeyer highlights a particular customer who needed a splice in a laminate film material that required no detectable elevation footprint on the web. This requirement eliminated the possibility of using tape – the typical method of splicing webs. The problem was that any elevation change at the splice on the laminate substrate would transfer as an embossed image onto the sheet steel to which it was laminated. Martin’s solution was to customize one of its heat seal splicing systems, which typically melts the laminate web material together at the splice join – the solution resulted in a splice join that was basically homogenous with the web itself with no noticeable elevation change at the join. What becomes very clear from spending time with Gavin Rittmeyer is his passion for the company and the way its work ethic drives progress. Highly self-motivated, he sees a key part of his function as the need to encourage the sales group to remain passionate about finding new opportunities and bringing creative solutions to customers’ needs. He has acceded to his new position at a critical time. To watch Martin’s engineers carry out splicing tests on webs from 25mm to 4m widths running at speeds from 10 to 900 m/min gives an accurate idea of the scope of this company’s capability. Gavin Rittmeyer’s biggest task may be finding a way to focus this know-how to best effect – the capability seems almost open ended.

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A world first – the Gallus ECS 340 configurator Gallus is demonstrating its ongoing commitment to innovation with the world’s first configurator for a label press. The configurator for the Gallus ECS 340 makes it quick and easy for potential and existing Gallus customers to get an idea of their future “dream label press”.

a brief description of the relevant item. Options such as the reel lift unwinding unit, web-cleaning system, Corona conditioning unit, delam/relam, ink pumps, laminating unit, cold foil mechanism, die-cutting pressure and depth adjusters, web monitoring mechanism and reel lift rewind unit can be added and removed again as required with a simple click of the mouse. Harnessing innovation to meet growing quality demands and improve customer focus The configurator for the Gallus ECS 340 is a response to ever higher expectations with regard to both quality and customer focus. Gallus has developed this innovation specifically to meet these expectations. The configurator offers an insight into the modular world of the Gallus ECS 340 and gives users a realistic idea of the configuration options. This makes it extremely simple for potential and existing customers to create their dream Gallus label press and visualise the required final configuration. A “dream label press” in three simple steps It is easy for users to navigate their way around the configurator and create a customised, interactive Gallus ECS

340 configuration in just three simple steps. They can produce just one or an unlimited number of configurations as required. The welcome page provides general information on the key benefits of the Gallus ECS 340 such as excellent profitability, optimum efficiency and maximum ease of operation. This is followed by the first step in the process – defining the basic configuration, i.e. the printing equipment and the number of inking and die-cutting units. The second step is the detailed configuration. Optional accessories can be added to each part of the Gallus ECS 340 marked with a plus sign. Clicking on one of these signs opens a pop-up window listing all the options for extending the press at this point. Clicking the “i” icon next to each option displays

Once the configuration has been completed, the third step enables users to print or send the image and the associated configuration details. The configuration can also be sent to Gallus with any questions or to obtain a precise price breakdown/quotation. Added value for customers Gallus hopes the configurator will create added value for its potential and existing customers, while also improving the quality of the advice it offers. Using the configurator makes it quick and easy to identify the key benefits and the various options available. The image of the “dream label press” produced can also be forwarded as required. The configurator is a web-based tool and works with standard browsers such as Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari.

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Since the successful launch of the standard lamella blade in 1974, Daetwyler SwissTec, formerly known as Daetwyler, has been driven to develop a variety of specialized coated and uncoated doctor blades for the rotogravure and the Flexography printing industry. | Increasing operational costs requires printers to address cylinder issues such as inferior ends and inaccurate surface finishing. The new BLUESTAR doctor blade has been specifically developed to compensate for such cylinder inaccuracies, which can create issues such as drag-outs, hazing and broken doctor blades.

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Raises the bar with tough new environmental targets Tetra Pak to cap carbon emissions, further responsible sourcing, increase recycling and pursue sustainable packaging Before making the final decision to relocate Ipex to ExCeL London, we undertook detailed consultation with both exhibitor and visitor groups. Feedback from exhibitors and stakeholders towards this move has been extremely positive, in particular with regards to the excellent venue and its fantastic infrastructure. The exhibition’s facilities are second to none. Ipex will occupy the entire ExCeL London showground with 46 continuous exhibition halls offering nearly 100,000m² of column free space, with 24 entrances opening up into the central boulevard making it the ideal layout for Ipex exhibitors and visitors. The extensive conference and meeting rooms will enable exhibitors to truly maximize their investment at Ipex and make it their global business hub for the duration of the show. In addition, the IT facilities at ExCeL London are some of the best in the

world. With a £13 million investment in IT infrastructure , it offers the most resilient, advanced venue network in Europe with unrivalled bandwidth >90Mb. London is one of the most culturally diverse cities of the world which is served by five major airports, with London City Airport only a mile away from ExCeL. And with the 2012 Olympic legacy with its significant investment in transport and infrastructure in the surrounding area, London ExCeL offers tremendous potential to further expand the appeal to international companies. Ipex already has a large proportion of its exhibitor base from outside the UK, and importantly, I would estimate of all exhibitors, some 90% fund Ipex from their global headquarters, further confirming its global significance. In addition, London is regarded as one of Europe’s key ‘media’ hubs so there is great opportunity to strengthen our

position within the creative community. The cost of exhibiting should be no more than it would have been in terms of standard inflationary increases if we had stayed at the NEC, and that’s our pledge to exhibitors. For Ipex 2010 we worked extremely hard with the NEC, contractors and exhibitors to offer some ‘Recession Buster’ initiatives that presented real cost savings. Rest assured we will work just as hard for 2014 to negotiate comparable costs for the show at ExCeL. From a visitor perspective, at Ipex 2010 we recorded our highest ever percentage of international visitors reaching 48%. London offers tremendous potential to further expand this international appeal and we expect the percentage of overseas visitors to well exceed 50% in 2014. We will be taking over full tenancy of ExCeL in late March/early April 2014 including all conference facilities, meeting rooms and promotional sites. No other events will take place during this time, which gives us the opportunity to create an all inclusive ‘Ipex’ experience for exhibitors and visitors. Prices for accommodation in London compare very favourably with those in Birmingham. Many visitors probably stayed out of town because of the cost of hotels in Birmingham were so high! There is an entirely different and larger scale in London offering over 120,000 bedrooms, compared to just 27,000 in greater Birmingham. We also have a new accommodation strategy in place to pre-reserve hundreds of rooms at cost, helping to reduce inflated pricing associated with large events. London clearly has many top class hotels, but with so much choice of

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47 accommodation on offer, and our own official accommodation agency working with all establishments, we are confident that staying overnight in London need not be any more expensive than in Birmingham. In addition, the tremendous variety of hotels and restaurants throughout London offers a much greater flexibility for visitors to find what is appropriate for their budgets. ExCeL also lends itself to expanding the ‘Ipex Experience’ beyond show opening hours. It is in the centre of an area with lots of choice for after hours activities. Everything the visitor needs is all self contained within the venue with 40 restaurants/bars/eateries, the best conference facilities in Europe, easy accessibility from throughout the UK. Apart from what promises to be a gamechanging event in 2014, there is also the added advantage of the centre of London a few stops away to enjoy the renowned London theatres, nightlife, shopping and tourist attractions. So many more reasons to extend your Ipex stay in 2014! •

