February 2013 PWA

Print World Asia Magazine Covering the Printing, Packaging and Publishing Industries across Asia.

Issue 2 2013

MICA (P) 046/11/2010 - KDN PPS1529/05/2013(025527)

Primus Plus, the upgraded thermal CtP plates based on the original Primus technology with balanced press performance, resolution, latitude and production. Your first choice for high-quality, long run-length and low chemical consumption printing requirements.

The new Primus series plate technology has been designed to give benefits for both the end users and to minimize waste disposal impact on the planet.

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Contents Page 4 6 8 10

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The pre-press question Tackling packagings elephant in the press room Advanced technology in the print and packaging industry Intelligent Print System to Maximize Quality and Productivity Insert Localisation with an HP T230 Color Inkjet Web Press First installation worldwide of the new Xeikon 3030 plus Texoma Print Services - Presstek 75DI Brings Dramatic Change MGI’s JETvarnish 3D takes spot UV coating to a new level Heidelberg and Polar highlight Asia as a growth market KBA completes high-performance large format line-up Pragati Offset’s royal success Heidelberg online shop – a secure, fast way to order 24/7 The packaging market is growing - Heidelberg offers complete solutions from a single source Shen’s Art Printing celebrates Gold Award Toray’s Good News For Newspaper Printers Food for thought High performing products from Flint Group Flexographic Products The Natural Solution for Confectionery Packaging Planning, Printing and Predicting Their Way Into the Future What will the alternative vision to print be?

Industry news from all over the world Last page just for laughs!

Issue 2 2013 No 71 Geylang Lorong 23 #07-02, THK Building Singapore 388386 tel+65 6733 5342 fax +65 6733 3586 Publisher

Paul Callaghan paul@cpublish.com.sg

Events

Elizabeth Liew eliew@cpublish.com.sg Managing Director

Jeffrey Protheroe jeff@cpublish.com.sg Journalist

Christel Lee editorasia@cpublish.com.sg Advertising Sales

Jeffrey Protheroe jeff@cpublish.com.sg Accounts Manager

Radika PS accounts@cpublish.com.sg

Print World Asia • 2/2013

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PrePress

The pre-press question Chemistry-free might seem tempting but printing companies are increasingly seeing the benefits of low-chemistry options

In 2012 Xingraphics launched its lowchemistry, low-maintenance thermal plate solution with the introduction of Primus and in 2013 launched improved version Primus+ with Arto developer and replenisher, and we are seeing a surge in global plate sales in all markets. This trend looks to continue. The main reason we are successful is that Xingraphics is the only China-based company focused purely on manufacturing CTP thermal plates. Our tightly net- worked team who continuously communicate with R&D and the manufacturing facilities allows Xingraphics to respond to market trends. Using feedback provided from customer communications and demands, Xingraphics team assess this information to have a better understand-ing of products customers want or need.

Market Trends The graphic arts market was further impacted in 2012 with a major player moving into Chapter 11. This caused many companies to review their long term strategy of which plate manufacturer they would use for their long term supply. Printers choices for a stable high-quality thermal plate supplier had now been narrowed in this limited market. This further opened the door for Xingraphics.

Why use Xingraphics low-chemistry solution?

Xingraphics’ low-chemical usage Arto D Developer and Arto R Replenisher products have been designed to allow end users to reduce the amount of chemistry needed while maintaining a clean developer bath throughout the chemistry life. Customers using the new chemistries have reported a chemical consumption reduction of up to 40%, and an increase in overall bath life. They have also reported lower maintenance requirements needed to complete a chemistry change.

Can I utilize equipment I already own?

Xingraphics understands that the technology used to manage the amount of developer replenishment needed per plate varies. Processors need to be able to accurately manage replenishment to prevent developer from becoming too weak or too strong when a multitude of sizes are used. In basic models of processors, the same amount of replenishment is put into the bath every time the input sensor is activated regardless of plate size. Therefore, in end users where the size of plate being processed varies, the developer bath is prone to getting too week or too strong due to inaccurate replenishment for the size of plates being processed.

In newer, more sophisticated processors, all the plate sizes used are entered into the software allowing the machine to measure the plates and replenish according to the size being processed, so the bath stability is maintained accurately.

Another consideration when choosing a processor is the design and accuracy of the replenishment pump used. Many older processors use very inaccurate oscillating type pumps that are good

chemistry- free or process-less CTP thermal plates in selective markets, and we accept that in some instances this may be the best solution for some customers. However, we are also seeing

Xingraphics Newly launched Primus+ and Arto Developer low-chemistry solution utilizes existing equipment widely used in the industry today for adding large amounts of chemistry, and become less efficient as they get older. More accurate metering pumps should be used to accurately replenish small amounts of chemistry.

Chemistry-free CTP solutions Xingraphics has seen the trend in global markets towards the so-called

the trend where customers prefer to use low-chemistry CTP thermal plate solutions. Many customers are even switching to our low-chemistry solution after using chemistry-free or processless plates for a short period of time.

Paul Rudman, Xingraphics technical product manager, Europe says: “In the past three months alone, we have

Print World Asia • 2/2013

PrePress Xingraphics F ­ act file Privately owned company based in China that specializes in the manufacturing of CTP thermal plates • High-quality product portfolio • Established in 2006 • Fourth largest global manufacturer of thermal CTP plates • Only sells via selective dealers in each country and does not sell direct to end users • Globally/locally based network of technical support staff • Has achieved up to 60% market share in several global regions • Global distribution partners for our products include Heidelberg, Manroland, Screen and Staples • New low- chem thermal series, Primus and Arto are fully accredited

by Screen and Heidelberg For more information visit: www.Xingraphics.com

on press. This technology is basically similar to the plate that needs a processor or a gumming unit, except the coating is removed on the press, which now serves as a very expensive plate processor. The coating is simply broken down into the ink or fount and is reported by the plate manufacturers to be carried out of the press on the printed sheets. Although the use of chemicals in the pre-press area has been removed, customers have stated that they have seen an increase in time needed for press maintenance and cleaning procedures.

converted four printers who were using chemistry- free plates to our low-chemistry thermal solution. Our product gave them financial cost benefits and was welcomed with open arms by the pre-press and the printers.”

Many printers have voiced the concern about being locked into one technology that is only available from one supplier.

Existing chemistry-free and processless technology The current process-less option requires the plates to be developed

For example, they removed the existing plate processor that had always worked well when processing thermal plates from a multitude of manufacturers over the years, in favor of plates that process on press or need a unique gumming unit. They then realize in the event of a supply problem, they do not have any alternative way of producing plates. The Xingraphics Primus+ and Arto developer low-chemistry solution utilizes existing equipment widely used in the industry.

• Primus+ when used with our Arto Developer and Arto Replenisher produces

Benefits and Specs of Primus+ • Primus+ utilizes a “Shallow Grain” technology that allow printers to run up to 10% less water, thus saving up to 10% on ink as well. our highest quality printing plates using low chemistry consumption.

• Primus+ plate can be imaged on all existing thermal 830nm CTP devices.

• Primus+ produces the highest imaging quality available, able to reproduce 1-99% @ 450lpi and 10 micron Staccato.

• Utilizes most thermal CTP plate processors available today.

• Exposure energy: 110~130 mj/cm2 • Can be ran up to 250,000+ impressions un-baked or 1,000,000+ impressions when post baked.

• UV ink compatibility: Applicable with UV inks when post-baked

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Print World Asia • 2/2013

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PrePress

Print World Asia • 2/2013

PrePress

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PrePress

Advanced technology in the print and packaging industry X-Rite, Incorporated is accelerating the introduction of advanced technology in the print and packaging industry with a worldwide trade-in program for the X-Rite-eXact series of spectrophotometers Customers can receive a rebate ranging from €550 to €800 that can be applied to a purchase of a standard, advanced or densitometer version of eXact for each qualifying instrument they send in that appears on a specified list of more than 38 X-Rite, GretagMacbeth (Gretag) or competitor's handheld instruments.

The trade-in program expires 30 June 2013, and customers can obtain more detailed information about the terms and conditions of the offer by referring to www.xritetradein.com. Instruments that are traded in will be disposed of in an environmentally responsible fashion.

Among the instruments qualifying for the trade-in program are the X-Rite models 400 series, 504, 508, 518, 520, 528, 530, 918, 939, 938, 948, 968, X-Rite (or GretagMacbeth) SpectroEye and SpectroEye LT, GretagMacbeth (or Gretag) D19C / D196, X-Rite (or GretagMacbeth) DensiEye 100, 700, 750 and selected models from competitors.

The eXact spectrophotometer makes colour measurements quick and easy for brand managers, pre-media, ink suppliers, printers and converters, while solving the widespread problem of measuring and matching colours on various substrates and surfaces.

With split-second measurement times and improved accuracy to simplify workflow, the eXact instrument is the first spectrophotometer in the industry to offer customers a way to measure true daylight conditions by supporting all the M Standards inclusive of the complete M1.

For today's needs of matching proof to press across many substrates, the

X-Rite eXact brings to the supply chain a simple-to-use device that is fully compliant with ISO 13655:2009 measurement standards.

In addition to using advanced measurement technology, the new platform is easy to learn, thanks to the intuitive software and touch screen controls. The eXact instruments can be set up to position key elements in the order most likely to be needed by personnel such as press operators and operations managers, giving users instant access to the tools they need, often in a single click. The platform uses X-Rite Graphic Arts Standard (XRGA) and Color Exchange Format (CxF™) to communicate colour for easy data exchange.

With flexibility to match a company's requirements and budget, the eXact series of spectrophotometers works seamlessly with other powerful X-Rite solutions for the printing industry, including Color iQC Print, InkFormulation 6, NetProfiler 3 and PantoneLIVE™ cloud-based color service that gives brand owners a means to connect their whole supply chains.

Color iQC Print and PantoneLIVE shave days off projects by making sure that all the links in the supply chain – from brand owners and designers to product production – have reliable and accurate colour information when and where they need it.

Some of the features include: • Faster measurement time of less than 1 second • Sequential measurements of M0, M2 and M3 • An integrated tile for simplification and faster calibration • Support of CxF standard for easy data exchange • Colour display with touch screen technology, offering intuitive software that minimises the time it takes for operators to learn the instrument and options to streamline navigation of menus • “Best Match” function quickly and easily determines if operators can achieve satisfactory matches on-press • Automatic detection of patch types (solid, paper, half tone, overprint gray balance) to reduce operator error and speed measurements • Integrated tools to determine if materials are within variety of standards (ISO, JPMA, G7, PSO) (Pro), as well as in-house standards/processes

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Digital Technology

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Print World Asia • 2/2013

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Digital Technology

Intelligent Print System to Maximize Quality and Productivity The new KODAK PROSPER 5000XLi Press represents another major step forward in digital print technology from one of the pioneers of inkjet imaging.

Announced today at Hunkeler Innovationdays in Lucerne, Switzerland, the new device combines the field-proven performance of the PROSPER Press Platform with new press management technology that constantly monitors and adjusts settings to ensure the highest quality output.

At the core of the new press is the Intelligent Print System (IPS), which is designed to process thousands of press inputs that measure imaging

performance, detecting variations and making adjustments as needed on the fly. With IPS, the PROSPER 5000XLi Press continuously learns from the input and calculates imaging improvements to deliver measurably higher levels of print quality with industry-leading productivity. This improvement is achieved regardless of varying substrates, image content, web speed, and environmental conditions.

The PROSPER 5000XLi Press features the fastest, most accurate writing engine on the market. Kodak’s newly formulated nano-particulate pigment inks are matched to the PROSPER 5000XLi Press’s writing system, offering greater durability on coated papers and a colour gamut up to 30 percent wider than offset printing.

To help ensure crisp, readable output, the press also features a new text enhancement feature.

Mercury Print, a Rochester, N.Y.based early adopter of inkjet printing for commercial and book printing applications, has been beta testing the new device. “At Mercury Print we strive to deliver products and services that

exceed customer expectations and offer outstanding value,” noted Christian Schamberger, President, Mercury Print Productions. “Kodak’s PROSPER 5000XLi Press helps us do just that by providing superior quality, productivity and cost savings every day. This is a press to build and grow a business with.”

The Intelligent Print System on the PROSPER 5000XLi Press combines in-line video monitoring and advanced software controls to enable real-time adjustments that refine and optimise output colour quality. The IPS adds value by tracking and evaluating pages and then making adjustments as needed to the more than 100,000 inkjet nozzles in each system. It includes: • an in-line camera system to monitor colour-to-colour and front-to-back registration • automatic or user-selectable stitch adjustments to align printheads and optimise quality • multi-parameter monitoring and dynamic adjustment of cross-track, in-track, magnification, and skew performance

By order of A Graham Esq and C Haig Esq of KPMG, Joint Administrators of Newsfax International Limited

Important Sale By Private Treaty of Modern Newspaper Printing Equipment (Subject to Conditions of Sale)

To include:A MAN Colorman XXL twin press line (2008), 2,160mm triple web width, 578mm cut off, 43,000 cyl rev/h, 4 reel stands, 4 satellite print towers, 2 Type KFZ2:5:5 folders A MAN Cromoman Twin press line (2007), 965mm web width, 578mm cut off, 70,000 cyl rev/h, 16 reel stands, 12 eight-couple print towers, 1 mono print tower, 2 folders A MAN Uniset twin press line (2007), 965mm web width, 578mm cut off, 75,000 cyl rev/h, 12 reel stands, 12 eight-couple print towers, 2 folders Ferag (2007) and Idab Wamac (2008) systems On View: Strictly by Appointment only At:

Unit 7, Beam Reach Business Park, Consul Avenue, Rainham, Essex, RM13 8GJ

Also available for Sale by Online Auction 27 Feb - Ancillary Newspaper Production & Office Equipment For further details and catalogues please visit our website or call +44 (0) 161 238 7420 www.joneslanglasalle.co.uk/machinery-business-assets

Print World Asia • 2/2013

Digital Technology

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“The PROSPER Press Platform is a high-performance solution for a range of digital printing applications, such as direct marketing, commercial print, and publishing,” said Kodak’s Will Mansfield, Director of Marketing, Inkjet Printing Solutions. “The high speeds and large volumes these presses offer make it more important than ever to ensure the highest performance and quality throughout the print run.

