Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia

LABELS & PACKAGING

2020

INNOVATION ASIA

3- 2020

ENTRY DEADLINE 5th NOVEMBER

The Challenges Facing the Packaging Industry page 54

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Pentaflex took a risk with flexo and it paid off New nyloflex® FTL Digital Flat Top Dot Plate for the Corrugated Post-print Market Alibaba invests US$6 Million in Hong Kong packaging startup A hybrid approach to label production Corrugated digital print has a new player – Idera Environmental and economical gains with waste removal Huhtamäki decreases plate production time significantly thanks to Flint Group Miraclon Ushers in One Year Anniversary How digitalization is transforming the packaging industry Thick paperboard for packaging certified for HP Indigo The Full Flavor of Expanding the Color Gamut LVMH drops luxe labels for simplicity The new cold foil packaging trend: fast and cost- efficient, with added value.

New business model for corrugated box production It’s unbelievable photographic quality “US AGAINST VIRUSES”: Steritube systems f or air disinfection The Challenges Facing the Packaging Industry Alibaba invests US$6 Million in Hong Kong packaging startup Replacing some plastic fresh produce packaging with cardboard Beyond labels, developing sustainable packaging Printing with an extended fixed ink set Covid-19 outbreak drives instant noodles sales in APAC Fast tracking recycling in Indonesia News from around the world and around the region

2020

Asian Print Awards Management Pte Ltd 65 Chulia Street #46-23 OCBC Centre Singapore 049513 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

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Pentaflex took a risk wi In 2016 Ahmedabad-based Pentaflex Films LLP took the bold decision to add printing to its portfolio. For over 20 years, the company was a leading Indian manufacturer of flexible packaging PE film. Not only did Pentaflex delved into printing, it took the flexo route in a market dominated by gravure.

A year later the move took concrete commercial form as a new establishment in Ahmedabad, home to a new Bobst CI flexo press. Just two years after that Pentaflex took Silver with High Honors in the Kodak Global Flexo Innovation Awards — a massive achievement for such a young company.

Pentaflex’s Anand Patel acknowledges that he and his fellow directors took a risk, but explains why it was a very calculated one: “Flexo is only about 15% of the FMCG market that we focus on, and most of that is dairy

packaging. The rest of the market is largely gravure, so there’s a huge opportunity to win brands over to flexo — and we have some really serious factors working in our favour.”

Push for sustainability Perhaps the most powerful argument for people to take a serious look at flexo is Indian governmental policy, particularly recent wide-ranging legislation designed to enforce greater sustainability in the FMCG sector.

“Many countries have adopted Extended Producer Responsibility,

which makes consumer brands pay attention to what happens to their products after use — in particular, material recovery and recycling. In India we’re now catching up, which is placing significant pressure on brand owners to put sustainability front and centre of product development. This will be good news for flexo,” Patel explained.

To discover just how good, Pentaflex did its homework: “For example, we researched the current consumption of plastics and film in India, and how this would grow in line with increases in people’s disposable income — which translates into more spending on consumer goods. Add that to the drive for sustainability, and the outlook for flexo is really positive: I wouldn’t be surprised to see a sudden boom in flexo in the next two or three years —

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ith flexo and it paid off

maybe by 40% — before settling down to steady incremental increases.”

Picking “the low-hanging fruit” Confident as Pentaflex was of the potential, the company took its first steps as a flexo printer in the market it knew best — dairy. In Patel’s words: “that’s where the low-hanging fruit were to be found. Because flexo is already established in the sector, our discussions with those players were simpler. They gave us the understanding we needed to refine our capability — to make sure we were doing things right before venturing into gravure.”

Among the lessons Pentaflex took from these conversations, two were especially important. The first was reassuring: a growing awareness of flexo’s increased capabilities.

“In the past, flexo had a bad press on issues like printability and quality, but you can trace that to older technology such as stacked presses. Our Bobst CI press is a different generation of machine altogether, and the word is spreading,” said Patel.

The second lesson was that a huge opportunity existed for flexo in the reverse-printed laminate market.

“Reverse-printing using flexo was almost unheard of in the region but

by combining the Bobst press with Kodak Flexcel NX technology we could offer brands much higher quality in the reverse-printed space — with the added advantage that the pack is recyclable.”

The company’s winning entry — flexible packaging for salt — demonstrates this proposition in action. Salt is traditionally packaged in a PET+PE laminate, printed gravure for reasons of printability and quality.

“The brand owner wanted a sustainable replacement, so we proposed a PE+PE laminated structure — something gravure can’t handle due to quality issues on PE. In the end, the client moved from a non-recyclable package to a 100%-recyclable alternative, giving them the same mechanical

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properties without affecting shelf-life, and reproduced so accurately that it was difficult to distinguish it from the gravure equivalent. They were also able to recover some cost in the form of packaging waste at their end,” said Patel.

He acknowledged that, considering how new Pentaflex was to flexo, this was a major achievement, and one that involved a degree of trial and error: “We put a lot of time and effort into trying out new applications, and we’re not shy about experimenting. But we’re fortunate to have a high level of technical expertise running throughout the company — from the directors to the rest of the team. It’s our USP.” Work to be done Three years on from the original decision to enter the flexo market, this expertise is behind an increasingly successful drive to bring more gravure work over to flexo. Recent contract wins include a locally-based manufacturer of ready-to-eat and instant-mix products that is taking the flexo route in a major rebranding of its products. There remains, however, work to be done before the momentum becomes unstoppable.

“We have no trouble showing prospects that flexo produces quality print,” said Patel, “but that’s not the only factor in the decision to switch.

We have to remember that brands and their printer-converters have a heavy investment in cylinders for existing jobs. Hopefully, we can get in front of them when they change designs, but that doesn’t happen very often.”

When Pentaflex does get to the table, they can make a strong case: “The Indian market is very cost-conscious, and throughout the supply chain everyone is trying to gain margin.

So the cost of gravure cylinders is a factor, particularly for brands with lots of SKUs or frequent design changes.

Flexo plates are cheaper, of course.

Faster time-to-market is another powerful argument: for a FMCG brand with multiple products in different sizes, waiting a week for a gravure cylinder is an issue. Flexo offers quicker turnaround for platemaking as well as on the press, so we can handle shorter runs without a drop in quality.”

He added that the advent of toluenefree inks is beginning to have an impact with larger brands: “A lot of brands in the US have already moved away from

toluene, and the same is happening in Europe. The message is getting through in India too, encouraged by the sustainability regulations.”

Finally, there’s flexibility.

flexo’s

substrate

“The amazing thing about flexo is the fantastic quality, whatever the substrate. You can surface-print on PE, reverse-print on PET, surfaceprint on breathable paper or aluminum foil, or just paper. We’re doing it all,” Patel continued.

Pentaflex is confident a flexo future is on its way, and how quickly it arrives will depend on cooperation between all the stakeholders.

“There is an enormous variety of potential jobs out there, some more challenging than others. It takes a lot of expertise to bring together the right anilox, the right dot structure and the right ink. Going forward, all of us need to work closely to make the transition happen,” Patel concluded.

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New nyloflex® FTL Digital Flat Top Dot Plate for the Corrugated Post-print Market • Highest print quality with lowest washboarding/fluting effect • Reduced press setup time, resulting in less start up waste of inks and substrate by up to 40% • Mylar and plate material cost savings up to 50% on a single colour separation With nyloflex® FTL Digital Flint Group announced the launch of a very low durometer flat top dot flexographic printing plate for printing on sustainable substrates with a higher content of recycled fibers and other paper and board applications in combination with water based inks. The core advantage of this new plate is the out-of-the-box reliable performance in fluting re-duction in corrugated postprint e.g. delivering a very appealing print performance on sub-strates like uncoated test liners or kraft liners in combination with a B flute.

From the beginning, printing on corrugated board has been troubled by the fluting phenome-non. Apart from other factors, the liner quality is one influencing variable. Another one is the dot shape of the printing elements on the flexo plate. “Flexographic plates with flat top dots, in contrast to common digital plates with round top dots, can reduce the unwanted fluting effect”, explains Dr. Eva

Freudenthaler, VP Technology at Flint Group Flexographic.

Aiming for the highest print quality and hence lowest fluting effect as well as for a very good solid ink density (SID), the nyloflex® FTL Digital is able to reduce operating costs and waste. It provides the possibility to use more recycled fibers in the substrate without sacrificing on print quality.

Because of the combination of screens and solids on a single plate even on difficult substrates, it is possible to save plate material by up to 50% and reduce press setup time to register the plates.

The inherent capability of the plate to form flat top dots with simple UV-A tube exposure keeps the plate making process simple and cost effective as neither extra steps like plate lamination nor extra consumables or special FTD exposure equipment are required.

“Since the launch of the nyloflex® FTC Digital in 2017 we already offer a valued flat top dot plate to the corrugated post-print market. It has proven to be very versatile with respect to substrates that it can cope with, delivering excellent highlights in combination with good fluting reduction. Due to its higher durometer it naturally reaches its limit though at the lowest end liner qualities”, explains Dr. Freudenthaler. “That is why we have supplemented our plate port-folio with the nyloflex® FTL supporting the continuing trend to more cost effective liners”.

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Alibaba invests US$6 Million in Hong Kong packaging startup Ecoinno (H.K.) Limited. Ecoinno, a Hong Kong-based green material company focused on providing alternatives to singleuse plastics, announced the closing of a US$6 million Series A1 funding from the Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund and Alibaba Taiwan Entrepreneurs Fund II.

economy by delivering GCM products to our environmentally- focused clients," said George Chen Dah Ren, co-founder and CEO of Ecoinno.

"We are thrilled to have both Alibaba Entrepreneurs Funds coming on board in our first institutional round, to help take the company forward. We are also very grateful to our long-standing benefactors, especially the HKSTP and the ITC." With its breakthrough GCM technology, Ecoinno aims to provide the global consumer and industry with an attractive and viable 'Third Option' that is a break-out from the traditional choice between petroleum-derived plastic and bio-plastic (consisting of mostly non-naturally occurring polymers) in a significant step towards creating a sustainable, circular economy.

Ecoinno will utilise these funds to begin industrial-scale production of its proprietary Green Composite Material (GCM) and to strengthen its material research and engineering platform to help meet pressing consumer packaging needs, driven by tightening regulatory requirements globally, as well as increasing consumer green awareness.

Ecoinno has developed a patented Green Composite Material (GCM) and related processes, based 100% purely on natural plant fibres – the most abundant, renewable, and naturally occurring polymer on earth.

By repositioning nature's plant fibres, GCM harnesses the remarkable natural attributes of plant fibres. Notably it is 100% biodegradable in the natural environment within 75 days and has extreme temperature tolerance (allowing freezing and oven reheating).

GCM is also three times stronger than

plastic and bioplastic in tensile strength.

It is impermeable to oxygen, with an extremely low transmission rate, on par with even metal. The material is water and oil-resistance, and most importantly, has passed FDA tests to be toxic free.

"This new funding puts us solidly on the first step towards realising our vision of creating a sustainable, circular

Ecoinno is co-founded by Chen and COO Vivian Chang, incubated within the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park (HKSTP), and sustained with significant grant funding from the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC).