The Asian perspective of Ipex 2014 Trevor Crawford predicts an increase in the number of exhibitors and visitors from Asia at Ipex 2014. At Ipex 2010, there were several areas of Asia that increased in exhibitor and visitor numbers over those that attended back in 2006. For example, China saw a 51% increase. Ipex has always been a major attraction for Asian visitors, with a strong bond between the region and I would expect this to grow off the back of a hugely successful event in 2010. We had our ‘International Days’ programme at Ipex 2010 and will be reviewing the comprehensive features programme that we offered then to add further enhancements to develop each area for 2014. This programme included a morning briefing, communicating with all exhibitors to have relevant members of the team on the stand for each International Day, providing visitors from each region with relevant information on feature programmes, seminars, travel, accom-

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modation etc. We will be looking carefully into the services that our Asian visitors want during the coming months, including translation services. In addition, as at Ipex 2010, we will be offering the regional pavilions which will include a mixture of relevant exhibitors to that region, and will provide a higher profile for groups of Asian exhibitors. In 2014, with the benefit of the London factor, we expect this to translate into even greater interest in attending Ipex. It’s also important to note that Ipex has developed its own biennial event – Ipex South

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Flint Group Flexographic Products drives automation in flexographic form processing Approximately 70 participants followed the invitation to two open house events at Flint Group Flexographic Products in Stuttgart, Germany. On March 23 and 24, 2011, the processing of photopolymer printing plates and sleeves on the latest equipment was presented to an international audience. Gernot Dietz, Project Manager Flint Group Flexographic Products, explains sleeve processing in the highly productive nyloflex® ITR Processor

customers to increase productivity and reduce costs. During the following live demonstration, guests could take advantage to see the efficiency of the new equipment. The presentation started with the nyloflex® In-The-Round technology showing the time saving nyloflex® ITR Exposure for parallel exposure of two ITR sleeves and the highly productive nyloflex® ITR Processor, where up to 120 sleeves can be processed per day.

Today, the flexo form making process is far behind efficient automation, while printing plates are produced with a high level of automation in other competing printing processes. This subject matter

was highlighted in an introductory lecture, pointing out what Flint Group Flexographic Products is doing to drive automation and standardisation in flexographic printing, thus helping

The highlight of the event was the new nyloflex® Automated Plate Processor (APP), which was presented for the first time. The fully automated processing line for flexographic printing plates combines a digital round brush washer, a dryer including 8 drying drawers, a unit for post exposure and light finishing (UV-A / UV-C) and a stacker with 8 drawers. Thanks to the high level of standardisation and the efficient automation, the fully automated processing line has a capacity of up to 120 plates (320 m²) per day and also helps to improve plate and print quality.

In tough times who‘s laughing? …

Andreas Thamm Thamm - the imagemaker Germany

Brian Preble Astek Wallcovering Inc. USA

Ullrich Eitel Marburger Tapetenfabrik Germany

Juan García JDJ Spain

Raimund Marx Marx & Moschner Germany

Wolfgang Moschner Marx & Moschner Germany

Heinz Wikturna Trevision Groß.Bild.Technik Austria

Bert Pieper Viabild GmbH Germany

Richard Labiuk Holland & Crosby Limited Canada

Scott Campbell Rainier Industries USA

Jens Hinrichs Hinrichs Licht + Druck Germany

Chokechai Meteeyonpiriya PDC Thailand

… Durst Rho 320R users In harsh economic times, when competition is even greater, isn’t it good to know that you can offer the highest roll-to-roll printing quality without compromising productivity and therefore costs. Thanks to the latest Quadro Array 30D printhead technology and advanced print carriage design, the Rho 320R offers unrivalled 6 colour print quality at high production speeds. This provides users with the ability to tackle demanding and more profitable applications such as lightbox displays, illuminated posters and window graphics quickly and economically. Furthermore, the Rho 320R offers greater flexibility with the option for printing two rolls side by side and another for perfectly registered double sided printing. With a print speed of up to 130m² per hour, the highest reliability with the capability of 24/7 production, it is understandable why the Rho 320R users shown above are laughing. Let Durst put a smile on your face and find out how the Rho 320R could help raise your quality and profit levels whilst bringing your print costs down.

www.durst-online.com

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At the same time, waste and failure rates will be minimised, which may induce significant cost reductions. The new innovative nyloflex® NExT exposure technology also attracted a high level of interest. Based on powerful UV LEDs, the technology is able to generate unique element shapes with precisely reproduced surfaces, commonly known as Flat Top Dots. The new exposure technology doesn’t

involve the use of inert gases or require additional expensive consumables. The effect of the oxygen inhibition will be eliminated, which improves repeatability of plate making, expands the tonal range and offers the possibility for surface screening, which allows an improved ink transfer and ink lay-down. The new technology is suitable for digital printing plates and can be easily implemented in the existing digital workflow.

The visitors were impressed by the new processing equipment and the progress that has been made in the automation process. „Efficient automation processes in flexo form making have been missing so far, while these are established in other printing processes such as offset and gravure for a long time. - Flint Group Flexographic Products is on the right track with the newly presented technologies,” says Norbert Krandick, Dänecke GmbH. Sascha Paus, Laserflex GmbH & Co KG Siek adds: The automation of the flexo form making process is one of our next big challenges, thus I’m really pleased to learn that Flint Group takes the matter up. Additionally, I liked the transparency of the equipment where the production process can be followed with the eyes!“

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Reduce Carbon Footprint of Printing and Selling Books Using HP digital printing technologies has the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of printing and selling books by up to 20% according to a new life cycle assessment study commissioned by HP.

HP is presenting results from the study today during an open house event at Webcom Inc., a leading publishing industry supplier. Webcom is the first in Canada to print books using an HP T300 Color Inkjet Web Press. The Toronto-based company also uses an HP Indigo 7000 Digital Press to produce covers for the books.

assessment – HP T200 and T300 Inkjet Web Presses and an HP R85 Inkjet Press retail printing technology currently in development at HP – can help reduce the significant over-production common in book publishing, an industry where, according to some figures, approximately 30% of printed books are never sold or read.

Conducted by research firm Quantis and independently reviewed in accordance with ISO standards applying to life cycle assessments, the study looks at offsetonly printing, digital-only printing, and scenarios that would involve a mix of both. Quantis measured the potential carbon footprint of a 240-page, 5.5x8.5in (c.140 x 216mm) monochrome paperback book in two different demand profiles – a “bestseller” selling 500,000 copies over two years, and a “classic book” selling 5,000 copies over five years. The study quantifies opportunities where digital printing can help reduce the environmental impact of publishing, including: - reducing the number of bestseller copies printed by up to 22%, without affecting the total number of printed books sold;(1) and - reducing the potential carbon footprint of printing in a “classic book” scenario by as much as 20%. - right-sizing supply when a quarter or more of printed books go unread

Much of the publishing’s total carbon footprint comes from the resources used to create and transport paper, so reducing overproduction is one of the most expedient avenues to improving publishing’s environmental profile.

The digital presses used in the life cycle

“Digital printing’s ability to efficiently and affordably produce books in smaller quantities reduces the masses of unused copy returns that have long held industry sustainability, and profitability, hostage,” said Christopher Morgan, senior vice president, Graphics Solutions Business, HP. “Today, many of the world’s leading publishers select printing companies that use HP Inkjet Web Presses to better match supply to demand, reducing the industry’s total carbon footprint by eliminating thousands of tons of paper that would otherwise be used to print unread books.”

