Labels and Packaging Innovation #5 2019

LABELS & PACKAGING

INNOVATION ASIA

5 - 2019

We talk with CEO Chris Payne

Full interview in this issue

2020

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Miraclon - the new face of Kodak’s Flexo Division Anlac’s Metallized Label Dazzles Philip Morris International s exploring digital printing QLM Labels – The winning side of digital Digital labels are a massive help in the wine industry ALDI says all packaging will be reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025 Xeikon consolidates it's operations in Belgium 4 trends that show why labels are pioneering progress in packaging Is it time to look for new opportunities?

Winners for Asian Packaging Excellence Awards 2019 Unveiled Product diversification: the advantages of multi-layer label printing W&H and the anniversary year with new products PRINT18, more reasons to make the trip Thermal Flat Top Dot Plate for Flexible Packaging Printing Breakthrough in Digital Direct to Fabric Printing Japanese web-to-pack printer chooses Heidelberg Primefire 106 ORIS X Gamut awarded “Best Color Management Solution” DARE to be DIFFERENT Pack Print International 2019 to highlight print and packaging’s megatrends News from around the world and around the region

AUGUST 26-27 - 2020

2020

Asian Print Awards Management Pte Ltd Level 28, Office 28-31 Clifford Centre, 24 Raffles Place, Singapore 048621 Tel+65 6733 5342 Fax +656733 3586 Chairman

Paul Callaghan paul@printinnovationasia.com

Conference Director

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

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

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

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Miraclon - the new face Flexo Division LPIA catches up with CEO Chris Payne to discuss the significance and direction of Miraclon moving forward as Kodak’s former flexographic packaging division. By Sha Jumari.

In November 2018, it was announced that Kodak entered into an agreement with Montagu to sell its Flexographic Packaging division. In April 2019, the sale officially completed and the industry saw the formation of Miraclon. The new company will develop, produce and sell Kodak Flexcel-branded technology solutions.

“Miraclon is a new company, but we still have the same people, same great products, same technology, same R&D

- same enthusiasm,” said Chris Payne, CEO of Miraclon. “We’ve brought the best of what we had at Kodak and with our new company we have the ability to really focus and to be much more agile.”

Payne is the newly-named CEO of Miraclon. Most recently the President of Kodak’s Flexographic Packaging Division before it became Miraclon, Payne has been in printing for the last 30 years. Over the past decade, Kodak’s

flexo division has grown to become a significant player in the packaging industry.

“When you think about flexo, it’s changing, it’s transforming. Ultimately, we believe flexo is going to be the premium way of making any printed packaging. Our fundamental aim is to transform the flexo industry and make it the packaging printing process of choice, it’s as simple as that,” said Payne.

Transforming Flexo from Craft to Premium The global flexographic printing market is forecasted to grow to a value of $187 billion by 2023, according to a latest report by Smithers Pira. Becoming a separate entity from Kodak means that Miraclon will be able to focus solely on its flexo solutions, and according to Payne, achieve the bigger picture goal of advancing the flexo packaging industry.

“To be able to transform the flexo industry, you’ve not only got to drive quality and consistency, you’ve got to make sure that production efficiency in the press room is growing as well.

You also have to deal with all aspects of Left to right - Chris Payne,CEO, Sandor Meszaros, Regional Sales Leader for APAC, Hersh Lulla, Marketing Manager

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

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e of Kodak’s

sustainability. Everything the customer is asking for at the end of the day,” said Payne.

“On a very foundational level, we strive for a very close relationship with our customers because we know the closer we are the more we can help them drive efficiency and faster turnaround times for the brands.”

This is key for Miraclon, especially in growing the big brands. Payne estimates that the big brand houses that have many global products under their umbrella, such as Mondelez, Pepsi, Nestle and

Unilever, alone own about 50% of all the packaging done worldwide.

For these brands, consistency in their supply chain is important as these brands are essentially looking to run the same printing process across the world.

“You have to help brands be more flexible so they can adapt designs for SKUs quicker and bring new products to market faster,” Payne continued. “To do those things, you need to change flexo from the traditional craft way of printing to an automated, production manufacturing process. Our purpose

here is to help our customers do all of those things so that together we can change and transform the industry.”

The Commitment to Asia Asia is a dominant segment in the packaging market, and will continue to thrive as populations and economies grow. The region makes up about 30% of Miraclon’s global business.

“If we think of it in simpler terms, ultimately Asia is bigger than the rest of the world combined. Asia, in my mind, has huge potential for what we’re doing. If you think about how

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

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The newly-announced Flexcel NX Ultra Solution will add a water-based platemaking option in addition to the current solvent-based process.

A second aspect is in helping the printer use the technology in a simple way. To do so, Miraclon plans to invest in the people that work directly with printers especially in technical applications.

package printing is done - labelling, pouches, cereal boxes, TV boxes - most of the printing to date in the region has been done with gravure and offset processes. As we move through time, there’ll be more flexo printing. Flexo is the cheapest manufacturing process amongst all the printing processes out there and we’ve already demonstrated that, with our technology, flexo do similar quality as gravure and offset,” said Payne.

“Over time, we’re going to see the marketplace for flexo change. That change is happening at different rates in different countries. If we go back a decade, there were very few CI presses in the region, today there are a lot,” Payne continued. “India is changing very quickly. Here in Southeast Asia, we see Malaysia and Thailand on the path of greater adoption. Other markets like Vietnam are beginning to show the signs. We see this trend continuing across the whole of Asia.”

Miraclon has over 300 staff located all over the world, with key locations in Belgium, the US, Mexico, Japan, and Singapore. “As a business, we have about a third of our people between Japan, Singapore, and our go-to market team for Asia. Having a base in Singapore and being in all the markets is critical for our growth. We’re committed in what we’re building in Asia in total,” said Payne.

Miraclon plans to continue its growth in Asia with a three-prong approach.

The first aspect of Miraclon’s strategy is to expand the company’s portfolio as they continue to invest in R&D. The Kodak Flexcel portfolio, which includes its flagship solution, the Kodak Flexcel NX System, will continue to grow. The Flexcel NX system pioneered ‘digital flat top dots’ and proprietary ‘micro plate surface patterning’ to make plates that have introduced a new level of print performance for flexo.

“That consultancy in the press room is key to our strategy. Our fundamental technology is about optimizing transfer of the ink. It’s about how the ink flows on to the plate, and transfers on to the substrates. You have to be doing that with every printer closely in the press room, it’s that simple,” explained Payne, reiterating the company’s commitment to customer service.

The final key approach is to invest in the necessary infrastructure in order to grow in each of the markets in Asia. Within Southeast Asia, Miraclon works directly with channel partners in most markets due to geographic complexity. Additionally, while Miraclon is headquartered in Singapore, the company has employees in a few countries including Thailand and Malaysia to be closer to customers.

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020” © 2019 Miraclon. Flexcel is a trademark of Miraclon. The Kodak trademark, logo and trade dress are used under license from Kodak.

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

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Anlac’s Metallized Label Dazzles The Vietnamese company’s entry won Gold at the Asian Packaging Excellence Awards 2019. Sha Jumari reports.

Anlac Labels JSC (Anlac) is a regular in the Asian Packaging Excellence Awards competition. This year, the company won Gold for their entry in Labels Letterpress Process. The company also took home the Bronze in Labels Flexographic Process. The company has participated in the competition 11 times, and has consistently won awards each year.

“It is our privilege to win the awards this year, thank you!” said Mr Nguyen Ngoc Minh Thy, director of Anlac

Labels JSC. “It is a real validation to the achievements and strong development of Anlac Labels.”

The title of their winning Gold entry is “Colgate Cam Kit 100% 110G”.

The label was used for a promotional campaign in Vietnam. Using a Gallus machine, the labels were printed on a metallized box, in order to enhance the eye-catching metallized effect.

The client required Anlac to be able to produce the labels within the tight

marketing promotion timelines. Anlac was able to accomplish this with short lead-time production, while still achieving an attractive metallized appearance.

In producing the award-winning entry, Anlac faced some challenges. The team had to factor in different substrates used between the white paper proofs and the final metallized labels. Furthermore, Anlac had to figure out how to choose a suitable opaque half-tone for the label in order to create an attractive and harmonious appearance. The team also had to ensure that the final label is identical to the offset-printed box.

In 2001, Anlac became one of the first flexography printing companies in Vietnam, having installed a European printer in their site.

“As a professional labels solutions provider, Anlac will accompany you to develop unique and effective products,” said Mr Nguyen. “We have worked with leading companies in Vietnam and globally for nearly 20 years.”

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

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Philip Morris International is exploring digital printing "This Changes Everything" Designing A Smoke Free Future Tony Snyder‘s key note „This Changes Everything“ was a real highlight of the Digital Print for Packaging conference.

The vision of a “smoke-free future” not only continues to radically change the product portfolio of Philip Morris International (PMI) in terms of alternative products to traditional smoking.

It also places stringent demands on the supply chain in terms of flexibility, agility and speed to market. Because these are the strengths of digital printing, PMI decided to invest in a hybrid digital printing line from Gallus at its Swiss development facility in Neuchâtel. The key question for Philip Morris is: how far can they develop a digital end-to-end production line for all the smaller batch sizes within a production-related environment?

Philip Morris finds itself in a transformational phase marked as journey towards a smoke-free future.

(Source: by courtesy of Philip Morris International) Designing A Smoke Free Future With its strategic decision to replace conventional cigarettes with less harmful products, Philip Morris finds itself in a transformational phase marked as journey towards a smokefree future (www.pmi.com/who-weare/designing-a-smoke-free-future).

Tony Snyder, responsible for Product Portfolio Management and Deployment at Philip Morris says the company is working on reducing approximately 40 billion packs of cigarettes to zero.

In the transformation of the business model, the company is now confronted

with new competitors and customer segments. And PMI is certain that in the next 12 months, there will be more changes for the company than there was in the last 10 years.

From catalogue to finished good in 7 days Today, product launches or product modifications of conventional products involving two SKUs (Stock Keeping Units) take approximately 4 months to get to market. In case of worldwide launch, the time to market increases up to 2 years. Such a long introduction time the company can’t afford anymore. With increasing number of items and SKU’s, changing market and competitive environment,

the solution is not to get just a little faster. Disrupting speed to market requires a fundamental change in the complete supply chain.

It is clear that such a radical change is only possible with new technologies which allow to shift production schedules on the fly and quickly adapt production to consumer demand. The challenge is to identify beforehand which products consumers will like the most and which products need to be in the market tomorrow. In response to the need of accelerating speed to market, PMI has established the goal of seven days from catalogue to finished good production.