Ecoinno was also awarded as one of the Top Five Winners, and the only finalist in the Smart City Cleantech segment, at the Alibaba JUMPSTARTER Global Pitch Competition 2020.

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WHY PRINT JUST PACKAGING WHEN YOU CAN PRINT THE WHOLE PACKAGE. 15

Personalized High Quality Graphics

1600 DPI For Exquisite Detail

Designing the Right Packaging Printer Using Memjet modular printing technology, OEMs can build solutions to print amazing packaging corrugate, flexible, label, and folding carton - bringing the power of customization, personalization, and shorter runs to every brand.

See all our packaging solutions at memjet.com/packaging

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A hybrid approach to The economic uncertainty created by the global pandemic has led to dramatic shifts in many print markets, including labeling. In this changing market, many providers are thinking more seriously about adopting inkjet digital printing technology.

Interest in inkjet has been growing for some time. Analysis by the research firm Smithers Pira shows that inkjet printing adoption has been increasing steadily over the past few years – and will continue to grow by over 9 percent through 2023.

The firm attributes this growth to inkjet’s deeper penetration into existing markets like labeling and expansion in new markets like commercial printing.

While inkjet printing can add value to a printer’s business, it is not always the right solution for print providers to adopt the technology. That’s because in addition to adding a new press, the printer may also need to make changes to their business. These changes can include retraining employees,

developing new sales strategies, developing new digital workflows.

For these printers, a hybrid press can be the answer. A hybrid press can give a printer the benefits of inkjet printing while reducing the risks and challenges that can come with adopting a standalone inkjet press.

The Right Technology The creation of a “hybrid” printing system entails adding an inkjet-powered print engine, often called a retrofit, onto an existing analog printing press.

This combined use of digital inkjet and analog production processes within one printing system is commonly referred to as “hybrid printing.”

Just like stand-alone label printers, a hybrid label printer is only as good as the printing technology that drives it.

Today, more and more OEMs are using Memjet’s DuraFlex and DuraLink single-pass technology to develop printing solutions for the growing inkjet market, including hybrid printing solutions.

OEMs choose these modular technologies because it can help them to bring products to market faster and more efficiently. These technologies are scalable, enabling an OEM to develop a hybrid label printing option, then build on that development to create a standalone label or package printer.

With DuraFlex, OEMs can even stitch printheads in a row to create print widths of up to 1270mm or 50in. The 2.1 pL drop size and true print resolution of 1600 dpi, provides unrivaled inkjet print quality along with the durability needed to satisfy the

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o label production

most demanding markets.

This scalability enables the OEM to seamlessly transition between products, giving them greater flexibility for their business – and the customers they serve.

Real-World Results Hybrid printing solutions give label printers much greater flexibility. They can still use their flexo presses to produce longer run jobs, while the hybrid option extends their capabilities to include customized labels and packaging, higher graphic content, smaller lot sizes, and the faster cycle times clients demand.

G2 ID Source in Jacksonville, Florida is a label provider that has realized the benefits of hybrid printing. The company added the Colordyne 3600 Series AQ retrofit to its existing flexo press and finishing equipment.

“It has changed our business tremendously,” says Terry Cochran, vice president in charge of procurement and production at G2 ID Source. “It allows us to do so much more than we could previously and in a much quicker time.”

“Our current mix of 45% digital only, 20% hybrid flexo/digital and 35% flexo only reduces a tremendous amount of labor and can produce three times more jobs each day – which is where the ROI really pops out,” explains David Frederick, president at G2 ID Source. “To do a job 100% flexo would take four times longer and cost four times more.”

By Kim Beswick, General Manager of Benchtop & Minipress at Memjet

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Corrugated digital print has a new player – Idera….

Xeikon, which is part of the Flint Group, used a live-streaming webinar to showcase its latest developments that would have been on show at Drupa in June.

Due to the postponement of the expo, the company went online to announce developments in its pre-press, label and carton presses — and confirm the rumours that the company is set to launch a single pass, water based digital printer for the corrugated market.

Sebastien Stabel, Market Segment Manager at Xeikon, opened by saying that times are changing and a growth in e-commerce, desire for sustainability and a digitisation of industry means that digital print will continue to impact the corrugated converter over the next 12 to 24 months.

“Digital print is not about replacing traditional manufacturing methods, but how to help the sector evolve,” said Stabel. “We are delighted to announce the launch of IDERA, a modular single pass digital printing machine specifically for corrugated. It is a postprint machine, that runs water-based inks and can print on both coated and uncoated corrugated sheets. It is developed for running in the harsh environment of corrugated converting

plants and it will handle sheets of 1.6m width x 2.8m long.”

He went on to confirm that the system will run with third-party pre-feeder and stacker to assure the highest output.

The suggestion is that the printing machine will operate at 150m per min.

“The first machine will be installed at our demo centre in Lier in Belgium in

September,” concluded Stabel. “We are now actively looking to engage with corrugated converters to prove the value of this machine, which is aimed at the mid to high level printed sector of the corrugated market. Although we are new to the market, we have excellent heritage due to our connection with Flint Group and its inks and plates, but also our own experience in digital print generally.”

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SPEED UP YOUR PROCESSES with optical systems for UV curing and drying

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Environmental and e with waste removal When printing labels, there is always some waste. No matter how efficiently you’re printing; when producing self-adhesive labels that are die-cut, there is always some matrix left on the substrate. In this blog, I will explain some more about the different possibilities of removing and recycling waste.

At MPS, we care about the environment.

That is one of the reasons we’re always looking for new solutions to offer more efficient, sustainable solutions for our customers.

sufficient space is needed is behind the press.

Solutions for matrix removal in flexo label printing For matrix removal, there are currently three common market solutions available: 1. Central suction system: Highly efficient, directly shredding products. This solution comes with an investment.

This solution is highly efficient, since no machine stops are needed for removing the matrix waste roll. However, there can be limitations in speed and the investment and maintenance costs can be relatively high.

2. The MPS Non-stop matrix remover This solution compresses the waste and transports it away with a conveyer belt. Behind the machine, the matrix is disposed in a bag or container. A very convenient and efficient solution, without much human interaction.

However, some adhesives might not work well with this system and

• 3. iStrip The most common solution that most label printers choose. It comes with many benefits (suitable for difficult shapes, speeds up to 30% higher and easy to operate). However, up to now this solution needed cardboard cores to operate.

Thanks to continuous innovation, we have been able to design the iStrip with the possibility to get rid of the inner cardboard cores. This gives two major advantages: Cost saving on cardboard cores A normal matrix roll holds about 3000 meter of material. After this it has to be changed. But every time you throw out a matrix roll, you also throw out a cardboard core. One core does not cost the world, but if you calculate this over a year you might be spending several thousands of Euros on cores which you directly throw into the trash.

Environmental advantage: easy recycling Since the cores are made of cardboard and your matrix likely is another material, the combined product might not be as easy to recycle. By stripping the matrix on a removable plastic sleeve,, you can deliver the waste as a one material stream to the recycling company, who

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economical gains

can then recycle this easier. By doing this you don’t only make your company more environmentally friendly, but also reduce your recycling costs Niels van Groenendaal

As Regional Sales Director, Niels van Groenendaal is responsible for sales and market development in southern Europe, the UK and Latin America. He has been with MPS since March 2018.

Get ready, new dates

20 _018

2020

LABELS & PACKAGING CONFERENCE

New Dates will be announced soon - 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.

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Huhtamäki decreases plate production time significantly thanks to Flint Group Huhtamäki is a global food-packaging supplier and celebrates 100 years of history in 2020. With a strong Nordic heritage, they operate in 35 countries and 81 sites around the world. Over 18,600 employees are working to deliver next generation smart-packaging.

With its head quarter in Espoo, Finland, Huhtamäki is a public company listed in Helsinki stock exchange.

Their site in Hämeenlinna, Finland, provides food-packaging solutions such as paper cups, pa-per plates, paper straws, salad boxes, egg boxes. Very important properties of their products contain renewable raw materials.

Background Huhtamäkis main challenge is consistency in print quality, despite the variations on the printed substrate.

Their previous plate making equipment was reaching the end of its life cycle, which is the reason why Huhtamäki invested in its replacements. With the sustainability benefits a thermal plate making solution delivers, they decided to invest in a complete Flint Group

plate making so-lution, consisting of the nyloflex® Xpress Thermal System, nyloflex® Exposure F IV ECLF, nyloflex® XPM thermal printing plates and a ThermoFlexX 60.

“It was a great match for our current needs. The high print quality, the solvent

free system and practically no VOCs were very compelling arguments. Flint Group has a very professional way of working, delivering excellent solutions serving our needs”, said Erno Virkki, Production Man-ager at Huhtamäki.

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FlatTopDot

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Implementation The nyloflex® Xpress Thermal System F IV, consumes up to 88% less electricity than competi-tive thermal systems due to the short wave IR preheating system. Therefore, no chiller or a va-por handling system is required. It takes only 45 minutes to get a high quality thermal plate from imaging to finishing. VOC emissions are nearly eliminated, while up to 30% less fabric is used in the developer rolls.

This contributes substantially to the sustainability efforts of Huhtamäki.

A diverse range of printing plates, from flat top dot to round top dot plates, complete the solution. The nyloflex® XPM is a medium durometer, round top thermal plate for the flexible packaging and label markets with an exceptional performance on paper. The nyloflex® Exposure F IV ECLF is a combined exposure and light finisher unit with reduced footprint and efficient design.

The ThermoFlexX 60 is a flexo plate imager with its maximum plate size of 1067 x 1524 mm (42 x 60”) and is a perfect fit for the large web segment.

Ambitious printers and trade shops are able to make plates in the shortest time possible at highest quality.

“We at Huhtamäki have been extremely satisfied with Flint Groups support during the equipment renewal project, including installation, training and scaling up the production manufacturing. Eve-rything went great with seamless collaboration from start to the end of project. By installing the

nyloflex® Xpress Thermal System, the response time to our production needs is significantly faster. Producing a plate takes less than one hour. With the old equipment, the response time was one full day so we see a massive improvement in productivity”, explains Virkki.

Result Erno Virkki is fond of declaring: “Our focus points are green values, environmental friendliness, green PE and sustainability. Products with no plastic are currently important drivers and the im-portance of these aspects will further grow in the future. With the nyloflex® Xpress Thermal Sys-tem we can meet these ecological requirements.

The installation of the equipment and training our employees on it by the Flint Group team was all going

perfect and in a record timeframe. We have now been running this solution a couple of months and are very satisfied. The printing quali-ty is great and we have not faced any issues within production”.

“Quality is never an accident.

It is always the result of intelligent effort.”

John Ruskin

Martin intentionally designs each piece of equipment so that it is easy to use, easy to understand, and easy to maintain.

We do the hard work so that you don’t have to.

High Performance Splicing, Rewinding, and Tension Control Systems

O U R E X P E R I E N C E . . . Y O U R A D VA N TA G E

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Miraclon Ushers in One Year Anniversary PIA chats with CEO Chris Payne on celebrating Miraclon’s first anniversary in the face of COVID-19, and looking ahead to drupa 2021. By Sha Jumari.

In April 2020, Miraclon celebrated its first anniversary as a new company.

Birthed from Kodak as its former Flexographic Packaging division, it develops, produces and sells Kodak Flexcel-branded technology solutions.