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Print 22% fewer books without impacting the number of copies sold When printing to meet “bestseller” demand needs, the life cycle assessment showed that combining analogue offset and digital inkjet printing could significantly diminish the number of returned copies, allowing publishers to reduce print quantities by 22% without affecting the total number of printed books sold. For the classic book profile, HP inkjet digital presses had the potential to reduce the title’s carbon footprint by up to 20% when compared to offsetonly production. The highest reduction in the classic book profile came from producing books on an HP T300 Inkjet Web Press in combination with the HP R85 retail/in-store book inkjet press solution. Along with reducing the overproduction, and subsequent returns, tied to analogue offset’s minimum run-length requirements and longer turnaround times, digital print-on-demand book manufacturing

offers additional, important business advantages to publishers, reducing makeready printing waste as well as storage, warehousing and distribution costs. HP digital presses: leading the change in publishing HP digital presses help publishers reduce costs while increasing the number and type of profitable titles they offer in print. Several of the world’s top publishing suppliers, including North American firms Webcom, Courier Corp., and King Printing; leading European book manufacturer CPI; and the Hong Kong-based book exporter CTPS, are improving the title management supply chain by printing books on HP T300 Inkjet Web Presses. The new study is part of an ongoing initiative within the HP Graphics Solutions Business to evaluate, quantify and expand digital printing’s positive effects on print sustainability. In the publishing industry specifically, HP also has joined both the Green Press Initiative and the Book Industry Environmental Council. •

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Chooses New Technology and Forms New Division In a challenging economy, it is not unusual for orders to be slashed by half or more from previous levels, and that’s where short-run digital makes economical sense for many customers. Established in 1974, Repacorp has grown from a firm representing printing corporations to a full service print provider with more than 100 employees and four manufacturing plants located in Ohio, Wisconsin and Arizona. Recently they formed a new company called Presto Label, aimed at exploiting the fast-growing digital label market. Repacorp does flexographic printing and has a number of 10-inch and 20inch presses at its various plants, but it is short-run digital capability that has given the company a sort of corporate renewal. In 2008, after viewing an improved version of a digital inkjet press at Label Expo in Chicago that they had first seen two years earlier, Repacorp management purchased the machine and suddenly found themselves in a whole new ballgame – and one that they began winning right off the bat. Many companies print stock labels but Repacorp’s stock in trade is being able to handle the most unusual or specific label requests, and to do it quickly and costeffectively with a quality that represents the best the industry has to offer. That will keep them in the game for many years to come. “All the business that we have now is new business, even though the customers aren’t necessarily new customers,” remarks Tony Heinl, vice president at Repacorp. The inkjet press purchased by Heinl, who is the owner and president of Repacorp, was the Jetrion 4000 from EFI. They have since purchased a second Jetrion. “The Jetrion cost less than competitive digital systems, the material we run through it

doesn’t need special topcoatings, and the monthly costs associated with its consumbles are substantially less than the consumable costs associated with other suppliers,” Heinl says. “I know of two other label companies that were doing millions of dollars worth of short-run process printing, and we weren’t doing any. But now, we’re more competitive than ever. It was a great move. We’re all glad we got into it.” Even before their digital inkjet rebirth, Repacorp enjoyed an exceedingly loyal customer base because of what always made them stand apart from the competition, such as customer services reps exclusively dedicated to just a few customers each, the consistent promise to turn orders around in five business days or less, and four strategicallylocated facilities (two in Ohio, one in Wisconsin and one in Arizona) which provide many logistical benefits for the manufacture and delivery of its many label products. Now, with the Jetrion

4000, customer loyalty has increased even more. “We have 350 stock items in our catalog, and we have a lot of oddball sizes that many other companies don’t stock,” Heinl explains. “Now that we’re a major player in the short-run process label business, we’re seeing our work being ordered for a whole gamut of products we weren’t used to before. Basically, any kind of food or beverage that can be sold in a jar or a can is a product that can use a Repacorp label. And that’s precisely what we’ve been seeing out there.” NEW Jetrion 4830 Due to the overwhelming success of our 4000 and the numerous customer requests for wider labels, we just purchased the new Jetrion 4830. This enables us to run more sizes and maximize our expanded web width up to 9 inches. We can now print wider labels in smaller quantities and expand

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our market reach. Jetrion’s opaque white capability allows us to print on clear polyester with a white lay-down further expanding our market reach to more food label markets. Hot New Products As examples of those products, both Tony Heinl and his brother Rick often like to mention salsa, pasta sauce, beer and wine – although the actual roll call extends well beyond that, to machinery components, automobile parts, pharmaceuticals, decorative stickers and hundreds of items in between. A former top Avery sales executive started the company in 1974, and Rick Heinl came aboard as a salesman in 1975 with 50 percent ownership and soon became a partner. In 1990 he became the sole owner. “We weren’t manufacturing anything when Rick took over the company,” Tony Heinl says. “We were just a distributor, a rep firm. We bought our first press in 1994 and have been keeping track of developments in the industry ever since.” Keeping track eventually brought the Heinl brothers

to EFI, and the Jetrion 4000 brought Repacorp to the immediate advantages of short-run digital printing. In a challenging economy, it is not unusual for orders to be slashed by half or more from previous levels, and that’s where short-run digital makes economical sense for many customers. Other benefits of the Jetrion include the elimination of plates, reduced labor and waste, reduced inventory, optimized workflow, advanced dropondemand printhead technology, and exclusive UV inkjet inks. In addition, the unit has variable-data capability, allowing Repacorp to run multiple series of barcodes and images. It can also print directly on standard label stock that converters typically use, with UV ink that is very durable, even when exposed to harsh environments. Furthermore, on-demand printing with the Jetrion 4000 leaves as little as six feet of waste, and the printing information is digitally stored, eliminating the need to re-match colors when jobs are reordered. And its near-photographic quality is second to none in its category.

Teamwork “With the two Jetrion units on line, our biggest challenge became getting the right people on staff and having them truly understand the software, most importantly learning how to properly send artwork to the press. No matter how sophisticated the equipment, the old rule applies: garbage in, garbage out,” Tony Heinl says, quickly adding that all operators are entirely up to speed and helping short-run digital printing at Repacorp reach its promise. “We’re extremely happy with the quality we get on any particular job with our digital printing platform, and so are our customers.”

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New image-based Quality Perception Benchmark for print jobs Printers, publishers and brand owners no longer have to use control strips for quality benchmarking thanks to a new offering from the Flemish Innovation Center for Graphic Communication (VIGC ). The organization has launched its unique image-based Quality Perception Benchmarking Service, which enables users to make objective comparisons of print jobs, such as reprints of books, advertisements in different magazines, different versions of packaging, etc. The VIGC Quality Perception Benchmark is based on seven parameters that are relevant to visual perception of quality. Measurements are based on images in the print job, which means control strips are not necessary. The VIGC’s methodology marks a significant step forward in benchmarking the quality of print jobs. "Comparing and assessing the quality of multiple print jobs can be very difficult," says Eddy Hagen, managing director and trend watcher at VIGC. "This is because most quality benchmarking systems are based on control strips, which get cut off in the finishing stage.” Fons Put, senior consultant at VIGC and responsible for the project,

explains how the organization set about overcoming the challenge: "We had to perform a quality benchmark on finished print jobs, so we couldn't start with the traditional measurements, eg density or the colors of CMYK solids in CIELab. We needed to go for other parameters that are important for image perception, such as dynamic range." "So we devised a new, unique measuring methodology to get an objective assessment of these visual parameters. Differences in these parameters between multiple samples can always be related to one or more printing parameters, eg density or print contrast." Benchmark for reprints, advertisements, packaging and more The VIGC has tested and refined the methodology over the last two years, in the course of a consulting job for one of its members. The company changed its production based on the VIGC reports.

