Fespa World Editor’s letter After a long and sleepy summer, it’s back to business with a vengeance, as the usual plethora of Autumn shows get underway. A good time then, to re-examine current business strategies and to implement any new ideas that you have honed to perfection during the holiday period. However, if you need a little further inspiration, turn immediately to our Something Different feature on pages 28 to 31, which details how two companies, one an exhibition specialist and the other, a screenprinter, have taken alternative routes to profitability, by offering, in the first instance, a novel concept and in the second, by carving a special niche market. Their experiences are bound to provide food for thought. The new RoHS and WEE regulations, due to come into force in 2008, will affect everyone operating within the screen and digital sectors, since they relate to both the equipment you buy and its disposal when it comes to the end of its useful life span. Chris Smith provides everything that you need to know about this in his column, which begins on page 14. Nazdar, is probably still regarded first and foremost as a supplier of screen inks. However, the company’s digital portfolio received a welcome boost earlier this year with the acquisition of Lyson, the UK-based manufacturer of digital inks. On pages 32-34, Nazdar explains how the two separate entities have been seamlessly combined and reveals some of its plans for the future. In his second column for FESPA World Peter Kiddell advises how the screen process can be streamlined to save time and eliminate unnecessary waste, whilst in Personal Choice on pages 38-42, companies explain why they have chosen the equipment and materials they are currently using. In the Opinion slot on pages 2627, Past President Ricardo Rodriguez Delgado offers a thought provoking view on the future domination of the digital sector by a few large companies. If you would like to respond to this, or indeed any other item featured within this issue, I’d love to hear from you. Finally, since this issue is being distributed at SGIA in Las Vegas, I’d like to take the opportunity to extend a warm welcome to our new readers in the US and invite everyone to visit the FESPA team on our stand at the show. Until then,
NEWS ROUND-UP
4 SUPPLIER NEWS
SPECIAL FEATURES
28 INNOVATION -
The latest news from around the industry
SOMETHING DIFFERENT – Wild Card Creative explains why it is opting to produce disposable exhibition stands – Polish Screenprinter Pasja uses special effects to add value
8 PRODUCT NEWS New launches and Innovations
14 CHRIS’S COLUMN What’s happening within the Associations
16 ROHS AND WEE New regulations will affect screen and digital printers
INFORMATION
MAIN FEATURE
22 FESPA NEWSLETTER
32 FULL STEAM AHEAD FOR NAZDAR The US Ink mnaufacturer explains how it is broadening its scope following its acquisition of digital ink specialists Lyson. Val Hirst talks to Stewart Partridge and James Macdonald
– Looking forward to Fespa Berlin 2007
24 FESPA DIGITAL PRINT AWARDS 2007 – Call for entries
48 FESPA CONTACT LIST
36 SHOWCASE – some of the latest applications reviewed
OPINION
26 GLOBALISATION
Val Hirst e-mail: val@valhirst.demon.co.uk
Fespa World The membership magazine of the Federation of European Screenprinting Associations Issue No.45 Autumn 2006 Published by FESPA Ltd Editorial office FESPA Association House 7a West Street Reigate, Surrey RH2 9BL Tel: +44 1737 24 07 88 Fax: +44 1737 24 07 70 E-mail: info@fespa.com www.fespa.com Publisher Marcus Timson – Group Commercial Manager Tel: +44 1737 24 07 88
Advertising Michael Ryan – Group Sales Manager James Ford – Sales Manager Tel: +44 1737 24 07 88 Fax: +44 1737 24 07 70
– Trick or Treat? Herbert Frintrup, Chairman of German screenprint company,Frintrup Siebdruck-Service, considers whether globalisation is providing screenprinters with a challenge rather than a thread
Editor Val Hirst Tel: +44 1623 88 23 98 E-mail: val@valhirst.demon.co.uk Graphic Design Bate Brand Communications 8 St Leonard’s Square, Wallingford Oxfordshire OX10 0AR Tel: +44 1491 835835 www.batebrand.com Printing The MANSON Group Ltd Reynolds House, 8 Porters Wood Valley Road Industrial Estate St Albans, AL3 6PZ Tel: +44 1727 848 440 www.manson-grp.co.uk
AND FINALLY…
50 This month, Martin McMahon, Group Technical Support Manager, Xaar steps into the spotlight
38
PERSONAL CHOICE
– an occasional feature in which companies explain why they have selected equipment and materials
44 THE PETER KIDDELL COLUMN – In this issue, Peter encourages screenprinters to review their processes in order to achieve greater profitability
Fespa World. Designed by Bate Brand Communications. Printed by The Manson Group Ltd. Editorial photographs supplied courtesy of the companies they feature. The publishers accept no responsibility for any statement made in signed contributions or those reproduced from any other source, nor for claims made in any advertisement. Fespa World is available to individuals who qualify within the terms of a controlled circulation and by subscription.
FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06 3
NEWS ROUND-UP – SUPPLIER NEWS
DataLase opens new US Headquarters
DataLase (formerly Sherwood Technology), originator of the award winning DataLase process, has opened a new North American Headquarters under the name DataLase Inc. The
facility is strategically located in Atlanta’s Technology Park, which houses the area’s high tech community and is just 30 minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson International airport.
The new headquarters will function as a sales office, manufacturing, technical support and distribution/warehousing facility, supporting all new and existing North American customers and license partners. The facility will also house a high-tech applications laboratory to demonstrate the wide range of possibilities for laser marking, enabling current and potential licensees and end users to test the final results of DataLase’s innovative colour change technologies.
CPS announce new facility CPS Chemical Products and Services, a leading European manufacturer of environmentally friendly chemicals, solvents and associated products for the screen and offset print industries, has announced that it is to open a new UK manufacturing facility at the European headquarters of its sister company, MacDermid Autotype. Based in Wantage, Oxfordshire, the new facility will produce the full range of CPS products as part of a longer term programme of European expansion, designed to further improve the quality and choice of its products.
In addition, CPS has also appointed a new Commercial Manager, Simon Jones, formerly with MacDermid Autotype. He explains: “The new plant will include a full-scale production operation, with bulk formulation, blending, mixing and packaging of solvents and aqueous products, and will also enable us to strengthen our research and product development resources.” Simon Jones continues: “The new manufacturing facility will form our headquarters from which we can support our customers via our extensive European dealer network. We
have relocated and retained key staff from other CPS sites and will be recruiting as required to strengthen the team still further. In addition, we have retained the services of one of the founders of CPS, Dr Charles Hansen. Recognised throughout the industry as a leading expert on the formulation of environmentally friendly chemistry, Dr. Henson will assist in the development of a new generation of products that will improve the screen and offset print working place still further”.
AWA and Stirling Consulting form alliance AWA Alexander Watson Associates bv and Stirling Consulting Inc -- two wellknown market research and consulting firms in the paper, packaging, and converting industries -- are coming together to form a business alliance. The two organisations will leverage their expertise and work 4 FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06
together to support customers and enhance their products and services. Stirling Consulting's specialty papers market research and related consulting activities have merged with AWA Alexander Watson Associates, and will operate under the AWA name and brand. Stirling Consulting's non-paper and
related activities are not a part of this alliance. Full details of AWA Alexander Watson Associates' services and currentlyavailable multi-client market reports, and of AWA Conferences & Events' activities are available via the website, www.awa-bv.com
BASF completes acquisition of Johnson Polymer BASF has now completed its acquisition of resins manufacturer Johnson Polymer, in a deal which includes Johnson Polymer’s production sites in the United States and the Netherlands, as well as technical centres and offices in Asia Pacific. BASF thus now has a range of water-based resins that complement its existing resins portfolio and strengthen its market presence, particularly in North America. The former Johnson Polymer business, which employs a total staff of 430 worldwide, will become part of BASF’s Performance Chemicals division.