Automatic monitoring and on-the-fly adjustment of printing parameters do just that—enabling printers to achieve very high image quality and excellent colour-to-colour registration on a wide range of media, including glossy.

To further maximise uptime and the production of sellable pages, the PROSPER 5000XLi Press features a number of innovations in its transport system that virtually eliminate page imperfections caused by paper stretching and wrinkling. The key advancements include an adaptive web stretch control

system that uses advanced servo rollers and software algorithms to make automatic adjustments, as well as select rollers that have ribs and other advanced design features to minimise wrinkling. Additionally, user-adjustable nip settings in four locations help to smooth paper flow and ease press setup.

In addition to the new capabilities provided by IPS, the PROSPER 5000XLi Press was engineered and built with a range of other features to optimise print speed, ensure smooth operation, and maximise productivity.

These include an auto-adjusting intake system that simplifies changing paper stocks, a variable-length paper path to improve drying, and an advanced drying system that adjusts for ink load, web speed, and substrate.

“Our engineers are constantly working to improve every aspect of the printing process, and managing the media handling is a big part of that. Customers will see new revenue opportunities from the higher image quality and broader substrate support, while

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increasing profits with less waste and greater throughput. The PROSPER Press Platform is delivering billions of pages today, and with the latest enhancements, the PROSPER 5000XLi Press is poised to meet the needs of printers as they grow and expand their business,” added Mansfield.

Helping users further extend substrate options, the in-line KODAK PROSPER Image Optimizer Station (IOS) automatically prepares commercially available substrates for inkjet printing at full press speeds, enabling users to run industry-standard uncoated, coated—and even glossy coated—papers between 45-300 gsm on roll widths from 8 to 25.5 inches (20.3-64.8 cm).

The PROSPER 5000XLi Press offers full process colour perfecting with a print width of up to 24.5 inches (62.23 centimeters) at speeds up to 650 feet (200 meters) per minute with a duty cycle of 90 million A4 or US letter pages a month. The system is capable of print quality that rivals offset output—up to 175 lpi.

The PROSPER 5000XLi Press is commercially available today. As Kodak has traditionally provided upgrade paths for its presses, the PROSPER 5000XL Press is upgradeable to the XLi, thereby protecting current customer investments.

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Print World Asia • 2/2013

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Digital Technology

Insert Localisation with an HP T230 Color Inkjet Web Press HP has announced that Centro Stampa Quotidiani Spa (CSQ), of Erbusco in Lombardy, Northern Italy, has purchased an HP T230 Color Inkjet Web Press to take advantage of growing demand from newspaper publishers for full-colour digital production and localised inserts.

CSQ prints newspapers and inserts for a local client base, but also prints a number of foreign newspapers during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak. Outside the peak season, conventional print runs of these newspapers for the tourist areas of the Mediterranean are no longer economically viable.

"We have always adopted cutting-edge technology right from the start of our business," explained Dario De Cian, MD of CSQ. "Now we are adopting the latest digital technology so we can offer our overseas clients the opportunity to publish all year round."

CSQ will print the tourist titles conventionally from June to September and use the HP T230 press for the rest of the year, with no variation in quality and using the same newsprint substrate.

Another benefit is that the newspapers delivered will be that day's edition and not the previous day's, which was formerly the case.

"Another reason for this investment in digital was to meet the demands of our Italian customers looking for short-run solutions for local editions," De Cian continued. "Now, thanks to the HP T230, we can print short runs digitally from 500 up to 2000 copies to localise sections of their publications

and integrate them with conventionally printed sections."

This new service can be used to insert information for a specific city or area, or produce variable editions of a property newspaper based on local distribution requirements.

The HP T230 Color Inkjet Web Press can print at speeds of up to 122m per minute, with a scalable web width up to 558mm and a print width of up to 520mm. Designed for performance, the press can print up to 50 million mono and four-colour letter-sized equivalent images per month.

"We chose the HP T230 inkjet web press after nine months's analysis of all available technologies," said De Cian.

"We chose this solution because it allows us to achieve a level of quality equivalent to traditional offset. Thanks to the HP Bonding Agent technology used in the web printing process, it is also the only solution on the market that completely eliminates the problem of show-through on the lightweight and porous papers of 45g/m2 typically used for newspapers.

"At CSQ, we see how newspaper publishers and print service providers can change the business model for existing products," said Aurelio Maruggi, vice president and general manager, Inkjet High-speed Production Solutions, HP. "HP Color Inkjet Web Presses can help publishers make information as immediate and relevant as digital media through cost-effective short runs, localised editions and printing for local markets anywhere in the world."

"With the HP T230 we can use the same paper as on the web offset presses and work to the same formats.

The Hunkeler inline finishing system will also enable us to profitably use the press for the three services that we plan to offer initially: printing and folding newspapers, covers and flyers.

The system is integrated with our other finishing equipment which will enable us to automatically combine offset and digital products ready for despatch," De Cian concluded.

CSQ was established in April 2000 to offer print production for daily newspapers, periodicals and single publications for both short and long runs. CSQ is well known for high-quality print and sophisticated inline finishing capabilities including, stitching, inserts, laminating, threesided trimming, single-copy addressing and single-copy cellophane wrapping.

Primus Plus, the upgraded thermal CtP plates based on the original Primus technology with balanced press performance, resolution, latitude and production. Your first choice for high-quality, long run-length and low chemical consumption printing requirements.

The new Primus series plate technology has been designed to give benefits for both the end users and to minimize waste disposal impact on the planet.

Print World Asia • 2/2013

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Digital Technology

First installation worldwide of the new Xeikon 3030 plus Belgium-based Femalabel has installed the Xeikon 3030Plus, a first for Xeikon's new press launched at drupa 2012 as well as the Xeikon 3300. In order to keep pace with its continuously growing digital production of labels

Femalabel decided to double its current capacity by installing two Xeikon presses. With this new configuration, the company continues to build on its successful strategy of just-in-time production of high quality labels in short run lengths. By producing more top-quality labels in less time Femalabel will take its business to the next level of productivity and profitability.

"Xeikon has demonstrated huge progress in recent years in terms of output quality and range of substrates, they’ve really closed the gap with competitors. The Xeikon 3030Plus and Xeikon 3300 enable us to increase efficiency and flexibility, and at the same time reduce costs significantly," says Wim Feys, Co-owner and Technical Manager at Femalabel. For several years, Femalabel worked with another elektrophotographic digital press combined with laser die cutting to provide short runs of variable-design labels. As the business grew, Femalabel replaced this set-up with equipment from Xeikon that allows the company to be more productive, without any compromise in quality. "Our capacity has increased with 300%. With the Xeikon digital presses, we are producing labels at a guaranteed minimum of

600 square meter /hour compared to previously 200 square meter /hour at best," explains Feys.

Shift to digital printing Femalabel serves a wide range of clients – from food to automotive – that have increasingly discovered the advantages of digital printing. Labels had usually been run in large quantities using flexography and then customised by thermal imprinting. Marketers and brand managers today, however, want a variety of customised designs in much smaller run lengths. "With Xeikon digital presses it’s more efficient and affordable to produce versions in different languages or to quickly adapt a design if, for example, it’s required by changes in regulations," comments Feys.

Just-in-time label production using an all-digital workflow is a proven method of reducing inventory costs and keeping printed materials up to date. "Having all-digital capability allows our clients to keep their stock to a minimum and make last-minute decisions about the designs and quantities they order. They are willing to pay a premium for this service, as it saves them a lot of money overall," adds Feys.

Maintain productivity while responding to market demand Partnering with Xeikon has also created new market opportunities for Femalabel, explains Filip Weymans, Xeikon Director of Segment Marketing and Business Development for Labels & Packaging. "Because our systems use food-approved and odorless toners, we no longer need special lamination coatings on labels for food industry clients – and that’s a real cost-saving advantage."

Feys continues: "In the past few years as our business and client base have expanded, many of our clients came to prefer digital print quality versus that of our conventional flexo press.

At a certain point we also installed a UV offset press to handle the larger volumes of labels that required this level of quality. Now with our two new Xeikon presses, we can start to move jobs back from offset to digital again, because we can digitally print label run lengths of 2,000 or 3,000 metres more cost-efficiently than ever before.

We were also very impressed with the opacity the white toner provides in one pass using transparent substrates."

As Femalabel expands and adapts to changing market needs, they have found a reliable partner in Xeikon.

"Digital label printing has a bright future with us, and we are pleased to work with Xeikon. They are more then just a supplier, bringing added value to our business and supporting our growth," concludes Feys.

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CASE STUDY :

Texoma Print Services - Presstek 75DI Brings Dramatic Change Increased Quality, Expanded Service Offering, Reduced Outsourcing

T

Front (L to R) Russell Marcum, Robby Syler, Kolton Price, Kerry Prince, Rick Onstott, J.D. Hashert. Back (L to R) Candice Hamm, Sue Wells, Susan Cummins, Hailee Marcum, Tracey Underwood, Tammy Waggoner, Leah Waggoner.

Company

Texoma Print Services Durant, OK

Profile Founded in 1979 as a business forms printer. Today, Texoma is a full-service commercial printer delivering a range of products and services to businesses in southern Oklahoma and north Texas.

Challenge Texoma was looking for a solution that would upgrade its quality and service level while maintaining their small environmental footprint.

The company also wanted to increase the range of applications they could produce and reduce the amount of work being outsourced.

Solution

• 5-Colour Presstek 75DI digital offset press with coater Results • Ability to provide same day service • Expanded print services • Improved print quality to 300 lpi • Reduced outsourcing by 90%

exoma Print Services began as Texoma Business Forms (TBF). Founded by Don Marcum in 1979, the company provided all types of graphic communication, forms, multipart, forms, promotional products, inventory management and related services for businesses in southern Oklahoma and north Texas. Today, the company is a full-service commercial printer managed by Director Russell Marcum and owned by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Texoma employs 15 people and generates revenues of more than $7 million annually.

Exceeding Expectations

“ We have been

“We have been completely completely blown away by the quality of work blown away by delivered by our new Presstek 75DI,” the quality of says Texoma’s Robby Syler. “There is no work delivered comparison between jobs we ran at 150 by our new lpi on our older QMDI and the 300 lpi quality we can get from the 75DI. Also, Presstek 75DI.” its larger sheet size and the wider array of stocks it can accommodate, from onion skin to 31 point board, means we can also vastly expand the range of applications we produce in house. In fact, we believe that we will be able to retrieve about 90% of the work we have been outsourcing, and that will fill the press. Its ability to run 23"x29" or 20"x26" press sheets covers a huge chunk of our business. And we are also going after new customers and more work from existing customers now that we have this amazing capability on our floor.” Especially because Texoma had already had exposure to DI presses, the learning curve for the 75DI was easy. “Within two weeks of the install, not only was our pressman trained, but we were running high quality production work,” Syler adds.

Time is Money One aspect of the 75DI press that excites Texoma is its 6-minute job-to-job changeover. Syler explains, “As a small printer, turn time can’t be an issue for us. We tell customers that if we receive a file by 9:30 AM, the job can be completed in the same day. We will rework our schedule if necessary to accommodate that need, or work overtime, but we will not lose a job because of turn time. And the 75DI is the key to our ability to live up to that promise and why we are so crazy about the 75DI. Customers often get an ‘I’m sorry’ when they approach other printers with these last minute requests, but they don’t get that from us until we have exhausted every possible option.”

“ This press gives us an increased level of credibility in the marketplace that we didn’t have before.”

operator intervention and ensuring less waste during the run as well as in the makeready process.

Happy Customers (L to R) Russell Marcum, Director, Kerry Prince, Production Manager

Kids in a Candy Store “We were very proud the day we produced our first pocket folder in house,” Syler commented. “We were like kids in a candy store. This allows us to save some time, be more profitable, and better schedule converting time.”

“Our customers are thrilled with the increased quality,” Syler says. “Many of them notice it right away. They can see the difference in their logos as compared to earlier work. They are very impressed by how much cleaner and crisper their images are and how much brighter the colors are.”

Finding New Customers

Texoma already has an impressive customer list, including such well-known names as Texas Instruments, Caterpillar, InnerWorkings, Chickasaw Nation, first United Bank of Oklahoma and a number of casinos. The company plans to add to that list Syler also points out the advantages of the in-line aqueous as a result of the acquisition of the 75DI. Syler says, “This press coater which increases durability of items which normally gives us an increased level of credibility in the marketplace that undergo abrasive conditions, such as pocket folders and we didn’t have before. We have always been versatile and quick postcards. Currently the company is primarily applying flood to respond, but the 75DI allows us to take that to an entirely coating, but is looking forward to adding spot coating to new level. We are 1.5 hours from Dallas and 2.5 hours outside customer jobs in the future. “The fifth color is also helpful,” of Oklahoma City. That keeps our overhead down, but we are says Syler. “We can easily add a special logo colour right in line. still close enough to major metros to respond quickly. Now, And with the coater and with the Presstek 75DI, we dryer, everything is ready “ Within two weeks of the install, not only was have the muscle to do some to go to finishing when it things we couldn’t do before. our pressman trained, but we were running exits the press.”