“When you think about creating the new company, we started with a good product, a good team, and great customers around the world. We’ve continued to serve the customers while we set up the infrastructure of a business that includes distribution channels, finance, HR, and that's been going well. At the same time, we've continued to develop the business,” said Chris Payne, CEO of Miraclon.

“In Asia, we're doing really well too.

We last talked a lot about gravure to flexo conversion and we still seeing a

continued trend towards flexo. It's a slow trend, but that's a very good trend for us and we’re seeing real growth in places like Thailand for example. We’re seeing a lot of growth in India, and there is some conversion happening in China and Japan. We’re very optimistic about the long term prospects in Asia,” Payne continued.

In the past year, Miraclon launched and built its new plate manufacturing factory in the US. The company also recently concluded its first Global Flexo Innovation Awards, which honoured 12 companies from all over the world.

“It’s been an interesting and a very good year for us, although there has been a few twists and turns along the way in the last couple of months with COVID-19,” Payne continued. “We've

CEO Chris Payne continued to stay very busy. Flexo’s main market is the food packaging industry. The business continues to be busy for our customers as people are not going to restaurants but to the stores for food at this time. There’s more packaging produced, which has been good for us.”

According to Payne, Miraclon’s main focus has been to make sure it has sufficient supply in the various regions to continue producing in order to keep up with demands.

“We are lucky because we have distribution centres all around the world. Classically, we have about a six-months supply in the supply chain, so that has helped. We’ve been very focused on making sure we can get products imported and exported between the various countries as shipping and governments close down and start up at different times,” he continued.

COVID-19 has impacted many businesses worldwide and disrupted supply chains, deliveries, production and manufacturing. Payne affirmed Miraclon’s dedication to continuing to provide support to its customer in these times.

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28 of customers in the two continents at the moment. The solution’s launch in Asia has met a slight delay due to the current pandemic.

“Most customers are in lockdown today but they are still producing. They want to keep the number of people visiting sites minimal, so we are doing most of the support remotely. Our demonstration centres are doing a lot of remote support, including looking at files remotely by camera, and also receiving samples from our customers where we're diagnosing on the site.”

“We also have local teams of sales and service people around the world that are available to talk to our customers.

So far, when our customer experienced mechanical breakdowns for example, we've been lucky enough to be able to send someone locally to see them,” Payne continued. “We’ve been able to support the customers in this very difficult time, which has been quite good to see. Our whole team worldwide has been quite responsive to helping the customers too.” drupa 2021: Miraclon to continue transforming flexo In light of drupa’s postponement to 2021, Miraclon will be revisiting its strategy for new product launches.

“At drupa, we are going to continue to transform flexo. As we move forward as we've been doing, we had a number of different launches that we were planning to do at the trade show.

Some of those we’re going to have to wait until the revised April 2021 dates.

We are still making final plans as the postponement of drupa is still new,” said Payne.

“For one of those launches, we’re looking into virtually launching it as we move through the later part of the year. We won't do it in June for sure,

probably after the summer. That's the current intent,” Payne continued.

When asked what the upcoming product might be, Payne remained tight-lipped, hinting that it is an application that can help both new and existing customers: “We’re going to extend how we actually use our system to print, so the capability to print is more efficient. We believe we can still do that virtually with our imaging system and not a piece of hardware without being more specific.”

Miraclon introduced the aqueous flexo plate making solution, Kodak Flexcel NX Ultra, which has been awarded the FTA Technical Innovation Award.

The Flexcel NX Ultra Solution is the first aqueous solution that can provide consistent, high-performing flexo plates in a high volume, low maintenance environment, eliminating the hassle of solvent processing.

It has already launched in the US and European markets, and has its first set

“We've had a lot of interest from the region, particularly in India, Japan, and Australia, and also some of the Southeast Asian countries,” said Payne.

“We were going to look into bringing that product to the broader Asia region later in 2021. With COVID-19 now, it's not clear when that will happen, as we're not able to travel to support the launch and the customers. We'll have to look at the revised timing of that once we can really get back to travel.”

Payne highlighted the innovation that he is witnessing in the flexo industry: “Our customers, as we've gone through the year, have continued to innovate.

It's not just Miraclon that is innovating, it's seeing what the customers are able to do. Even in COVID-19 times, we have customers around the world that are now using the scrap plastic that comes off the back of the plates to create visors for hospitals in places in Asia and Europe.”

“It’s been really exciting as a new company with the ability to transform flexo with a unique technology. It’s good to see the progress of the industry, our customers and our partners,” said Payne. “Given the COVID-19 situation, we hope everyone and their families stay safe, and rest assured we will continue to provide product to customers to keep the stores full of food. It’s as simple as that.”

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How digitalization is transform Digitalization, defined as the use of digital technologies to change a business model and provide new value-producing opportunities, is transforming entire industries with varying speed and scope.

The retail, media and banking sectors are examples of industries that have been shaken to their core over a relatively short period of time. By and large, digitalization is not just the implementation of digital technologies into existing business architectures; it is about questioning existing business logics in the light of new possibilities offered by the latest digital technologies.

The packaging industry is also undergoing a profound transformation, with brand owners shaking its value chain. They are under pressure from competition, market expectation and new local brands to reduce new product cycle times, from packaging design to arrival on the shelves. The reduction of lot sizes, the continual growth of digital printing and the need for color consistency between physical and online product displays, calls for more efficient workflow tools. Competition from traditional and emerging players is also intensifying within packaging plants around digital products and services.

Digital trends are changing the dynamics in the packaging value chain.

All stakeholders, from brand owners and packaging designers, printers and converters, to tool and machine manufacturers, need to adapt, while at the same time spot additional opportunities for growth.

In this article we first have a look at waste factors within the packaging value chain and inside packaging plants that can be tackled by digitalization. In a second step we will look at the vision for digital services from a leading solution manufacturer.

Waste along the packaging value chain In general, today’s packaging value chain remains segmented and poorly interconnected. Take the example of folding carton: many successive steps are required from the initial packaging strategy of the brand owner, the packaging design, the pre-press operations to prepare the artwork and process the image, the tools

preparation, the package printing, embellishment, cutting, folding and gluing, moving on to the subsequent packing and distribution steps.

The know-how of packaging designers, pre-press specialists, printers, converters, tool makers and machine manufacturers is disconnected into

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ming the packaging industry Author: Alexandre Pauchard, Head of Group R&D

and efficiency gains. The potential to reduce waste is high: up to one third of food product recalls are due to artwork errors, for example because of incorrect or missing allergen information.

Time and again, across many different industries, digitalization has proven to be a powerful engine when it comes to reducing waste in value chains by breaking information silos and providing increased transparency. The packaging industry is poised to follow the same trend.

silos, each step being performed without an end-to-end view of the constraints in the other segments of the value chain. When designers conceive a new package, they are lacking crucial process information that would allow them to better take into account downstream operations such as tool and job preparation. Worse still, some actors in the value chain take advantage

of this entrenched knowledge structure to cover their own inefficiencies.

As a consequence, it takes brand owners between 6 months and 2 years from the initial packaging specification to the delivery of the packaged goods to their customers.

In addition to reducing time-to-market, brand owners are also looking for cost

Waste within printing and converting plants Turning to packaging plants, printers and converters are facing their share of challenges: increasing price and time-to-delivery pressures, decreasing lot sizes, higher demand for color consistency across many different printing processes, to name just a few.

Printers and converters are actively working to reduce spent resources and to avoid customer claims. They need more efficient means to automate plant and job workflows, and they require efficient quality control systems at each process step. At the same time, converters also need to optimize equipment performance, increase

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productivity and avoid unexpected downtimes.

Most of the above requirements have one thing in common: the need for ubiquitous access to the relevant information. Here again, digitalization is a powerful catalyst for information transparency leading to value creation.

Vision from a leading solution manufacturer A pioneer in the digitalization, automation and connection of packaging machines, BOBST has the vision to shape the future of the packaging industry. Across labels, flexible packaging, folding carton and corrugated board, the company intends to connect stakeholders to a digitalized and automated workflow, accessing information anytime anywhere for a flexible and agile collaborative operation.

As explained above, the trend towards greater digitalization will help reduce waste along the packaging value chain and increase efficiency within printing and converting plants. The BOBST vision is translated into three guiding principles: First, BOBST continues to invest in mastering all key digital and analog processes for printing and converting.

In addition, to ensure that produced goods meet converters’ and brand owners’ requirements, all process steps are increasingly equipped with automated closed-loop quality control systems. The optimal combination of processes and embedded quality control systems is a powerful driver for increased efficiency and waste reduction within packaging plants.

Second, the company is striving to offer digital value on top of the physical

value. This is made possible in particular through ’Internet of Things’ (IoT)powered connectivity. As an example, the BOBST Remote Monitoring application is a comprehensive production reporting Software-as-aService designed to access remotely detailed machine production, process and technical data in real time. Another service called Helpline Plus, with over 44’000 connections performed in 2019, allows customers to connect with BOBST experts immediately as the need arises, with over 80% of all technical issues resolved remotely within two hours. Or take MyBOBST, a convenient online shop that allows customers to order all the needed services and parts in a seamless way.

Third, BOBST is enabling data sharing across the entire packaging value chain to ensure more efficient operations. Tooling, machine and

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34 process knowledge will increasingly be made available during upstream design and pre-press operations, supporting the creation of ‘first time right’ designs and leveraging the full capacities of the downstream processes. Job specifications will be pushed downstream so as to avoid multiple entries into different, errorprone systems. Finally, quality and production data will be pushed along the value chain, for example in the form of custom-made reports, so as to close the loop with brand owners.

This feature is already available in ACCUCHECK, an in-line 100% quality control system installed in folder-gluer lines. It creates powerful reports on production quality that converters can automatically upload in their existing workflow management system to share with brand owners.

Through digitalization, the entire production chain will become more transparent, agile and flexible. Across the whole production workflow, timely decisions are made possible. We are

entering a period where connected systems will contribute data to the entire production process for faster and precise optimization.

The digital transformation will not only help reduce waste along the packaging value chain from the initial design file to the final produced package, it will also reshape the way production is planned, monitored and optimized.

Inside packaging plants, machines and ancillary equipment from different suppliers are increasingly connected through IoT to the respective cloud environments of the machine manufacturers. Ecosystems of digital applications, like the Connected Services from BOBST, are providing an ever-broader range of digital services for the benefit of printers and converters.

On top of the digital ecosystems provided by the machine manufacturers, generic plant-level platforms will emerge in combination with, or in

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35 replacement of, traditional on premise Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES). The operational process knowledge currently automated into MES solutions will be complemented by real-time IoT-powered sensor data collection and aggregation. Through digitalization, printers and converters will have the ability to look at real-time data across plant operations, giving them a holistic view of their business and allowing them to take action.

Conclusion By breaking data silos, offering transparency and enabling data sharing between different systems, digitalization is a strong transformation vector within the packaging industry. It is spurring a wave of innovations that have the potential to drastically improve decades-old printing and packaging manufacturing processes. To shape the future of the packaging industry, BOBST leads the way with value-added digital products and services, helping to eliminate waste in the packaging value chain and within printing and converting plants.