For example, product launches of two conventional cigarette products include two SKUs. (Source: by courtesy of Philip Morris International)

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

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With the new product category – IQOS HeatControlTM Technology, every new market launch encompasses over 100 SKUs. In the new market situation, PMI comparatively has to take care of well over 100 articles that have to be introduced. (Source: by courtesy of Philip Morris International) Speed and agility, keys to greater responsiveness and accuracy Digital printing already offers significant flexibility, agility and quick changes in label printing. The question is why digital has not achieved this in folding carton printing yet? The answer?

Digital printing is missing, and that‘s nothing new, two things - capability and a competitive cost structure.

cost structure, which meant that digital printing at PMI could only be used for special editions or for individual local test markets. For PMI, runs of one million packs are still considered short runs. In recent years, however, digital printing has continued to evolve, reaching a point in terms of print speed where job orders of around 5 million blanks can be produced competitively today.

In the conventional printing processes in gravure and offset printing, very short runs are synonymous for high costs as pre-press and set up costs are shared by a small volume. For large volumes, conventional processes are very effective and economical. Here a more competitive positioning of digital printing is needed.

“Today, order sizes of about 5 million blanks can be produced competitively in digital printing.”

A few years ago, digital printing still had a low speed and therefore a high

Gravure printing is so inexpensive today as it handles high volumes. But the industry is subject to the general development trend towards smaller editions. Capital tie-up and stocks that block or slow down the supply chain are no longer desirable. As a result, the run lengths have become smaller

and smaller. And, as digital printing speeds continues to increase and costs go down, more and more of the PMI product portfolio could be considered for digital printing in the future.

Philip Morris International: In 1847, Mr. Philip Morris opened a shop on London’s Bond Street. Today, Philip Morris is a leading international tobacco company with a diverse workforce of around 81,000 people.

In 1924 Marlboro, which has become the company’s most famous brand, was introduced. In the 1950s, an internal operating division was launched to manufacture and market products around the world.

The PMI operations center was transferred from Rye Brooks, NY (USA) to Lausanne, Switzerland in 2001 and in 2009 PMI unveiled its new research- and development facility in Neuchâtel (Switzerland) bringing together over 400 scientists, specialists, and staff in a new world-class facility dedicated to development of reduced– risk products. The company made a far-reaching decision, to build the future on smoke-free products and to replace cigarettes as soon as possible.

As digital printing speed continues to increase and consequently costs decrease, an ever increasing proportion of the product portfolio can be taken over by digital printing. (Source: by courtesy of Philip Morris International)

PMI decided to explore the possibilities of digital printing with a Gallus Labelfire hybrid machine.

(Source: by courtesy of Philip Morris International)

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2020

LABELS & PACKAGING CONFERENCE

AUGUST 26 - 27th Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam's industrial production rose by 10.0 percent year-on-year in May 2019, accelerating from a 9.3 percent growth in the previous month. Output increased further for manufacturing (11.6 percent vs 10 percent in April); and water supply and waste treatment (8.4 percent vs 7.9 percent).

On the other hand, production of electricity supply and distribution went up at a softer pace (11.0 percent vs 12.4 percent) and mining and quarrying output declined (-1.5 percent vs 2.4 percent). Considering the first five months of the year, industrial output grew by 9.4 percent compared to the same period a year earlier.

Industrial Production in Vietnam averaged 9.15 percent from 2009 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 28.40 percent in January of 2010 and a record low of -10.10 percent in February of 2013.

QLM Labels – The winning side of digital Sha Jumari reports.

At the recently concluded Asian Packaging Excellence Awards, Vietnam-based Hoang Ha Label Co. (a member of the QLM Label Makers Group) won awards in two digital categories.

Their entry for Digital Labels, titled “Pukara Labels”, scored high to win the coveted Gold in the category. The company also won a Bronze award in the Digital Packaging category for their entry titled “QCamel - Camel Milk Chocolates”. HP Indigo technology was used for both entries.

“While there was a focus on the Digital Category this year we did enter other categories like flexo and letterpress.

Our digital entries were particularly strong this season but the competition is always tough. We need to keep innovating and producing amazing labels - and try harder to win awards in other categories,” said Lindsay Nutley, marketing manager at QLM. “The entries this year for digital were selected in advance. Other categories we were collecting samples closer to the due date. One of the disadvantages of not keeping rolls of labels and being lean is that we often don't keep extras - this is a disadvantage as it means we can only enter those we have kept aside.

We apply a scoring system internally for suitable labels whenever possible to ensure we submit quality entries,” Nutley said.

Sophistication in Simplicity

QLM’s winning entries were both for the food industry. The Gold entry was for Australia-based Pukara Estate, a gourmet food manufacturer specialising in olive oil and vinegar. The Bronze entry was commissioned by Australian chocolate company, QCamel.

Apart from quality, the labels stood out for its less-is-more look. Both clients wanted a simple yet sophisticated design.

“For both labels, the clients required the design elements to fit within strict branding guidelines. Ironically both

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

16 clients are quite conservative with their branding so there was no excessive use of embellishments,” said Nutley.

“It did go to show that simplicity done well can be outstanding.”

To achieve the distinct look of the Gold-awarded labels for Pukara Estate, HP Indigo Mosaic technology was utilised. Mosaic is a plugin app on HP Indigo SmartStream platform. Using a “seed image”, Mosaic is able to create an infinite iteration of unique designs by auto-scaling, transposing and rotating the image. The result was that every customer received a one-of-akind packaging from Pukara.

“The challenge with digital printing is usually the turnaround time and complexity of colour management.

Many people think it is just click and go - but there are some very specific skills in pre-press and the printing process to ensure the brand and colour integrity is maintained throughout the process,” Nutley added, emphasising on the importance of colour management in print.

Hoang Ha Label Co. has a long tradition of innovating. The company was the first letterpress label company in Vietnam and then the first to utilise HP Indigo Label presses.

always an honour. It represents industry acknowledgement against the leading printers in the region,” Nutley concluded. “A huge thank you to the team at Print Innovation Asia. The awards and conferences provide an opportunity for us to be benchmarked against the best in the region (and the world). There is a great deal of camaraderie with other printers and it is great that we are working together to produce outstanding results. We are very excited to be welcoming everyone to Ho Chi Minh City in 2020 - we hope it will be the best yet.”

“Being first was never the important part - it is whether the technology suits your client requirements,” said Nutley.

“For us, there was a fit, but you need to make sure it is a good fit before investing or it can be a costly error.”

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

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ALDI says all packaging will be reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025 The supermarket chain is also taking a number of other steps to help combat the global plastics catastrophe.

Sometimes when I am in a large supermarket I do a little thought experiment that goes like this: I imagine all the food and products in the entire store removed from their packaging – what would we be left with? I then picture the two mountains; a smaller mountain of food and products that will mostly be consumed, and a much, much larger mountain of packaging trash, much of which will end up in the landfill and oceans. It's a good exercise for me because the vision always sends me straight to the bulk bins.

In a way, the big supermarket chains are the gatekeepers for much of what the country consumes. They are the link between the manufacturers and the consumers, and as such, are able to have a large potential impact on things like plastic packaging and waste.

Which brings us to news from ALDI US, a chain with more than 1,800 U.S. stores in 35 states, and that serves more than 40 million customers each month. The company has announced new commitments to plastic packaging reduction.

According to a press statement, the company is uniquely positioned to influence how its products are sourced, produced and brought to shelves because more than 90 percent of the store's range is ALDI-exclusive. The company plans to reach the following set of goals by working with its suppliers: By 2025, 100 percent of ALDI packaging, including plastic packaging, will have reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging;

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LABELS & PACKAGING CONFERENCE

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

26 By 2025, packaging material of all ALDI-exclusive products to be reduced by at least 15 percent; By 2020, 100 percent of ALDIexclusive consumable packaging to include How2Recycle label; By 2020, implement an initiative to make private-label product packaging easier for customers to reuse; Guide continuous improvement of product packaging by internal expertise and external evaluations.

Of the new commitment, Greenpeace Senior Oceans Campaigner David Pinsky says, “ALDI US is taking steps in the right direction by acknowledging its role in the plastic pollution crisis, and beginning to embrace reduction and reuse. The company has already taken positive steps by never offering single-use plastic grocery bags, ensuring they are kept out of landfills and our oceans."

To that point, indeed, the company

explains that they have never offered single-use plastic grocery bags, estimating that this decision has helped keep around 15 billion singleuse plastic bags out of landfills and oceans. (Also proving that people can and do adjust to life with these reckless conveniences.)

“ALDI has never offered single-use plastic shopping bags. And while we’re pleased that we’ve helped keep billions of plastic grocery bags out of landfills and oceans, we want to continue to do more,” says Jason Hart, CEO of ALDI U.S. “The commitments we’re making to reduce plastic packaging waste are an investment in our collective future that we are proud to make.”

While these are great goals, for sure, it's becoming increasingly evident that recycling is not the feel-good magic bullet to the waste problem that we've been taught to believe it is. According to Pinsky, to date, only nine percent of single-use plastics ever created have actually been recycled. (And we'd still like to see responsibility for recycling

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

27 directed more to the manufacturer, rather than the consumer.)

“It’s important that ALDI US and other retailers act with the greatest urgency and ambition to eliminate problematic plastics. While the company might intend to make packaging recyclable or compostable, it does not mean that packaging will actually be recycled or composted," says Pinsky. "We encourage ALDI US to accelerate efforts to reduce throwaway plastics and build systems of reuse for the sake of our planet and communities impacted by the pollution crisis.”

Yet recycling woes aside, these new goals are still positive and will hopefully go far in helping to alleviate some of plastic's burden on the planet; they may also spur other large chains to do the same. And in the meantime, I can now envision a new scenario in my supermarket thought experiment: A third mountain with sustainable packaging that won't end up in the waste stream. Even though I'll still head to the bulk bins..

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

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Xeikon consolidates it's operations in Belgium Established in 1988, Xeikon started the revolution in digital full colour printing out of a former Agfa production site in Mortsel, near Antwerp in Belgium. There, yet unknown to the outside world, it built the very first DCP-1 machine that was to be launched at Ipex 1993.

open workflow software and application-specific consumables.

In 2002, it moved its headquarters – including R&D, manufacturing and innovation center – from Mortsel to a brand new building in Lier, Belgium.