We’re excited about the market high quality production work.” differentiation it gives us and Protecting the looking forward to winning Environment more deals as a result.”

The Choctaw Nation has spent the last five years working through environmental issues and is out front speaking loud and proud about it, according to Syler. “It would have been hypocritical of us to purchase a press that flies in the face of everything the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is supporting.”

Texoma was especially pleased with the 75DI’s waterless printing, fast makeready, reduced waste and chemistry-free plates that are imaged right on press in precise register. The high level of automation of the press is also a boon, requiring less

Exceptional Service and Support Syler is also very happy with Presstek’s service and support.

“Presstek has been great to work with,” he says. “They have been there for us when we need them. We also feel great about the Guardian remote support for the Presstek 75DI. We believe that will be a critical factor in helping us resolve issues early, and even prevent the need for a service call in many cases.” n

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Digital Technology

MGI’s JETvarnish 3D takes spot UV coating to a new level At drupa, MGI presented a full lineup of inkjet devices to complement its flagship Meteor series of electrophotographic digital presses.

New offerings included the ALPHAJET B2 format 6+ colour inkjet press (presented in technology preview with the launch planned in late 2013/early 2014), the JET 7540 inkjet calendar press and the popular JETcard inkjet plastic card factory. However, the product that stole the show was the JETvarnish 3D, a new version of the revolutionary JETvarnish inkjet spot UV coater that now features raised 3D effects.

The JETvarnish 3D pushes the limits of traditional spot UV coating with a new 3D effect up to 100 microns in height, providing a definite advantage to finished documents not only in appearance but by its unique and tactile feel. These features enhance impact for projects such as direct mail campaigns by setting them apart amongst other materials.

With the introduction of the JETvarnish 3D, print service providers now have another tool to differentiate themselves – the ability to not only offer short runs of traditional flat spot UV coating jobs, but to now offer 3D digital effects as well. The JETvarnish 3D is the only

solution to offer true flat and 3D spot UV coating capabilities in one unit: a 100% digital solution with virtually no make-ready, banishing the days of messy, expensive plates and screens to a distant memory.

A dramatic increase in speed of up to 3,000 sheets per hour (52x105 cm / 20x42’’) allows the JETvarnish 3D to spot UV coat up to three times faster than the original JETvarnish, complementing both offset and digital presses and allowing commercial printers to increase their productivity while improving their margins and differentiating themselves from their peers.

The JETvarnish 3D handles formats ranging from A3 to 52x105 cm, weights ranging from 135 to 600g/m² and is completely variable data capable, paving the way for personalised UV coating applications.

PSPs can now provide flat or 3D embossed proofs to their customers, as making changes are as easy as a click of the mouse. Clients can receive visually stunning pieces that elevate their brand

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to a new level – in quantities of 1, 10, 100 or 5,000+.

The JETvarnish 3D is an ideal solution for a multitude of markets, including book/yearbook printers and publishers, trade finishing houses, direct marketing firms, large commercial printers, package printers and specialty photo printers.

Formally launched in October at GRAPH EXPO in the United States, JETvarnish 3D installations have already taken place throughout Europe and the United States, with installations in Asia Pacific following in the coming months.

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Heidelberg and Polar highlight Asia as a growth market Heidelberg and Polar have enjoyed a long partnership of more than 63 years with Heidelberg the exclusive distributor for Polar equipment worldwide. Polar is renowned for its high quality engineering and longevity, as is Heidelberg, and both companies’ quality offerings are in perfect synergy.

The emerging markets of Asia are increasingly important to Polar and Heidelberg with both companies making considerable investment into Asia with the establishment of Heidelberg and Polar manufacturing

factories in Qingpu, China. These plants provide China and also the wider Asia markets with high quality products that are supported by Heidelberg’s extensive sales and service network.

As with the Heidelberg factory in Qingpu, the Polar factory is designed to produce products that are of equal quality and durability to those produced in Germany ensuring quality control and the companies’ reputations.

Mr. Jürgen Freier is Polar’s Managing Director, Sales & Service and is based in Hofheim, Germany. He has been in this role since the beginning of 2012 and continues to be excited about the opportunities for growth in Asia, a market that currently represents 30 percent of Polar’s global turnover.

Juergen Freier

“Today it is essential to have a strong, on the ground presence in China, which is the biggest market in the world,” says Mr. Freier. “The most important focus

for our Qingpu production facility is quality - the Polar brand’s reputation is built on quality. We ensure that key staff are trained at our plant in Germany and that all the components meet the same high standards of the German factory.”

Currently the Qingpu production plant produces only a limited range of machines, primarily the Polar 115XC Plus and Polar 137XC Plus guillotines and a small range of peripheral handling equipment designed to reduce manual labour, lower overheads and increase productivity.

Across Asia there are a significant number of Polar machines in operation representing around 40 percent of the quality market, and Heidelberg offers the full range of Polar products to its customers from the small format cutters through to the highly automated large format Polar guillotines and the highly productive in-line die cutting systems exclusive to Polar.

Print World Asia • 2/2013

Digital Technology

PRODUCTIVITY

Hard work alone is not enough. Without perfect organization, even the best production operations falter. To ensure your commitment to your print shop really pays off, you need smooth processes along with production resources that are both efficient and reliable. We will help you to turn speed, quality, and reliability into profitable print products – because productivity is your biggest competitive advantage. www.heidelberg.com

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Print World Asia • 2/2013

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Sheetfed Offset

level of accuracy and tolerance to avoid jamming and the consequent halting of the entire production line.

Polar has an extensive range of both square cut and die cut label systems to satisfy the most demanding requirements, including those of inmould labels where the substrate fights against the operator at every opportunity.

Mr. Freier says part of the company’s motivation to manufacture in China and to increase its presence in Asia, is to counter the flood of low quality, low price machines on the market that are compromising printing companies in their ability to produce quality goods.

“In China there are a lot of cutters produced by local manufacturers and sold at very low cost. It is not until the accuracy of the cut sheet is checked that the differences in construction and quality are seen. Generally these machines have a very short life and are often discarded in favour of a quality machine like the Polar – we offer spare parts for up to 25 years, that’s how confident we are of the robust construction and longevity of our machines,“ he says.

New Solutions for Growth Markets Polar is well established and therefore ideally positioned to invest in research and development to meet demand shifts in the market and to tap into growth segments. “We know that the Asian market is very dynamic and adapting extremely fast. As a company we observe very carefully the development of growing market segments such as short run digital and label production and consequently we have developed new machines and solutions to meet these demands. We are also aware that our customers are looking to maintain quality, and at the same time lower more information, contact your labour costs and speed up time to Fuji Xerox Representative or visit us at: Xerox Asia Pacific Pte Ltdmarket, and we factor these objectives intoTowers, our product development nson Road, #37-00, Fuji Xerox Singapore 079907 also”.

At drupa12 Polar introduced a number of new releases including two new guillotines for the short run digital market – the Polar 56 and Polar 80 cutters, which join the Polar 66, one of the company’s best selling machines in this segment. And for the first time in the company’s history Polar introduced a book trimmer, the BC 330, which can trim all three sides of a book using a single knife.

In the label production segment Polar has extensive expertise with die cutting label systems. Labels, both square cut and die cut such as labels found on the front and neck of beer bottles, are without doubt one of the most demanding cutting jobs that a printer can undertake as accuracy is imperative.

In bottling and canning factories the labelling process must be carried out at very high speed. To achieve this the labelling machine demands the highest

Polar also produces an off-line die cutting machine the DC-M for smaller volumes of labels and the DC11, a complete inline system which takes printed sheets at one end and produces banded packs of labels at the other.

“Our Die Cutting Label system, the DC 11, is now 50 percent more productive with the enhancements released at drupa12,” says Mr. Freier.

“This will enable many customers to reduce production costs since the same quantity can be done in far less time.”

In conclusion he says, “As labour costs in Asia increase, being able to reduce production time and increase capacity will become even more critical to profitability. Companies want to invest in quality products that will stand the test of time and enable them to meet the increasing demands of their own customers. As such we are confident that Asia will continue to be a high growth market for Polar well into the future”.

65) 6766 8888 Fax: (65) 6239 2804

p: //w w w.fxap.com. sg

Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. Xerox® and the sphere of connectivity design are registered trademarks of orporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

The contents described herein are correct as from April 2012.

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Print World Asia • 2/2013

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KBA completes high-performance large format line-up At drupa last year, KBA celebrated the official launch of the Rapida 145, its latest series of high-performance large-format presses in format VI (106 x 145 cm). In the meantime, almost 40 customers have taken delivery of the new presses, which are engineered for production speeds up to 17,000 sph.

At the beginning of 2013, but without pomp or a special welcome party, the Rapida 145 was joined by its almost identically equipped and automated “big sister”, the KBA Rapida 164 in format VIIb (120.5 x 164 cm). With a maximum production speed of 15,000 sph (with high-speed package) and extremely short makeready times, KBA has once again redefined the yardstick for this format class. The new Rapida 164 supersedes the vastly successful Rapida 162 and 162a series, which could rightly be described as institutions on the book printing and packaging markets. They were first presented in 1995 and had received several technical makeovers over the intervening years.

With the Rapida 164, practically all the automation solutions and highlights of the medium-format makeready world champion Rapida 106 are now also available in format VII. The new press incorporates the same DriveTronic components as the Rapida 106 and Rapida 145. The format has also been enlarged slightly relative to the predecessor series, namely by two centimetres in the sheet width and

half a centimetre in the sheet length compared to the Rapida 162a.

Consistent DriveTronic Implementation The “KBA DriveTronic” concept stands for dedicated drive technologies, maximum operator convenience and exceptionally fast makeready and job changes. Consistent implementation of the modern drive concept on the Rapida 164 starts at the shaftless DriveTronic feeder with its individual, direct drives for all controlled motions.

DriveTronic Infeed provides for motorised adjustment of the front lays, and a touchscreen display with direct function keys ensures reliable and intuitive press operation. One feature which is not only new in this format class, but indeed unique to KBA, is the sidelay-free infeed DriveTronic SIS. Besides avoiding marking issues with sensitive substrates, the sidelay-free infeed eliminates all need for operator intervention and guarantees the highest possible alignment accuracy.

In addition to the plate changing variants SAPC (semi-automatic; change

time approx. 110 seconds per unit) and FAPC (fully automatic, with new optimised change process; change time 3 minutes for all units), the Rapida 164 can now also be configured with plate cylinder direct drive for simultaneous plate changing (DriveTronic SPC).

In this case, the total plate changing time is reduced to just 110 seconds, irrespective of the press length.

Fast washing processes When the Rapida 164 is equipped with DriveTronic SPC, the blankets and impression cylinders can both be washed parallel to the plate changing.

To this end, the press possesses a second washing beam (CleanTronic Synchro).

The two washing beams can also be used together for blanket washing – for a time saving of up to 50%. But CleanTronic Synchro is not the only feature geared to shorter washing times. With the function ReInk, ink roller washing – normally one of the longest makeready processes on the press – is accomplished in 90 seconds.

CleanTronic Multi, furthermore, provides a multi-purpose washing circuit to permit the use of different

Focus on what matters most.

The service bureau industry is undergoing dramatic changes and is faced with ever increasing operational pressures.

At Fuji Xerox, our goal is to partner with you to enable you to grow your business and to deliver greater returns.

Utilising industry leading technology Fuji Xerox can help reduce your costs, increase your productivity and profitability.

Fuji Xerox will partner with you helping every step of the way to: • Delight your customers – By transitioning to high quality, variable data colour prints • Grow your business – Configure for today’s needs and upgrade for tomorrows growth • Reduce your costs – Through greater automation and improved efficiencies • Produce more jobs – In a shorter time frame at faster speeds

© 2012 Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific Pte Ltd all rights reserved. Xerox and the sphere of connectivity design are trademarks or registered trademarks of Xerox Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

www.fxap.com.sg

Print World Asia • 2/2013

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Washing combinations with CleanTronic Synchro: Left: Blanket and impression cylinder washing Right: Blanket washing with two washing beams solvent types (UV/conventional), and in this way guarantees a first-class wash-up without time-consuming manual cleaning for users who need to switch frequently between different ink systems. With CleanTronic UV, blankets can be washed while the UV lamps are in standby mode, and the CleanPrint function can even replace blanket washing altogether with short runs, through targeted stripping of the remaining ink from plate and blanket.

High automation for coating forme changes Two different coater towers are available for the Rapida 164. The standard version pairs the chamber blade coating system with automated forme changing (SAPC).

The positioning of the forme cylinder for changing is here automatic – as is also clamping and tensioning of the coating forme.

On a coater with DriveTronic SFC (Simultaneous Forme Change), the coating forme is changed simultaneously with plate changing and washing in the printing units. If only one coater of a double-coater press is in use, makeready on the second tower can be done while the current production is still running. With the AniSleeve system, it is additionally possible for a single operator to exchange the anilox roller sleeves, either during production or parallel to other makeready processes. This is at the same time a fast and convenient way to vary the coating application from job to job.

It goes without saying that the new Rapida 164 also possesses a high-level delivery with full preset capabilities.

The Venturi sheet guiding concept

ensures reliable sheet transfer right up to the maximum production speed of 15,000 sph, while KBA VariDry dryers in the extended delivery guarantee optimum drying results. In both infrared/hot-air and UV drying systems, the individual modules can be switched flexibly between the different interdeck and final drying positions. With VariDryBlue, KBA offers a particularly energy-efficient dryer system. The already warm, but not yet saturated drying air is recycled to subsequent dryer modules. Energy savings of up to 50% are possible.