And now the VIGC has made its Quality Perception Benchmark service available to all companies interested in an objective quality benchmark for printed jobs. The service will be particularly appealing to companies that make reprints and are confronted by differences between two versions. Another target audience is advertisers that publish in multiple media. Brand owners that print their packaging at multiple sites are also very likely to be interested in the service, as it will provide them with an objective assessment of different versions. The VIGC Quality Perception Benchmark has already been used to identify and quantify variations within a large production run. Parameters relate to printing parameters A crucial factor in the VIGC Quality Perception Benchmark is that all tested parameters relate to printing parameters. In its assessment report, the VIGC does not only show whether samples conform or differ, but also it states what could cause the differences, and which printing parameters are probably different. Hagen concludes: “Ultimately, the VIGC Quality Perception Benchmark is an instrument that provides users tighter control of their production processes.”

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Kodak opens its Asia Pacific Solutions Centre in Singapore Eastman Kodak Company announced the opening of its new Kodak Asia Pacific Solutions Centre in Singapore. The Centre will boost research, product development and operations management activities across three of Kodak’s main digital growth businesses – Consumer Inkjet, Commercial Inkjet, and Packaging Solutions. The Centre will also host the worldwide headquarters for Kodak’s Packaging Solutions business unit. Kodak Research Labs, the corporate research arm of Kodak, will set up a satellite research Centre in Singapore as a part of this initiative. A key element of Kodak’s Asia growth strategy, the Centre will add more than 100 professionals in research, engineering and business management over the next five years. In addition, two key executives of the company, John Blake, General Manager, Digital Capture & Devices and Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company and Mohan Garde, General Manager, Packaging and Vice President, Prepress Solutions, will be based in Singapore to strengthen Kodak presence in Asia and Singapore. Philip Faraci, president and chief operating officer of Eastman Kodak Company, will also spend a significant amount of time in Asia and Singapore to provide overall leadership for execution of the company’s growth strategy in Asia. “Kodak is now a company with a broad portfolio of innovative digital products and services and dedicated employees around the world,” said Faraci. “As we grow our new digital businesses, our presence in Singapore will enable us to more closely partner with our Asian suppliers to drive product innovation and speed to market and better meet the needs of our customers and help grow their businesses across the AsiaPacific region.”

Philip Faraci, president and chief operating officer of Eastman Kodak Company (left in picture), at the centre’s official opening with Dr. Beh, managing director EDB. Kodak’s global consumer inkjet business continues to be headquartered in San Diego, California and operates through Centres of excellence in Rochester, New York and Xiamen, China. In Singapore, engineering professionals will work seamlessly with these Centres of excellence to co-develop and commercialise new designs and technologies for printers, printheads and ink tanks, thereby significantly reducing the time to market for new products because of the proximity to manufacturing. Professionals in operations management will leverage the supplier base in the Asia-Pacific area to provide cost-effective products and solutions for customers. In addition, senior researchers of Kodak Research Labs will partner with Singapore-based research entities as well as local universities to develop cutting edge technologies in Micro Electrical Mechanical Systems (MEMS), materials, and computational sciences.

Terry Taber, chief technical officer and senior vice president, Eastman Kodak Company said: “This is an exciting opportunity for Kodak to expand its R&D capabilities in one of the fastest developing parts of the world. We are convinced that the combination of Kodak’s deep expertise in materials, image science, and deposition processes coupled with the array of science and technology capabilities in the Singapore region will make a significant impact on the future of our industry.” Inaugurating the Centre at a ceremony in the company’s offices in Lorong Chuan, Dr. Beh Swan Gin, managing director, Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) said, “I am pleased that Eastman Kodak Company has established its Asia Pacific Solutions Centre in Singapore, and with it, a satellite of its Kodak Research Laboratory. This operation will be able to leverage on the strengths of Singapore’s Research Institutes and universities in areas such as MEMS and materials sciences.” •

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First time exhibitor – Heidelberg to showcase at Pack Print International 2011

For the first time, Heidelberg will showcase at Pack Print International 2011 – the leading trade exhibition for the Southeast Asian packaging and printing industries.

Pack Print International 2011 held in Bangkok from 31 August - 3 September, will see Heidelberg showcasing a full suite of operational equipment and total solutions from prepress to post press including both consumables and services targeted specifically at the Thai and Southeast Asian market. The German precision mechanical engineering company with head offices in Heidelberg, has worldwide market share of more than 47% and is wellknown in the industry as the largest global manufacturers of offset printing presses in the world. “Pack Print International is a great place to meet customers, both old and new, and show the latest technology and future trends with our industry. We will conduct daily live demonstrations based on time-sensitive just-in-time production deadlines, addressing the current and future needs of printers

from the commercial and packaging market sectors,” said Ms Pornthip Asavajaruphan, Marketing Manager, Heidelberg Graphics (Thailand). With the extensive range of equipment and live demonstrations, Heidelberg is positioning itself as a total solutions

supplier to the Thai Print Media Industry and to further cement its strong market leadership position. Heidelberg with its sheetfed offset printing machines is one of the leading solution providers for the print media industry with a global market share of over 40%.

“We have great expectations regarding the number of visitors coming from both Thailand and surrounding countries. We are confident that our equipment and live demonstrations will draw significant attention from customers who are considering investing in new equipment,” said Ms Asavajaruphan. Heidelberg indicated that now is an ideal time for companies to invest in new equipment due to the current strength of the Thai Baht and increasing export opportunities combined with strong local consumer demand in Asia. Ms Asavajaruphan added that Asia will continue to grow rapidly over the years to come and with substantial investments in the latest technology will remain very competitive in the worldwide print market. “Likewise the growth in GDP and increasing local consumer demand will further stimulate the need for printed matter including packaging”, she said. Heidelberg produces equipment for prepress, press and post press, and is the only company that does so in the world. Earlier this year, Heidelberg announced a partnership with Ricoh, entering into a global distribution agreement contract to sell and support the Japanese company's latest production digital colour press, the Pro C901, alongside their extensive offset press portfolio. Now into its third edition, Pack Print International has

attracted more than 20,000 visitors since its debut and international exhibitors from over 30 countries. This year’s exhibition will see more than 250 exhibitors and an expected 5,000 international visitors. For more information on Heidelberg’s participation at Pack Print International 2011 and the full list of exhibiting companies, visit www.pack-print.de About Pack Print International 2011 Driven by the world-renowned drupa (print media messe) and interpack shows organised by Messe Düsseldorf and held in Germany, Pack Print International 2011 is jointly organised by the Thai Packaging Association, the Thai Printing Association and Messe Düsseldorf Asia. The four-day exhibition will be open to trade visitors from 31 August – 3 September 2011 from 10.30am to 6.00pm at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC). All trade visitors and professionals are required to register their visit. Co-located with Pack Print International 2011 is TIPREX – 3rd Thai International Plastics & Rubber Exhibition which is jointly organised by The Thai Plastic Industries Association, The Federation of Thai Industries – Plastic Industry Club and Messe Düsseldorf Asia •

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Is Consolidation the Future? Consolidation is a major trend within the printing industry, and it has been going on for some years now. In these hard economic times with many companies going out of business it has been logical for the stronger companies to take over the weaker ones to inherit their clients and some of their staff and equipment.

In certain cases even a company’s name shows how it has come about, as is the case with Consolidated Graphics in the USA. Consolidation is often necessary because of over capacity that brings about cost reductions as weaker companies attempt to stay in business by cutting prices, and in these cases the stronger companies are forced to absorb the weaker companies to protect their own pricing and market position. In Europe and in particular the UK, the magazine printing industry has been consolidating for some time following a period of rapid expansion as many magazine printers invested heavily in the latest presses to try to expand their businesses. With the downturn that has been happening in magazine printing over many years there have been both failures of major magazine printers as well as a degree of consolidation. The latest and biggest consolidation of magazine printers in the UK has just happened. In this St Ives Group, one of the largest printing companies in the UK has agreed to sell its magazine operations to private equity firm Walstead Investments for £20 million. St Ives Web has three large web offset production plants employing almost 700 staff and had an annual turnover in the last financial year of £70.5million. On this it made a loss of £5.1million.