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Thick paperboard for packaging certified for HP Indigo A new thick paperboard from Iggesund Paperboard has been certified for HP Indigo for printing high-value applications on commercial digital presses. where 18 pt is an attractive thickness for a lot of applications”, says Petra Kreij, Product Manager for Invercote at Iggesund Paperboard.

Tests were conducted at HP Indigo testing center in Singapore in multishot mode on an HP Indigo 7600 press and an HP Indigo 10000 press.

At Iggesund, the certification process has been coordinated by Wout van Hoof, Senior Technical Manager with a special responsibility for digital printing processes.

The 18 pt (457 microns ) Invercote Creato 380 g/m2 is double coated on both sides, offering identical print surfaces on both sides, making it especially suitable for premium packaging applications The paperboard was tested and certified for the HP Indigo 10000 series and HP Indigo 7000 series presses.

“When developing this product’s grammage and thickness, our development team wanted to ensure we meet not only the demanding requirements of conventional printing methods, but also the needs of digital printers who are looking for the thickest possible substrate that today’s digital presses can handle. This grammage is especially interesting to the US market

“We are very pleased that Iggesund has certified this new thick substrate.

It is one of the thickest products that has been certified for our HP Indigo presses, opening new highvalue packaging opportunities for HP Indigo commercial press owners,” said Heidemarie Hinger, HP Indigo Commercial Media Manager.

Invercote Creato 380 g/m2 joins the other grammages within the portfolio of which all the lower grammages already have HP certification. All certified products and grammages are available in the HP MediaLocator, and through regular Iggesund distribution.

The Invercote Creato product family, is designed to offer equal printing properties on both sides, with an exceptionally smooth surface that is tailored to faithfully reproduce the most sophisticated printed images.

This surface, combined with Invercote Creato's excellent structural, design and embossing characteristics, make it ideal for demanding graphical applications.

The whiteness level is tailored to ensure the best print contrast and colour reproduction properties required for high-end print productions.

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The Full Flavor of Expanding the Color Gamut When Amcor ANZ was tasked with the print for a potato chip rebrand, pre-press manager Gary McQuiggan had to deliver an extreme spread of colors without compromising any particular product in the range – or breaking the bank. Here’s how flexo and four color Expanded Color Gamut helped him pull off the job and wow his customer…

Rebrands can be a tricky business for printers. Take food and drink products.

Each particular variety in the revamped range has to leap off the shelf like it’s the one thing consumers need. So the printer has the challenge of producing bright, eye-catching and consistent colors and product shots for that product – without any adverse impact on the other products in the range. And then repeating that performance again and again with completely different colors. All while the brand holding the whole range together has to stand out as well. Feasible? For sure. But it sounds fiddly and expensive too.

In 2016, KODAK FLEXCEL NX plate user Amcor had the job of relaunching a major brand of chips in Australia, with a new logo, new product shots, and packs for a wide range of flavors. For Gary McQuiggan, pre-press manager for Amcor, ANZ, CMYK Expanded Color Gamut (CMYK ECG) print offered a way to deliver the necessary quality – while keeping costs down.

“The color gamut was extreme,” he says, of the job. “Bright yellows, magentas, dark blues, greens – the range had every color imaginable. Typically if a marketer came in saying they wanted

the green pack to be stronger, you could do that, but it would affect the Original flavor, for example, or the BBQ. But with our new CMYK ECG approach I could say: ‘Let’s just get in line with our current profile, don’t adjust it.’ In the next two weeks we got brand new artwork and we were away.

And the brand owner was raving about the results.”

Meeting Demands Traditional ECG works by offering a standardized set of inks for the printer to draw from. We typically think about ECG as a standard 7 color ink set – say, CMYK, orange, green and violet.

It’s great for efficiency, as it cuts preproduction lead times by removing the need to qualify new inks every time you go to press. You’re eliminating things like wash-out time on press, and scrap

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40 gravure, marketers don’t even exhaust it over 12 months,” says Gary. “It’s huge.”

But it’s not just about costeffectiveness. No savings are worth it if the quality of the end product isn’t up to scratch. Going back to the potato chip example, four color ECG allowed Gary to deliver exactly what mattered to the customer: the quality that drives repeat business, and a much broader color palette that doesn’t compromise the brand that glues the whole range of SKUs together.

in set-up. All very handy when the job demands you print so many different varieties within one job. What’s different about Amcor’s approach is that they found a way to expand the color gamut using only FOUR colors.

Amcor now has 24 machines across the region, and all of them run KODAK FLEXCEL plates, supplied by prepress specialists Kirk Group. One of the key reasons for adopting the FLEXCEL NX plate technology is that ease: Gary says it allowed him to take 7-color jobs to 4-color “very quickly”.

Elsewhere he’s taken one of the biggest branded biscuits in Australia from 9and 10-color gravure to 4-color flexo.

“In the past, to think you’d be able to get their bags out of 4-color with the promotional activity as well as the standard print, was unheard of. Now we’re able to do that, thanks to the Kodak flexo plate.”

Gary is quick to praise the Print, Mounting and Ink teams at the Amcor’s Moorabbin site, but also salutes the versatility the Kodak flexo plates give them. “I’m doing a superhero promotion for a major brand at the moment,” he says. “In the past, to think you’d be able to get their bags out of 4-color with the promotional activity as well as the standard print, was unheard of. Now we’re able to do that, thanks to the Kodak flexo plate.”

All Adding Up But Gary also explains how flexo, with its quicker set-ups and faster print runs, has huge positive cost implications. The results now go toe-to-toe with gravure, which is a vastly more expensive option in Australia. Thanks to an expanded color gamut, he can do the same job in 4-5 color flexo for “market-leading cost”.

“All businesses are under pressure for price and costs,” says Gary. “And I think that’s the key here: for a business like Amcor to be able to set up a machine and run surface and reverse print in the same sequence, on one machine, using one ink system, it’s staggering what that does for us.”

“Consistency is a massive deal, especially when you’re converting brand colors to process,” says Gary.

“And branding is key in this work. It’s my job to convince the end user that we can make their brand colors out of process.”

Thanks to CMYK ECG, Gary was able to run product shots and the special brand colors in one plate without compromising the brand. The logo was a large diamond in the middle of the pack, with the company name emblazoned in white out of a reverse red background. All contained within a reflex blue outline and a warm yellow glow. Not the easiest thing to pull off.

“I really struggled on a conventional plate to get that into a space the client was happy with,” says Gary. “But using an CMYK ECG approach on a Kodak plate, I had a much better density and gamut range, and got it pretty much first up.”

And for his clients? They’re able redirect their budgets as a result. Money that used to go on repro, proofing and tooling is now freed up for expanding that crucial promotional activity.

And was the brand owner raving about that too? “The logo was paramount,” Gary says. “The product shot ran second; and the background ran third.

Well guess what: I gave them all three.”

“Instead of blowing their seven-figure budget in three to four months with

Gary McQuiggan, pre-press manager for Amcor, ANZ

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LVMH drops luxe labels for simplicity LVMH ditched luxury packaging and opted for a no-frills, basic look for hand sanitisers going to hospitals. By Sha Jumari.

When the French government issued a call for help for medical supplies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic,

luxury conglomerate LVMH answered.

CEO Bernard Arnault gave the goahead for the initiative and within 72 hours, the first batch of hand sanitisers were on their way to hospitals in Paris.

According to the company’s social media account, it dedicated factories of its luxury brands, Christian Dior, Givenchy and Guerlain, to manufacture the sanitisers. LVMH has pledged to continue to produce and distribute them for free to frontline healthcare professionals in France for as long as it is necessary.

Another luxury brand under the LVMH umbrella is Bulgari. Following the lead of its parent company, Bulgari is also providing hand sanitisers to medical facilities in Italy. The brand and its fragrance partner ICR Laboraties, has begun manufacturing cleansing gels and distributing them through the Italian Civil Protection Department.

To meet demands as soon as possible, the sanitisers were placed in the most basic packaging – clear bottles with usage instructions, list of ingredients, and the simplest version of the brand logo. This look is a far cry from the usual luxurious packaging backed by a great deal of thought, effort and design.

Yet, this “design-less” packaging has been effective in fuelling positive public sentiment. The minimalism signified LVMH’s willingness to prioritise the country’s needs above capitalising on its own business. Displaying social responsibility earned brownie points with the public, as LVMH proved it goes beyond mere appearances.

As a result, this move has made LVMH a true class act.

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The new cold foil pa and cost-efficient, w To stand out with high-quality effects. This is what manufacturers are asking for more and more often when it comes to promotional packaging for their products.

And cold foil application is being used more and more frequently.

This is because, in applications where other methods are too slow or too expensive, the FoilStar cold foil module from Heidelberg conjures up fascinating metallic effects on the packaging, quickly and costefficiently – inline in just one printing pass. However, as Product Manager Thomas Friedrich explains, this is not the only reason why packaging printers are increasingly turning to cold foil applications with FoilStar.

Packaging embellished with cold foil is increasingly taking over new market segments, for example consumer electronics. Why is this?

The level of embellishment of packaging is increasing, as the wider the product diversity becomes, the greater the

role that packaging plays in the battle for winning over the customer. Due to its brilliance and versatility, cold foil is ideal for giving products that something special so that they stand out from the crowd.

With fine grids, overprinting, coating and subsequent embossing, as well as the use of foils for particular effects and unusual substrates, it makes it possible to produce unique eye-catching packaging. It also ensures high levels of productivity and economy.

High-quality embellishment at an attractive price: how is that achieved?

It is possible to apply the foil at maximum printing speed. With a Speedmaster XL 106 , this is up to 18,000 sheets

an hour. After the cold foil has been applied, the cardboard or the plastic can be printed in several colors and coated in the same pass – with conventional or UV inks. Postpress activities can be performed on the embellished printed sheets straight away, without the need for any interim steps.

This shortens the job throughput times enormously in comparison with an offline process – also in part due to the fast changeover.

Higher output and shorter delivery times are an advantage. What about economy?

In offset printing, cold foil is treated like an additional ink. Standard printing plates are used. No extra specific tools or plates, such as those required

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ackaging trend: fast with added value.

for hot-foil embossing, are needed to process cold foils. Furthermore, the required shade, such as gold, can be achieved by overprinting the silver cold foil. This reduces the process costs as well as the procurement and storage costs, as it is not necessary to use an additional foil for each different shade of color.

Another advantage is the frugal material consumption. Our FoilStar is positioned on the second printing unit.

Adhesive is applied to the parts of the printed sheet that are to be embellished at the first printing unit. In the second

printing unit, the aluminum pigments are transferred. To achieve this, the foil strip is brought into contact with the offset sheet in the printing nip between the blanket and impression cylinders.

In order that only as much foil as necessary is used, we offer our cold foil module with synchronization.

cylinder rotation and therefore by an entire sheet length. With the synchronized FoilStar, transport stops after the foil has been applied, thus decreasing foil consumption by 30 percent – with every print job. This is augmented by the additional opportunities provided by adapting the foil requirement to the print layout.

In concrete terms, how much material can be saved?

Depending on the print job, the FoilStar synchronization saves up to 80 percent of the foil. The exact amount is determined by the print motif. Normally, the foil always turns by a complete

For example, forwards foil feed can be reduced to 200 millimeters per sheet and, via the format length, it can be variably placed exactly where cold foil application is required. This option gives users a total material saving of up

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to 80 percent. Strip splitting prevents unnecessary consumption across the format width. With this process, the cold foil is applied to the areas to be embellished in narrower strips instead of in one strip across the entire width of the sheet. Another highlight is that the strips – up to six in total – can be embellished with various types of foil and their width can be selected as required.