Ultramodern console with countless options Since drupa 2012, all Rapida models – and thus also the Rapida 164 –are supplied with the new ErgoTronic console with wall screen. This console is able to accommodate various online systems for quality control, such as the automatic colour measuring system ErgoTronic ColorControl or the register measuring systems ErgoTronic

ACR and ICR. Online integration with KBA DensiTronic and the pre-press department is similarly possible. The live image from inline quality monitoring with QualiTronic ColorControl or Professional can be displayed on the wall screen. Like all KBA consoles, the console of the Rapida 164 incorporates the integrated remote maintenance module PressSupport 24 Sheetfed with an Internet link for software updates.

The Rapida 164 can be supplied in all typical configurations for commercial, book and packaging printing, with one or two coater towers, intermediate dryer towers, a raised foundation for higher piles, accessory packages for lightweight papers, heavy board and corrugated, PileTronic pile logistics, perfecting, and many further application-specific extras. It thus maintains all the flexibility of its predecessor, but at the same time promises significantly enhanced performance, faster makeready processes and even greater economic efficiency in production.

The first Rapida 164 presses have already been in production in the field for some time. The experience gained flows directly into optimisation of the current series. As the predecessor model Rapida 162 is completely soldout, KBA now offers only the new Rapida 164 for this format class.

An open house with fitting official presentation of the new press is to be held at the KBA facility in Radebeul in the near future.

Print World Asia • 2/2013

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Pragati Offset’s royal success At the most recent Asian Print Awards, Harsha Paruchuri, Director of Pragati Offset, had his neck strung with multiple medals, plus a crystal trophy from CGS in his hands. He shares his ‘royal success’ with Christel Lee of Print World Asia.

Pragati Offset’s history and success goes back a long way. Paruchuri is certainly a regular not only at the Asian Print Awards Gala; the Awards heavyweight is a familiar sight on stage at presentations around the region. A notable trait is the company’s success in bagging a Sponsor Award every year.

At the Asian Print Awards 2012, the company snagged three Golds, one Silver and the CGS-sponsored award: Best Application of Creative Colour.

‘Story of a Prince’, a book based on Indian royalty was Pragati’s star of the night. Paruchuri commented, “The concept for the 'Story of a Prince' was to reproduce the opulence of the life enjoyed by Indian royalty. The designer commissioned the paintings to artists, who subsequently painted them in the Rajasthani miniature style.

“The brief given to us was to add gold foiling to the paintings, as the customer had seen another job of ours with folk paintings using foiling. We machineproofed a couple of images with not only the foil, but also micro-embossing – a new technology which we felt would enhance this job. The customer was happy with the sample images and asked us to proceed in the same vein with all the images.”

Paruchuri added, “It was quite a challenging job prepress-wise. Each image took upwards of an entire day for two of our image specialists to make the foiling separation and the micro-embossing separation. And of course, as with any job that has multiple operations, getting the foiling and the embossing registered with the printing over such a large image area was also challenging.”

Pragati Offset is not new to the industry’s volatile pressures. The key, however, is how an enterprise maneuvers in its favour. In response to Pragati Offset’s performance over the last couple of years, Paruchuri said: “The economic environment has slowed growth a bit, but our expansion into the packaging segment is helping us as that is a high growth area. In the commercial printing segment too, we have maintained almost 10% growth.

“Our focus has been the higher-end market, and investing in value-added technologies to make these high-end products stand out. So we're in a niche market where volumes are low, but value-addition is high.”

More milestones The Hyderabad-based company has more notable milestones. While many in the industry face the dilemma between profit margins versus the green movement, Pragati Offset has steadily improved its position on social responsibility. “We have invested in the latest technologies to minimise process waste. The inks used are all vegetable oil based rather than mineral oil. Pragati Offset is also FSC- and PEFC-certified, meaning we meet the strict tracking requirements for ensuring that products sold come from well-managed forests,” Paruchuri highlights.

He adds that the company’s packaging unit has an ISO 14001 certified environment management system in place, and the commercial print unit is also planning on gaining certification.

Going green myth debunked The latest buzz that going green translates to more costs has been shaking the industry. Between print and electronic media, there have been massive heated debates on the amount of energy consumed – to the extent of being able to quantify usage in terms of powering a number of buildings or running how many engines.

Additionally, marketers are concerned with rising costs for materials, regardless of green or non-green.

Paruchuri offers this perspective: “Consumers need to be aware printing is an eco-friendly process with most paper coming from sustainably grown sources.

Process waste generated is easily recycled. Accessing content electronically is not a zeroenvironmental footprint process as some would like you to believe – it takes electricity, access to Internet and server farms to work.

“As a printer, I feel minimising waste and recycling is a sound policy (both environmentally and financially). The only way for the industry to sustainably grow is to keep the long-term ramifications of our actions in mind and act accordingly.”

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Print World Asia • 2/2013

Sheetfed Offset 31

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Heidelberg online shop – a secure, fast way to order 24/7 Since the completion of the Asia Pacific roll out of Heidelberg’s Online Shop (OLS), the company reports an increase in online traffic as customers take advantage of the 24/7 convenience of ordering their consumables online.

Globally more than 10,000 customers use the Heidelberg OLS and there are new users joining daily. Since the first OLS was launched in 2002 in Europe, Heidelberg has instituted more than 20 country-specific OLS across its global network and now all territories in the Asia Pacific region have their own dedicated OLS. Mr. Glenn Plummer Senior Vice President Consumables and Pre Press – Heidelberg Asia Pacific said, “This year we’ve seen marked growth in the volume being purchased across the worldwide OLS network. In our region, Malaysia, where the OLS has been in operation for several years, is tracking at around 65 percent of total consumables sales being made online.

This is above the global average of 45 percent. The uptake in Malaysia alone demonstrates the strength of the OLS proposition and the benefits to users”.

He continued. “It is not surprising that more customers are turning to the OLS as it is extremely convenient and allows customers to shop at anytime of the day or night. And each OLS in the Heidelberg network has been tailored

to meet the specific needs of each country and feature fully integrated and automated ordering processes in the local language”.

makes it even faster to select our products. The Advantage Program is also a benefit and it is good to be able to earn points”.

In Malaysia OLS users are spread throughout the country. E-Print Solution Sdn Bhd has been shopping online since January 2010 after the company’s Heidelberg account manager suggested the OLS as an alternative way to order consumables. “The OLS saves us time, is hassle free and paperless.

Having a customer shopping list is very convenient and the awards programs and OLS discounts are valuable,” said the company’s spokesperson.

Another user is KHL Printing Co., Sdn Bhd who signed up as an OLS user in August 2011. “Using the customer shopping list saves us time searching for products and repeating orders. It is a very convenient way to shop and enables us to see the whole product catalogue and prices”.

Percetakan Printpack Sdn Bhd has also been using the OLS since 2010. “The Advantage Program where you can earn rewards that can be put towards rebates or gift redemptions is an advantage.

And the customized shopping list is very helpful. The OLS is fast, accurate and convenient”.

Vivar Printing Sdn Bhd likes the convenience of shopping 24/7. “The flexibility of shopping online saves time and our tailored shopping list

In Thailand, where the OLS was launched at the end of 2011 the number of customers moving to the online platform is growing rapidly said Mr. Plummer. “We have a number of very large consumables customers who have found it valuable to move to the OLS. They find it a very convenient and easy way to ensure they have adequate consumables stock on hand”.

He continued. “We’ve also seen a shift to the OLS with those customers located outside of the major commercial centres. Many have said that having a secure channel through which to order their consumables has given them confidence to join the OLS”.

S PRINT CO., Ltd is one of Heidelberg’s customers located in Southern Thailand some 1000kms from the Heidelberg head office in Bangkok. S Print Co., said “the OLS is a trusted purchasing channel so we are confident that orders will not go missing and will arrive on time. We are very happy using the OLS and find it convenient and reliable”.

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And Jocelyn I. Delos Santos from Studio Graphics Corp., said “I find it easier and faster to place my orders online. Besides it’s paperless so it saves us time and resources. And service is still efficient. The staff is very friendly and accommodating also”.

Another customer located remotely, this time in Northern Thailand, is Pattrara Prepress. “The OLS is a secure channel through which we can order our consumables. Sometimes we are too busy during the day to place an order, but because we can order online any time of the day or night we find it a very convenient service”. And Cyber Print Cl., likes the fact that the OLS enables “us to search our order history and to keep track of inventory. The OLS is very easy to use”.

One of Thailand’s largest packaging printers is L.L.H. Printing and Packaging. The company is also one of Heidelberg’s largest online consumables customers in Thailand with an average purchase volume of more than one million Baht per month (Approx’ US$30,000). When buying in this volume a clear benefit to LLH is the OLS Advantage Program. “For every 100 Baht we spend we receive one Saphira Point that we can use for gift vouchers or rebates. Having this rewards program is valuable and appreciated”.

While the Advantage Program does not run in every country, there are specific OLS promotions that benefit only those customers who shop online, Mr. Plummer said. “Customers who shop online are given the opportunity to take up special offers and other promotions that are dedicated to the OLS and are not available through other channels”.

New to the OLS are customers in the Philippines. Two early adopters comment on the service. Danilo V Guarin, Procurement and Logistics Officer at Dolmar Press in the Philippines said, “One good reason why I the OLS is that, for me, it is a more convenient and faster system.

Congratulations!”

Mr. Plummer said in conclusion, “There are so many benefits to shopping online. It is not just the convenience of being able to shop whenever it suits you, but to also be able to shop with a customised shopping list that is specific to the equipment you use.

The OLS is more than just a shop, it is a way for customers to keep track of their purchases, know what they are spending as they shop, gauge their usage accurately and enjoy the benefits of hassle-free ordering. We anticipate the OLS will continue to grow and that we will see the vast majority of customers moving to the convenience of online shopping in the coming months”.

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End products Heidelberg concentrates on solutions for producing folding cartons in the high-quality segment and in high-volume production, including services, consumables, and consulting.

The packaging market is growing Heidelberg offers complete solutions from a single source • Broadest portfolio for high-end folding cartons and highvolume production • Maximum production efficiency with an end-to-end packaging workflow • Eco-friendly along the entire value-added chain • Wide-ranging White Paper shows Heidelberg positioning Heidelberg offers tailored solutions for the entire value-added chain in packaging printing, including appropriate services and consulting support. These are now summarized in a White Paper. Based on facts and figures relating to the development of the packaging market, and to both current and future market trends, the paper demonstrates how Heidelberg turns the packaging market's requirements into solutions. It also provides an overview of the entire current portfolio in the packaging segment and the associated services.

Global annual packaging sales will grow from approximately EUR 517 billion in 2010 to approximately EUR 630 billion in 2016 (nominal figures, Pira 2012). On the one hand, this growth is being driven by the rising demand for packaging in developing countries and emerging markets due to increasing prosperity and growing population figures. On the other, the packaging market in western industrialized nations is benefiting from greater variety and increasing competition at the point of sale. Paper and board packaging accounts for the

largest share of the packaging industry.

Global folding carton production has grown by around 2.5 percent per year since 2005 and this upward trend will continue.

Heidelberg is focusing precisely on this segment with its solutions for producing folding cartons. Customers in this high-quality segment and in high-volume production obtain everything from a single source. This includes prepress, press, and postpress equipment, services, consumables, and consulting.

Print World Asia • 2/2013

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Graphic with machines - prepress, press, and postpress Heidelberg offers the broadest portfolio for packaging printing and can thus supply everything from a single source, whether it's equipment for prepress, press, or postpress.

Worldwide, around 250 Peak Performance presses in the 70 x 100 cm (27.56 x 39.37 in) format are being used by packaging printing companies.

Maximum production efficiency, which is high on the wants list in the packaging industry, is achieved using the endto-end Prinect Packaging Workflow - the only solution in the industry that integrates the complete value-added chain. The focus here is firmly placed on the environment, as Heidelberg provides solutions that reduce the consumption of natural resources, cut down on paper waste, and save energy.

The trend is no longer exclusively toward shorter runs. It is vital to use the optimum run length for each job to ensure more efficient and costeffective production that will meet the growing demand from producers of branded goods for ECR (Efficient Consumer Response) and JiT (Justin-Time) production concepts. Even more automated quality and efficiency control processes will therefore

be necessary in the near future something that will only be possible by integrating the appropriate technology in equipment and the workflow. What's more, packaging manufacturers will need to be able to develop ECR and JiT concepts for their customers to

boost efficiency through even leaner processes.

The White Paper is available for download in Heidelberg’s online newsletter.

Prinect Packaging Workflow Maximum production efficiency, which is high on the wants list in the packaging industry, is achieved using the end-to-end Prinect Packaging Workflow - the only solution in the industry that integrates the complete value-added chain.

Print World Asia • 2/2013

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Web Offset Technology

Shen’s Art Printing celebrates Gold Award The Shen's Art Printing Co., Ltd. has been celebrating since recently winning a prestigious award for production of the Taiwanese edition of Elle magazine. In achieving its Gold award at the 2012 Asian Print Awards, Shen's Art is ranked among the very best quality printers in Asia.

Utilizing its Goss M-600 press, Shen's Art won Gold for Elle magazine in the category of ‘Web Offset on Coated Stock (70 gsm and above)'. According to Mr. Jeff Shen, vice general manager of Shen's Art, the company was founded as and is predominantly a sheetfed printer, so the award is particularly pleasing as it signifies the company's equal mastery over the art of web printing.

"At Shen's Art we're proud of our continuous efforts to innovate and develop our product offering and it was for this reason that we were the first printing company in Taiwan to install the 16-page Goss M-600 web press," explains Mr. Jeff Shen "But it has always been essential that we maintain the highest standards in every aspect of our service. This latest award underlines our efforts to fully live up to the founding principles of the company - namely to combine art and printing with a production goal of perfection, beauty, and fine quality."