Since 2008, the company’s head office is based in Eede, the Netherlands, just across the northern Belgian border.

Last year, Xeikon celebrated its 30th anniversary and 25 years of digital printing. Under the motto ‘PastPrintFuture’, it also got ready for a new future with Flint Group as its new owner, and inkjet technology as an added part of its broadened digital portfolio. In 2018, it opened both an inkjet and a toner technology competence center in Lier to strengthen its R&D efforts and stay ahead at a technological level. The consolidation to Belgium is the next logical step in the consolidation process to continue growing as a leader in chosen digital production applications.

Benoit Chatelard, who took the helm in 2017, is convinced that Xeikon is in the right position to leapfrog the competition, and he is making sure the company is in the right shape – and in the right place – to do so: the transfer to Lier is a gradual process that started in January 2019. The main activities will be transferred by July 1, 2019, and at the end of the year, the Eede location will be closed. All customers, partners and suppliers will be informed in due time.

ABOUT XEIKON Xeikon, a division of Flint Group, is a long-standing leader and innovator in digital printing technology. Grounded in the principles of quality, flexibility and sustainability, Xeikon designs, develops and delivers web-fed digital colour presses for label and packaging applications, document printing, and commercial printing. These presses utilise different imaging technologies,

As an OEM supplier, Xeikon also designs and produces plate makers for newspaper printing applications.

In addition, Xeikon manufactures basysPrint computer-to-conventional plate (CtCP) solutions for the commercial offset printing market.

For the flexographic market, Xeikon offers digital platemaking systems under the ThermoFlexX brand name.

ThermoFlexX systems provide highresolution plate exposure combined with unique plate handling, flexibility and unmatched productivity.

In 2015, Xeikon joined Flint Group to create a new “Digital Printing Solutions” division for the leading global print consumables and solution provider to the packaging and print media industries. Flint Group develops and manufactures an extensive portfolio of printing consumables.

These include a vast range of conventional and energy-curable inks and coatings, pressroom chemicals, printing plates and equipment, printing blankets and sleeves, and pigments and additives for use in inks and other colorant applications. Headquartered in Luxembourg, Flint Group employs some 7900 people. On a worldwide basis, the company is the number one or number two supplier in every major market segment it serves.

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and unique back and front LED exposure turn plate making in a coordinated, linear process.

production. The new CDI Crystal 5080 XPS leads the way: high resolution laser imaging

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Label leadership: 4 trends that show why labels are pioneering progress in packaging The label printing market continues to grow: the global market was valued at $36.98 billion in 2017 and is forecast to reach $45.22 billion

By Federico D'Annunzio, Product Owner, Hybrid & Label Printing, BOBST by 2022.

The capabilities of digital printers and presses are increasing, but such breakthrough innovations can take more time than expected to become mainstream. Digital represents an entirely new way of processing jobs, from the file to the end product, and step-by-step, it will enable companies to reach new frontiers in quality, productivity and overall workflow. In addition, the online “digital product” is growing in importance; sophisticated software is enabling more of the design, approval and marketing process to be completed using the digital product. This will change the working dynamic between Converters / Printers and Brand Owners as they will share a more digitized cooperation throughout the workflow.

2. The rise of customization and premium labels This is driven in part by changing market dynamics and ever-evolving demands from label customers, with a growing number of SKUs, a dramatic reduction in average job lengths and life-cycles for mass-produced products and a significant increase of the regulatory content that is required on products. But it is also due – in part at least – to the fact that players in the label printing industry have been willing to embrace change and pioneer new printing and converting methods.

The result in recent years has been an increasing number of label types and variety of labels in the industry.

So, is that set to continue? And should we look to the label industry as a weather vane for the packaging industry overall? Here we look at four key trends in the labelling industry and

the potential impact these may have.

1.The integration of digital and analog The label sector has clearly been an early adopter of digital printing.

Digitally-printed labels have boomed in recent years, driven by market demands for shorter runs, more customized packaging, greater sustainability and the need to help products stand out even more.

The rest of the packaging market is following. Indeed, we have recently seen a tipping point in the industry with more new narrow web digital press installations than flexo presses. Beyond labels, analysts expect a strong growth in digital for corrugated, folding carton and flexibles applications.

Analog printing is well suited for midto-long applications and will continue to contribute to a large percentage of global production. Meanwhile, demand is evolving rapidly towards more customization and promotion, which means smaller runs, greater cost constraints and eventually the transformation of the entire digital workflow. Being able to produce results with maximum flexibility and to an optimum economical value will give digital printing a huge foothold in all sectors.

Brands, small and large, are promoting so-called “targeted campaigns”, where the labels alone can enhance the apparent quality of a product. Different print effects – such as hot foil stamping, cold foil stamping and gravure printing – are used to embellish the labels to give

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- Combi drying system, a powerful compact energy-saving system that allows a substantial reduction of noise thanks to the combi technology.

- Frontal Dual trolley, a versatile trolley for extremely fast job changes and set-up. This system gives you the flexibility to change the cylinders, inking system, or both at the same time.

- Printing Units, fully encapsulated to reduce VOC emissions and noise pollution.

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

32 CMYKOGV blend, it is possible to match 90%+ of the Pantone. Again, in this domain, innovation will be at the forefront to improve ink while increasing the Pantone reach.

them a more ‘premium’ appearance, as are tactile or haptic effects using processes like spot varnishing. Some of these enhancements can even be done digitally.

They know that their customers subconsciously look to the packaging and the label for cues about quality, so any discrepancy issues with brand colors can lead to a negative perception.

We will likely see a better fit in the industry between conventional flexo, Extended Color Gamut (ECG) and digital printing technologies, all used optimally to meet the increasing demand for labels.

The increasing demand for color consistency is leading the drive towards the Extended Color Gamut (ECG).

ECG printing uses three additional ink colors - orange, green and violet (OGV) – on top of the conventional colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK), making for a total of seven in total (CMYKOGV). Printing with a traditional CMYK blend only matches approximately 60% of the Pantone – but when printing with a

3. Demand for better color control – from file to finished product Understandably, Brand Owners have a great demand for color consistency.

What the industry needs to see is repeatability and consistency. Now, the digitization of color matching has made 100% color conformity with the job master request a reality. Brand Owners want to achieve color conformity on a global scale, irrespective of where their printing suppliers are located in the world. Converters have been pleasantly surprised by the outcomes that will enable them to deliver on this request. They also recognize the immediate advantages in flexibility and time-to-market when using the ECG technology in combination with digital automation in flexo presses.

4. Increasing automation and Internet of Things (IoT) The growing demands on label printers for shorter print runs, faster turnaround, and greater flexibility and customization is driving the industry towards higher levels of automation across digital and analogue printing methods.

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

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

direct. dedicated. digital

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

34 Ultimately, this will likely lead towards integrated workflows optimizing time to market and increasingly satisfying consumer demands. Already, systems can link to Cloud applications and monitor machines and productivity.

Higher levels of automation of course have an impact on the type of personnel needed. Human errors are the biggest reason for product recalls; step-by-step, new solutions will significantly reduce this risk. A more important role will be taken by the pre-press specialist and the supply chain people, ensuring there are no bottlenecks, but rather a smooth automated flow.

Why BOBST is labelled as the leading converting and printing equipment supplier in the industry BOBST – one of the world’s leading suppliers of equipment and services

to packaging and label manufacturers – prides itself on keeping ahead of the latest trends in labelling and other packaging sectors. It is a result of listening to customers and understanding the requirements of Brand Owners and being able to produce global and most competitive solutions.

For example, industrializing the use of a comprehensive range of printing technology, from high graphic flexo, to Extended Color Gamut (ECG) and to digital printing, BOBST has been at the forefront of increasing the product portfolio and applications domains.

The company has been an advocate of the ECG concept since 2013 and introduced, in collaboration with a team of leading flexo technology suppliers, REVO 7-color Digital Flexo technology in 2016. Its experience

and expertise can take the printing industry to a new industry practice, to the benefit of Brand Owners and Converters. Digital Flexo enables the production of short and long runs with full color conformity for repeat jobs, high productivity and low operation costs.

Meanwhile, in terms of a complete digital printing process, Mouvent has been created as the digital printing competence center of the Bobst Group.

Mouvent’s innovative digital label printers have been launched in Europe late 2018 and ramping up in 2019. They are the LB701-UV mini label press with 6 colors + white, which is the smallest high-productivity label press on the market; the LB702-UV label press, which allows fast and easy industrial label production at an incredible high printing resolution and optimizes the TCO; and the game-changing LB702-

„The new LEDcure

makes our green heart beat faster! The LED system from IST Metz does not produce mercury, is ready for immediate operation without warm-up and can be switched off instantly in case of production stoppages. The LEDcure affords us a high energy-saving potential and

let us print in an eco-friendly way.“ THE NEW LEDCURE:

Karl-Heinz Dersch Managing Director, Offsetdruck Dersch GmbH & C

EFFICIENT. INNOAVT

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WB label press, which uses only 100% water-based Mouvent inks, making it 100% free of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and 100% food safe.

BOBST is fully committed to sustainability, developing technical solutions for reducing waste levels and

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energy use in the production cycle.

An example in flexible materials is developing solutions for the production of high barrier materials that – by being single layer – can be fully recycled.

Overall, BOBST provides a wide range of solutions for the labels and flexible

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IMPRESSIVE.

packaging industry, from digital presses to digital flexo, traditional UV flexo and multi-process printing units. All the solutions deliver best value for quality and combine digitalization, automation and connectivity innovations. By connecting all the systems that relate to production, IoT solutions allow users to monitor the performance of equipment along the value chain.

BOBST solutions also mean a truly global service and comprehensive technical support, which is becoming more and more connected, fully equipped with online controls, with web portal access and round the clock service support.

So, as label printing continues to grow, BOBST will increase its position, supplying innovative solutions to satisfy the most demanding Brand Owners and Converters.

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Is it time to look for n Let us admit that we have to go to work to make a living, this is true for 99.99%of the people like us, but this does not necessarily mean that we have to dislike doing so. So, let’s ask the question ‘Does work excite you?

Do you look forward to going to your place of work? (except Monday’s of course J) If the answer is yes, that is all very good, you and your career are going in the right direction and doing well. Congratulations!

However, if it is not and you dread doing to work, it demotivates you and going through the work day is difficult, then I believe it is time for you to sit down and seriously evaluate as to the reason WHY? What is the cause of this disposition and state of affairs?