And what happens if cold foil embellishment is not needed?

The FoilStar can be switched off and the printing units used can be changed over to offset printing. Just wash the inking unit and clamp on a new rubber blanket. All done.

What additional strategic benefits are generated by new applications and trends?

Cold foil opens the way to pushing ahead into market segments where high-quality embellishment was previously ruled out because it was too expensive or unfeasible. Examples of this are hologram patterns with iridescent rainbow gradients. This trend can be achieved with special foils. With highend devices, such as expensive smartphones, cold foil in packaging design not only creates a premium look: the special effects are also increasingly being used as safety features. This demonstrates that print shops that can offer cold foil are at the cutting edge.

And what are the plus points of the FoilStar in particular?

Users get an integrated solution from a single source. The advantages are an optimum interplay between the printing press and the cold foil module, as well as a point of contact in Support

and Service who helps you in the event of questions about operation and technology.

Is cold foil technology a complete replacement for hot-foil embossing?

No. There are some specific applications that hot foil is the better choice for. For example, with tactile effects.

Using the embossing stamp, substrates can be given a structure or a relief at the same time. With cold foil, a second process step is needed for this. Furthermore, pressure and heat create higher gloss than with cold foil. We currently offer three machines in the hot-foil embossing sector, together with our partner MK: the Easymatrix 106 FC , the Promatrix 106 FC and the Duopress 106 FCSB . Heidelberg thus has the right solution for our customers for every application.

www.xeikon.com

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New business model for corrugated box production Domino Digital Printing Solutions is about to enter the digital corrugated printing space and will be launching its first digital ink jet based product offering via a virtual launch event on 16 June. Besides this being a highly automated ink jet printing solution, Domino will also launch a new ink set based on novel water-based ink technology.

jet press for the corrugated industry on what would have been the first day of drupa 2020. So, don’t miss this virtual launch event on 16 June, when Domino will introduce ‘The new business model for corrugated box production.’

Matt Condon, Business Development Manager at Domino said, “The single pass Domino X630i digital ink jet press has been designed for everyday corrugated production, allowing corrugated box printers to maximise productivity and efficiency, and minimise cost, ink consumption and waste. It will enable them to profitably develop short and medium run market opportunities; facilitate new streams of business and provide a more complete range of capability for their customer base.”

Founded in June 1978 with its global headquarters in Cambridge, Domino Printing Sciences has a long and successful history of developing and manufacturing innovative coding, marking and digital ink jet printing technologies. This means the company has been supplying ink jet solutions for digital printing in the packaging converter space, but also supplying ink jet and other coding technology

equipment directly to FMCG producers in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical sectors. So whilst Domino’s background is digital printing, it is also heavily involved with packaging.

Now, with approaching 1000 worldwide industrial installations based on this proven and reliable ink jet platform, Domino will launch its first digital ink

This virtual event will be opened by respected print & packaging industry expert, Dr Sean Smyth, who will take a look at the corrugated sector market trends, the impact Covid-19 is having on these, and the growing trend to adopt digital technology. Sean will also interview Finn MacDonald from Kentucky based Independent II, to discover why they decided to take their first step into digital with Domino.

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It’s unbelievable photographic quality Multi-award-winning company The Label Makers has expanded into higher-end markets and turned a major food brand prospect into one of its biggest accounts, thanks to the Durst Tau RSC platform and software capabilities.

“It’s unbelievable photographic quality,” said David Webster, Managing Director at the company known as Labmak. “The print quality meant that we could look for more sophisticated work, particularly as we found it far easier to hit everybody’s brand color.

As one example, we were approached by a prospective customer who asked if we could reproduce its fluorescent green logo. Thanks to the fantastic quality from the RSC green ink, we were able to do this and won the new contract. Now that food brand is now one of biggest customers.”

Recently Labmak won two major awards for a complicated illustrated label embellished and printed on to bottles of spiced and dark rum for Manchester-based brand Diablesse.

One was for ‘Label of The Year’ at the UK Packaging Awards and the other was the ‘Special Effect in Labels and Packaging’ in the Digital Printer Awards. “The depth and vibrancy of the inks printed on the Durst Tau 330 RSC was crucial and I can’t think we’d have ever won without it,” said Mr. Webster. “Who would ever have thought we’d be printing rum labels digitally. What more can I say!

“Customer requirements are now changing constantly. In this market label delivery dates now typically get

changed hourly, not even on a daily basis, so we have to have flexibility of printing on either machine or even transferring work from flexo. Durst Workflow Label software enables us to manipulate files press side, so jobs can be tweaked immediately by press operators without sending the file back to the studio, which could easily take up to 20 minutes. Any changes are now done in five minutes – it’s a major timesaver. And it’s a gamechanger.”

Labmak, a family-owned company, was formed in 1963. Starting with letterpress, it moved into litho and flexo printing – and now increasingly uses digital. It has a reputation as a pioneer and supplies some of the UK’s leading brands covering markets such as food, beverages, personal care,

petro chemical and decorative coatings.

“Whereas a decade ago, we would be running jobs regularly of 100,000 labels a time, customers started making increasing numbers of order but in smaller batches, perhaps 10,000 labels a time,” said Mr. Webster.

Labmak became the beta test site for the Durst RSC platform three years ago, working in partnership with Durst.

It currently has two Durst Tau 330 RSC single-pass UV inkjet presses, with industrial scale production possible at up to 80 linear meters/min.

“The future of label printing is here – and it’s digital inkjet production,” said Mr. Webster. “We now have supermarket chains requesting that the jobs be printed inkjet rather than flexo because of the vibrancy of the colors, the screen effect of the inks and the perfect print registration. Our Tau RSC investments give us the opportunity to take on more clients and better service our existing customers. Previously we were mainly using the Durst Tau presses for the personal care markets.

Now, with the new capabilities, we are producing everything from food labels through to high quality wines and spirits.”

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“US AGAINST VIRUSES”: Steritube systems for air disinfection The Steritube systems from Virobuster feature the unique, patented UVPE technology (Ultraviolet Pathogenic Elimination) for air disinfection. They are used for the deactivation of micro-organisms harmful to humans, environment and food.

As an official partner, IST Metz is now distributing the products together with Virobuster.

The quality of water resources and air is deteriorating worldwide. Industry and agriculture for example, introduce toxins such as pesticides, hormones and microorganisms into the water, which can harm people. Air conditioning and ventilation systems in the working environment, medical technology or the food industry are also indispensable today and can spread harmful germs and bacteria in the air. The occurrence of germs in the supply air can have various causes, such as germinated filters and surfaces. The disinfection of water and air by means of UV technology has long been a proven and safe process worldwide.

Disinfection by UV light The UV light form low-pressure or medium-pressure mercury vapor lamps inactivates the DNA of the harmful germs and thus reduces the number

of germs to the legally prescribed maximum quantity – for example in drinking water. No chemicals are used, nor do undesirable or even harmful by-products arise during disinfection.

Pathogens that are resistant to chlorine, for example, are also reliably killed.

The natural taste, smell, colour and pH value of the water are not affected by treatment with UV light.

Virobuster and IST Metz join forces against viruses Eta Plus, the subsidiary of UV system manufacturer IST Metz, based in Nürtingen near Stuttgart in southern Germany, produces UV lamps and electronic ballasts used for these purposes. They are used, for example, in the municipal water treatment plants of Basel, Paris and San Francisco.

The UV lamps are used, among other things, to break down pollutants in drinking water, disinfect wastewater, ballast water on ships or in industrial water treatment.

Together with Virobuster GmbH, IST Metz would like to establish the market segment of air disinfection sustainably and successfully through optimized market access and bundled know-how.

The company Virobuster was founded in 2002 and initially established itself in the medical market before expanding into food production. Already in 2002, Virobuster started to develop the UVPE technology (Ultraviolet Pathogenic Elimination) in close cooperation with international institutes. The reduction of fungi, bacteria and viruses in the air has significant effects on air quality. The air is passed through the UVPE field and the DNA of the microorganisms is blocked (thymine blockade). This prevents further cell division and makes the microorganisms harmless.

In the medical sense this means that the microorganisms are no longer infectious. In the industrial sense it means that no further decay of the products take place. The dose required for enough deactivation depends on the type of organisms and their intensity – and on how long they are exposed to the UV field.

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The Challenges Facing Packaging production is an important part of the print industry. It might not appear to be as sensational as 3D or functional printing, but packaging can be quite an interesting topic as well.

So, let’s take a closer look at the challenges facing this cornerstone of our industry and what they mean for printers and converters.

Packaging production is one of the big markets that make up the print industry. While the roles of packaging have been steadily evolving over the past years, its focus is also shifting: these days, it’s not enough to have an appealing design to attract costumers anymore, sustainability was one of the growing trends to watch for 2020, being on the mind of both packaging producers and customers.

ible, requiring faster and more efficient machines. The boom of the e-commerce sector has proven to not only be a chance of growth for the packaging industry but also a challenge in that regard.

And while the pending COVID19 crisis has turned the world upside down, other areas of everyday life continue to evolve seemingly unnoticed. So let’s shift our focus on the many challenges facing the packaging industry today.

But it’s not only protection of goods and delivery mechanisms that are changing, the presentation of the product through clever and innovative packaging has also been stepped up quite significantly. New digital solutions have enabled substantial progress, allowing packaging designers and converters to do things that were previously impossible. And while digital may not completely replace analogue printing, it still provides the flexibility needed to work with shorter production runs, as the recent trend requires. Customization, security and traceability have never been to in demand or so easy to achieve.

More Flexibility, More Options Sure, the top priority of packaging is still protecting the goods, but they way it is done is very much changing.

To make packaging more sustainable, printers are opting for thinner materials and more sophisticated design.

With the delivery mechanism of boxes becoming more complex and varying in retail formats, packaging production needs to also be able to be more flex-

Industry4.0 Management All those new options and increased flexibility call for an improved management system. Thanks to the technical advances of our time, it is quite possible to accomplish this task – though it might take some extra effort and getting used to. Automation will help printers with optimizing machines’ up-time and enable effective communication between customers and producers, as well

as easier management of the various interfaces of different equipment. Having the right machine certainly is important but it is also essential to keep an eye on the complexity of the entire workflow.

Working with the right workflow automation systems also allows for a more cost-effective production. As our second Spotlight report already pointed out, workflow automation has the ability to result in increased productivity and reduced costs, when done correctly. And the cost pressure has reached the packaging industry as well, after all, we all want to get more and better products for less nowadays.

And the prices really shouldn’t be higher than they are right now to remain competitive. Brand owners want better, fast, more customized and better secured packaging to be able to assert themselves on the market, but they will not stand for higher pricing. There are

the Packaging Industry portant to cultivate a daily relationship with suppliers and see them as partners.