With the aim of improving and promoting print in Asia, each submission in the 10th Asian Print Awards was evaluated for quality by an independent judging team of print professionals with specialist knowledge in print design, prepress, substrates, inks, consumables and print finishing.

Shen's Art has been printing the Taiwan edition of Elle magazine on its Goss M-600 press for 15 years. The submitted entry was appreciated by the Asian Print Awards panel for its

excellent print quality and professional work in the print field.

"Shen's Art is a textbook example of the best that Asia has to offer in professionalism, high quality and the unrelenting pursuit of perfection, so we're particularly pleased they decided to enter these Awards and that they won appropriate recognition for their skills and dedication," comments Tim Mercy, vice president of commercial web sales for Goss International in Asia.

Shen's Art Printing Co., Ltd. was founded in 1977 and today is one of the largest printing companies in Taiwan, servicing a variety of markets. Headquartered in New Taipei City, the company's commitment to quality, efficiency and environmental concerns has seen it pioneer the design and construction of a model production facility optimized for ideal ergonomics and production workflow and featuring a constant temperature, constant humidity environment. Shen's Art Printing Co is credited with ISO 9001 Quality Management System and ISO 14001 Environmental System Management Certification.

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4th International Packaging and Printing Exhibition for Asia

28 - 31

Aug 2013

BITEC | Bangkok | Thailand

www.pack-print.de

g n i r i p s in etter b s s e n i bubseyond

No.1

Join Southeast Asia’s packaging and printing exhibition!

s r e d r bo

Book your space now at www.pack-print.de Officially supported by :

Messe Düsseldorf / Organizer of:

For enquiries, please contact :

Within Thailand: BLI (Thailand) Co Ltd 170/20 8th Floor, Ocean Tower 1 New Ratchadapisek Road Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110 Tel : (66) 2204 2580-5 Fax : (662) 204 2597 contact@blithailand.com

Jointly organized by :

Worldwide: Messe Düsseldorf Asia Pte Ltd 3 HarbourFront Place #09-02 HarbourFront Tower Two Singapore 099254 Tel : (65) 6332 9620 Fax : (65) 6337 4633 / 6332 9655 ppi@mda.com.sg

The Thai Packaging Association

The Thai Printing Association

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Toray’s Good News For Newspaper Printers Enhanced print quality, improved economies and greater environmental sustainability are among the benefits of Toray’s waterless technology being highlighted at WANIFRA’s 8th Middle East Conference , Dubai, February 26 and 27.

Toray had made on its print production.

We look forward to helping more businesses in the region make similar changes and generate just as exciting returns.”

Sampling the High Quality Results Toray will also showcase the variety of product possibilities waterless affords adopters of the technology with an array of creative coldset and heatset print samples. Underlining the award winning capabilities of the process will be coldset prints with water based varnish from Freiburger Druckerei German “Newspaper printer of the year 2012”.

With the theme of The Sky is NOT the Limit, the conference aimed at newspaper publishers and printers, will feature some of the industry’s most renowned experts sharing their successful strategies. Participants will also experience a virtual tour of trends around the Middle East and hear how print is still thriving and driving much of the business.

Mr Junichi Ishii, Sales Manager for Graphics and Chemicals Sections Toray International Europe GmbH, says: “This is a fantastic platform for Toray to present to the region’s successful newspaper publishers and printers ways they can further improve their print production and services for their customers, while introducing significant economies. We are convinced that the combination of benefits offered by

Technology’s Good News for Gulf News Among the key presentations will be an exclusive insight from market leader Gulf News on its waterless printing experience. It will be the first time the operation has spoken about its reasons for investing in the technology, the subsequent improvement in its printing capabilities and the added benefits possible from a more environmentally sustainable approach.

About Toray Toray Industries Inc., the leading manufacturer of waterless printing plates world wide, was founded in 1926 and has a global presence with factories and sales offices in Asia, Europe and North America. The main businesses of Toray are synthetic fibers, carbon fibers, plastics, films and chemicals. Many of the products are developed from its proprietary polymer technology base and are commonly used by the electronics, packaging, textile, automotive and aviation industries.

Mr Ishii adds: “We are particularly pleased that Gulf News will be sharing its incredible journey and the impressive impact choosing waterless and working with

Recent annual sales approached €10B. Toray International Europe GmbH, Neu-Isenburg, Germany is the trading arm of Toray Industries Inc serving an independent network of distributors in the European market.

waterless will be very interesting for many printers across the Middle East.”

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AGFA GRAPHICS

Management/General 39

Plate for ASIAN market

Agfa has introduced the newly developed :Aiyinda, a series of thermal CTP plate, for Asian market. :Aiyinda 803 is a long run length, high resolution no-bake plate designed for difficult pressroom conditions. :Aiyinda 803 plate uses the double layer coating technology. The top layer is the Thermal Sensitive Layer, the bottom layer is the Agfa patented Chemical Resistent Layer. The result is sharp and durable dots that endure even the longest print runs - even 1% dot will not be lost, while its superior ink taking ensures perfect reproduction of solid colour. Due to its double layer coating technology, :Aiyinda 803 is compatible with UV and metalic inks without the need for post baking, can achieve more than 80,000 impression. :Aiyinda 701 is a high sensitivity, fast imaging thermal CTP plate. Exposed at laser energy of only 130mJ/cm2, it also uses Agfa’s patented Flat Substrate technology to give exceptional press performance. :Aiyinda 701 can be baked.

Baking will improve its run length to 1 million, or 200,000 with UV or metallic inks.

Together with the other CTP plates - the long run, no-bake :Energy Elite, chemistry free :Azura TS, and development-free :Amigo TS, Agfa offers a complete range of thermal CTP plates, providing the best choice for printers by fulfilling different applications. :Aiyinda The standard in Asian digital plates.

ab

Agfa Asean Sdn Bhd Level 1, MENARA AmFIRST, Jalan 19/3, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Tel : +603-7953-5800 Fax : +603-7953-5900

Agfa Singapore Pte Ltd 10 Changi South Street 2, Level 3, Singapore 486596.

Tel : +65 6214 0110 Fax : +65 214 0770

www.agfagraphics.com

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Management/General

Food for thought Recycling the daily newspaper has, happily, become second nature for most people, as putting rinsed milk bottles out for the milkman was a regular evening task of yesteryear. Since it is expected that newsprint will be disposed of, it is produced from low-grade paper, with bleaching rarely used as in graphic arts and publishing grades.

Therefore, recycled newspaper stock is in many ways ideal for producing everyday food packaging, such as breakfast cereal boxes, which are also made to be thrown away after use. And, of course, a grey-coloured finish from remaining ink in the material is hardly an issue when on the inside of a box.

Given the sheer amount of packaging that a modern society gets through, it is important to be as ecologically sound as possible and the use of newsprint as a starting point helps with this. However, the everyday lifecycle of newsprint to recycling plant to packaging printer to supermarket shelf was stopped abruptly and brought to the attention of British shoppers in 2011, when Jordans Ryvita, part of the Associated British Foods group, ceased use of recycled stock for its breakfast cereals due to health concerns. drupa 2012 featured innovations in the recycling process.

Jordans Ryvita, which made its name in the UK for its environmental sensitivity and actions to protect wildlife, reacted to a study carried out by the Food Safety Laboratory of the Canton Zurich, Switzerland which found that mineral oils were leaching out of the newsprint ink still contained within the recycled board of cereal cartons and into the food contained within.

According to research leader Dr Koni Grob, around 89 food products from a sample of 119 bought from a German supermarket exceeded the UN and World Health Organisation agreed safe limit for mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) - ‘most’ by over

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42

Management/General According to McDonald’s, the cardboard packaging used for its foods is comprised of 72% recycled paper.

ten times. The issue was compounded by expectations of MOSH levels rising to an average of 50 times more than the limit ‘and many will exceed it several hundred times’ long term – the longer the food was kept in the packaging, the more dangerous it was expected to become. Of the 30 or so samples that didn’t exhibit MOSH contaminants, “nearly all” were “because of an inner barrier” said Dr Grob.

Kellogg’s has changed its cereal boxes many times since this Rice Krispies carton from 1938 – including to packaging with a lower mineral oil content in 2011.

Dr Grob explained that the results of some animal studies on mineral oil contaminants in food had uncovered cancer and chronic inflammation of a number of internal organs, caused by oil mixtures amassing in the body over time. Owing to their large surface area, breakfast cereals are especially susceptible to absorption of the gaseous hydrocarbon molecules that make up the mineral oils.

Now, there’s no suggestion that any products from Jordans Ryvita were included in the Swiss test. But the findings were enough to cause the company to rethink its own packaging, and several other food providers followed suit.

Global cereal brand Kellogg’s also announced plans to reduce the amount of mineral oil in its own recycled cardboard packaging.

“While experts tell us there’s no immediate health concern, we are looking at our packaging,” Kellogg’s stated. “We are working with our suppliers on new packaging which allows us to meet our environmental commitments but will also contain significantly lower levels of mineral oil. We are also looking at alternative inner liners for our packets.”

Weetabix took a similar tack, specifying newspaper pulp

as the problem in a statement to the BBC in the UK: “Weetabix is actively engaged with its packaging suppliers to consider alternative recycled packaging that doesn’t contain recycled newspapers,” it said.

The British media homed in on words like ‘toxic’ and ‘cancerous’, saving the messages of calm from the UK’s food industry representatives – and indeed Dr Grob himself, who stated that consumers would have to ingest contaminated foods over a long period of time to be at risk – to the end of news reports or giving them little attention. Indeed, it was newsworthy in itself that such major household names as Weetabix and Kellogg’s, and the famously environmentally conscious Jordans Ryvita, were changing their packaging in the face of such advice.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), the governing authority on food safety in the UK, followed up the Swiss research on contaminated foods with its own studies on recycled packaging and ink ingredients found in it. Its tests detected one or more of the ink components under scrutiny in 84 of its 350 samples of packaging, including amounts of the photoinitiator benzophenone in 37, or 11%, of the samples. In a batch of 51 samples, all were found to contain MOSH.

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Management/General 43 The FSA concluded that there was no cause for public alarm, stating that a risk assessment carried out on the survey's findings did not identify any specific food safety concerns. “The FSA's advice is that there is no need for consumers to change their eating habits with respect to food that has been packaged in new or recycled carton-board,” was the message. UK food industry representative group the Food and Drink Federation released a similar statement: “Swiss food safety authorities have concluded that consumers who eat a balanced and varied diet have no need to worry.”

The International Association of the Deinking Industry (INGEDE) has highlighted that deinking newspapers as part of the recycling process can help to reduce mineral oils and thus the health risks associated with them – but emphasises that there are nominal concerns to begin with.

“Clearly, that stuff should not be in our food. But there are many other chemicals that also should not be somewhere and that should be taken care of when you start hunting migrated mineral oils,” comments Axel Fischer, chemist and head of public relations at INGEDE. “Not to [mention] the proven health concerns associated with the fats and oils you deliberately ingest.

Anyway, deinking is a way to get some of them out of the system.”

contaminants, possibly suggesting data was available to them to compare safety in this regard. It could be that more printers are now using mineral oil-free inks and therefore switching to these inks was an overdue move.

Fischer’s point that deinking paper might reduce the risks of mineral oil contamination even further may be one for the printing sector to consider as part of the wider campaign to raise consciousness of both environmental and safety issues – subjects that should go hand in hand.

There is concern however, that the printing industry will still be perceived publicly to have an environmental record as muddy-grey as the recycled paper it uses. Much has been done by the sector to improve its practices and its reputation, but a headline-grabber like well-known companies dropping recycled stock could have a negative effect – even if it is followed up by clear messages to its safety from authorised sources. Many food businesses have continued to use recycled material in their packaging but bad news travels further and for longer.

During the inaugural EcoPrint show in Berlin in September 2012, print technology developer Ricoh surveyed visitors' opinions on sustainability and the EU Ecolabel, which aims to help consumers identify products and services with an overall lower environmental impact. This uncovered “an obvious gap in knowledge and understanding” of standards concerning the label’s use, according to Gareth Parker, value proposition manager for Production Print at Ricoh UK. The research surveyed respondents from 25 European and Middle Eastern countries, 90% of whom were print service providers.

In addition, questions may also be asked about why the cereal brands, packaging producers and printers did not act on the problem earlier, particularly when both Weetabix and Kellogg’s announced they would switch to board with lower or zero mineral oil

“PEFC and FSC-sourced paper and food packaging safety certification came out as one of the most important factors for respondents,” explains Parker, but this is in contrast to deinking, also covered in the survey. “Deinking was

not highly rated as an area of concern, with 4% of respondents seeing it as critical to sustainability, 28% rating it as important, 22% not important and 48% did not understand its relevance.”

Parker sums up the conclusion of these discrepancies: “Sustainable printing is very much a growing issue and our belief is that a great deal of education is needed to raise the profile of sustainable print. Sustainability still needs clarification in printers’ minds.”

It is, therefore, not only a case of promoting print as a sustainable and safe industry to consumers, but within the sector itself. With everyone – from equipment developers to print service providers – on the same page regarding the use and outcome of recycling technologies, end users and the public will be reassured that the everyday products they use are not harmful.

Furthermore, with wider knowledge, the print industry will be prepared to answer the public’s questions about the safety and environmental impact of their products, before they arise.

This article is part of the Verdigris series of stories about understanding the environmental impact of print. The Verdigris project is supported by Agfa Graphics, Canon Europe, Digital Dots, drupa, HP, Ricoh, Splash PR, Unity Publishing, EFI, Pragati Offset and Xeikon.

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High performing products from Flint Group Flexographic Products Another innovation from Flint Group, the NEW nyloflex® ACE Digital plate was recently introduced into the market with excellent reviews. Customers report that the plate runs much cleaner on press, without the need to stop for regular cleaning cycles.