We spend the best part of our lives working. It is the best time of the day, the sun is shining, the day is bright, but we choose to spend this time at our work place, away from our family and loved ones, away from the

activities that we enjoy. If we are not comfortable, we should be worried.

This feeling of unhappiness does not end only with us, because at the end of each day you carry the same miserable mood home. This is quite unfair to your loved ones, after all the reason for working is to create a comfortable life for ourselves and our loved ones. These are compelling reasons to find out why does going to work make you feel miserable. Perhaps there is a situation at work. If this conflict can be resolved, make it a priority to fix it, for ourselves and everyone associated with us.

Please do not confuse this with temporary setbacks or situations. All of us go through ups and downs in life and our careers, it is only natural.

There are times when you feel on

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new opportunities?

37

About the Author: Marcus Doo is a Managing Partner of Mood Group – A specialist head-hunting and recruitment practice to the Print, Packaging & Associated Sectors.

Marcus’s LinkedIn profile https:// mt.linkedin.com/in/marcusdoo www.moodgroup.co.uk

top of the world and times when you don’t. Motivational levels rise and fall accordingly. Most of the time, such down turns are temporary, and you are soon back to your usual self. In most cases, it is quite usual to know the reason and by talking to your HR department, your boss or discussing it with your colleagues who are close to you, the situation can be resolved. In most cases it is like that and some do not linger or bother you for too long.

All of us should take a breather and ask this question to ourselves. AM I happy with my career? If the answer is negative, ask yourself, ‘Have I made sufficient efforts to improve the situation? Or, do you want to give it one more try? If the answer to these questions is a resounding ‘No’ then you have tried your level best to improve the situation, unfortunately without success. Do not prolong this state, it’s time for change.

But what if it is not going away……..if all fails and you cannot resolve it, either it is not within your control to do so or the root cause of conflict cannot be eliminated, maybe the situation cannot be corrected and is beyond your sphere of influence……take a step back and think. Maybe it is time to move on.

Plan wisely and proceed……

IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO MOVE ON.

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Winners for Asian Packaging Excellence Awards 2019 Unveiled Asian Packaging Conference, SHIFT_019, concludes with reveal of award winners.

Winners for Asian Packaging Excellence Awards 2019 Unveiled Asian Packaging Conference, SHIFT_019, concludes with reveal of award winners.

of the night. Not only did Prime Packaging Co. Ltd win Gold for their entry in Gravure Film Reverse Print, they also took home the ultimate ‘Best in Show’ award.

The first Asian Packaging Conference to be held in India has wrapped up.

From 8 to 9 May at Novotel New Delhi Aerocity, SHIFT_019 delivered a diverse range of speakers that covered the full spectrum of the labels and packaging industry.

The competition recognises and honours packaging excellence for the

Asian region. The competition is open to companies involved in the production of packaging industry. There are 26 categories divided into four segments of Flexography, Rotogravure, Labels, and a new category of Mockup/ Sample Production.

The annual event ended on a high as 40 winners were recognised and awarded at the Asian Packaging Excellence Awards Gala Dinner .

Making their home ground proud, India were the big winners of the night with 15 awards. Hot on their tracks were Thailand, taking home 13 awards in total. Other winners were from Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and the Philippines.

Though India won the most awards, Thailand took home the biggest prize

Prime Packaging Co. Ltd Thailand took home the ultimate ‘Best in Show’ award.

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In late March, an international, independent jury of industry experts deliberated and examined over hundreds of submissions from all over Asia to determine Gold, Silver and Bronze winners. Some categories were not awarded winners as entries were not able to meet the strict requirements and standards set by the judging panel.

The submissions were judged anonymously within a pre-established set of criteria. Judges for Asian Packaging Excellence Awards this year are print veterans: Willem (Wim) Swiggers, Phee Boon Eow and Ben Kwok.

SHIFT_019 Wraps Up The first Asian Packaging Conference to be held in Delhi, India, concludes.

The conference theme for this year was: “Investing for Sustainability & Financial Returns”. The theme aimed to address two of the most pressing issues faced by packaging printers today: sustainability and return on investments. The local and international speakers consisted of

technical specialists, marketing experts, consultants, end-users and suppliers.

The conference attracted well over 350 business owners and suppliers, packaging printers, converters, brand owners and designers. According to organisers, 60% of the delegates were from India, while the rest arrived from around the region.

Next year’s event, which will also be the 18th edition, is expected to take place in Ho Chi Minh Vietnam in the month of August.

WINNERS ROLL The full list of winners as follows: FLEXO Narrow Web Flexibles Paper GOLD - ITEK Packz (India) Narrow Web Flexibles Film GOLD - J.D. Precision Printing (Taiwan) SILVER - Multiflex Polybags Pvt Ltd (India) BRONZE - Letra Graphix Pvt Ltd (India) Mid Web Flexibles Film GOLD - TPN Flexpak Co Ltd (Thailand) SILVER - Multiflex Polybags Pvt Ltd (India) BRONZE - Letra Graphix Pvt Ltd (India) Wide Web Flexibles Film GOLD - S.B. Packaging Pvt Ltd (India) GOLD - Scientex Great Wall (Ipoh) Sdn Bhd (Malaysia) SILVER - Multiflex Polybags Pvt Ltd (India) Post Print Corrugated GOLD - Diamond Biowood Sdn Bhd, printed by GS Paperboard & Packaging (M) Sdn Bhd (Malaysia) SILVER - NPP Box Co., Ltd (Thailand) GRAVURE Paper & Metallised Paper GOLD - United Graphic Expression Corporation (Philippines) SILVER - Huhtamaki PPL Limited (India) Films Surface Print GOLD - S.B. Packaging Pvt Ltd (India) Films Reverse Print GOLD - Prime Packaging Co. Ltd (Thailand) SILVER - Cyberprint Group Co., Ltd (Thailand) BRONZE - Flex-ible Plas Co., Ltd (Thailand) BRONZE - Print Master Co., Ltd (Thailand) Specialty GOLD - Huhtamaki PPL Limited (India) LABELS Flexo GOLD - Letra Graphix Pvt Ltd (India) SILVER - CCL Label (Thailand) BRONZE - Anlac Labels (Vietnam) Letterpress GOLD - Anlac Labels (Vietnam) SILVER - Fastroll Labels (M) Sdn Bhd (Malaysia) Offset GOLD - United Graphic Expression Corporation (Philippines) SILVER - Thung Hua Sinn Co., Ltd (Thailand)

Combination Printing GOLD - CCL Label (Thailand) SILVER - Letra Graphix Pvt Ltd (India) BRONZE - Fastroll Labels (M) Sdn Bhd (Malaysia) Non Pressure Sensitive Material GOLD - CCL Label (Thailand) Digital GOLD - QLM Label Makers (Vietnam) SILVER - Syscon Labels & Packaging Co., Ltd (Thailand) BRONZE - Fastroll Labels (M) Sdn Bhd (Malaysia) Digital Packaging GOLD - Thai Container Group Co., Ltd (Thailand) SILVER - Bell Printers (India) BRONZE - QLM Label Makers (Vietnam) MOCK-UP GOLD - ITC Packaging & Printing Business (India) SILVER - Bell Printers (India) BRONZE - Ploy Printing Part., Ltd (Thailand)

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Product diversification: the advantages of multi-layer label printing Leopold der Nederlanden

You probably know them as booklet labels, peel & reveal, or peel & seal labels. I’m talking about multi-layer labels. Labels that exist of multiple layers, glued together with text or images on multiple sides.

But what are the advantages of multilayer labels? And how to print multilayer labels in your company? At MPS, we have different solutions. Let me guide you through some of them.

Why multi-layer labels?

Multi-layer labels are often used for special promotions, or to display a lot of information or multiple languages.

The extra layers create additional surface to print on.

Multi-layer labels are also a great way to diversify your products. Diversification is very important as there are many standard label printers entering the industry, such as sheet-fed offset printers that are adding labels as they look to diversify their own businesses.

To be different, you need to be looking to move into special label applications and different products.

Solutions for printing multi-layer labels To be able to use the complete surface of the label, the labels are often printed on both the front- and the backside.

This can be done by de-lam/re-lam, to print on the adhesion side of the label.

To create labels with multiple layers, these are the most common solutions: • Cross over

with a cross over unit, the printed web is cut into multiple lanes of material.

These lanes are then positioned on top of each other.

• Infeed multiple webs It is also possible to infeed multiple webs, and laminate them on top of each other. With an extra unwinder on rail or on the floor, you can add an extra web. The advantage of this system, is that you can combine different materials.

• In-register laminator Even with an in-register laminator, it is possible to print multi-layer labels.

With an in-register laminator, you can add a pre-printed web on the web that’s being printed, and all in register. With this technology, it is possible for a relatively simple machine to create a very complex label!

We can create custom-made solutions to print multi-layer labels, on any type of MPS press. Here are some examples of existing presses:

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

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PRINT18 Machine builder Windmöller & Hölscher concluded last year with sales of around 895 million euros.

The specialist for the flexible packaging market is continuing its course of growth of the recent years.

The number of employees increased from 2,950 to 3,100 in the worldwide group. In addition to internationality, the company cites new products on the future topics of digitalization and sustainability as growth drivers. In 2018, the company invested eight percent of its sales in research and development.

This Year W&H celebrates its 150th anniversary and announces further innovations.

"All business units Extrusion, Printing, Converting and Service contributed to the record sales of the W&H Group of 895 million euros. With an export rate of over 90%, our international positioning is another important success factor for W&H," explains CEO Dr. Jürgen Vutz.

Strengthening of international presence and the headquarters In recent months, the machine builder has expanded its international presence with 6 new sales and service locations, e.g. in Poland and Asia. At its headquarters in Germany, W&H invested in the construction of a 10,000 square meter technology center for machines for the production of flexible packaging. The new Extrusion Technology Center was completed in 2018. The new Printing Technology

Center is currently under construction and will be opened in autumn 2019.

"With our international subsidiaries, we offer our customers local contacts.

At the Technology Center in Germany, they can experience the entire value chain from extrusion to printing and converting," explains CSO Peter Steinbeck.

Digitalization and sustainability as future topics In 2018, W&H invested around 8% of its sales in research and development, with a focus on the future topics of digitalization and sustainability.