Walstead was founded in 2008 in order to buy troubled UK printer Wyndeham. Following this it started on building a consolidated business when in July 2009 Walstead bought Southernprint from Newsquest and in October 2010 it acquired Apple Web from Trader Media Group. With the acquisition of St Ives Web the combined operations will become the largest commercial

web offset printing business in the UK, producing 72 weekly and 712 monthly magazine and other periodical and specialist titles. Overall turnover will be about £150m and the group believes it will have a 25% share of the UK market. The future of Europe’s magazine and catalogue printers however is not just through consolidation. It has just been announced that Polestar, the UK’s

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65 just over €200 million in the first nine months of its financial year from a peak of €600 million. The result of this is it has filed for insolvency after failing to get support for its restructuring programme. The administrator of Schlott has three months to find new shareholders or to sell the businesses separately. The consolidation and refinancing of Walstead and Polestar and the financial problems of Roto Smeets and Schlott are likely to accelerate the necessary reorganisation of both the web offset and gravure in industries in Europe. The problems have been brought about by major over capacity, marginal costing for pricing alongside a drop in demand created by pagination reductions in magazines and catalogues, and the growth of short run smaller format niche productions. Can we expect the consolidation and refinancing to continue? This may largest print group with an annual turnover of around £300 million is being acquired by US private equity business Sun Capital Holdings for a sum thought also to be in the region of £20 million. Polestar perhaps goes under the classification as “to large to fail”. This is the third refinancing of Polestar, and if I recall correctly it has failed ever to make a profit since it was created in 1998 through a consolidation of two other printing groups. In 2006 its investors lost £700 million in an earlier restructuring. Polestar has invested very heavily in the past years in moving into the gravure market generating significant over capacity in that field of business and also decreasing business margins. Around the same time as the refinancing of Polestar, two of its major competitors in the gravure printing market, Roto Smeets in The Netherlands and Schlott Gruppe in Germany were having financial difficulties. Roto Smeets was due to be acquired by one of its shareholders, Riva Investments, who planned to take the company private, but they withdrew their offer after seeing Roto Smeets first quarter financial figures and in failing to get agreement on a new offer. Schlott Gruppe’s business suffered from the failure of mail order company Quelle and other customers in the past two years, and has seen its sales decline to

happen. Barry Hibbert, the CEO of Polestar since 2001 and who has led the company into and through each restructuring stated that the new ownership structure would allow the business to participate in the next wave of industry consolidation that he states is needed. I would tend to have fears of the result of this since so far Hibbert and his team have a very depressing record in creating a profitable ongoing business that could satisfy shareholders. It appears that consolidation is the future not just for the major gravure and web offset printers, but also for many parts of the printing industry in order to remain competitive and to be able to invest for the future. It is not just magazines and catalogues but also in books and direct mail printing. For smaller printers the future is increasingly to find a niche and specialize in it. Outside of these niches it will be difficult to compete with the large ‘super groups’ of consolidated printers, whoever and wherever they may be. •

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System for Anticounterfeiting Strengthens Brand Protection

Kodak’s Security Solutions group announces the availability of the KODAK TRACELESS Anywhere System for Anticounterfeiting, designed to help brand owners, companies and law enforcement agencies combat counterfeiting and product diversion. The TRACELESS Anywhere System combines robust, proprietary marker material with a discreet, handheld, field deployable reader. This combination enables users to effectively detect illegally marketed products and merchandise. “The complex nature of counterfeiting and product diversion poses many challenges for brand owners and law enforcement officials,” said Dr. Myra T. Olm, director of brand protection research and product development, security solutions, Kodak’s business solutions and services group. “At Kodak, we’re constantly assessing this landscape and discovering new ways to leverage our imaging and materials science capabilities to protect consumers by enabling companies to stay ahead of counterfeiters.” The TRACELESS Anywhere System offers ease of implementation into companies’ existing manufacturing or printing processes to minimize impact on product and packaging processes. The proprietary marker material can be implemented on a wide range of material types including plastics, foils, corrugated and flexible packaging, labels and documents. A variety of application types can be used, including flexographic, offset, gravure, screen, pad and thermal transfer print methods. The system’s pocket reader enables companies to deploy a discrete field

authentication strategy. The easy to transport, battery-operated reader displays color coded LEDs to indicate the presence of different types of marker formulations. Companies and brand owners work with Kodak to customize programming for specific tracking purposes. This adaptable function also allows companies to regionalise and localise their brand protection strategies.

countermeasures against counterfeiting from point of production to product distribution,” said Roberto D. Colangelo, general manager, worldwide services, vice president, Kodak’s business solutions and services group. “Kodak’s broad experience in deploying and implementing services in a variety of environments enables us to maximize security while maintaining costs and existing processes.”

For companies seeking to safeguard products along the entire supply chain, the TRACELESS Anywhere System can be integrated with other overt and covert offerings from the KODAK Security Solutions portfolio to build a multi-layered brand protection model.

KODAK Security Solutions bring together the resources of Kodak’s vast intellectual property portfolio, along with expertise in material science, digital imaging, document imaging, and graphic communications to create a broad portfolio of products and technologies that protect against counterfeiting.•

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Trio shines at printing luxury packaging The trio is complete. At the end of last year Chinese packaging specialist Jiangsu Zhongcai Printing in the city of Danyang fired up a seven-colour Rapida 105 UV coater press that now prints the luxury packaging for which the company is internationally renowned. With the new UV press, operator training is key, and following its successful start-up further instruction will be provided in three-month cycles

It joined two medium- and large-format six- and five-colour KBA presses that went live In 2003 and 2002 respectively, and which have played no small part in Jiangsu Zhongca’s rapid growth. Jiangsu Zhongcai Printing was established in 1994 and together with Shanghai Jiacai Printing is part of the tnp (The National Press) group, a specialist producer of top-quality packaging. Alongside seven offset presses the group operates an array of flexo and gravure presses at two big production plants employing around 1,000 people. The 15-hectare (37-acre) site in Danyang offers over 86,000m2 (926,000ft²) of production space, so in conjunction with a well-equipped pre-press and finishing departments there is plenty of capacity for other types of packaging in addition to upmarket products.

Impressive growth The ISO 9001:2001 and ISO 14001:2004 accredited enterprise is managed by two brothers, Jiao Xiao Lin and Jiao Xiao Ping, and has experienced incredible growth since its foundation. Sales total around €50m ($71.1m) and are set to climb steeply in the next few years, aided by a subsidiary in Korea. In addition to quality the primary focus is on environmentally friendly manufacturing processes, which have received plenty of accolades from customers. General manager Jiao Xiao Ping says: “We have a large number of long-term delivery contracts with top national and international firms in the tobacco, electronics, medical, household goods, food and drinks industries. They include Panasonic, Siemens, Motorola, Philips, McDonald, KFC, Colgate and Castel, reflecting our high-powered capabilities. Since our customers are

all keen to boost sales in China, we help them develop new, more attractive packaging on an ongoing basis. We work ceaselessly to enhance our designs and quality. We see huge potential in packaging for tobacco and luxury goods like wine and spirits.” Technology and service are key Technology played just as important a role as marketing strategies in the company’s success. Jiao Xiao Ping says: “The fact that we opted for KBA presses again after a considerable interval is no coincidence. We have experience of offset presses from other German and Japanese vendors. But in recent years KBA has drawn ahead of the field, gaining widespread recognition in China and really burnishing its image here. This applies not only to technological innovations but also to performance and, not least, after-sales service. We value the trust engendered in the course of our communications with KBA, and are open to any new advances that may help us drive growth.