Fewer press stops for cleaning result in jobs running in less time with less waste, thereby providing significant cost savings to the printer.

A printing plate that runs cleaner provides more benefits than can be seen at first glance. For example, besides reducing time and waste, NEW nyloflex® ACE Digital plates require less cleaning, which actually increases the plate life, since less cleaning results in less surface damage and less mechanical abrasion to the plates. Longer lasting plates increase the number of plate usages, and in turn provide even more cost savings to the printer. nyloflex® ACE plates have been a high performance standard for the package printer for over a decade, so why would Flint Group change a proven winner? As new prepress technologies such as high definition flexo and flat top dot (FTD) emerged, it became increasingly important to optimise the photopolymer plates used

in conjunction with these technologies.

For this reason, Flint Group reformulated its nyloflex® ACE Digital plate to provide benefits on press such as sharper details, high contrast images and smoother vignettes. As a result, additional benefits, such as less cleaning stops and less downtime waste emerged. “In addition to the extremely clean running nature of the plate, we have been able to maintain the high performance printing characteristics for which the nyloflex® ACE Digital plate has always been known,” confirms Joan Cekovsky-Kaza, Director of Sales Flint Group Flexographic Products North America.

Due to the positive feedback Flint Group received during the initial beta testing, conducted in all areas of flexo print applications in over 100 different print trials, Flint Group developed a special tool, a cost savings calculator, that allows the printer to determine the potential time savings, cost savings and capacity increase available to him by switching to the NEW nyloflex®

ACE Digital plate. This simple tool provides the printer an effective means to put values behind the plate evaluation on press. Flint Group offers to assist printers, who are interested in determining their specific savings potential, with this cost savings calculator tool.

“We are convinced that potential customers who try the NEW nyloflex® ACE Digital plates will be impressed with the high quality of the plate, with its longevity on press, and the efficiencies, which it affords, we’re challenging them to convince themselves,” commented Eberhard Huter, Vice President Sales Flint Group Flexographic Products.

In a product promotion featuring the NEW nyloflex® ACE Digital printing plates, Flint Group is offering a free trial case of plates to qualified printers.

Interested printers may visit the Flint Group website at www.flintgrp.com/ en/ACE_NEW.php to request a free sample of plates and assistance with the cost savings calculator tool.

Businesses partnering with Kodak aren’t just embracing change — they’re igniting it. Creating dynamic multi-channel marketing campaigns that integrate targeted print with digital communications to raise ROI to new heights. Developing high-impact packaging graphics that dominate the shelf. And tapping into global business services that blaze clear paths for growth. This is how Kodak is giving printers, publishers, and enterprises the solutions they need to take business to an infinitely brighter place.

Make a change for the better. Yellow.Kodak.com To learn about “Digital Your Way” visit Kodak at Drupa, Hall 5 F09-1

ENTERPRISE / COMMERCIAL / TRANSACTION / PUBLISHING / PACKAGING © Kodak, 2012. Kodak is a trademark.

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Packaging Technology

The Natural Solution for Confectionery Packaging Waxed paper has been wrapping confectionery, cheese, and meat beautifully and naturally for a long time, and today there are even more good reasons for its continuing and increasing popularity.

EuroWaxPack, their product’s environmental credentials have recently been proven by tests at an independent expert laboratory. The tests add real value for users of this established and versatile packaging medium by declaring it to be compostable and biodegradable according to the European EN 13432

standard. A summary of the tests results are appended in a separate document.

at high speeds on today’s advanced packaging lines, either as twist wraps or as folded and sealed packaging.

Paper: the heart of the product At the heart of waxed paper packaging is the paper itself – usually a highstrength uncoated calendered grade, which may be printed according to the brand owner’s brief in up to ten colours (and metallics, if desired) on today’s leading-edge roll-to-roll presses, using inks approved for indirect food contact. In-line serialisation and barcoding are also possible. The printed web is then one- or two-sides coated with a specially-formulated wax (either vegetable or petroleum based) to give the protective qualities of moisture- and water- resistance while gently cushioning the pack contents.

Confectionery products are wrapped

Delivering the finished packaging Says Frans Martens, President of EuroWaxPack and Managing Director of specialist converters Cats-Haensel (Germany): "The results of our new compostability tests prove that waxed paper has something special to offer to today’s confectionery brand owners – something that plastic film-based wraps cannot match. Waxed paper provides a number of environmental benefits – biodegradable, compostable, recyclable, renewable – and its functional performance is outstanding.

Consumers also benefit from the “silent opening” qualities of waxed paper wrappers – a real plus point in the cinema or theatre!

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Packaging Technology

47

As a printer/converter myself, I am also aware of the benefits of running paper-based, wax-coated packaging on my production lines. There’s no static loading as with film products, and I can assist the brand owner’s packaging people by optimising such key features of the wax coating as slip, barrier, release, gloss level, and sealability."

EuroWaxPack Vice President Alexandra Venot, Product Manager, Flexible Packaging within the Label and Processing business area at specialty papers manufacturer Ahlstrom adds: "We deliver products that are sustainably sourced and manufactured in a safe and reliable manner. They are made from responsibly sourced fibre materials, which are fully renewable. Our papers’ high sustainability credentials make them the ideal “core” for confectionery wrapping applications. They offer a choice of weights, fibre blends, and surface finishes, so we are able to work with the wax supplier and the converter to deliver to brand owners productspecific results that not only perform perfectly, but also look great."

the optimal natural answer in terms of packaging functionality, sustainability and renewability.

Food-approved wax coating Wax coatings used for food packaging are today increasingly made using modified vegetable oils. According to Steffen Osinga, Marketing Manager for wax specialist company Paramelt, these products are primarily sourced from vegetable oil producers who supply under a sustainable production policy. Developed in the early 1990s, this technology has driven paperbased wrapping to its current very high standards. It has enabled EuroWaxPack members to provide end users with

Proof of compostability The strict conditions for certification to EN 13432, ‘Requirements for Packaging Recoverable through Composting and Biodegradation’ are shown to be met in full by a typical waxed paper, according to independent testing laboratory Organic Waste Systems (OWS), Belgium, who conducted extensive testing on EuroWaxPack’s behalf. Says Frans Martens: "The test results enable EuroWaxPack members to support their customers with an assessment of the potential compostability of the

AIRDOT Ä C XY      

waxed paper packaging materials that they use – so food producers who use our products can be confident that their packaging materials could well comply with EN 13432, and qualify for other worthwhile certifications like ‘OK Compost’ and ‘Compostable’."

The answer to a strong current challenge In the context of the challenging combination of today’s environmental sensibilities and the need to achieve, cost-effectively, packaging that offers applied performance and eyecatching aesthetics, waxed paper packaging represents an established and proven solution – naturally.

blanket factory

P-550 blue, quality blanket, for high speed sheet & web presses G-900 green, fine dot image, web & sheet presses G-955 green, no-pack 2.10, 2.15 to 2.56mm gauge CS-700 green, newspaper cold set web P-580 blue, top quality printing UV-200 red, UV-blanket fine dot quality blanket

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Management/General

Planning, Printing and Predicting Their Way Into the Future For nearly two decades, Denona in Zagreb, Croatia has been turning one successful page after another

Denona Ltd., one of the leading one-stop graphic design and production firms in Croatia, has been anticipating and meeting customer needs for 20 years now. In a similar way, they have been anticipating and embracing their own success, as well.

The skill to do that—to anticipate the important elements of growing a business, such as the rise of new technology, fresh initiatives for personnel development, and changes in the marketplace—is a skill that Denona has readily employed since the company opened its doors in the early 1990s.

"We are unique in our field and in our market because we are reasonable, respectable, imaginative, flexible, environmentally friendly, open to new ideas and attentive to our clients’ comments and opinions," says Robert Valpotic, production manager at Denona. "We focus on the requirements of each client by anticipating how to keep our production integrity high and costs low, and how to get each job completed in as efficient a manner as possible. That's how Denona has always measured success, right up to the present day."

It did not take long for the company to achieve its top-rated image in the Croatian marketplace once it began operations. Smart management, dedicated employees and implementation of the latest technological solutions have assured its expansion and strategic market advancements.

Reaching for Continuous Achievement Denona is located in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia and the largest city in the nation. Through five interrelated departments (management, sales, technology, accounting and finance), the company's 90 employees plan, design, produce and deliver soft and hardcover books, brochures, catalogues, dictionaries, encyclopedia, leaflets, flyers, posters and dozens of other printed products— regardless of complexity, simplicity or the size of the order. Clients include a wide selection of Croatian companies, as well as regional universities, banks, government departments, religious institutions and publishers, for whom Denona prints a vast array of textbooks, children's books and magazines.

They also do quite a bit of advertising and promotional material to go along with it.

In addition to its domestic activity, Denona works frequently with clients from Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Norway.

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Management/General 49 "It requires a huge effort to maintain our level of output and quality for all of our clients and projects. It’s a big responsibility. The effort includes many specific, decisive and long-term tasks," Valpotic explains. "These include the constant education and specialisation of our employees; continued investment in technology; a commitment to delivering complete solutions to our clients; continual enhancement of our quality control system; diligence with regard to environmental responsibility and occupational health and safety; the ability to provide accurate estimates; and a long-term obligation to develop our supplier and partner relationships.”

In quality control, Denona is ISO 9001:2008 certified, and for its role in environmental and occupational health and safety, the company enjoys ISO 14001 and 18001 ratings.

“We talk a lot about anticipating needs, goals and objectives, and we also talk a lot about estimating and production planning, which was one of the most vulnerable points in our workflow and one of our most important challenges as a design and production shop. It is interesting to note that anticipating and estimating are two words that are somewhat related. Or maybe it’s not such a coincidence at all. In any event, we’re experts at both,” Valpotic says.

The need for efficient estimating recently prompted Denona to take on a brand new effort to indentify the best central management information

system (MIS) solution on the market.

“That of course also required identifying the best supplier. After our search, we decided on EFI.” Expecting Only the Best Faulty manual calculations which can compromise workflow integrity are more likely to occur when the workflow covers everything from design to delivery. Denona avoids that with EFI’s automated MIS solution. The software suite includes Monarch print production and management, Auto-Count shop floor data collection, and PrintFlow scheduling.

“Having everything in one system— estimates and jobs, purchase orders, inventory receipts, and material transactions—allows us to easily locate any

information we need instead of having to search through pages and pages of documents,” Valpotic explains. “Most importantly, it allows us to compare real material and production costs against estimated costs for a job. In that way we can identify which types of jobs are most cost-effective and profitable—and then we can build an effective sales strategy around that.”

EFI’s Monarch is a powerful, flexible and intelligent solution for plants like Denona that handle everything from basic single jobs to complex multiplelevel projects. It provides a comprehensive management control for purchasing, inventory, estimating and more.

According to Valpotic, one of its most significant benefits is its ability to converge all of the company’s business activities in one place. Segment preferences, prepress, printing and finishing wizards allow them to make a much higher number of estimates compared with manual calculations; and most importantly, he stresses, without any errors, because all the necessary steps and processes are added automatically. “If a client suddenly requests a new estimate for a different quantity on a job we’ve already planned, we can now present a new price in a matter of seconds, which is hundreds of times faster than what can be done with manual estimates.”

EFI’s Auto-Count provides real-time data collection and allows Denona management to view, measure and improve operational performance on the shop floor. It also identifies bottlenecks and weak links associated with the

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Management/General

Solution EFI’s Monarch provides a comprehensive management control for purchasing, inventory, estimating and more.

Results “We can count on just seven hours to get the job done—as opposed to the two-and-a-half days we used to have to devote to it.” (or) amount of time operators need to wait for plates, paper and other materials.

Printflow, the third EFI component, is designed to reduce waste, increase productivity and adjust to changing conditions. It vastly improves the productivity of Denona’s scheduling department by automatically evaluating each job to determine the optimum timetable for each part of the process. “It optimises the use of employees and equipment— and best of all, it promotes on-time delivery, job after job,” Valpotic says.

In addition, he is very pleased with EFI’s Colorproof XF which, when combined with an Epson spectrophotometer, ensures Denona of colour prints that are 100 percent accurate.

Knowing When the Time is Right “We achieve our goals because we know when to replace lower-automation equipment with higher-automation equipment, and we know how to work closely with our technological partners, like EFI, to implement the technological changes quickly and effectively,” Valpotic adds. “As a case in point, today when we have to produce 40,000 perfect-bound books, we can count on just seven hours to get the job done— as opposed to the two-and-a-half days we used to have to devote to it. And what’s more, in terms of quality, the perfect-bound books will be just that— perfect.”

Denona Ltd. will continue to expand and become the graphic design and production house of choice for a growing number of high-visibility clients both locally and throughout the region.

And as all its employees and partners will confirm, that’s not an estimate.

That’s a fact.

Challenge “We talk a lot about estimating and production planning, which was one of the most vulnerable points in our workflow and one of our most important challenges as a design and production shop.”

“If a client suddenly requests a new estimate for a different quantity on a job we’ve already planned, we can now present a new price in a matter of seconds, which is hundreds of times faster than what can be done with manual estimates.”

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Management/General

What will the alternative vision to print be?

Most of the pink newspapers and biz dailies are focussing on 5.6 GDP which may become 7 GDP in the long term. And all chime in unison about the Indian recovery, irrespective of the fact if the Euro will survive or no, whether the central government - and indeed economy - will combat the inflation.

Most print head honchos I meet stare at the TV in their cabin, which has stock prices scrolling at the bottom. The slowdown can ruin their daily numbers.

Sometimes, it does. It is depressing, one of them says. The manddi is here.