"Software makes our machines smarter and more efficient, for example through automated processes, error detection and quality assurance. By systematically

building up our expertise, we maintained our technological leadership in this area as well," says Dr. Falco Paepenmüller, who was appointed Chief Technology Officer at W&H in April 2019. In plastic packaging, the creation of a circular economy is a task for the entire industry. "Our machines can already process recycled plastics today. At the same time, we are working in our Technology Center on how plastic packaging can be made more easily recyclable without losing its protective function," said the CTO. Entering the anniversary year W&H celebrates its 150th anniversary in autumn 2019. The motto for the anniversary year is 'BUILDING THE FUTURE TOGETHER'.

"BUILDING represents our core competence as a machine manufacturer.

TOGETHER the spirit of partnership.

With FUTURE we are expressing that we are not only looking back at the past success story, but also at tomorrow", Vutz sums up. The highlight of the anniversary year will be the K 2019 trade fair in Düsseldorf, where W&H will present new machine generations, digital products and innovative solutions for sustainable packaging.

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C HICAGO

The Future Belongs to the Risk-Takers, and There is a Chance That Might

By Thayer Long, President, APTech Not Be You PRINT® 19 PRINT® 19, the print industry’s signature event, is going back to Chicago from October 3-5, 2019. Before you mark it on your calendars, you’ll want to first decide if this is the right place for you, because frankly, it might not be.

technology in print and in our daily lives. He is going to explore questions around how artificial intelligence and robotics will change our devices, the way we work, earn a living, fight wars, and solve problems.

There is no better time to be in the print industry if you are a broadminded risk taker.

Interesting and random at the same time, right? Were you expecting something different?

The truth is, most people like to “think” they are broadminded risk takers while in reality, most of us like to play it safe. The question is, how honest are you with yourself when you look in the mirror? Are you a risk taker in real life, or do you just play one on TV?

In addition, the aforementioned crack education team at APTech has put together the most robust Learning Experience you can imagine.

There are more than 80 Learning Experience sessions that range from big-picture trend discussions to practical ones. Our genius sessions will provide relevant and actionable content as well as hands-on labs. Our expectation is that all of these sessions are going to be great, and that should be your expectation also.

PRINT 19 is not going to be all things to all people. And we don’t expect or pretend that it is. It isn’t for the survivalists – those who remember and lament when print/PRINT (and they mean both!) was as large as (fill in the blank). It is not for people who think that an inanimate piece of equipment is going to solve real human problems. It definitely is not for the hordes looking to invade the next vertical only to start another race to the bottom.

If that is what you are looking for in a trade show or conference, look elsewhere. Like in any industry, convergence is just a euphemism for commoditization. That industry chapter usually ends the story.

So, we intend to write a different chapter because we think the story will go on.

PRINT 19 is being built for print entrepreneurs and innovators who are looking beyond the past and the present. It is for those that are looking to be the future. It is designed with care to tempt those who want to construct a better product for print consumers. It is intended to transform print entrepreneurs who are excellent solution providers into creative problem solvers who add real value to their customers.

PRINT 19 is going to be a creative forum for attendees who are brave enough to share with one another both successes AND failures.

Most business leaders I know have two versions of their story: the one they share with the world and the one they hide from the world. I certainly can identify with that. It’s time we hear the hidden versions because it’s what we, you and me, have done with our struggles that will define our future.

So, if this sounds like you, read on.

It is admittedly tough to beat Seth Godin as the event keynote from 2018 - but our crack education team of one (thanks Julie S!) did it again! We are super excited to announce that Nicholas Thompson, editor-in-chief of Wired will be our keynote at the PRINT 19 opening event on Thursday, October 3rd.

Thompson has one of the most prestigious positions in the world of technology and his talk, The Wired Future: Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Privacy, Social Media, Truth, Tech Companies, and More couldn’t be more future thinking than how we’ll be using

TechWalks, one of the most talked about features of PRINT 18 will be returning. These expert-led, curated exhibit hall tours will highlight a variety of topics of technical interest. I should say “returning and improved” because we’re adding TechTalks to the line-up. These are manufacturer-led sessions about their latest technology breakthroughs. These sessions are geared towards those who want a quick hit of what’s new and relevant, giving attendees the chance to think about things before they meet with the company(ies) of their choice.

And of course, we’re returning to Chicago, the heart of deep-dish pizza and the print industry. A whopping 20% of this country’s commercial print-related companies are located within a 200-mile radius of Chicago, and 139 of the industry’s top 400 companies, according to Printing Impressions, hail from the Midwest.

Attendance among those 400 companies averages 40% a year. What this means is that most of you will not have to get on a plane or deal with the hassle of the airport to see your friends. And remember, this year’s show opens on Thursday, not Sunday, so no Chicago Bears game traffic or marathons to contend with.

Last, and perhaps the most important to you print entrepreneurs, will be the products, services and solutions featured that will help you build your business for the future. That includes presses; software and workflow solutions, post-press/finishing/bindery equipment; substrates, ink/toners, and consumables; mailing and fulfillment; and prepress equipment.

We have taken a risk to build something not for the masses but for the difference makers and risk takers. Is it for you? If you think it is, we look forward to seeing you in Chicago October 3-5 While you’re there make sure to find me and let me know what you think.

To register and for more information: https://www.printtechnologies. org/PRINT19/

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The companies doing well in our industry are the ones coming up with innovative products designed to meet the needs of our customers in today’s fast-paced digital world. They’re not looking back to the way things were. They’re looking forward to the way things have to be.

And they’re thriving. At PRINT® 19, you’ll meet the creative minds behind some of these exciting new companies, and hear from speakers including Nicholas Thompson, editor-in-chief of Wired magazine, addressing the future of business. The discussion will be frank, honest, and maybe even uncomfortable. But it might also be exactly what you need to hear in order to survive. See you there.

Register now at PRINTevent.com

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Thermal Flat Top Dot Plate for Flexible Packaging Printing - Prints with excellent ink transfer with no surface screening required - Increases press uptime with outstanding solvent resistance, avoiding ink fill-in - Reduces pinhole effect with smooth printed solids and exceptional highlights At a time when flexible packaging print quality is advancing rapidly with plate technologies such as flat top dots, specialized surfaces and screening techniques, Flint Group is proud to introduce a new thermal, flat top dot plate, nyloflex® XFH Digital. The plate was developed specifically for the wide web flexible packaging printer and is the latest addition to the portfolio of thermal plates designed to perform optimally in the nyloflex® Xpress thermal processor.

The unique texturized surface of nyloflex® XFH Digital plates requires no surface screening to produce beautiful, dense solids on flexible packaging and can be imaged at high speed at any resolution. Besides exceptional ink transfer which reduces pinholing, uniform vignettes with soft highlight fades and even tones are effortlessly achieved. Combined with the nyloflex® Xpress thermal processing system which eliminates all

solvent handling and plate drying time, plates will be ready for press – from imaging to finishing – in under one hour.

Plates may be exposed using any standard flexo plate exposure unit and imaged with any laser system suitable for imaging flexo printing plates. There are no additional consumable items or software required to attain the flat top dot structure and texture on the plate. nyloflex® XFH Digital plates are specifically designed for the nyloflex® Xpress thermal processing system.

“Printers will especially appreciate the anti-ink fill (AIF) technology that we put into the XFH plates,” explains P.J. Fronczkiewicz, Product Manager Flint Group Flexographic. “As a result, the plates stay much cleaner during printing, reducing stops and increasing press uptime, and they have outstanding solvent resistance which improves color consistency over long

runs. The superior resistance to solvent makes the plates more durable, which also contributes to our customers’ sustainability efforts since they are able to reuse the plates in many instances – so it’s a win-win option for them,” Fronczkiewicz concludes.

Plates are commercially available in .045” (1.14 mm) and .067” (1.70 mm) standard thicknesses and in 35 x 47 in.

(900 x 1200 mm), 42 x 60 in. (1067 x 1524 mm) and 50 x 80 in. (1270 x 2032 mm) sizes.

For additional information contact your local sales representative to arrange for trial plates.

The nyloflex® XFH Digital plate is another example of Flint Group’s dedication to provide its customers products which are Better. Faster.

Easier to use.

Thermal like you’ve never seen before

Focus on Innovation

nyloflex®

nyloflex® Xpress Thermal Processing System A smarter design for thermal processing of flexo plates for greater productivity with less maintenance, less downtime and lower operating costs.

For further information about our unmatched product portfolio for the packaging industry, please visit us at www.flintgrp.com

Flint Group T +44 1978 812 216 info.flexo@flintgrp.com

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Breakthrough in Digital Direct to Fabric Printing Kornit Digital has announced the introduction of the new Kornit Presto, the only industrial single-step solution for direct-to-fabric printing. The Kornit Presto solution eliminates the need for pre and post treatment of fabric and allows for high-quality printing on an extraordinarily broad variety of fabric types and applications. The Kornit Presto

Kornit Digital has announced the introduction of the new Kornit Presto, the only industrial single-step solution for direct-to-fabric printing.

The Kornit Presto solution eliminates the need for pre and post treatment of fabric and allows for high-quality printing on an extraordinarily broad variety of fabric types and applications.

The Kornit Presto does not consume water in the printing process, making it the most environmentally friendly solution available for direct-to-fabric textile printing today.

The new Kornit Presto comes with the ground-breaking NeoPigment Robusto, the best Pigment-based ink available in the Industry. Implemented into the renowned Kornit NeoPigment™ process, the Robusto provides above industry standard wash and rub results

and exceptional color fastness across a wide fabric and application range.

The Robusto enjoys faster physical and chemical bonding characteristics, enabling a significantly shorter curing time, while providing industry-leading quality and a wide color gamut.

The NeoPigment Robusto ink was developed with sustainability priorities and is ECO PASSPORT and GOTS positive listed.

The Kornit Presto solution suits a wide range of business and application needs in a variety of industry segments, including fast growing segments within the on-demand fashion and home décor markets. It is a highly productive solution, available in multiple configurations and able to print 450 square meters per hour.

Gart Davis, CEO at Spoonflower, the world’s first web-based service for custom, on-demand fabric and design creation and a long-time Kornit customer, commented, “We were thrilled to be able to test the new system and found the Presto to be in a class by itself; it prints beautifully on all kinds of fabrics, in a single-step, with an environmentally friendly dry process, and now at a multiple of productivity.

Our partnership with Kornit continues to be fundamental to our mission to make custom fabric accessible to designers, creative individuals and small businesses all over the world. We can’t wait to get going.”

Kerry King, Senior Vice President of R&D at Spoonflower, added, “The unique integration of the pre-treatment step into the printing process enables a level of efficiency that’s key to our web-to-print business.”