Our customers are highly discerning and demand ever more complex products that we must be fully capable of delivering.”

General Manager Jiao Xiao Ping displaying luxury packaging for international producers of wine and spirits

Big improvements in high-quality sector Mr Jiao continues: “Prior to making the final decision on which type of press to take we visited a reference installation at Dongguan QP Factory in Shenzhen, where we saw that KBA is well able to provide the technology needed for topquality packaging production. We were deeply impressed by the demonstrations given on the big KBA fleet there.”

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Deputy general manager, Jianping Bao, is also delighted at the continued association with KBA: “The press was delivered bang on schedule and commissioned to our complete satisfaction. It will help us to enhance our product range still further, particularly in the high-quality sector. We have therefore arranged for KBA to provide further training in a three-month cycle.” •

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Trio shines at printing luxury packaging The trio is complete. At the end of last year Chinese packaging specialist Jiangsu Zhongcai Printing in the city of Danyang fired up a seven-colour Rapida 105 UV coater press that now prints the luxury packaging for which the company is internationally renowned. See what is on offer at the HP ‘Digital Supermarket’

The HP Indigo “Digital Supermarket” will feature hundreds of consumer items with labels and packaging printed by HP PSPs for their customers on HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Presses and HP Indigo press ws4500s. The products on show exemplify the dynamic new relationships between leading converters and major brands enabled by the Internet, HP Indigo technologies, efficient supply chains and affordable, profitable, cost models. Labels and packaging for household, healthcare and beauty and pharmaceutical products will be displayed as well as many examples of wine and beer labels. Products on show include items that have been personalised with consumers’ images and messages, uploaded via brand websites, printed with HP Indigo presses and delivered. These products illustrate a new digital paradigm for brands and PSPs as well as the new relationship between consumers and brands. As the leading supplier of presses to the label converting sector, a large number of HP Indigo digital presses will be op-

erating on the stand and in the adjacent Digital Print Workshop. Visitors will have the opportunity to see labels, flexible packaging, shrink sleeves and folding cartons produced using the latest HP Indigo presses and finished with end-to-end solutions from HP partners to create high-value products for consumer and industrial markets. Among HP partners on the stand are EskoArtwork and A B Graphic International which will be presenting digital prepress automation and modular finishing solutions respectively.

A platform for productivity “The HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press has achieved tremendous momentum with an explosion in the number of products printed,” said Alon Bar-Shany, vice president and general manager, Indigo Division, HP. “It has moved digital printing firmly into the mainstream with customers regularly producing runs of more than 5000m. Labelexpo Europe provides an ideal platform to show converters what their futures can look like by utilising HP Indigo technologies and HP partner solutions, offering new products and services to build dynamic and creative new relationships with their customers.” The HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press offers label converters a powerful combination of productivity, versatility and flexibility. Able to economically print more than 80 percent of label runs and with 200 presses installed the HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press has proved itself around the world at leading label converters.

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Applied Laser Engineering Ltd, Molesey Business Centre, Central Avenue, West Molesey, Surrey, KT8 2QZ, England This document is subject to change without notice and does not form part of any performance specification or contract of supply. 15/03/2011

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The Rotamag MXP 520 A high speed high value press with quick make ready, very operator friendly, easy to set up with 2 minute colour change. Dry option UV/I. R/hot air. Options: High Speed Sheeter Delivery y Laminating Up To 12 Print Units y Hot/Coil Foiling y Fan Folder Hook Up Magnetic Strip Applicator y Corona Treating y Chiller Drum Cooling y Jumbo Unwind/Rewind Our presses are designed and built to last and are virtually maintenance free.

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Zip-Pak opens first China factory Zip-Pak, a globally known name in resealable solutions recently announced the opening of its first China factory in Guangzhou. The new facility will localise production of the company’s cost-effective and high quality resealable zipper closures. “Until this point, we have been devoted to providing the China market with high quality resealable solutions that enhance consumer brands from our worldwide production facilities,” said Tracy Wang, business development manager, Zip-Pak China. “The purpose of this new factory in China is to better serve the needs of the Chinese market.” As the only company of its kind with an in-house equipment division, ZipPak introduced a new consulting group, the Package Realization Team, recently. The team will help brand owners switch from existing package styles to consumer-preferred resealable flexible formats. For each unique project, a unique team is assembled to consult with consumer product goods (CPG)

companies and retailers on how to implement cost-effective and efficient resealable closure solutions. Team configurations may vary according to project needs, and may include representatives from sales, marketing, product development, operations, machinery and technical service. Brand owners may also choose to install Zip-Pak’s retrofit solutions which require a lower capital investment than new machines. In March 2008, Zip-Pak established a China office in Shanghai. Since then, Zip-Pak has been providing resealable solutions in China for brands like Dumex and Mars. The new Guangzhou factory is expected to further enhance

the production capacity of Zip-Pak in Guangzhou to meet both local demand as well as the needs of the rest of AsiaPacific.

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Indian printshop enhances productivity with adhesive binding Sona Printers based in New Delhi, India is a well known name in the printing and paper stationery industry. The company was established in 1977 by Kishore Mittal together with his brothers, Ajay Mittal and Vijay Mittal. In 1983, Sona Printers entered commercial printing and after experiencing steady growth over a decade, they ventured into the paper stationery business in1998. Today, Sona Printers operates from a 50,000 sq.ft. printing facility at Okhla industrial area, with an employee strength of about 150. About 60% of its clients are corporates, while the others are educational institutions. They are strong across the production chain. In the press division, they run two to five colour offset presses in varied formats and their Postpress division operates with a Polar cutter and Stahlfolder equipments. Sona is one of the select

companies which fully understand the importance of finishing and make it work to their advantage. It is no wonder that in 2009, Sona Printers installed the first Heidelberg Eurobind 4000, the predecessor of the actual Product, the Eurobind Pro, in Asia. Sona Printers’ Eurobind adhesive binding line is equipped with an 18 clamp adhesive binder, a 16 station Eurogather and a Eurotrim three-knife-trimmer.

“Today, the printing industry is growing at a fast pace; we have to compete in aspects of performance and quality. And our recent installation, the Heidelberg Eurobind 4000 is the best in its class and means value for money,” says Nikhil Mittal, son of Kishore Mittal who gained a B.A. Honors in Print Media Management from London School of Printing and joined the family business in 2005. The Heidelberg Eurobind has a modular design that delivers exceptional flexibility and ease of use. It also helps to boost ergonomics and reliability in production processes. For instance, since the adhesive binder is fully encapsulated with large, wide-opening windows, users can visually monitor production processes on the fly and processing stations can be accessed quickly during setup.

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77 Additionally, SONA has installed two other state-of-the-art equipments - the POLAR 115 XT cutting system and the Heidelberg Stahlfolder KH 78 folding machine.

Nikhil Mittal with the Heidelberg Eurobind 4000 equipment at Sona Printers.