19th and early-20th centuries. The second, made possible, in large part, by xerography and then inkjet devices drove growth into the late 20th century.

The third, centered around information technology, defines the 21st century.

Is this market sentiment or do we know anything about long-run print growth?

The answer is: less than we think.

Experts claim the print payoffs so far to the third industrial revolution, while valid, have been far smaller than those to the second. Digital for example, was a much bigger deal than the IT.

What is our basis to calculate print growth?

The long-term powerpoint projections one comes across in seminars and surveys, make one assumption. They calculate print growth over the next few years. What's worrying is, their projections resemble print trajectory over the past few decades. And so, print consumption — the key driver of growth — is projected to rise at a rate not too different from its average growth in the past two decades.

As Paul Krugman the economywatcher says, "It’s not hard to understand why research agencies make these assumptions. Given how little we know about long-run growth, simply assuming that the future will resemble the past is a natural guess."

But could we be wrong about the future?

There is big theory floating around.

One: print growth is likely to slow sharply — indeed, that the age of print growth that began in the 18th century may well be drawing to an end.

Print growth hasn’t seen a steady process; it has been driven by small steps and boosted by “industrial revolutions,” each based on a set of technologies. The first print revolution, based largely on the litho-offset process, drove growth in the late-

It’s an interesting thesis, and a useful counter-argument to all the glorification of the new-age tech. Why not? After all, new-age stories are being narrated.

The Internet is an infant technology, and it's had more impact than most of us are aware. A pre-media firm in Chennai or Noida, for instance, has a London or Singapore office, and it's a very simple matter now to send them PDFs, Artios Cad files, packaging graphics, whatever is needed, instantaneously. Before the internet, one would have had to send them hard copies of everything, which is time-consuming, expensive, or both, and by the time they finally did get the information, the design would have been modified. That's just one example ... And there are many other examples in other industries.

proficient pre-print services.

Today, the way a book or a packaging product is ‘produced, delivered and consumed’ is getting transformed. The e-packaging or e-publishing segment has the potential to integrate preprint, printing and fulfillment under one roof. With investments at varied functionalities, the creators can ensure the content is attainable in both, the print and the digitised. The good news is: Indian players seem to have decrypted this space and leveraged their competitiveness over their overseas counterparts adhering to their

If you follow these things, you know that the field of screen print has for decades been a frustrating underachiever. But in recent times, there is resurgence. Like screen print for textiles and also automobile parts. For instance, Mumbai-based Classic Stripes is the largest supplier of automotive decals with a production capacity of 20 million automotive graphic sets. Lately, the barriers seem to have fallen — and screen print seems to be yielding seemingly profitable gains through a host of vital applications.

Stratasys 3D Printed Cape and Skirt with Objet Connex Multi-material 3D Printing Technology

One Click to Color

Print World Asia • 2/2013

Wide Format / Proofing Technology

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Management/General based on silver and carbon nanotubes that can create electrical circuits?

Meanwhile the three dimensional print march continues. What started as a way of making prototypes by depositing layers of material (akin to inkjet printing) is becoming a real industrial technique. This is ideal for the smallscale amateur inventors.

Other than the above instances, print growth is being sustained by packaging around the world and indeed in India.

Today, flexible packaging in India including flexible plastic, flexible aluminium/paper, flexible paper, and flexible aluminium/plastic accounts for 65% of all packaging forms. The trends suggest that consumers opt for large sized packages; also, the small sized packages are seeing a lot of action. The easy-to-open packages like pumps or sprays are becoming popular especially in beauty and personal care products. It’s interesting to note that Indian mLLDPE demand is estimated at 70ktpa (kilo-tonnes per annum) in 2010 and will exceed 200 ktpa by 2020.

Target markets are dairy products, edible oil, food, detergents, cosmetics.

This means productivity growth and, therefore, high overall economic growth.

I think it's easy to underestimate the impact the print's having on our ecosystem, but it's already a lot more important to our lifestyles than we're often aware of.

Who knows what print is going to provide to us in the future? Nano print at very low cost? Multi-purpose paper that talks and engages? Exotic “inks”

The fag end of 2012 saw GE Aviation, one of the world’s largest manufacturing group, buy a firm called Morris Technologies. This is a small precisionengineering firm which has invested heavily in 3D printing equipment. Their special skill: they can print bits for a new range of jet engines. At the moment, Morris Technologies uses 3D printing machines, all of which work by using a digital description of an object to build it in physical form, layer by layer.

One of the 3D printing technologies used by Morris Technologies is laser sintering. This entails a thin layer of metallic powder which is spread onto a build platform and then the material is fused with a laser beam. The process is repeated until an object emerges. Laser sintering is capable of producing metal parts, including components based on aerospace-grade titanium.

And so, instead of asking about the growth in print, should we be asking, what will the alternative print vision be?

About Ramu Ramanathan Ramu Ramanathan is editor of PrintWeek India - which he helped launch in May 2008. He has visited printing presses all over India and heads a team of more than 50 at PrintWeek India which has a print run of 11,000+ and is distributed to 350 cities.

Ramu Ramanathan is a playwright.

A collection of eight of his plays has been published by Orient Blackswan as 3, Sakina Manzil and Other Plays.

He was born in Kolkata and grew up in Mumbai, where he currently resides.

The highpoint of this technology is: it saves material. Instead of machine components from metal, only vital material is used. Also, these printed parts are lighter than forged parts, which promises fuel savings.

Many manufacturers deploy 3D printing to make parts prototypes because it is economical and flexible than tooling to produce just one or two items. But the technology is now good enough for it to be used to make

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May be at such a time when we are on cross roads this is the crucial question to ask — are we asking the wrong question.

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News that is still growing rapidly, we are confident of strong sales performance for these two models because of the high quality and cost effectiveness they offer customers.”

Epson SureColor SC-F7070 (64”) EPSON enters the exciting world of fashion with new dye-sub fabric printers Epson, a world leader in digital imaging and printing solutions will entered the fashion printing industry with its two new roll-fed dye sublimation fabric printers that are expected to arrive in Southeast Asia in late March 2013: the 44-inch SureColor SC-F6070 and the 64-inch SureColor SC-F7070. These two new fabric printers are part of Epson’s worldwide strategy to aggressively grow its commercial and industrial printer range that is powered by the company’s proprietary Micro Piezo technology.

The new SureColor F-Series printers are not only the first dye sublimation models from Epson, but also the first in the market in which every component – from ink and print-head to printer chassis and bulk ink delivery system – is designed and manufactured by a single company.

The result is a high-performance dyesublimation transfer printing technology designed for exceptional reliability and industrial-level production with high quality output up to 1,440 x 720 dpi on all leading transfer papers.

Epson Micro Piezo TFP Print Head – The one-inch wide, high performance Micro Piezo print head of the SureColor F-series printers features 720 nozzles per color to ensure efficient, precise and repeatable performance and excellent image quality. The print head is also capable of low vibration meniscus control for highly accurate dot shape and placement; and has an ink repelling coating technology for reduced nozzle clogging and that is optimized specifically for dye-sublimation inks, thereby improving the print head life.

High Flexibility and Speed - The all-new SureColor F-Series models support an extensive range of applications, including efficient production of high-quality soft signage, sportswear, apparel, accessories,

Epson SureColor SC-F6070 (44”) and customized promotional items such as mouse pads and ceramic mugs.

Depending upon the application, both models can output at speeds up to 63.4 square meters per hour.

New high performance fabric ink Developed over a three-year period, Epson UltraChrome DS is a speciallyformulated dye-sublimation ink, producing outstanding images with vibrant colors, intense blacks, sharp contours, and smooth gradations.

This all-new ink technology exhibits excellent light- and wash-fastness, as well as resistance to alkaline and acid perspiration. The UltraChrome DS ink also provides extremely fast drying times, and with the new ink refill packs, offers a low total cost of ownership.

Low printing costs through high capacity ink tanks and ink refill packs – The Epson SureColor F-series models achieve a low printing costs through their use of an innovative new high-capacity, 1500ml ink tank system that is refilled by onelitre packs of UltraChrome DS inks.

Powerful RIP solutions supported – At the time of launch, solutions from leading RIP software vendors Wasatch, SA International (SAi) and ErgoSoft are already available, enabling customers to start using the printers with little to no deployment time.

“This year is the 20th anniversary of Epson’s Micro Piezo Technology, and we are very excited with the launch of the Epson SureColor F-series as it brings the power and quality of our Micro Piezo print head to the fabric printing industry,” says Endo Koichi, Managing Director of Epson Southeast Asia and one of the engineers who pioneered Epson’s Micro Piezo technology. “With the strong fashion industry in the region

Business alliance for commercial printing machinery business.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Printing & Packaging Machinery, Ltd. (Masami Shimizu, President) and Ryobi Limited (Akira Urakami, President and COO) herein announce signing a Letter of Intent, dated January 23, 2013, for a joint study on business alliance for commercial printing machinery business.

1. Purpose of the agreement Both companies have been producing and selling sheet-fed offset printing presses (*1) and facing the stiffer market situation with the shrinking demand especially in developed countries due to the recent global economic crisis. This has led both companies to promote structural reforms to sustain competitiveness in the market and financial soundness as well.

As part of the further efforts in strengthening corporate structure, both companies agreed to study on establishing business alliance in the field of sheet-fed offset printing press business with a possible set up of a joint venture company in future specifically aiming at improving competitiveness of sheet-fed offset printing machinery, enhancing the scale of operations, and solidifying its management base.

It is expected in the commercial printing industry that the market demand for printing machinery in the developing countries is getting stronger, and the demand for higher specification products is expected to grow further in the global market.

Both companies from now on jointly study the scheme that allows significant synergy effects such as enhancement of

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News product line-up, enlargement of product development capability, reduction of product cost, and improvement in sales and service networks. The plan isexpected to enable the stronger presence in the global market.

Factory in the Kingdom of Thailand will serve as the Worldwide Export Hub for the Group Roland DG Corporation of Japan, the world’s leading manufacturer of wideformat inkjet printers for sign and display markets, today announced the official opening of its first manufacturing factory in the Kingdom of Thailand. The factory is also the first outside of Japan.

Located in Sinsakhon Printing City & Industrial Estate Phase 2, Samutsakhon, this new factory is expected to become the region’s major production center outside of Japan. It will serve as the worldwide export hub for the group.

Mr. Masahiro Tomioka, President of Roland DG Corporation, Japan, said: “As the economic expansion in developing countries including Asia is expected to grow further in the mid to long term, we decided to establish a production base in Thailand so as to plan and manufacture products which meet the demand of developing countries. It was Thailand’s good infrastructure and logistics, plus the availability of skilled labor, which made Thailand a very attractive destination for us. But more importantly, it was the presence of strong supporting industry network established through the efforts of the Thai government to attract companies to the region, and the investment incentives from The Thai Board of Investment (BOI) that made Thailand the location of choice for our global expansion.”

The purpose of establishing a factory in Thailand is also to increase the number of manufacture and procurement facilities available. While Thailand experienced disastrous flooding two years ago, the damage incurred from the earthquake and tsunami that same year in Japan disrupted the supply chain, and even affected the procurement of parts for our products. Establishing manufacturing and procurement functions not only in Japan, but also overseas has merit from the viewpoint of cost and increasing price competitiveness, as well as holds merit on the point of risk reduction.

While there has been a recent slight easing in the strength of the yen, its sudden rise in value after the Lehman Shock required action; with procurement of parts in other currencies besides the Japanese yen being another purpose of this factory, allowing us to avoid foreign exchange risks. Furthermore, having become a group organization, our company is currently pushing ahead with its “Global One” reorganization in order to respond quickly and flexibly to meet increasingly complex global market and management environment changes.

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With this restructuring, the factory in Thailand will become a central base for operations in the region, and will be highly effective for responding quickly to the needs of developing countries and realizing prices demanded by the market. In the near future, it is expected that the factory will not only handle manufacturing and procurement functions, but also assume planning and design functions.

Roland DG (‘DG’ stands for ‘Digital Group’) was founded as a subsidiary of the electronic musical instrument maker Roland Corporation in 1981. The early 1980’s marked the era when the personal computers were born, and were being developed by companies such as Apple, IBM, and NEC. Realizing the importance of computers to modern society, Roland decided to take advantage of the digital technology it had developed through the production of electronic instruments and applied it to computer peripherals in order to cultivate a new market, thus forming Roland DG. Roland DG firstly developed Computer Music, which allowed the user to compose

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News capacity of more than 5,000 units in 2014.”

“By setting up a manufacturing factory in Thailand, Roland is now able to produce affordable products that meet the increasing demand for inkjet printers in the growing market including Asia. Today, almost all components to support production here are imported from Japan. The company is aiming to increase the local supply rate to 30% of the necessary components by the end of 2013, and more in the near future.

Some of our Japanese suppliers are also planning to establish manufacturing facilities in Thailand. This will further increase our local production capability”, added Mr. Suzaki.

and automatically perform music using a computer, and also the pen plotter, which was initially developed to output musical notation for songs created using the Computer Music by moving a pen horizontally (X axis) and vertically (Y axis) across the surface of a piece of paper.

In the 1980’s business grew rapidly as the market for pen plotters expanded to manufacturing design and development departments, and construction offices to draft design and schematics. During this time exploring other options began and replacing the pen by a cutter enabled Roland to begin development on cutting machines, and by adding height (Z axis), 3D milling machines and engraving machines. The 1990’s marked the time when Roland changed its flagship product to cutting plotters and shifted its focus to the sign market.

Realizing the importance of color signs, Roland developed and introduced its first wide-format color inkjet printer.

Currently Roland continues to focus on its color business with its wide-format inkjet printers, which has secured more than 40% of the world market share, as well as the 3D business that includes 3D milling machines, 3D scanners, and engraving machines.