Omer Kulka, Kornit’s VP of Marketing and Product Strategy, also commented, “Kornit is on a mission to reinvent the textile printing industry with gamechanging sustainable technologies for growing market segments. We continue to see demand growth for on-demand production in fashion and home décor.

This revolutionary technology is further proof of Kornit’s commitment to address the textile industry’s most urgent needs.”

93 million population - 14th most

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populous country on earth

55 3 - 2019

20 _018

LABELS & PACKAGING CONFERENCE

AUGUST 26 - 27th Ho Chi Minh City

2020

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Japanese web-to-pack pr Heidelberg Primefire 106 • Kyoshin Paper and Package decision based on outstanding technologies of Primefire 106 • Expanding web-to-pack business to the next level • Heidelberg Primefire 106 enables new business oportunities Kyoshin Paper and Package decided to choose Heidelberg Primefire 106 as their next digital press to expand their web-to-pack business on top of the traditional packaging business by signing a contract of the first Primefire 106 in Japan in April 2019. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) will install the digital printing system in Kyoshin Paper and Package´s brandnew Kanto plant in summer this year.

Kyoshin Paper and Package was founded in Kobe, Japan in summer

of 1948. Since then, their “challenging spirit” is their beating heat of the company as a successful packaging service provider and currently 290 employees are working with the company.

In 2013 the company expanded their packaging business launching webto-pack service called “Hacoplay” focusing on the demand of small size and small quantity with digital presses. They receive an order even from one box in three days as their

shortest delivery time. Currently the maximum size they can print on their digital press is B2 as maximum, but in order to further expand their web-topack business, they were looking for B1 digital press that could meet their demanding customer needs.

Kazuhiro Kajikawa, Executive Managing Director Hacoplay division, Kyoshin Paper and Package is proud to produce with the first Heidelberg Primefire 106 in Japan.

The first time they saw Heidelberg’s Primefire 106 was at drupa 2016 and they were impressed enough to ask Heidelberg to do print test with their challenging images. According to Mr. Kazuhiro Kajikawa, executive managing director of Hacoplay division, “The result of the print test was excellent. The print quality such as green and orange were outstanding

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

rinter chooses 6 – the first one in Japan The Primefire 106 is the first industrial digital printing press for packaging in B1 format.

able to cover 95 % of Pantone color because we as packaging printer have to use a lot of special colors for package printing. By enlarging the size from A3 to B2, we were able to expand our business and we are expecting more by going for B1 size with Primefire 106.”

and we felt that the quality of print by Primefire 106 was the most beautiful we have ever seen. The consistency of quality between first and 500th sheets

was also amazingly stable that surprised even our offset press operator who was with me for the test. Other interesting feature of Primefire 106 for us is to be

The Primefire 106 is the first available industrial digital printing press for packaging in B1 format. “Japan is for us a very important market as it is among the top countries for folding carton production and it has probably the highest standards of image quality in the world,” explains Montserrat PeidróInsa, Head of Digital Print Business at Heidelberg. “The success of Primefire customers is what drives our entire team. We are proud to have such a renowned company like Kyoshin Paper and Package selecting Primefire 106 to accelerate their company growth.

With this new installation, Primefire is expanding its global presence even further and consolidating itself as a business growth enabler in packaging.”

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ORIS X Gamut awarded “Best Color Management Solution” CGS’ latest colour management software, ORIS X Gamut, has received the European Digital Press (EDP) Award.

The software, which was launched just a few months ago, received an EDP award for “Best Color Management Software” in the Software/Color Management Solutions category.

“We are very pleased that our latest product won the competition and was recognized as a major contributor to the optimization of printing processes at many companies, together with its outstanding integration within customers’ existing workflows,” said Bernd Rückert, CGS Product Marketing Manager.

The award was presented by the EDP Technical Committee. The focus of the judges were innovation, quality, performance and cost effectiveness. No public or outside voting can influence judging.

“It’s about technical criteria, not popularity,” said Klaus-Peter Nicolay, president of the EDP Association.

“Only then can the EDP Association guarantee that the best products are

chosen and that the performance of the manufacturer in the development of new technologies is recognized.”

One of the EDP Association’s goals is to support industry members in their task to find the right solutions for their applications, acting both as an information source and for recommendations for purchase.

The jury commented: “Seven-colour (or multi-colour) printing is becoming increasingly popular. ORIS X Gamut is the perfect tool to support both digital and offset printing as well as a hybrid environment”.

ORIS X Gamut extends CGS’s product line into fully automatic software making it possible to reproduce special colours on multi-colour conventional and digital presses using an extended, fixed, ink set. This simple and reliable process also produces a richer, saturated, colour image for a more brilliant photo-reproduction for, e.g., photobooks (RGB).

In addition, the converted colour data can be the basis for automatic decision making in the production process, enabling ORIS X Gamut to contribute significantly to workflow optimization and error reduction.

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NEW RS 6003C HS

NEW STRENGTHS MORE POWER Championing the needs of the gravure printing industry, BOBST continues to lead innovation through the constant evolution of its range of gravure presses for flexible materials.

The latest generation RS 6003C HS gravure printing press with the breakthrough development of the twin-flow dryer, along with new upper deck layout and other enhanced features, delivers more, creating compelling new opportunities for growth.

Watch the Gravure Innovation Open House video

www.bobst.com

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The impression is dead. Long live the impression!

Long live printing that is integrated alongside other communication channels. This is the way forward and to get it right, you need to make two changes: throw away the old baggage you’ve carried for so long and embrace a change of mentality. You must swap the old habits of traditional printing for digital ones!

“I am optimistic for the years to come,” says Mr. Coquard, head of Industria, a Parisian print service provider with a passion for all things ‘tailor-made’ and right now on the verge of switching completely to digital printing. “There are fewer and fewer print experts within the customers we engage with.

Our contacts are coming more often from higher up in their organizations, in marketing or communications, and they are facing broader challenges.

They do not have a pure print problem but more a communications challenge.

And those with a print problem alone often don’t know how to manage it.

So, if a print service provider can offer relevant communication proposals, ensuring top quality within the required delivery schedule and with a positive communication result (outcome), then there is definitely business to be made!”

Printing has not changed as rapidly as it could have, as new technologies based on toner and inkjet have worked alongside the older ones (offset, rotogravure, screen printing, flexography). It certainly has benefited from all the advantages brought by IT and software, whether in traditional or digital printing and finishing equipment (small and large formats), in process management or in marketing with multichannel or cross media communications.

We shouldn’t forget the numerous embellishments now available for all technologies and in all markets. In short, the print impression has been transformed, re-muscled, adapted and developed, while meeting a fundamental, necessary trend for reduced environmental impact (control of rejects, less waste, better inks, sustainable papers, etc…)

Some traditional printers, albeit too few of them, go ahead and develop full digital departments or replace offset presses with digital models.

But that‘s not enough, digital printing requires a change of mind: towards flexibility of operation, responsiveness, different management schedules, and real tailor-made service. It is no coincidence that major players in digital printing are often derived from smaller reprographic structures that already have a ‘service culture’.

A period of transformation Today’s commercial printing industry is characterized by the rise of digital printing, including inkjet printing, combined with significant modernization of traditional printing technologies. Offset is surviving thanks to technical advances: automation of calibration processes, reduction of waste, higher speed (20,000 sheets/ hour), offset-digital hybrid workflow, offset-digital combinations in commercial, labels, packaging, binding with finishing equipment (as in digital).

Workflow developments are seen in all areas and internet printing (web-toprint) is booming.

It is now possible to respond to customer-demands that could not have been met before, such as the printing of a single copy of a book, very short print-runs for brochures or documents as well as packaging and fully customized labels. The demand

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

62 for long-tail solutions can now be met with digital printing offers from Canon, Domino, Fujifilm, Heidelberg, HP, Koenig & Bauer, Komori, Ricoh, Riso, Xeikon, Xerox, etc.

The search for the best price is giving way to the search for the most profitable service for the customer. ‘Print only’ is being replaced by ‘a universe with print in it’. From order to delivery, without sacrificing creativity, quality and overall print profitability. The key question becomes “what is the ROI (return on investment) of a print?”

Printed documents that can be dematerialized (into the non-physical) will continue to be de-materialized, so there’s only one way to remain in business profitably: by providing added-value and the related services.

Customers no longer want to be told how it works, but what it does in terms of results (impact) and in this regard print must contribute (i.e. communicate effectively) when integrated within a mix of media channels.

The return of print Consumers are saturated with digital information.

They can however be positively sensitive (receptive) to different communications that engage them in a distinctive, personal way: invitations, brochures, books, photos, greeting cards, personalized documents using some of the advances in 21st century print: special colours (gold, silver, fluorescent, etc.), varnish, relief, new shapes, form-factors.

“We see a return of print, ten years ago it was cheesy, especially for young people, now you have to know how to mix print with other modes of communication,” adds Mr. Coquard.

“We are rediscovering that a welltargeted print communication allows us to weave a link to customers”. This is echoed in other industries where there is also a return to ‘the physical’ e.g. Polaroid images in photo and the Vinyl album in music.

We are heading towards more automation of the printproduction process – from receiving the order, managing the files to the shipping of the final print job. Customers want human proximity and fast turnaround time. These two requests are becoming more and more the key criteria for selecting service providers. But how to provide such capabilities when the client is miles away?

Equipment wise and in order to deliver the latest services, more and more service providers are starting to use digital printing and embellishments systems (e.g. MGI/ KonicaMinolta) or large-format flatbed printing systems (e.g. SwissQprint) with associated cutting (e.g. Zünd).

The digital transformation is in small and large format as well. Signage, posters, POS/POs, interior decoration, even textile or car-wrapping are now fully digital. Last but not least, environmental concerns are, for example, driving LED dryers to replace infrared dryers in all production printing systems. New substrates

are changing the market landscape enabling new applications and reducing environmental impact.

Online printing factories with offset printing fleets, small and large format digital printers (e.g. Onlineprinters, Pixartprinting) will remain and will further grow, having conquered the various sectors of commodity printing.

They will retain this, supported by customers who are also print service providers using them under the socalled white label.

The consequence of all these recent developments: a new market segmentation is looming in printing.

We can distinguish six segments that sometimes overlap each other (a bit like in the food, home equipment, or business supply industries) - Multiservice printing companies expecting customers to walk through the door anytime, often described as small convenient (corner) copyshops.

- Print providers located in metropolitan centres providing quality and fast turnaround time, serving key accounts to whom they have access and to whom they provide different print services.