Printers can be connected directly with manufacturers and suppliers through the internet of things and keep preventive maintenance going. But services also need to be improved between printers and customers. Nowadays, customers are used to having a wide array of options at their fingertips, so it’s not just about the product anymore: customers want to feel secure and well cared for by your company, so even printers have to create an online presence, consultation and quality customer service.

three major elements that impact overall packaging production costs: quality, productivity and material expenses. In an integrated workflow, the production chain is only as strong as its weakest component, so these three factors should not be seen as isolated elements but across the entire chain from the design process to printing to converting and packing.

Bringing the Manpower With all that automation, there is still another factor that should not be disregarded: Workforce education and staffing. While hiring can be challenging in this industry and recruits that fully understand the industry requirements are rather rare, new digital solutions across the production line will make packaging production more attractive. We regularly present such fields of work in our #PrintingProfessions segments. Also, it is essential to have the training of the existing staff members integrated in

workforce planning, to prepare for the challenges of tomorrow.

But facing the challenges for packaging production successfully requires producers to not only take a closer look at internal processes, but rather reevaluate the overall placement of their companies. It is getting more and more im-

An Eye on the Future And now, here we are again. Sustainability. An extremely vexed issue for many industries. But we simply have to take this subject into consideration.

It means creating more demanding designs with thinner materials and more advanced substrates, all while working with the same productivity and more flexibility, at the same cost. First and foremost, sustainable packaging production means ideal waste management through zero-fault packaging.

The “Holy Grail of packaging production”. But sustainability doesn’t only mean “green”, “eco-friendly” or “zerowaste”, it also means creating lasting, long term processes. Therefore, it is vital for printers and converters alike, to keep an eye on the future of the print industry.

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Alibaba invests US$6 Million in Hong Kong packaging startup Ecoinno (H.K.) Limited. Ecoinno, a Hong Kong-based green material company focused on providing alternatives to single-use plastics, announced the closing of a US$6 million Series A1 funding from the Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund and Alibaba Taiwan Entrepreneurs Fund II. Ecoinno will utilise these funds to begin industrial-scale production of its proprietary Green Composite Material (GCM) and to strengthen its material research and engineering platform to help meet pressing consumer packaging needs, driven by tightening regulatory requirements globally, as well as increasing consumer green awareness.

Ecoinno has developed a patented Green Composite Material (GCM) and related processes, based 100% purely on natural plant fibres – the most abundant, renewable, and naturally occurring polymer on earth.

By repositioning nature's plant fibres, GCM harnesses the remarkable natural

attributes of plant fibres. Notably it is 100% biodegradable in the natural environment within 75 days and has extreme temperature tolerance (allowing freezing and oven reheating).

GCM is also three times stronger than plastic and bioplastic in tensile strength.

It is impermeable to oxygen, with an extremely low transmission rate, on par with even metal. The material is water and oil-resistance, and most importantly, has passed FDA tests to be toxic free.

"This new funding puts us solidly on the first step towards realising our vision of creating a sustainable, circular economy by delivering GCM products to our environmentally- focused

clients," said George Chen Dah Ren, co-founder and CEO of Ecoinno.

"We are thrilled to have both Alibaba Entrepreneurs Funds coming on board in our first institutional round, to help take the company forward. We are also very grateful to our long-standing benefactors, especially the HKSTP and the ITC." With its breakthrough GCM technology, Ecoinno aims to provide the global consumer and industry with an attractive and viable 'Third Option' that is a break-out from the traditional choice between petroleum-derived plastic and bio-plastic (consisting of mostly non-naturally occurring polymers) in a significant step towards creating a sustainable, circular economy.

Ecoinno is co-founded by Chen and COO Vivian Chang, incubated within the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park (HKSTP), and sustained with significant grant funding from the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC).

Ecoinno was also awarded as one of the Top Five Winners, and the only finalist in the Smart City Cleantech segment, at the Alibaba JUMPSTARTER Global Pitch Competition 2020.

George Chen Dah-ren shows food packaging made from Ecoinno’s ‘green composite material’ at the company’s offices in Hong Kong Science & Technology Park.

5th INTERNATIONAL PACKAGING AND PRINTING EXHIBITION FOR ASIA

22- 25 SEP 2021 BITEC • BANGKOK

www.pack-print.de

325

National Pavilions and Groups

leading exhibiting companies from

from Germany, Taiwan, Thailand, China and Singapore

30

countries and regions

International Visiting Delegations

More than

19,000

from the Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Korea, Japan and many more, as well as local group visits from Thailand's printing and

trade visitors from

63

countries, making up a 30% overseas participation Supported by:

I

Messe DUsseldorf / Organizer of:

packaging industries

For enquiries:

Within Thailand:

Exposis Co., Ltd Tel (66} 2559 0856 _ Fax (66} 2559 2893 info@exposis.co.th

Overseas:

Messe DUsseldorf Asia Tel (65} 6332 9620 _ Fax (65} 6332 9655 ppi@mda.com.sg

Jointly organized by:

8* au1Aumsuss,il'irurllna

THE THAI PACKAGING ASSOCIATION

The Thai Printing Association

f Messe Diisseldorf Asia

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Replacing some plastic fresh produce packaging with cardboard A supermarket giant in Australia is making a big change to how you buy your fruit and vegetables which it thinks could do wonders for the environment.

Picking up fruit and veg at the supermarket is set to be a little different with supermarket Woolworths ditching plastic packaging for cardboard. To mark World Environment Day, the supermarket giant has begun a trial where its Fresh Food Kids range of mini apples, pears and bananas will be packed in cardboard boxes rather than plastic bags.

The see through plastic bags will be changed for coloured boxes which have a resemblance to McDonald’s Happy Meal packs.That follows on the heels of bananas, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, broccolini, sweet potatoes and organic apples which have seen the plastic used in packing them reduced or axed completely.

pandemic shoppers were still keeping an eye on environmental issues.

“Something that was very surprising during COVID was the continued relevance of the environment, with 70 per cent of Australians saying that taking care of the planet and making sustainable choices remained important to them, even at the height of the crisis.

“While we’ve made pleasing progress in reducing the amount of plastic in our stores, supported recycling labelling initiatives, and made improvements in energy efficiency, sustainable sourcing and reducing food waste, we know there is still much more to be done to meet our customers and our own aspirations,” Mr Banducci said.

Woolworths says it has saved 237 tonnes of plastic packaging in the last year by swapping out plastic in the fruit and veg aisles. Customers have long grumbled that packs of fresh produce have used too much plastic wrap. This is particularity the case with organic produce which is often sold packaged to distinguish it from its non-organic equivalent.

Plastic clamshells around some bananas have been given the heave-ho in favour of sticky tape to wrap round them; rigid plastic trays holding vine tomatoes are now pulp fibre trays; plastic tags on broccolini have made the change to paper and plastic film on carrots and potatoes has been reduced by 30 per cent.

Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci said even at the height of the

The chain said that in total it had removed 890 tonnes of plastic from its

fruit, vegetables and bakery ranges over the past two years. Since the removal of single-use plastic bags in 2018 more than six billion Woolworths bags have been taken out of circulation, the firm said. Earlier this month, Woolworths stores began offering customers the option of a 20c brown paper bag.

The retro bag is made from 70 per cent recycled paper. They will be able to hold up to six kilograms of grocery items per bag, and are certified responsibly sourced by the Forest Stewardship Council.

But Woolworths has suffered some backlash after it emerged the bags were made overseas.

“Made in China … what a disgrace.

Certainly, won't be using these bags,” said one customer on Woolworths Facebook page.

“SHAME on you Woolworths,” said another. “Surely they should have been manufactured here in Australia?

A Woolworths spokeswoman said that the company would be keen to make the bags in Australia but there’s no manufacturer domestically with enough capacity to pump them out.

“We’ve been exploring options to source paper bags locally at the scale we need “We'll continue to work with local manufacturers to see if we can build the capability to produce paper bags locally.”

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Beyond Labels - developing sustainable packaging In less than two decades, Reflex Labels has grown to nearly 20 locations across the UK with the stated goal of providing the highest quality labels in Britain. But tucked into a former warehouse space in its Barwell, Leicestershire facility, Reflex is quietly positioning itself to go well beyond labels.

and our material waste has reduced to nearly nothing. With the excellent registration capabilities of the MPS presses, we throw out just the one product with the splice in it.” The simplicity of the Martin splicers is also an advantage in training. “It’s easy equipment to learn how to use, easy to train our operators—30 minutes and they’ve got it, and they can concentrate on the other parts of the line. I highly rate them,” he added.

Reflex Label Plus, a division of the Reflex group, has its own website and its own focus—applying innovative techniques and processes to combination printing for the food, pharmaceutical, health and beauty, and beer, wine and spirits markets. At the Barwell site, visitors see traditional label presses operating in the large, bright production space. Open the door to the aforementioned former storage facility, and one enters a different environment, where paperboard, films, and other substrates are brought together to create trays, sandwich packs and other value-added food packaging products.

And they’re just getting started.

Production Manager Shaun Boult moved to the UK six years ago from his native Wellington, New Zealand, where he worked for a multi-national food packaging corporation. He joined Reflex Label Plus to manage the newly expanded food service packaging business. His responsibilities include testing materials, processes and equipment - sometimes running product tests himself - and working with the Reflex sales group to prove new products. Boult has a suite of the latest equipment with which to work.

The first production line was an eightcolour EF-520 press from Dutch manufacturer MPS, and a second nine-colour EF-520 was subsequently added. The purchases were part of an investment programme across the whole Reflex Group that included more than a dozen presses. This included a top of the range Mark Andy P7, bringing the total number of the American presses in the Reflex Group to 27!

The MPS lines at Barwell were equipped with two non-stop unwind/splicing systems from Martin Automatic. One is a Martin MBX butt splicer that unwinds paperboard, typically 150-450 micron, from rolls as large as 1828mm (72”) in diameter. Additionally, each press was specified with a Martin MBSF splicer.

Initially supplied to feed 12-18-micron PET and OPP films, Boult notes that the MBSF splicers’ multi-substrate abilities to run paper and light board stocks will be crucial as Reflex looks to manufacture differentiated products.

Referring to the combination of Martin splicers on his MPS presses, Boult commented: “Obviously, we bought them for continuous running,

Although the package printing operation is connected to the labels section, it is run as an independent entity. Even the press operators were not transferred from the labels side but were brought in specifically for this side of the business. In addition to food-on-the-go product lines like sandwich packs, known as ‘sandwich skillets’ in the trade, Reflex Labels Plus is looking at new products focused on sustainability. “Sustainability is big here.

We’re all about promoting products for less landfill, easier recycling, and total compostability,” he added.

Speaking for the Reflex Group, CEO Ian Kendall concluded: “The biggest thing we look for at Reflex is customer support – and I cannot fault Martin in this respect. They are always quick to respond, and their equipment is reliable and consistent – everything you need for continuous production.” Current run lengths at the Reflex Labels Plus site in Barwell average around 300,000 units, with some as large as 2,000,000, on single shift operation. With Reflex planning for rapid expansion through investment in future-proof equipment and entrepreneurial personnel, it’s only a matter of time before those plans become a reality.

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Printing with an exten This article is about expanded gamut printing and answers the questions of what this is all about and how you can make full use of the great possibilities and benefits!

The approach of multicolor or expanded gamut printing in general is, that one, two or more extra inks are added to the standard ink palette with its process colors Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y) and K (Key/Black).

Currently, the most commonly used inks are orange, green, and violet.