GretagMacbeth offers colour training GretagMacbeth Global Services has released details of its colour training opportunities in Europe for 2006. These include touring seminars, customised on-site Colour Expert training and a range of workshops at its Centres for Colour Excellence in Zurich, Frankfurt, Birmingham, Paris, Florence and Milan. For further information on upcoming dates and prices for the workshops visit: www.graphintel.com/news/eu rope.html and for seminars visit: www.graphintel.com/cwl
SUPPLIER NEWS
FEFCO updates Standards Library
FEFCO, the Brussels-based European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers, will introduce a new, updated version of the commonly called FEFCO standard (officially the FEFCO – ESBO Standard) this Autumn. The FEFCO Library is used as the standard guide and reference work by all converters active in the corrugated and solid board packaging industries. The federation has been assisted in this endeavour by both Esko and Arjuna, who have both invested their time and expertise. The standards guide, which dates back to the late 60’s and was last updated in 2000, has previously been available only in a printed format but the new guide will be available electronically. Esko, a world leader in packaging preproduction solutions, has provided the necessary software
tools, development and training, whilst Arjuna, a multimedia and web development company, has designed the user interface. Ludwig Anckaert, Technical Director at FEFCO comments “The standard reference guide for the corrugated packaging industry became the worldwide reference for our industry. This new version of the FEFCO standards, in electronic format and with an innovative visualisation tool utilising 3D drawings with a folding sequence, will provide a tremendous added value to the corrugated packaging industry. Furthermore, we also see it as a communications tool that will help to demonstrate the adaptability, creativity, and versatility of corrugated and solid board”. Following an industry request, Mr. Anckaert, initiated the project with the help of the FEFCO standards committee, developer and “guardian” of the standard. An initial preview of the new FEFCO Standard Code book was provided at the FEFCO Congress in Dublin in June with final availability planned for September 2006.
Cametrics launch Ixpressia Cametrics, a leading software development consultancy based in Cambridge has successfully launched its first spin-out, Ixpressia, into the industrial inkjet market, following two years of intense research and development “Cametrics has developed particular expertise in the industrial inkjet printing arena, and we are delighted to be launching Ixpressia, our first product-based venture,” says Cametrics and Ixpressia Managing Director, Jim Taylor, adding: “We are developing a series of products with Ixpressia’s SureJet software being the first. Early indications from existing and potential customers are very encouraging. There is a recognised need for a single, industry-wide solution that
overcomes the requirement to repeatedly write new and costly software programmes for printheads. We believe that SureJet provides that solution.” Ixpressia is led by industrial inkjet specialist Nick Geddes who says: “One of SureJet’s key attractions is its ability to allow hugely expensive printers to become fully commercially operational within time frames that were previously thought unachievable,” A generic software solution, designed to drive all industrial inkjet systems, SureJet will, for the first time, allow the seamless integration of multiple printheads, thus reducing development time and costs associated with the introduction and integration of new industrial inkjet printers.
Epson inkjet image triumphs
Biscor celebrates 30th Anniversary in style Biscor Ltd. the Bradford based company who is the UK’s leading manufacturer of PTFE (Teflon) coated Glass and Kevlar fabrics, celebrated its 30th Anniversary with a move into new premises. The Lord Mayor of Bradford, who unveiled a plaque presented by DuPont to commemorate the event, officially opened the new facility. The launch party also included brief speeches from Gil Wilkinson, a member of the
Biscor Management Team and Gerry Sutcliffe, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs, prior to a buffet lunch. As well as manufacturing the base fabric, Biscor, who exports 55 percent of its products is one of the world’s most innovative converters of high performance coated fabrics.
A photograph of an Epson inkjet head in action has won this year's Cambridge University Engineering Photo Competition. Taken by Dr Steve Hoath, a Research Associate at the Inkjet Research Centre, the photograph is entitled 'Tails from the Nozzle
Bank'. The image illustrates the symphony of the inkjets as they hit the page and the accuracy in each droplet. Epson sponsored the 2006 Engineering Photo Competition and provided £1000 worth of professional printers as prizes.
FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06 5
SUPPLIER NEWS
6 FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06
Graham Rowett joins Kippax following 19 years with the major in-store marketing services enterprise now known as Bezier, as well as having gained considerable experience of machine and sundry sales. As Operations/Business
M&R has appointed David Blake as its new International Sales Manager and Marco Bergomi as new International
Marco Bergomi
Liu Jingsong
Graphics Manager. David Blake has many years experience in the screen sector, having previously established two screenprinting shops, one based in Haiti. In 1992, he became International Regional Sales Manager for an M&R distributor and since 1998, has been International Sales Manager for Rutland.
From 1987 to 1999, Marco Bergomi was previously employed by SIAS in a sales and technical support capacity, before founding IST in 1999. The company, which is based in Milan, specialised in multicolour gripper presses, and was recently acquired by M&R. Marco Bergomi will remain at the Milan location, from where he will manage M&R’s International Graphics Department.
Graaham Evans
H. G. Kippax & Sons has appointed a senior manager with a long and accomplished history within the PoS industry to head up its customer services division – which also acts as the service arm for sister company, Thieme KPX.
Nazdar has appointed Liu Jingsong as the company’s screen and digital inks Territory Manager for the Asia-Pacific region, which includes China, Japan, and Korea. Previously, Liu Jingsong, who has 10 years of experience in the screen and digital print sectors, served as Senior Chemical Engineer for Ink Dezyne and Techncial Manager for Jinan Dezyn Screen Printing Inks Co., a joint venture in China between Ink Dezyne and Nazdar. In his new position, he will be responsible for supporting the company’s current distribution, along with identifying and developing new channels for distributing Nazdar’s screen and digital printing products.
David Blake
Presstek, Inc., a leading manufacturer and marketer of high-tech digital imaging solutions for the graphic arts markets, has appointed Klaus Schleicher as Director, International Business Development. Previously Director of Sales and Engineering at Consul Risk Management, Inc., he will lead the company's efforts to expand its presence worldwide.
Nazdar Ltd. has announced the appointment of Jamie Moores as Director of Operations for its Stockport, UK facility, formerly the location of Lyson Ltd. Jamie Moore’s operation experience in the European inks and coatings industry spans some 20 years, having previously worked for Fuji Film/Sericol, as Operations Director Europe, where he was responsible for overseeing supply chain operations as well as customer service and manufacturing.
Development Manager he will be responsible for the customertailored service packages which the Huddersfield-based company provides for Thieme, SPS and Datascreen/Dataprint machines.
Graham Rowett
Klaus Schleicher
DataLase, has appointed Christine Mest as Sales and Marketing Coordinator for its new US-based headquarters, where she will support the North American sales channel for the DataLase PACKMARK coding and marking solution, as well as the launch of the DataLase CASEMARK label replacement system. She will also be the primary customer relations contact. Christine Mest brings over 10 years of business development and marketing experience, having previously held various business development, sales support and marketing positions with NTS, Inc., RETX and Mirant, a division of the Southern Company.