The new POLAR 115 XT label cutting system with Compucut is the second installation of its kind in India. POLAR’s best-selling cutting system prepares the material to be cut with great precision, is loaded manually and unloads the labels automatically onto pallets to ensure a perfect flow of material in the cutting process. Almost 100 percent extra performances when compared to a stand-alone machine provide an excellent increase in efficiency. Their Heidelberg Stahlfolder KH 78 has a unique configuration with a folding unit, gluer, pressing unit, stacker and bundling unit. The user-friendliness of the equipment makes it perfectly suitable for one-man operation. With state-of-the-art technology in place, Sona Printers is poised to consistently deliver high quality products and reach greater heights. •

The Heidelberg Eurobind 4000 adhesive binding line is equipped with a book block feeder for handling more than 16 signatures, a lining station to accommodate special brochures and is JDF-compatible for workflow integration. Operators can use the local touch screen concept to control the entire configuration during the binding process. This dramatically reduces operator movement between machines during the binding process, thereby reducing setup times significantly. Various settings are identified via intuitive symbols that are used consistently in all Heidelberg machines, a feature which adds to the user-friendly credentials of the machine. The Heidelberg Eurobind 4000 adhesive binding line yields professional adhesive binding in the output class up to 4,000 cycles per hour with an average run of 10,000 copies.

2011 Excellence Awards It reliably offers high productivity and consistently high quality especially with GET READY inline-finished products. About the machine’s features, Nikhil Mittal says, “The Eurobind 4000 is a fully integrated machine. There are no offline operations and it is inline performance at its best. There is absolutely no comparison between the Heidelberg Eurobind and any other equipment in this class. One of the most impressive factors is the quick job change from one job to the other at best quality. We have adopted such technology to take a major leap forward in enhancing productivity. With other equipment, job setting is the biggest hassle in binding. We have been able to have make readies and job changes done in about three minutes with the Heidelberg Eurobind, and are able to deliver varied sizes from A6 to A3 sized books.”

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78 Intelligence abounds at interpack 2011

PRATI is to showcase a raft of its innovative finishing machines at the biennial trade show, Labelexpo 2011. Visitors to the company’s stand will discover the latest finishing technologies shaping the label market. Labelexpo is the world's largest event for the label, product decoration, web printing and converting industry. This year’s show takes place in Brussels between September 28 and October 1. PRATI can be found in Hall 5 at Stand C60 with the largest booth demonstrating finishing machines. Eight PRATI machines that have proved very popular and successful in the pharmaceutical and booklet market will be on display at the event: four slitter rewinder inspection machines, two VEGAplus converting platforms, the Pharmacheck and the VEGAplus Booklet Maker. In addition, three other slitter rewinder machines (Type Saturn), equipped with digital inspection cameras, will be demonstrated at the booths of the camera manufacturers AVT, NIKKA and BST. NIKKA and BST will be showcasing PRATI finishing machines exclusively. “We’ve been present at Labelexpo since

1993, so we can’t miss out this year on what’s set to be the largest ever show,” says Chiara Prati, Sales Manager at Prati, Italy. “The exhibition is an excellent forum for meeting with customers and prospects to get a better understanding of the challenges they face. “And, of course, it’s the ideal platform to introduce our portfolio of machines and related services to a larger, worldwide audience. Visitors to our stand will see innovative systems and applications that can help them generate new revenue.” PRATI will also use Labelexpo to highlight its response to demand for more sustainable solutions. “The Saturn Linerless, for example, is just one of our environmental friendly

machines, producing zero liner waste," Prati continues. Earlier this year PRATI opened its new plant to handle increased international demand for its solutions. "We’ve witnessed a strong economic recovery in the industry and feel confident about the future," concludes Prati. "We’re proud to have top companies such as CCL , Schreiner and other large multinational groups investing in our finishing solutions.”

Kodak Announces Price Increase for Flexo Plate Family

Over the past year, the cost of manufacturing flexographic printing plates has risen dramatically due to

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rising energy and raw material costs. In an effort to protect customers from these increases, Kodak has implemented a number of manufacturing efficiencies and, up to this point, has absorbed these additional costs. However, with costs continuing to climb, Kodak announced today that it will implement a global price increase of up to 7% on all flexographic plates as of July 15, 2011 in all regions of the world. The exact amount of the increase seen by each customer and implemented in each region will be based on local market conditions. “It’s never easy to pass these kinds of price increases along to our customers, and we are committed to working with them to ensure that their plate needs and business requirements are met as effectively as possible,” said Mohan Garde, Vice President and General Manager, Packaging Business, Prepress Solutions, Kodak. “The value that our plates bring to the market-high quality, efficiency, repeatability, and more-continues to make them a sound investment for flexo printers who desire the best possible results. As always, we’ll continue to pursue manufacturing efficiencies that will minimize any future pricing impacts for our customer base.”

•

Details of the new pricing structure will be communicated over the next month to all customers and dealers. All current contractual commitments will be honored.

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Pharmaceutical and cosmetics manufacturers can now strike back against the counterfeiters thanks to Atlantic Zeiser Group, a leading supplier of technology, modules and system solutions for industrial digital printing. The company’s Track & Trace module empowers brand owners by enabling them to counter the burgeoning counterfeiting threat and protect their brand reputation and revenue. The urgent need for anti-counterfeiting solutions A 2009 study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimated that pirate products worldwide cost companies EUR184 billion - a 53 per cent rise on 2007’s figure. Pirate products pose a particularly high risk in the pharmaceutical and

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cosmetics industries. This is because they often use ineffective filling agents instead of genuine, more expensive medical substances; and cheap ingredients instead of high-quality cosmetic agents. How does Track & Trace work? Track & Trace integrates easily into a new or existing print packaging production line. Users can include all standard product tracking codes on the packaging. The codes include GS1, all types of numeric codes, and 1-D and 2-D barcodes, which are used to check the legitimacy of the packaging and product online Track & Trace also includes an optical checking system. In just one fast step cameras automatically read and verify the selected layout and check the digits. And the solution affords users maximum flexibility when it comes to late-stage customization. If the check code does not match the reference data, the module rejects the packaging following the check. The assigned Track & Trace code can then be added to the packaging in a subsequent print run. Ralf Hipp, Vice President Digital Printing and Coding Solutions Atlantic Zeiser, comments: “Track & Trace hands the power back to manufacturers and brand owners. Its seamless product tracking enables them to strike a meaningful blow against counterfeiters. And, crucially, Track & Trace is highly automated and cost effective - it slots effortlessly into an existing packaging production set-up and isn’t a drain on resources or revenue.”

"Design to Print to Cut"

EskoArtwork will showcase its complete portfolio of integrated workflow and

digital finishing hardware and software solutions at Fespa Digital. The highlight of the show will be EskoArtwork’s i-cut Suite. This integrated workflow solution - dedicated to the digital sign and display market - optimizes and improves the entire production process from design to print to cut. ArtiosCAD and Studio, ideal for structural design applications, will also be on show. Visitors to the EskoArtwork stand will also have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience of the Kongsberg i-XL24 and i-XP44, two of the company’s market-leading digital finishing solutions, specifically designed to deliver unsurpassed productivity and perfect registration. Fespa Digital takes place at the Messe Hamburg from 24 to 27 May, 2011. EskoArtwork will demonstrate its hardware and software solutions in Hall A4, stand A30. “We are really looking forward to coming to Hamburg for the show,” says Nicolai Gradman, Senior Vice President CAM & Supply Chain at EskoArtwork. “More than ever before, printers are realizing the importance of having a highly optimized, streamlined operation to keep ahead of their competition. Digital is perfect for meeting the growing demand for shortrun, print-on-demand sign and displays. But to remain truly competitive, printing operations also need to be super tight. Across the entire designto-print-to-cut production process, our integrated workflow solution - one of the first on the market dedicated to the digital sign and display market saves valuable time, reduces waste and delivers significant productivity gains.”