The reason is, these colors help to extend the gamut of many printing devices to the most optimal size, and this particular color space expansion easily covers the majority of industry printing targets required. Ultimately, it depends on the aim, the print jobs, and the colors they contain to decide which additional inks are best suited.

The following graphic visualizes the basic idea of expanding a “standard gamut”. In this example orange (O), green (G), and violet (V) are added to our commonly used process colors CMYK (which are also known as “warm color set” and OGV as “cold color set”).

But, as mentioned before, the “X” can be set up in different ways. A color management expert will provide guidance on how to best configure a preferred ink set for your needs.

In the next chapters you learn more about application areas, the great advantages and benefits, and how to conduct a successful implementation.

What is the main goal of doing this?

The goal is to achieve, that any spot colors, like Pantone colors, can be reproduced with a fixed ink set using a set of process colors instead of unique spot color inks. This is often not possible with just CMYK if you want to achieve the required reproduction quality.

And as you already know, the accuracy of spot and brand colors is of the utmost importance to a brand owner.

The color always needs to be precise and consistent – all over the world on any kind of product or promotional piece.

So, the main goal is to achieve a perfect result by expanding the fixed ink set (CMYK+X) with additional colors (as explained above) and reproduce all spot colors with these – instead of using special colors in your printing press when you have to print a job that contains spot colors.

For example, in packaging there are mostly special (brand) colors utilized, they help brands to attract attention, maintain brand awareness, and also contribute to product counterfeit protection.

What are the advantages of this printing method?

There are a lot of great reasons, why it is very beneficial to implement an extended fixed ink set! Let’s review them…

- You are able to reproduce close to 100 % of spot colors with CMYK+X. For example, on a Hp Indigo 7900 with CMYKOGV 94 % of the PANTONE + Solid Coated Library were reproduced with a Delta E of less than 2 – using the right software.

- You as a printer (as well as your customer) save time and money by doing this: You do not need to order/ pay for special inks, wait until they are mixed and delivered. This reduces ink costs tremendously (--> see an example below) and your entire production process will be much faster and it lowers cost.

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nded fixed ink set

- Due to this – you as a printer have a huge competitive advantage as you can offer reduced pricing and faster delivery times.

- Special spot color inks no longer need to be stored – think about space and warehouse costs – and the reduction of disposed useless spot color inks.

- This process is even more sustainable: You need less inks, paper, energy, and produce far less waste.

- You considerably streamline, optimize, and speed up your entire production process. This is a very important point.

Without the need of changing over special inks for every single print job – or even for one job, if there are so many spot colors used that you are unable to print the job in a single run – you have faster throughput, you have no makeready times or additional cleaning and wash-up times of the presses. The picture below visualizes on an abstract level these aspects, before expanded gamut printing and after making use of this technology.

Schematic diagram of a standard printing workflow with spot colors During the “red phases” your machine is out of production and no longer producing revenue. If you need 60 minutes to prepare the machine

including changeover of spot inks, anilox, cylinders and to adjust pressure, inks, and register them again, this will take you 3 hours plus cleaning time.

Schematic diagram of the expanded gamut printing workflow without spot colors

As you can print the jobs with the same (expanded fixed) ink set, you only need to prepare the press one time. After that, you can print several jobs for different customers containing various spot colors back-to-back. Please see a real calculation below.

- You gain a lot of flexibility because you can gang-run print jobs, containing different spot colors. There is no longer any need to print one job after the other!

- Furthermore, there are additional benefits: Customers can use the calculations made by our software to empower their printing systems to distribute print jobs automatically to the individual presses in their shop that are best suited for a specific job to achieve the most accurate printing

results. Read more about this intelligent and self-sufficient production process in the case study about harder-online, one of the leading European digital packaging producers who prints customized boxes for mymuesli.com.

Why haven’t we done this for years?

Well, the concept is not new and there have been many use cases for years, unfortunately, available technology made the process more difficult to implement. As you can imagine, on a technical level it is not as simple as it may seem.

63

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64 You require specialized software with well-thought-out and proven color conversion algorithms which makes it possible to properly convert the color information of each unique spot color to the intended ink set separation sequence with which you intend to print them. The calculation must be very precise and needs to take into account a lot of additional factors like the printing conditions, target substrates, etc.

Today, intelligent software tools are available to print in this manner and offer the ability to take advantage of these great benefits.

How do you conduct a successful implementation?

We recommend and underline how important it is to use a professional color management software, which has been specially developed for this particular purpose.

Our software for multicolor printing, X Gamut, was launched in 2018. The software delivers a simplified wizardbased tool that guides the user through the entire process, with a feedback function and process control to assist the user – no matter how much color management knowledge or experience he or she may have – to conduct the process easily, quickly and reliably.

The software ensures that the spot colors of your print jobs can be accurately reproduced and considers of course important “multicolor rules”. That means, for example, that every spot color is converted with a maximum of three process colors of the fixed ink set.

People in the printing industry know that this is very important because otherwise, you could have moiré effects in your printed output. But, some studies about multicolor printing showed that not all expanded gamut tools respect that basic rule.

Additionally, this has an interesting side effect, because you can save on ink usage at this stage. If you use the right software and the spot color is reproduced by a maximum of three inks instead of five or more, you can have a greatly reduced total ink coverage.

There is a huge difference between the

Example: Calculation of PANTONE 2433 C with X Gamut and Landa S10 and CMYKOGB (Delta E 0.41) available tools on the market and you must research that. And in the end, this not only guarantees an optimal quality, but it also saves money for you, too.

In the following diagram you see more examples of spot colors and the “translation” of their DNA into the appropriate inks used on the machine.

It also proves that they are reproduced with three or less inks. In addition, the software helps you to understand if your quality requirements are achieved.

X Gamut received the European Digital Press Award (EDP) for the best color management software in 2019 during FESPA. The technical committee highlighted that: “Seven-color (or multi-color) 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."

Which are the main application areas?

Everywhere spot colors are used

93 million population - 14th most

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populous country on earth 3 - 2019

20 _018

LABELS & PACKAGING CONFERENCE

NEW DATES to be advised - Ho Chi Minh City

2020

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66 and machines with more than four colors are available, X Gamut will be beneficial!

As the jury of the EDP award commented, you can use our expanded gamut tool in a digital as well as a conventional printing environment or, of course, in a mixed production scenario.

In many cases, our customers use the software as a “spot color alternative” as described in this article and printing companies replace and reproduce spot colors inks – which they have traditionally used in their printing presses to print these spot colors – by an expanded fixed ink set (CMYK+X) .But, the second popular application area is in photo book printing as X Gamut is able to convert PDF with RGB data, too, and at the same time.

Just drag and drop your PDF´s in!

This means the tool does not only help to leverage the full gamut of the press and ink set so that spot colors can be precisely reproduced – it also applies and works for images (in parallel)

Thanks to the extended gamut they can be printed brilliantly in all their detail.

Brilliant images with better saturation.

In addition to an easy to use wizard and a fully automated process, which speeds up the workflow and helps to avoid user error, many people like that you only need one software solution.

X Gamut is client and server in one application – in many other cases you need two or more tools, which is more expensive and complicated to use.

X Gamut in practice The software is in use today with many different machines, like digital presses – for example on several HP Indigos like 5600, 6800w, 6900w, 7900, 12000 or DURST Tau 330, Screen TruePress Jet L350UV, KBA Color Press, Epson SureColor LabelPress, Landa S10 – or Flexo Offset like COMEXI CI8 - or Offset presses like Komori Lithrone,

Heidelberg CD-102-8P, 106XL and manroland evolution 700.

It can also be used in large format printing or industrial printing. There are so many devices in the market not being utilized to their full potential!

Let’s take a closer look at the manroland press with its use of seven colors! One installation was done in China, at one the country’s largest printing groups ZRP. They are recognized as one of China’s Top 20 printers and the largest manroland user worldwide with approx. 300 employees and 120 brand customers.

One of the first exciting print jobs they did with X Gamut was an air freshener package for a large globally recognized brand owner. It contained 13 spot colors. Normally they needed to print this job in two runs with their manroland evolution 700.

After processing the file through our color management software and converting the spot colors, we enabled their ability to print the package designs very precisely with the use of CYMKOGV. Removing the need for special

colors all together!

The customer gained large benefits from using X Gamut as you can see in the following table which summarizes five live production jobs done with X Gamut. More than $70,000 were saved

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67

during the project as well as huge time savings. In addition, press capacity increased by approximately 40%.

Summary Special colors are especially eyecatching and really important for every brand owner! A large global player and customer summarized that very impressively when he said: “Our brand colors are our crown jewels; they always need to be perfect!”

But to work with spot colors requires effort and expense for all companies involved. Extra inventory, higher prices,

frequent color changes and subsequent wash-up and press downtime all add up to reduced flexibility in job processing and significantly impact the whole production workflow.

As a result, the printing press is not used to the best of its ability and productivity drops. That costs time and money.

Our software tool X Gamut is a fully automated color management workflow software for extended color printing on digital and conventional presses. It helps all printing houses using an expanded color standard, fixed 7 or 8 color ink set to accurately reproduce spot colors and to print

brilliant images, in the case of photo books for example.

That means: No need to mess around with special inks. The perfect match of software features and intelligent workflow tools in X Gamut enable printers to leverage the full gamut of the press and ink set so that spot colors and images are brilliantly reproduced in all their detail – all without the need for special color inks.

This not only considerably streamlines the production process but also helps to tremendously reduce cost - for printers and clients alike.

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Covid-19 outbreak drives sales in APAC Following the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and its impact, instant noodles have become a staple diet in many of the Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries because of taste, affordability and convenience, which is driving its sales, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData forecasts the APAC instant noodles segment to record a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.70% from US$27.39bn in 2019 to US$ 31.67bn by 2023.

Khushboo Jain, Consumer Insights Analyst at GlobalData, says: “As more people are staying home and avoiding outdoor activities amid the outbreak, the sales of instant noodles have peaked

in recent days. The current utilityowned instant noodles are affected primarily by the COVID-19 pandemic and their demand has skyrocketed in recent days as consumers are actively stockpiling the emergency supplies in the APAC.” The volume consumption of instant noodles in the APAC region set to increase from 8925 million kg in

2019 to 9395 million kg in 2023. The convenience and economical value of instant noodles are amongst the key factors attributed to their continued strong market presence and upswing in sales. The APAC is home to the world’s fastest-growing market for instant noodles, which is reflected in the size of its industry and the rapid rate of expansion in output over recent years.

The APAC accounted for the largest market share of around 85% in 2020 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.37% over the next four years.

China is one of the leading markets in the APAC region, accounting for the largest market share of around 60% in 2020.

Low cost, product variety, longshelved life and increasing demand for convenience foods are fueling the sales of instant noodles in the APAC region. The per capita consumption is

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s instant noodles

Jain concludes: “Instant noodles have become savior for many people amidst this pandemic. With people across the APAC being asked to stay home for the past few weeks and several cities now going on a strict lockdown the demand for easy to cook products such as instant noodles are bound to rise as consumers are stockpiling staple food products and creating more challenges for the companies to continue supply under demanding situations. As a result, it is important for the companies to satisfy consumers with both inexpensive instant noodles and fancier varieties of their old favorites.” increasing from 2.19 kg in 2019 to 2.35 kg in 2023 with a growth rate of 7%.