Jamie Moores
Appointments
Digital print specialist Leach Colour has recently appointed Graham Evans as Sales and Marketing Director. Evans whose extensive industry experience, gained at Coates Screen Inks, HP Indigo and, most recently, Durst, will be working out of both the company’s London sales office and its head office in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
NEWS ROUND-UP – PRODUCT NEWS
New media from Tepede
TEPEDE has recently introduced two new media for solvent inkjet printing: Cling White Gloss and Vinyl OVS 17 Adhesive. Cling White Gloss is a static film, suitable for short term applications on smooth surfaces, for both indoor and outdoor use, such as glass. Because of its static character, the film can be attached to the surface, with both sides without the necessity
of adhesive and is easy to remove and re-apply, without leaving any residue. Vinyl OVS 17 Adhesive is a perforated adhesive vinyl, especially suited for vehicle and window advertising, as it doesn’t obscure the view from the interior. For further information visit: www.tepede.com
Digital screen making is quick and easy with KIWO
Gandinnovations offers more Gandinnovations has recently completed its higher resolution research and development on the Jeti 3150 UV Flatbed and Jeti3324 UV Roll To Roll model printer, by recently offering a true 600 dpi resolution upgrade on all Jeti models. Now with further R&D, it can offer a true 1200 dpi solution for all Jeti 3150 Flatbed and Jeti3324 UV curable printer models. The company began using 80 Pico liter (300 dpi) Spectra print heads offering true 300 dpi quality, and has since also offered 50 (600 dpi) Pico litre heads. Now customers can get a
taste of the highest quality currently available, 1200 dpi. and will be able to chose the resolution most suitable for their businesses. The new 1200 dpi option will not increase the price of the Gandinnovations printers, but will provide customers with a better selection. All Gandinnovations solvent printers offer up to 600 dpi. The Jeti1200 dpi 3150 Flatbed and Jeti3324 UV is available immediately to world-wide customers and will be shown at SGIA 2006 in Las Vegas.
Jeti Liquid Laminate adds vibrancy The KIWO ScreenSetter 2820 CD/DVD, which has been designed for digital screen making, shows the huge savings which can be achieved when investing in the newest digital screen making technology. The system, which offers digital direct imaging, uses conventional UV light as a light source for the direct exposure of the stencils at a very high speed. Advantages include high throughput of up to 60 stencils per hour and direct exposure of 8 FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06
both conventional screen stencils and offset printing plates in one machine. Quick and easy to set up, the KIWO Screensetter 2820 CD/DVD uses all conventional emulsions, and PCF. For further information visit: www.kiwo.de
The company who launched the Jeti printerline in 2002, is, it claims, about to shake-up the world of printing yet again, with the introduction of an invisible product. Gandinnovation’s Jeti Liquid Laminate, is a clear coating of protection, designed especially for use with grandformat signs and displays such as POP, vehicle wraps and oversized banners. Resistance to scratches, chemicals, fade and pollution are amongst the high levels of protection that the Jeti Liquid Laminate provides. It is also very easy to use, and can be applied with a simple sponge brush,
sprayed or using a liquid laminator. The clear coat dries to the touch in minutes and is totally cured after just 24 hours. Waterbased, water soluble and a nonhazardous air pollutant (nonHAP) Jeti Liquid Laminate does not have any volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and is thus environmentally friendly. Competitively priced, a gallon covers anywhere from 600 square-feet to 1,100 square-feet of sign space, depending on the material and thickness of the coating. For further information visit: www.gandinnovations.com
PRODUCT NEWS
Screen making the Harlacher way
According to Harlacher, screens are the be-all and end-all of screenprinting, as no matter how excellent the graphics, or how modern the printing machine, a bad quality screen will never provide good quality prints! Thus, the company claims, its range of PrePress equipment is superior in both its ability to suit individual needs and in the production of quality screens. However, Harlacher also acknowledge that although the quality of the screen and thus the final product is of paramount importance, productivity and financial aspects cannot be ignored in today’s price conscious marketplace. The company’s tensioning equipment therefore strikes a happy balance between quality and cost. The current generation of HARLACHER H35-1 pneumatic tensioning systems combines the advantage of pneumatic tensioning without compromising on flexibility, at a most competitive price.