- Print providers that are well equipped across multiple technologies, able to take on small and large orders. They have the necessary space being located

sublimation (fabric). And the printheads may be in a row and / or staggered, mobile or stationary (also called multipass versus single-pass).

Competition is fierce among the various suppliers of the inkjet market.

Memjet (Duralink head with Waterfall technology) has chosen to sign agreements with Canon, MGI, Konica Minolta, Gallus, Rigoli (etc.). Fujifilm seems to be on the same track with its Samba heads found in the Motion Cluster (BOBST/Mouvent/ Radex).

Xaar (many heads including the last quad 5601) signed an agreement with Seiko and Chinese manufacturers.

HP relies on PageWide technology, from desktop printers to the graphics industry, from small format to large format. HP as well has unique Indigo

on the outskirts of cities, however they suffer the disadvantage of depending on logistics and delivery times.

- The specialists (books, magazines, packaging, etc.). They have optimized production lines – printing and finishing/converting and have very specific capabilities. They typically address national and international clients and markets.

- Printing factories, generally located near communication centres (airports, etc.), who can efficiently handle commodity print jobs with their optimized processes - Online printers, with fully integrated workflows across printing and finishing for efficient shipping and delivery across countries and borders. Users themselves need to upload the relevant content and select from among defined formats and substrates.

So the new mantra of the printing game is to define where you want to play and to do it right. The winners are the ones providing real services and addressing new segments and markets, moving away from commodity printing. In the not so distant future, Amazon and Google, to name just two, are waiting on the weaknesses of today’s print players to then place their own pawns in the game, so as to expand their capabilities building on their proven networks and

process expertise. Amazon has in fact already started.

Inkjet Printing Technology – smaller, faster and less moving parts

Diversification of inkjet printing.

Inkjet printing technologies are shared between thermal (HP), piezo (Epson), continuous (Kodak). The inks can be aqueous (dyes, pigments); solvent (better strength); UV polymerization;

technology which celebrated 25 years in 2018. Epson is developing a fixed printhead for the label industry. Canon launched a similar approach at first for the office.

Since the end of 2017, Landa has been offering presses based on its exclusive Nanography technology aiming at reinventing printing. Kodak has continuous inkjet printing in the form of independent heads in systems aiming at the high productivity markets (Prosper, Versamark and UltraStream).

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Pack Print International and packaging’s megatr Organised by Messe Düsseldorf Asia, the 7th edition of Pack Print International (PPi) will take place from 18-21 September 2019 at BITEC, Bangkok. The event is a tripartite collaboration with the Thai Packaging Association and Thai Printing Association.

In 2018, Thailand’s printing and packaging industries registered over 300 billion Baht, of which 40% came from the printing industry and 60% from packaging. According to PPi, positive outlooks this year will be led by three supporting growth industries – Food and Beverage, Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics, and e-Commerce.

Beattrice J. Ho, project director of PPi 2019, Messe Düsseldorf Asia, stated that these megatrends have created a considerable amount of industrial value, as printing and packaging capabilities are integral to a diverse mix of application industries. In tandem with global shifts and movements, these macro-level factors supporting printing and packaging businesses are: 1. Digital packaging: According to Smithers Pira, the rapidly expanding digital (inkjet and toner) packaging market will grow by almost 13% annually to exceed US$22.0 billion by 2022. Very strong growth will be seen in corrugated, carton, flexibles and directto-shape, with developments in metal

printing. This is especially since digital print platforms are opening up a whole world of possibilities for boosting emotional engagement with a consumer and creating new revenue streams.

2. Print technology investment: taking cue from the 6th drupa global trends report released in April 2019, the leading print technology investment plans by market in 2019 are: Commercial (digital toner cutsheet colour: 29%, digital inkjet wide format – cutsheet and rolled: 19%), Packaging (sheetfed offset: 27%, Flexo: 25%), Functional (digital toner cutsheet colour: 27%, digital inkjet wide format – cutsheet and rolled: 23%) and Publishing (digital toner cutsheet colour: 30%, sheetfed offset: 29%). In gist, print can be optimistic about the future, where printers and suppliers can look to new ways to exploit emerging technologies so as to place print as a central tool for consumers.

3. Technologies and innovations that create industrial value: One such instance is the shift to meet increasing demands for personalisation and customisation.

Manufacturers and printers of all types are creating solutions that make this growing market possible, namely faster, higher quality, more affordable digital printing technology. Last year was a tipping point for the packaging industry. Narrow-web digital presses exceeded the standard flexo presses for the first time. 2018 was the first year digital presses emerged the packaging industry’s leading choice. A marketing research study by LPC, Inc. into the label-making segment found digital presses grew by 11.9 percent in 2017 – proof of a major trend change in the packaging industry.

Led by modernism and changes in consumer behavior focused on personalisation, convenience and smart packaging, and the advent of online sales, a bright spot comes in the form of the print packaging market which is on a steady growth to reach US$286 billion in 2020.

In Asia-Pacific, the market is currently the largest regional print packaging market, accounting for over 42% of revenues, and is expected to become the second fastest- growing region through to 2020. This bodes well with the trend in Asia – where it would represent over 40% of global packaging demand come 2022.

Mr Phongthira Pattanapiradej, President of The Thai Printing Association, Beattrice J. Ho, project director of PPi 2019.and Mr Manit Kamolsuwan, President of The Thai Packaging Association

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

l 2019 to highlight print rends Ms Ho’s projected outlook was echoed

by Mr Manit Kamolsuwan, President of The Thai Packaging Association and Mr Phongthira Pattanapiradej, President of The Thai Printing Association.

According to Mr Manit, Thailand’s packaging industry had a domestic production capacity of 5.83 million tons in 2018. In terms of raw materials used, the highest growth was observed in paper (37.74 percent), followed by glass (30.05 percent), plastic (24.34 percent), and metal (7.87 percent). It is also expected that the industry would continue its upward cycle in light of governmental policies to stimulate investment.

In response to the national policy of promoting Thailand as a manufacturing centre, he also added that Thailand’s Food & Beverages sector remains the key growth driver for the packaging industry and is buoyed by export demand and easy access to raw materials. Coupled with active and smart packaging as innovative solutions to preserve food quality and to extend the shelf life of food, alongside the Thai government’s series of national standards relating to food packaging and labelling, are all designed to meet international standards.

Commenting on how availability of innovation and technology would up the competitiveness of the Thai packaging industry on an international level, Mr Manit said, “Over the next decade, the packaging industry will witness a significant revolution as the applications of digital printing increases. Therefore, it is important for local businesses to align themselves with the global digital

packaging printing market – in coming out with attractive, cost-efficient and sustainable products for an increasingly crowded and competitive marketplace”.

Conversely, the Printing industry in Thailand is worth more than US$3.7 billion today, with the paper packaging industry alone exceeding US$5.7 billion according to Mr Phongthira. This trend will continue to grow on the back of Thailand’s attractiveness as a printingproducts investment location as its surrounding region forms the ASEAN Economic Community, a single market of some 600 million consumers.

Demand for package printing is also expected to increase as both domestic and export markets for products of all types, particularly processed food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, and e-commerce will expand. Supporting this demand are Thailand’s excellent manufacturing facilities such as the 144-hectare Sinsakhon Printing City and Industrial Estate.

When asked about opportunities for growth and investment in the paper and printing industry in Thailand, Mr Phongthira encouraged businesses to look towards, “high-quality, high-fidelity printing, hybrid printing, automation processes and ‘smart factory’ set-up in line with “Packaging 4.0”, as well as customisation in digital printing and environmentally friendly, affordable packaging”.

He added that this is in light of favourable factors that make Thailand an ideal base for operations including the country’s high-volume pulp production and supply of paper,

enhanced infrastructure in the form of Sinsakhon Printing City, workforce availability and strong government support; including tax and non-tax incentives for projects that meet national development objectives by the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI).

An exhibition for the industry, by the industry With its 2019 theme, Shaping the future of packaging and printing in Asia, the exhibition driven by sectors’ leading trade fairs drupa and interpack by the Messe Düsseldorf Group in Germany, will see global packaging and printing innovations put up by over 300 leading companies from 25 countries, including national groups from Germany, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, China and Singapore.

Addressing forward-looking industry trends and movements, the 7th edition of the International Packaging and Printing Exhibition for Asia, will spotlight on 4 thematic zones, i.e. OneStop Pack & Print Pavilion, Labelling Zone, Logistics & Automation Zone and a dedicated Prototype Showcase, in parallel with a series of industryfocused conferences and forums.

The 4-day exhibition will also zoom into areas such as package printing, corrugated printing and packaging, digital printing, electronic printing, large format printing, flexible packaging and robotics. As well as extend its reach to visitors coming from a broad range of industries and diverse application areas, including print and packaging houses and converters, marketing, publishing and media sectors, vertical markets and those in the future technologies industry.

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Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

66 Corrugated Manufacturer Purchases EFI Nozomi Single-Pass Corrugated Board Press Durham Box, a UK-based corrugated packaging manufacturer has purchased an EFI™ Nozomi C18000 singlepass, ultra-high-speed LED inkjet corrugated packaging press from Electronics For Imaging, Inc. (Nasdaq: EFII). Durham Box made the investment to optimize its production process and provide superior-quality imagery for customers.

“The image quality, running speed and ease of changing between prints are hugely attractive,” said Dan Morris, joint managing director of Durham Box. “With this we are confident we can operate in several markets with a single machine.”

Scheduled for installation this summer, the 71-inch (1.8-meter) wide Nozomi press operates at speeds up to 246 linear feet (75 linear meters) per minute and offers the critical capabilities Durham Box can use to give its customers more application possibilities. The press also delivers significant time savings in production, outstanding image quality and the ability to create personalized prints.

Moreover, it provides the company the capability to increase productivity on short- and medium-run jobs.

“Image quality is a very important factor, perhaps the most important in fact,” said Morris. “We regularly get asked to print jobs that are too challenging for our own flexo capabilities and as a consequence we need to manipulate the artwork which is time consuming and ultimately leads to a simplified image – and that can be frustrating to the customer.

“The wide range of print finishes is a great feature from the Nozomi,” he added, “as it has the ability to produce

print that has similar qualities to flexo – only better – with high gloss photoquality print.”

Durham Box is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of corrugated packaging, servicing large scale accounts across multiple markets, particularly within the fast-moving commercial goods (FMCG) sector.

The company offers years of experience within the sector with a depth of knowledge to ensure that all packaging projects are successful.