The prominent players in the APAC instant noodles market are Tingyi Holding Corp (China) Toyo Suisan Kaisha, Ltd. (Japan), Nissin Foods Co., Ltd (Hong Kong), Nestle SA (India) PT. Indofood (Indonesia) and Nongshim Co Ltd (South Korea) which together account for around 35% market share.

Innovations in instant noodles can effectively tackle the taste-health paradox revolving around it, particularly through marrying indulgence with nutrition and other health benefits.

To elevate the image of instant noodles, manufacturers are focusing on launching healthy and nutritional products, with added fibre, reduced salt and vegetables. For instance, Nissin Food Co. reduced sodium levels in instant cup noodles and launched smart salt intake indicator for consumers.

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Fast tracking recycling in Indonesia Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia (Amatil) today announced it had entered into a Heads of Agreement with long-term packaging partner Dynapack Asia (Dynapack), to build a state-of-the-art bottle to bottle grade Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Recycling facility in Indonesia.

Amatil and Dynapack will work together through a proof of concept phase, which is intended to to consider a potential plant’s economic feasibility, size, scale and location, end-to-end requirements and potential integration into each company’s value chains.

President Director of Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia, Mr. Kadir Gunduz, said Amatil and Dynapack had established a joint project team to leverage each company’s expertise in respective parts of the production and recycling process, as part of considering this facility.

Mr. Gunduz said, “This joint venture represents a real environmental stepchange in our move towards a more sustainable approach to plastic and a circular economy by bringing low-

quality PET waste back to virgin-quality, food-grade PET, which also echoes The Coca-Cola Company’s ‘World Without Waste’ vision.

It is a significant step towards Amatil becoming self-sustaining in the plastic materials we use, ensuring a closed-loop for plastic beverage packaging in Indonesia as a whole.”

He also added that the use of recycled plastic could reduce the amount of new plastic resin the company uses by an estimated 25,000 tonnes each year in 2022, aligning with the commitment as part of the steering board at NPAP (National Plastic Action Partnership) to supports Indonesia’s National Action Plan in achieving a 70% reduction in the nation’s marine plastic debris by 2025.

As the leading rigid plastic and packaging company in South East Asia and China, Dynapack Asia intends to collaborate with their customers to increase the use of recycled materials and products, strengthening the region’s recycling ecosystem and achieving a circular economy in South East Asia and China. “To support our environmental responsibility, we have signed a global commitment with the Ellen McArthur Foundation to use at least 25% of recycled resin material in our packaging products by 2025. This recycled PET resin facility is another step closer to achieving our commitment.” President

Director of Dynapack Asia, Tirtadjaja Hambali said.

Following the proof of concept phase, and formalisation of agreements, the parties will outline their intended program.

Amatil and Dynapack Asia support many grassroots initiatives to help collect and recycle beverage containers including Bali Beach Clean-Uup and several other similar programs.

About Dynapack Asia Dynapack Asia is a leading Rigid Plastic Packaging and Components manufacturer in South East Asia and China, serving local and multinational customers in the region. It operates over 30 manufacturing sites across Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.

Over the years, growing its focus on Sustainability, Dynapack Asia has made it a priority to ensure that it delivers lower carbon footprint in the products it produces by collaborating with partners and leading initiatives to create a positive impact to the environment.

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72 Sun Chenical and DIC Corporation buy Digital Inks business Sun Chemical and its parent company, DIC Corporation, have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100 percent of the shares of Sensient Imaging Technologies and certain other assets related to the production of inks. The transaction is expected to be finalized in the second quarter of 2020.

Pinyapel – the Filipino sustainable pineapple paper Made from discarded pineapple leaves, Pinyapel is food-safe, naturally waterresistant and 100% biodegradable, making it a viable packaging option.

Developed by the Design Center of the Philippines, Pinyapel is a specialty paper that is processed and manufactured from the locally sourced pineapple leaves. The Philippines is the second largest pineapple producer in the world, and Pinyapel is made from the discarded leaves of its plants.

Pinyapel is reinforced and print-ready for packaging applications.

The specialty paper can be used to make a number of products from paper shopping bags to coffee cups, most of which in the market are lined with plastic to make them water resistant. Pinyapel requires no extra plastic film layer, as pineapple leaves are naturally water-resistant. Pinyapelmade packaging can be in direct contact with food, making them a feasible alternative for food packaging.

Pinyapel is 100% biodegradable. It can also decompose faster than other paper products. According to tests by the Design Center of the Philippines, Pinyapel reached about 55% mass loss in four weeks, much higher than the 21% mass loss in commercial paper bags.

The innovation won the 2019 Wood Pencil award by the UK-based charity D&AD Future Impact for sustainability. It is also the Philippines’ first award for the category.

The strategic investment in Sensient Imaging Technologies, a supplier of digital inks, will allow Sun Chemical and DIC to expand its inkjet ink capabilities and expertise using complementary technologies that will further strengthen the highest standards of services and solutions to its customers and distributor partners.

Inkjet is a strategic segment for Sun Chemical and DIC, and the investment in Sensient Imaging Technologies will demonstrate Sun Chemical and DIC’s commitment in the digital segment.

“We’re excited for the opportunities this acquisition presents not only for Sun Chemical but the future of digital inks,” said Mehran Yazdani, President of Sun Chemical Advanced Materials.

“Sensient Imaging Technologies’ portfolio and expertise in the industry, combined with our extensive background in industrial inkjet ink solutions, will enhance our combined customer support. Our customers rely on digital print’s agile supply chain and production flexibility, so they will value this acquisition because it will drive future innovation and expansion.”

Sun Chemical is dedicated to reinforcing Sensient Imaging Technologies’ reputation within the digital space and is committed to a customer-focused transition.

Injet metal decoration partnership Inkjet technology pioneer, Fujifilm, has agreed to an ongoing partnership with the UK’s largest specialist metal packaging printing firm, Tinmasters.

The agreement will see Tinmasters install a Fujifilm Acuity B1 UV inkjet printer at its premises in south Wales.

The machine will be used for short run and customised commercial work and Fujifilm will retain access for customer demonstrations and ongoing development work.

“Run lengths are coming down across the industry,” says Tinmasters CEO Richard O’Neill. “We’ve long known that investing in a digital solution to respond to this was going to have to happen at some point. We just haven’t seen anything out there, as an off-theshelf product, which does everything that we would ideally want it to. We made a significant investment in 2018 in a highly automated litho press to try to meet the growing challenge posed by shorter run lengths – but the trend is accelerating and digital was going to have to start to play a significant role in our response to that at some point.

“It was the exceptional print quality and registration from the Acuity B1 that drew us initially to Fujifilm.

However, the partnership angle of the agreement is crucial,” O’Neill continues. “Inkjet is completely new to us, and what we’re learning very quickly from Fujifilm is that it has the potential to be much more than simply a cost-effective way to print short runs. It also offers huge advantages in achieving colour consistency across jobs and in experimenting with creative applications and special effects, such as using ink layering to get textured finishes – something only possible with UV inkjet technology.

At the same time, Fujifilm is new to metal decoration, so given we’ve been printing on metal since 1909, there’s a lot of expertise we can offer to help them to adapt their inkjet solution to

Labels and Packaging Innovation Asia • 3 2020 - November 5th dealine for Packaging Awards

74 tool,” says Roeland van Veen, Service Director at Contiweb, “Boosting uptime and enhancing print quality, MyContiweb gives the critical information needed to keep processes running productively and efficiently.”

better meet the needs of the industry.

“Ultimately, this partnership for us is about better serving the needs of our customers and we’re confident that we’ll immediately be able to present them with some innovative solutions to common problems and challenges.

Already we can see value in the Acuity B1 for very short run work of less than 500 sheets, and for sampling, customisation and special effects. In the longer term though, as we work with Fujifilm to increase the speed and improve the handling for metal, I think we could see digital used to take on work in the 500 to 5,000 sheet range.

So this for us really is a long term commitment, it’s not about the next year, or even the next few years, we’re thinking about the next decade and beyond. We think inkjet is going to be a big part of the future of metal dec, and by getting in early we want to help to shape what that future looks like, and become a real technology leader in the industry.”

Kevin Jenner, Business Manager, Industrial at Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems adds: “I think the transition from analogue to digital in metal dec is a couple of decades behind the graphics industry, where we’ve been developing and refining our inkjet technologies for 20 years. It’s quite a homogenous market, with all of the major players producing very similar applications with similar kit so it represents a unique opportunity “At Fujifilm, we know a thing or two about transitioning from analogue technologies. We’ve done it ourselves in our own business and we’ve worked with countless printers in the graphics sector who have moved, in whole or in part, away from litho and screen technologies to embrace the potential of digital.

“Having said all of that, we recognise that we’re comparative newcomers to the metal dec sector and, though in the Acuity B1 we have an inkjet machine with enormous potential, we still have a lot to learn. So who better to learn from than a metal printer with more than a century of experience and heritage to draw on? Together we want to fully exploit the technical capability of the current platform and, looking to the future, develop the machine into an even more exciting commercial proposition – increasing its speed, improving its handling ability and developing inks that will comply with the most stringent international food safety standards.

“There is in the industry, we believe, a tremendous latent demand for the short run work, creativity and customisation that inkjet allows, but in many cases neither the canmakers nor designers know that those possibilities exist – so they’re not asking for them.

When they do start asking – and they will – we’ll be ready, and together we look forward to shaping a future of possibilities even we haven’t dreamt of yet.”

Digital platform for analyzing and controlling print production Contiweb, a specialist in state-of-theart technologies for printing, advanced drying and web-handling, has announced today the launch of MyContiweb, a new digital platform providing printers with the insight and control to help elevate production to optimum efficiency.

With a choice of five modules, including a free basic module, MyContiweb offers 24/7 technical support, task management, performance and resource analytics, print service providers of any size can benefit with the addition of MyContiweb to their toolkit.

“Maintenance, production, press room and plant managers will very quickly find MyContiweb to be an essential

Print service providers can choose from the following five MyContiweb modules: Basic Module: available free-ofcharge for unlimited users, the basic dashboard provides a quick overview of printing press lines and the task manager, it’s also a central hub for machine-specific information like manuals, plus access to an easy-to-use online parts shop with more than 7000 parts available including actual stock information.

Service Support: with unlimited access to 24/7 telephone Tech Support, monthly machine performance data and service reports and, for those with Regional Service Agreements, task allocation direct to Contiweb.

Performance Analytics: delivers a complete overview of Contiweb equipment performance and uptime with daily updates and recommended action for special situations.

Resource Analytics: daily monitoring of resource consumption and major performance indicators, including proactive notifications on recommended actions for special situations.

Multi Brand: task management across unlimited press lines, irrespective of manufacturer, for a complete overview of processes, plus a central hub for third-party documentation.

“MyContiweb is another step towards our goal of optimising every press line to its full potential. Our extensive experience of data-collection has positioned us as a technology leader and has fed into the development and optimisation of our systems. This new digital platform allows Contiweb to open channels to share that data with our customers, so they can also bring about further efficiencies. Like all Contiweb systems, MyContiweb was developed based on market need and I look forward to seeing the new platform deliver great value to print service providers across the globe,” concludes Van Veen.

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