The mechanical base-frame allows various frame formats to be tensioned without having to entirely re-size the systems and due to the ingenious design, the unit can be slid into place for frame sizes from 500 x 500 mm up to 3000 x 3000 mm. Tensioning several frames simultaneously, or tensioning single frames up to 50 N/cm with a pre-bow effect on the frame, can easily be accommodated by selecting the most suitable version. The control unit can either be pneumatic or electronic and based on a single or double circuit system depending on individual requirements. Harlacher will also shortly be introducing a new range of pneumatic clamps which will both meet strict quality requirements as well as offering a very good price/performance ratio. For further information visit: www.harlacher.ch
HP Scitex Technology smoothes the way A unique software algorithm that facilitates higher quality printing, resulting in less banding and much smoother image reproduction has recently been introduced by HP. A feature of the HP Scitex XL1500 printer, the ‘multi-layer’ screening algorithm, addresses problems common to inkjet printing including banding, and graininess of printed images. These are essentially mechanical phenomena that HP Scitex has 10 FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06
found a way to reduce using its proprietary software. The HP Scitex XL1500 offers high quality wide format print in 2m, 3m and 5m widths. With speeds up to 124m2/hr, at resolutions up to 370 x 740dpi and the ability to print in four, six and eight colours, the HP Scitex XL1500 offers speed, quality and versatility. For further information visit: www.hp.com
Enhanced printer heads P2i Ltd, the nanoscale enhancer of products using its proprietary cold plasma ion-mask process, is setting its sights on the printer head market. Initial trials on a range of heads have produced dramatic results, improving dewetting properties and reducing clogging of the head itself. Ion mask works by applying a protective layer, just nanometres thick, over the entire surface of a product by means of an ionised gas or ‘plasma’. This layer is molecularly bound to the surface and will not leach away. This transforms the surface of the product to display ultra low
surface energy values down to one third that of PTFE (Teflon), displaying low liquid retention properties, whilst leaving the other properties of the product unchanged. All surfaces are enhanced, reducing binding and liquid loss whilst maximising sample recovery. Treated items display enhanced repellency to a wide variety of reagents, virtually eliminating liquid retention. For further information contact: Dr Stephen Coulson on tel: 01235 838282 or alternatively, email: info@p2ilabs.com
Humidifer offers Legionella protection
The JetSpray humidifier from JS Humidifiers, which was developed to combat water contamination in print and paper humidification systems 25 years ago, has recently been redesigned to incorporate advanced anti-Legionella features. Unlike previous spinning disc humidifiers, which had open water tanks, the JetSpray is designed to be a completely sealed system, preventing any possible contamination of the water, prior to it being sprayed into the air. However, the JetSpray has now been developed further to incorporate auto-purge cycles and an ultraviolet sterilisation system. The purge cycle will drain the system regularly to ensure the
water cannot become stagnant and therefore develop any bacteria such as Legionella. The UV steriliser acts as an additional safety device to kill any bacteria that may develop prior to the water being released into the atmosphere. Even though Legionnaires Disease has never been linked to a JetSpray system, these features have been developed to maintain its position as a leading humidifier for the print and paper industry. Fitted as standard to every new system, these additional features can also be retrofitted to the many existing JetSpray systems in operation around the world. For further information visit: www.jshumidifiers.com
PRODUCT NEWS
New squeegee sharpeners from M&R
M&R has introduced three new squeegee blade shapers/ sharpeners, the BladeShaper SC, BladeShaper MC, and BladeShaper LC. All three BladeShapers use virtually indestructible square-cut diamond sharpening wheels to sharpen all squeegee materials, including single and multiple durometer types and carry a five-
Top quality in screen printing starts with the frame
year limited warranty. The material removal rate is easy to adjust, and they are designed to accommodate various squeegee holders/handles. Five additional diamond wheel profiles in numerous grits are optionally available. BladeShaper SC is M&R’s first precision small-format manual squeegee sharpener for blades up to 51 cm (20”), and its portable design ensures that it is easy to move and set up. It includes a 120-grit wheel. BladeShaper MC, is a manual tabletop model, which sharpens