Today, Durham Box occupies a 110,000 square foot (10,220 square meter) factory and employs more than 75 people making in excess of 35 million products per year.

Durham Box’s new ultra-high-speed Nozomi inkjet press is part of a complete ecosystem for corrugated production available from EFI, with leading edge inks, EFI Fiery® digital front end technology and an EFI Corrugated Packaging Suite manufacturing execution system workflow EFI and Memjet Establish Partnership for Fast, High-Quality Digital Production Electronics For Imaging, Inc. and San Diego-based Memjet® have

established a new partnership, bringing ultra-fast, high-quality EFI™ Fiery® digital front ends (DFEs) to the growing portfolio of Memjet DuraLink™ digital inkjet production solutions. EFI’s development of Fiery DFE solutions for printers featuring DuraLink technology means Memjet OEM customers will have access to one of the world’s most successful and reliable print servers for productionclass digital color printing.

“We have installed a Fiery DFE to drive a 7-color digital press in Memjet’s headquarters demo center, and both our team and our partners are impressed with the way the Fiery DFE enables superior color and image control. It also offers customers advanced job management and the ability to produce versioned and variable print runs at engine-rated speed,” said Eric Owen, General Manager of Commercial Press for Memjet. “Fiery technology, combined with DuraLink’s speed, image quality and reliability, bring tremendous added value to Memjet’s DuraLink partners.”

Top-of-the-line, integrated DFE technologies for digital print production EFI is offering Fiery DFEs for digital printing presses that incorporate DuraLink printheads.

The new solution being developed for DuraLink devices captures the advantages of EFI’s most advanced digital production software platform, Fiery FS350 Pro, to deliver the best capabilities in areas print customers care about most: color and imaging, productivity, management tools and connectivity.

THE PERFECT SYNTHESIS OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Frontal Dual trolley

Combi drying system

Fully encapsulated Fully automatic

HIGH PERFORMANCE. BEST PRINT. WWW.UTECO.COM

The NXS 300 is outlined by a modular ultra-compact design, suitable for very short-runs.

NXS 300 is equipped with unique and innovative solutions.

Combi drying system: Powerful compact energysaving system that allows a strong reduction of noise thanks to the combi technology.

Frontal Dual trolley: Versatile trolley for extremely fast job changes and trolley set-up. With this system you can change the cylinder, the inking system, or both at the same time.

Printing Units: the printing units are fully encapsulated to reduce VOC emissions and noise pollution.

Automatic positioning of the doctor blade and ink tray.

UTECO: NOT ONLY FLEXO. UTECO CONVERTING SPA • I 37030 COLOGNOLA AI COLLI (VR) • PH.: +39 045 6174555 • FAX: +39 045 6150855 • UTECOVR@UTECO.COM •

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

68 the-art technologies for printing, advanced drying and web-handling, today announces that it is constructing a Thallo demo system to meet the mounting global interest in web offset printing for flexible packaging.

Users will be able to meet demanding customer requirements for brand colors and extended-gamut applications featuring extended ink sets. Plus, the Fiery DFEs for Memjet DuraLink presses will give users the power to make on-the-fly corrections and late-stage color edits at the DFE for uninterrupted production.

The DFEs will also include EFI Fiery Color Profiler Suite software, which provides some of the most advanced color management tools available for profile creation, inspection, editing and color quality assurance. Fiery Color Profiler Suite also features G7® System Certification for fast, accurate re-calibration, correct tonality and gray balance, and higher saturated colors.

The Fiery XB hardware configuration for the new DFEs is a scalable architecture that keeps engines running at rated speeds to meet demanding production requirements.

Fiery XB consumes all variable-data formats and languages, including PDF and PDF/VT and, for high-volume transactional print applications, it complies with native intelligent printer data stream (IPDS) workflows and is certified IS/3 compliant.

Users will also have the advantage of using the proven, leading EFI Fiery Command WorkStation® interface – print management software that provides continuity across all Fiery Driven™ digital equipment, including cut-sheet and continuous-feed devices and wide- and superwideformat display graphics printers.

The new Fiery DFEs will also give DuraLink device users expanded

workflow management efficiencies through automated, bi-directional communication and integration with EFI’s market-leading MIS/ERP and web-to-print products.

Fiery technology: more growth opportunities for Memjet customers “We are pleased to be working with Memjet to give its DuraLink OEM partners a new competitive advantage with the Fiery DFEs’ proven strengths in driving highvalue personalization, boosting productivity and providing superior color quality,” said John Henze, vice president, sales and marketing, EFI Fiery. “This partnership will bring our most-advanced technologies to an even broader base of print service providers, packaging companies and industrial manufacturers that see the tremendous opportunity for growth in high-end digital color print.”

Growing interest in web offset for flexible packaging Contiweb, a specialist in state-of-

According to Jan Willem Nota, Technical Sales Manager at Contiweb, packaging converters continue to face several key challenges, namely an ever-present squeezing of profit margins at the hands of short run lengths, together with environmental legislation aimed at reducing their carbon footprint.

“Web offset printing provides a viable solution to overcome these pain points,” he explains. “With the capability to set-up a new job within minutes, the Contiweb Thallo dramatically slashes time-consuming changeovers and is engineered to produce short runs quickly and profitably. Beyond this, the solventfree inks ensure that the print provider’s carbon footprint is kept to a minimum.”

Comprising seven UV offset units and one flexo unit for solvent- or water-based and UV inks, the demo system will be the first of its kind to be manufactured at the company’s headquarters in Boxmeer, the Netherlands.

“We want to ensure that prospects can conduct their own tests or trial runs to assess the speed and print quality achievable with the Thallo,” adds Nota. “We are confident that they will appreciate the multitude of

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • issue 4 2019 “Get ready for Vietnam in 2020”

70 implementation. The families of the employees are also taken into consideration: In the "parent-child office", employees can work during care bottlenecks, while their children play in the same room at the painting table or in the craft corner.

business benefits, not least of which is the ability to increase throughput and exceed customer expectations with shorter job turnaround times.”

IST makes Top 100

that cure printed products and coatings by means of UV irradiation.

One of its most important customer groups is the printing industry. In recent years, this industry in particular has had to face up to digital change.

IST Metz has made the leap to the top at the 26th edition of the TOP 100 innovation competition. The company was therefore honoured on 28 June by the mentor of the competition, Ranga Yogeshwar, as well as the scientific director at the comparison, Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke, and compamedia in Frankfurt.

Using a scientific system, TOP 100 evaluates the innovation management of medium-sized companies. In the independent selection process, the medium-sized company with 350 employees particularly impressed with its innovation climate and innovation success For 40 years, the family-owned company has been producing systems

IST Metz has not only adapted to this change, but has also changed itself: Consequently, the top innovator has expanded its business field to include the coating of displays. The mediumsized company also uses the UV technology developed for the displays to refine wood surfaces.

Christian-Marius Metz, Managing Director, explains that a good climate of innovation and plenty of room for manoeuvre for the employees are important when working at the cutting edge. Here, the Nürtingenbased company relies on employees with inventive talent when it comes to personnel selection. Such selfrunners benefit from the 350-man company's large scope for project

TOP 100: the competition Since 1993, compamedia has been awarding the TOP 100 seal for special innovative strength and above-average innovation success to medium-sized companies. Since 2002, the scientific management has been in the hands of Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Fran-ke. Franke is the founder and chairman of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration. Mentor of TOP 100 is the science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar. Project partners are the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft for the Promotion of Applied Research and the BVMW. As media partners, manager magazin, impulse and W&V accompany the company comparison.

Industry benchmark for CLEAN flexographic printing.

Asahi Photoproducts, a pioneer in flexographic photopolymer plate development, today reported it will be again exhibiting at Labelexpo Europe, scheduled for 24 to 27 September in Brussels. Asahi will be located on Stand 5a34 at the show and will be displaying its full array of flexographic plates. Featured at the show will be Asahi’s CleanPrint™, a technology which has evolved over time to become the industry benchmark for CLEAN flexographic printing.

“Since Asahi first brought to market its innovative flexographic plate technology, which enabled complete release of ink onto the substrate for a cleaner image and fewer press stops for plate cleaning, our thoughts about the value of the technology have

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71 our customers can print CLEAN on the widest array of substrates in the market.”

evolved,” said Dr. Dieter Niederstadt, Asahi’s Technical Marketing Manager.

“Not only do we continue to improve our plate quality and performance, but we have also learned from our customers that the value of the technology goes way beyond the quality and productivity benefits it enables. Not only does it eliminate the need for volatile solvents in the platemaking process, speed up the process to consume less energy and deliver the same high quality and press productivity (OEE) our customers have come to expect, but

the technology reduces makeready times and waste as well as the amount of time the press needs to run. All of these benefits add up to a much cleaner platemaking and flexographic printing process than can be achieved with any other plates on the market.”

At Labelexpo, Asahi will be featuring its popular AWP™-DEW waterwashable plates, the first to use CleanPrint™ technology. “Our plan is to migrate this technology to other plates in our portfolio over time,” Niederstadt adds, “to ensure

YOU’RE THE DRIVER

Benefits of Asahi CleanPrint™ Asahi CleanPrint™ is designed to facilitate kiss touch printing pressure.

Lighter printing pressure ensures constant repeatability of printing quality during the production run as well as longer plate life. This characteristic is achieved with unique Asahi-engineered photopolymer chemistry that reduces the surface energy of the printing plate and enables better ink transfer to the substrate during printing.

CleanPrint™ has the beneficial effect of reducing ink filling-in the mid-tone area during the printing run, leading to fewer cleaning intervals and less press downtime for a highly sustainable flexographic printing process.

Niederstadt notes, “Our customers are ecstatic about the quality of print they can deliver while also achieving as much as 50% less makeready time and 30% or more improvement in OEE.”

SOME ARE RULED, AND SOME RULE. But it’s so much more fulfilling to build instruments for the latter. They are the ones who drive us to create a flexo plate maker that is truly compatible with their one-of-a-kind vision and any workflow that ensues, really. The result?

Open technology for open minds.

You’re welcome on WWW.THERMOFLEXX.COM

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600 + SOLD The most preferred CI Flexo printing press in the world

MIRAFLEX Ready for PACKAGING 4.0 Experience intelligence with: EASY-SET – superior impression setting as standard with every press CHECK-REPEAT – continuous repeat length monitoring EASY-COL – intelligent colour matching and ink management system VISION – intelligent, intuitive and integrated web inspection system TURBOCLEAN – most advanced inking and wash-up system … and many more!

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