Dedicated workflow solution tackles bottlenecks EskoArtwork's i-cut Suite streamlines the entire workflow - from design and prepress to the digital press up to the finished product. Print houses can receive files that have not been properly prepared and often contain errors or miss vital information required for efficient sheet layout, printing and digital finishing. Without the proper workflow tools, such deficiencies lead to waste of time and materials. The i-cut Suite gives users the essential tools for identifying and resolving these issues at the beginning of the workflow, enabling them to save valuable time and reduce waste. The result is a smooth and cost-effective manufacturing process. Also presented at the show will be two of EskoArtwork’s hugely popular Kongsberg digital cutting tables. The Kongsberg i-XL24 is the workhorse of the product line and EskoArtwork's best-selling finishing system among sign and display companies.

eltromat is back on the road to success

After the sales collapsed in the printing industry in 2008 and 2009, eltromat GmbH from Leopoldshoehe (Westphalia, Germany) closed the business year 2010 with a positive result. Incoming orders in the first four months in 2011 are more than 50% above the comparable previous yearís value. The owner-managed company increasingly invests in employees to be prepared for the expected growth.

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84 Main reason for the filling of order books above-average is the increasing readiness to invest ñ especially in the package printing sector, liquid packaging. Systems specialists as eltromat benefit from this development as well with a short delay compared to manufacturers of printing presses. ÑOur current growth is the result of our consistent focus on applications in package printing. We observe the economic pick-up mainly on the traditional markets in Europeì, says Dr. Gunter Tautorus, managing partner of eltromat GmbH and adds: ÑHowever, success does not come on its own. End of 2010, for example, we launched our innovative system Ñtwin_checkì with 100% print defect detection that turned out to be quite a market success in no time at all.ì Furthermore, the supplier of high-quality optical measurement and control systems for inline processes enters a new market with special products for digital printing, in the growing segments of transaction printing, direct mail and label printing. The company with almost 200 employees at present increasingly invests in qualified personnel to further succeed in business.

Flint Group increases packaging ink and printing plate prices

Ink manufacturer Flint Group Flexographic Products has confirmed price increases of up to 10% for its flexographic printing plates. In addition to this, Flint Group will increase prices for all its packaging and narrow-web printing inks in

North America, effective May 1 The manufacturer said that continued raw material cost pressure had made it increase prices by 5% for its nyloflex printing plates and by 10% for nyloprint printing plates, depending on the product type – with immediate effect. Water- and solvent-based ink products will increase by 8%, with the exception of white which increases by 10%. All energy-cured products will increase by 5%. Violet 23 continues to be in short supply with rising costs. According to the Flint Group, it will be addressed on a customer-by-customer basis. The Flint Group said that rising energy costs continue to put pressure on prices. It also said that the chemical industry had consolidated heavily in the last few years, limiting the available global capacities. ‘High cost pressure’ Flint Group Flexographic Products president Mario Busshoff said: “We are aware that the printing industry is being exposed to a high cost pressure and have been working hard to mitigate price increases through various cost containment initiatives, but now we have reached a point where we can no longer absorb the increases and need to adapt the prices for our printing plates. “We will, however, continue to challenge our own processes and suppliers to keep the price adjustments as low as possible.” North American Packaging and Narrow Web vice president Susan Kuchta added: “Raw materials increased significantly in the last half

of 2010, again in January 2011, and still again in the last 30 days. “During the last few months we have seen multiple increases on individual items and continuing tight supply. Our first responsibility to our customers is to focus on continuity of supply and to produce high quality products.”

Coca Cola and Pepsi shrink packaging to cut costs in China

Big brands, such as Pepsi and L’Oréal, in China are reducing the size of their packaging in an effort to keep consumer prices from rising, according to the Wall Street Journal. The smaller packages have been introduced while keeping prices steady, which could quell the Chinese government’s concerns about inflation in the country, where overall consumer prices were up 5.3% in April, driven by an 11.5% increase in food prices. Both Pepsi and Coca Cola are shrinking bottle sizes for their beverages to 500ml from 600 ml, according to the WSJ. Not noticed ‘much’ by consumers “Size reductions in China are a way for companies to absorb cost increases without gaining too much attention,” said Torsten Stocker, a Hong Kong analyst for Cambridge, Mass., consulting firm Monitor Group. The changes are “at the level that doesn’t get noticed much by consumers.” Pepsi kept its price to about three yuan (US$0.46) per bottle, said the Monitor Group. The smaller Pepsi bottle brings it in line with most carbonated soft-drink brands in China, said a PepsiCo spokesperson, the WSJ reported. L’Oréal shrunk its Hydra-fresh facial moisturiser to 175 ml from 200 ml. ‘Price controls’ Concerned that inflation might stall economic growth, China has imposed price controls for a range of foods. Exceeding the country’s 4% inflation target, broad consumer prices were up 5.3% in April, with 11.5% of that from food prices, reported the WSJ. Last month, Unilever SA was fined about US$300,000 for announcing

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Shanghai Railway Printing buys Gallus EM 260

increased prices in the media, with the government claiming that this caused consumers to buy and stockpile products. Domestic and foreign consumer good companies operating in China must disclose their production costs and operating margins, ruled China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRF), which ruled that operating margins should be limited, said an executive familiar with the matter, the WSJ reported.

Toy giant Mattel drops Asia Pulp & Paper

Toy manufacturer Mattel has told its supplier to stop buying cartonboard from Asia Pulp & Paper after a campaign by Greenpeace last week highlighted the paper firm’s alleged destruction of Indonesian rain forests. Greenpeace launched a high-profile campaign last week criticising Mattel for using board from Asia Pulp & Paper, which it accuses of destroying

virgin rainforest in the country. In a publicity stunt, the pressure group hung a giant banner from the Mattel headquarters in California that read: “Barbie: it’s over. I don’t date girls that are into deforestation.” It then repeated the stunt in London. The stunt came just days after Mattel had published a sustainable procurement policy which outlined that the firm would not support deforestation but did not explicitly mention Asia Pulp & Paper. However, a follow-up statement on the policy posted on Mattel’s website said: “Mattel supports sustainable forestry management. Mattel has directed its packaging suppliers to stop sourcing pulp from Sinar Mas/Asia Pulp & Paper. “Mattel is asking its packaging suppliers to clarify how they are addressing the broader issue of deforestation in their own supply chains.” In its original statement on sustainable procurement, the company said: “The policy will include requirements for packaging suppliers to commit to sustainable forestry management practices.” However, it did not state its position on using board from APP. A statement from APP said: “We are confident Mattel’s investigation will

By purchasing a Gallus EM 260 press, Shanghai Railway Printing Co., Ltd. is expanding its market offering and thus creating additional business opportunities. Shanghai Railway Printing Co., Ltd., founded in 1938, intends to use the press, which is equipped with five flexographic printing units, for printing highspeed train tickets. According to the company, it was first and foremost the label press's high quality and stability and the company's excellent previous experience with the Gallus Group that were the key factors in its decision to purchase the Gallus EM 260. Installation is planned for September this year. Shanghai Railway Printing Co., Ltd. has a workforce of over 200 and is headquartered in Shanghai, China. The Gallus Group The Gallus Group is a world market leader in the development, production and marketing of narrow-web reel-fed presses for label printers. The Group's folding carton business develops and markets narrow and wide-web reel-fed presses and die-cutters for the costeffective inline production of folding cartons and cardboard products. Besides its portfolio of presses, the Group also provides consumables and a global, decentralised service and spare parts network. Gallus and Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, the global market leader in solutions for the print and media industry, have been working in partnership since 1999. The Gallus Group has a workforce of 565.

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