The construction of the Thai factory was started in January 2012 with an initial investment of Bht. 200 million and became fully operational in October 2012. With the recent floods which plagued the region in and around Bangkok in mind, this new factory was designed with the floor of the factory at 190 centimeters above sea level, and 300 piles 26m long were driven to support the building from soft ground.

Mr. Akira Suzaki, President of Roland Digital Group (Thailand) Ltd., commented: “This Thai factory initially began manufacturing the RE-640/ RA-640, a wide-format inkjet printer.

Employing excellent staff and using the ‘Digital YATAI,’ a cell production system originally developed by Roland DG, that features guided on-screen instructions and other automated systems, enables the Thai factory to realize advanced manufacturing level to the same quality achieved in Japan. While minimizing risk caused by human error, the Digital YATAI system makes it possible for anyone to assemble the product, and has contributed to the smooth launch of the factory, and production of over 400 units by the end of December 2012 since the factory started mass production on 1 October 2012. The first export of RE-640/RA-640 from the factory was made on October 27, 2012 to China, India, South Africa and Europe. The production of other printer models, such as the metallic printer VS series, is expected to be transferred from Japan to Thailand in the middle of this year.

The company is planning to produce 3,700 units in 2013, and reach maximum

Roland DG markets its innovative products and services in 133 countries through a network of partnering companies. This includes 9 subsidiaries and master distributors, including SVOA Public Company Limited, with which Roland has had a relationship for more than 25 years. As one of Thailand’s leading computer IT system developers, SVOA represents Roland not only in Thailand, but also in Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.

In recent years, Roland DG has witnessed the rapid advancement of computer graphics technology. Roland DG’s technology therefore helps artists, designers and other professionals use digital imagery to produce everything from prototypes to works of art. This dovetails well with its global brand message “Imagine.” It is a simple word; yet it is innovation’s most powerful force.

Mr. Tomioka elaborated: “We believe ‘Imagine.’ can open up a world of possibilities. Today, Roland DG is committed to embrace the power of ‘Imagine.’ by making it possible for our customers everywhere to ‘Transform their Imagination into Reality’.

Wijeya Newspapers selects new Goss press for better quality and efficiency in Sri Lankan weekend editions Leading Sri Lankan newspaper group, Wijeya Newspapers (WNL) will install a new six-tower Goss Magnum press to improve color capacity in weekend titles and meet a growing demand for Sunday newspapers. The Goss press will be installed in April at one of the publishers' two print facilities in Sri Lanka's commercial capital of Colombo.

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News the ability to maximize this potential in coming years will require versatile, multipurpose production systems incorporating a variety of progressive technologies. For this reason, we have decided the time is right to take a step up in capabilities with this latest press investment."

Established in 1979 by Chairman R.S. Wijewardene, Wijeya Newspapers claims the title of foremost newspaper group in Sri Lanka with the highest recorded turnover. The company's portfolio of publications consists of many national independent newspapers, including the leading title, Daily Lankadeepa, a Sinhalese newspaper.

As a new customer to Goss International, WNL chose to invest in advanced technology as well as greater production capacity.

Totaling 24 units configured as six fourhigh towers, six zero-speed reelstands and a 1:3:3 half-page jaw folder, the new 2x1 (single-width, single-circumference) Magnum press will feature a 546mm cutoff and operate at speeds up to 45,000 copies per hour. It will also incorporate shaftless drive technology, as well as motorized ink keys and advanced spraybar dampening and blanket washer technology for improved quality and production versatility.

Production director at Wijeya Newspapers, Mr P.S. Wijewardene, says the Goss Magnum press is expected to increase capacity by thirty percent at the plant. "In addition to an increased demand for Sunday newspapers, our customers are becoming more quality conscious, so we were looking to upgrade our capabilities with advanced technology from Goss," he explains.

"Choosing the Goss Magnum press gives us the confidence that we can meet growing demands and improve quality of reproduction and color capacity in our weekend products."

According to P.S. Wijewardene, the investment is part of a companywide quality improvement program, representing a real opportunity for the publisher: "With political developments in the country, new reader regions have opened up to us in the last few years, meaning that run lengths have increased and brought with them significant growth potential," he concludes. "As readers continue to become more discerning,

WNL's Sunday Lankadeepa is described as the "crown jewels" of the Wijeya Group, having achieved the highest number of copies sold of any Sri Lankan publication on record. Other daily titles include Daily Mirror, Daily FT and the Sunday Times, as well as Adha, a national Sinhalese daily paper, targeted at young people to encourage new readers.

Weeklies and glossy magazines are also published in the three main languages of Sinhala, Tamil and English. WNL has achieved many national awards for editorial content, design, photo journalism and production across its many titles.

Océ Arizona 360GT helps A3M Designs bring a splash of colour to Beaulieu attraction Océ, part of the Canon Group, has been part of A3M Designs Ltd’s work to enhance the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu. The Hampshire-based printer used its Océ Arizona 360GT to decorate one of the more popular children’s attractions at the museum.

Eight specially-printed, profile cut, di-bond graphics featuring cartoon characters and cars add a splash of colour to the surrounds of the children’s pedal car track. The 3-millimetre thick boards are proving popular with the young motorists, who have to navigate road junctions and traffic lights as part of the fun at the popular New Forest attraction.

A3M Designs is run by husband and wife team Linda and Ken Green in Farlington, near Portsmouth. The project was printed by the company using one of the world’s leading wide-format inkjet flatbed printers, the Océ Arizona 360GT, a machine capable of printing to virtually any substrate up to 48mm thick.

Bridget Slevin, Head of Beaulieu Graphics Dept, comments: “These boards around the pedal car track have to withstand plenty of wear and tear so the ink has to be robust and tough and suitable for all kinds of outdoor weather.

We’ve been delighted with the results.

Ken’s very helpful and now he’s got the Océ Arizona there’s a lot more scope for future projects.”

Ken Green, Director of A3M Designs – which was founded over 30 years ago - says: “I’ve invested £100,000 in this new Océ Arizona and we are already seeing significant benefits with new work coming in, such as extra projects with the National Motor Museum along with other projects using white ink on acrylic panels and the more common foamex panels. The Océ Arizona has shown a three-fold saving in print times and a huge reduction in finishing work, allowing us to cut turnaround times for our customers and meet those all important deadlines.”

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News GLOSSOP SET TO TRANSFORM PACKAGING MARKET offering speed, flexibility and cost-savings with the Highcon Euclid Glossop Cartons has confirmed the world's first production order for a HighconTM Euclid digital cutting and creasing machine that will enable it to offer customers faster speeds to market, greater flexibility and cost savings on shorter runs.

Launched last year, the Highcon Euclid digital cutting and creasing machine is destined to transform the packaging industry.

Of Glossop Cartons' decision to be the first in the world to confirm investment in this new technology, director Jacky Sidebottom said: "Glossop Cartons is constantly looking for new ways to improve its products and services for customers.

"The Highcon Euclid opens up a new range of possibilities for our customers: bespoke packaging, short runs, pushing design boundaries and being able to respond to seasonal product changes cost effectively.

"This direct-to-pack concept fits perfectly with our company values of innovation, responsiveness, competitiveness and customer focus."

The Highcon Euclid combines patentpending DART technology to create the digital crease lines, with a unique high speed and high quality laser cutting solution. It does not require a conventional Die, removing the time associated with Die production and additional machine set-up. This enables greater versatility and flexibility to

respond to customer needs, meet tighter deadlines and deliver short and medium run length jobs profitability.

Mark Nixon of Conversion-UK Ltd, Highcon's channel partner in the UK, who closed the deal with Glossop Cartons said: "Glossop Cartons is an ideal candidate for the Highcon Euclid.

It specialises in offering customers flexibility and service and the digital cutting and creasing capabilities of the Euclid will allow them to enhance their product offering and bring quality packages to the shelf even more rapidly."

Glossop Cartons has a strong customer base of household names and a team with a reputation for quality and reliability built up over 30 years, who offer a unique service designed to suit customer requirements. Glossop Cartons will take delivery of the revolutionary solution in April 2013. As an early adopter of the Euclid, Highcon will be working closely with Glossop Cartons to unleash its potential.

Not reinventing the wheel The graphic industry is faced with increasing machine speeds, with corresponding higher demand for cooling, ink and integrated conditioning.

This can only be dealt with by using considerably more powerful units, than those in use today”, observed Peter Böcker in a workshop with leading printing press manufacturers. That was over 15 years ago in 1998.

Even then Peter Böcker was an employee of technotrans AG, the leading system supplier for the printing industry worldwide. Today he is head of the sales department for printing in the corporate group as well as responsible for print sales

Peter Böcker in the 20 Sales and Service companies in Europe, the USA and Asia. The printing expert is amused by his old quote. “You can apply that statement to the situation of digital printing technology today”, says Böcker, barring the latter part of the message, because naturally the units that are necessary in the future are well known at least to technotrans AG. When two years ago at the Hunkeler Innovationdays, technotrans presented a water-cooled colour copier, in which the whole refrigeration technology was fully integrated, the professional world was astonished.

“Who needs that?” was the prevalent reaction that Peter Böcker recalls.

Now there are an increasing number of machines with a performance rate that cannot be handled without precise cooling.

“The development is considerably more rapid than in conventional printing,” Böcker states. “The latest innovations had just been shown in Lucerne in 2011, when Benny Landa showed the next big thing at drupa 2012” for digital printing with capacity characteristics formerly only available in offset printing.”

The derided photocopier of 2011 has resulted in co-operation with large digital printing press manufacturers. So the first installations of the new HP 10000 were equipped with technotrans refrigeration systems. “The system manufacturers naturally quickly realise that technotrans AG has quite a few solutions on hand,” is how Peter Böcker describes the situation.

“If somebody considers single zone temperature control within the various areas of a digital printing press, then he will find that this is a technology that technotrans already uses in sheetfed and web offset for the last 25 years.”

Print World Asia • 2/2013

News The challenge for the international system supplier is the fact that many solutions need to be on a smaller scale.

“Due to the machine speeds more and more ink must be provided to the process in increasingly less time,” says Böcker.

“For this reason we are presenting a special ink pump with a capacity of up to two kilograms per minute at the Hunkeler Innovationdays 2013. In digital printing that is quite a lot.”

Technotrans has also developed pumps that feed up to one kilogram of ink in two seconds “but at the current status of technology that would be rather too much ink in digital printing!”

Peter Böcker describes that a further advantage for the manufacturers of digital printing presses is the long experience of technotrans AG asan OEM supplier.

Experienced Key Account Managers at the headquarters of our company in Germany are familiar with the expectations and the special challenges of printing press manufacturers.

Furthermore global suppliers automatically avail themselves of the worldwide Sales and Service network of technotrans AG from Chicago to Tokyo in eastern direction of course. As a partner of technotrans AG you can rely on technological aspects as well as on our great service and support.

Brazil Fast Food Chain Debuts Edible Packaging What is one food way of solving the problem of discarded fast food wrappers and other packaging materials? Why yes: make them edible. Via Two Sides UK, this is exactly what Bob’s, a fast food chain in Brazil has done. (Wait: there is a fast food chain in Brazil called “Bob’s”?)

Essentially, burgers are wrapped in a rice-based paper and diners can simply chomp right through it. (You can add whatever snarky jokes you want to make about he palatability of fast food here.)

No indication of whether the wrappers enhanced the taste of the burgers, but the company said that there were no wrappers left in the restaurant afterward.

Quod erat demonstrandum?

It’s an interesting and elegant solution to fast food waste, but one does have concerns about how sanitary it is. After all, we put food in packaging to keep it safe from dirt, bacteria, and other

environmental contaminants. If the packaging then is edible—and is no longer a barrier to these things—one questions why there is the need for packaging at all.

In other packaging news, via Triple Pundit, the Notbox Solution is coming to North America. The raison d’être of the NotBox is to eliminate cardboard waste by developing a sturdy package that can be reused a number of times, rather than so-called “single-use” cardboard boxes.

Actually, to be honest, I dispute the notion that cardboard boxes are “singleuse” per se; I have no problem reusing them, and they seem rather robust to me.

I don’t know what the maximum number of “ships” a standard cardboard box is capable of (you can probably extrapolate from the Mullen Test number printed on the bottoms of most boxes, I would guess), but the claims for the Notbox are in excess of 20 ships.

“The final product looks and acts like Styrofoam,” wrote [Oliver Campbell, Dell’s director of procurement for packaging and packaging engineering], “only this is organic, biodegradable and can be used as compost or mulch, which makes for easier and more environmentally-friendly disposal. In addition, this material is also surprisingly durable and tough.”

And this differs from cardboard…how?

I guess it depends what you are shipping: Campbell added that Dell’s packaging strategy has cut costs by more than $18 million and eliminated 20 million pounds of packaging between 2008 and 2012. “With the rapid development of technology and alternative packaging solutions being studied constantly, these benefits have the potential to be far greater in the future for anyone who chooses to adopt a sustainable approach to packaging.”

Notboxes, which include coolboxes for home use as well as by specific industries such as the healthcare sector, fold flat for easy storage and backhaul, come in many sizes and colors and are easily branded “We chose the Notbox because it’s reusable, lightweight, durable and good value for money,” said a spokesperson for Ten Group, a UK-based concierge service. “Our customers can use their box for picnics and storage, and it won’t add to the heaps of landfill already out there.Well, until its lifespan is up. The trick will be getting the shippers to reuse the boxes.

Get ready for the 2013 ASIAN PRINT AWARDS We hope to see you in Jakarta at the winners gala dinner.

www.asianprintawards.com

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Newsmay look the same, but look closer, they are infact clones of the real brands They