blades up to 97 cm (38”), and includes one 60-grit wheel and one 120-grit wheel. M&R’s freestanding, midsize, fully-automated BladeShaper LC, sharpens blades up to 95 cm (37”) and includes two virtually indestructible square-cut diamond sharpening wheels (one 120-grit and one 230-grit) for smooth, uniform grinding. All LC models include a vacuum system to reduce dust and facilitate particle removal. BladeShaper models designed to operate at 110 volts include an integrated vacuum blower, whilst the 220-
volt version comes complete with a plug that can be attached to a user-provided vacuum blower to facilitate automatic operation when the BladeShaper is turned on. For further information visit: www.mrprint.com
Hurtz has been manufacturing precision steel frames for over 40 years and now offers a range of profiles up to 185 millimetres and frame sizes up to 4 x 8m. Its range of SLOPE profiles, which were developed especially for the higher fabric tensions, necessitated by modern Computer-to-Screen-Systems (CTS), coating machines and direct projection are particularly popular. Crafted from aluminium, which is highly
durable, non-corrosive and weatherproof, the frames rugged construction minimises the possibility of deformation and thus poor print quality. Due to their lightweight, SLOPE profiles are also easier to handle and, because the inside of the frames is bevelled, they can be cleaned quickly and easily without leaving any residue. Another special Hurtz innovation is its Corner Lock System (HCL) which uses a
novel dowel-pin arrangement enabling frames to be installed with the minimum of fuss. The largest frame size, 4 x 8m can now be delivered in component parts, providing significant savings on transportation costs. Hurtz offers a full service, including a special software that enables customers to select the most suitable frame for their application. For further information visit: www.hurtz.de
New ink formulations certified by Spectra Spectra, has certified new ink formulations from Inkware, a division of EFI, Sericol, a division of Fujifilm, and SunJet, a division of Sun Chemical. These ink formulations are extensively tested with specific printhead configurations under the auspices of Spectra’s Ink Certification Program. Inks are rigorously and extensively tested, both internally and in the field, to ensure optimal printing performance and maximum printhead life and meet a comprehensive suite of test requirements defined by Spectra. 12 FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06
It’s a stick-up!
Continental Grafix Ltd, the European manufacturer of The newly certified Inks, perforated printing media, has which range in type from enlarged its product range. solvent-based to ultra-violet Following numerous requests for curable, are designed for use in an adhesive to be used in display graphics, packaging and conjunction with the company’s other digital, high speed, non-adhesive one-way products, printing applications requiring Continental Grafix has an extensive colour palette, good developed PanoStick – a tape adhesion and efficient ink upon which features tiny water drying and curing characteristics. soluble adhesive dots. When They now come under the applied in stripes on to the auspices of Spectra’s media to be fixed to the window, comprehensive 18-month, using the squeegee supplied, the comprehensive warranty. dots are transferred to the media, For further information visit: thus transforming it into a selfwww.dimatix.com adhesive. Since the transferred adhesive will only stick on to the
media, but not the holes, the media can be mounted on to the window from the inside, so that the image is visible from the outside. The adhesion of the product has been conceived in such a way that it can be easily re-positioned if necessary and its impressive transparency ensures that the image is not impeded in any way. PanoStick can also be used in conjunction with non perforated products. It is presently available in roll size 125 mm x 25 linear metre, but a 250 mm width will also be available shortly. For further information visit: www.continentalgrafix.com
PRODUCT NEWS
New super-wide printer is groundbreaking EFI has introduced its new VUTEk QS2000 UV-curing digital inkjet printer, a fourthgeneration UV machine which bridges the gap between superior image quality, productivity and connectivity, opening the door to new applications and increased profitability. The VUTEk QS2000 is the first in an all-new category of printers that combine EFI’s production and workflow management
technologies with the digital print capabilities of its VUTEk superwide format printers. It prints on to both rigid and flexible substrates; offers print resolutions up to 1080 dpi, proprietary image smoothing technologies and six-colour imaging, with a special seventh white ink channel for new and creative applications. For further information visit: www.efi-vutek.com/QS2000
Technological breakthroughs at CST CST created quite a furore in the screen sector when it introduced its DLP screen imaging process in 2003 after successfully integrating Texas Instrument's patented DLP technology and the filmless screen imaging process. The company’s first DLE machine was installed in 2004 and now more than 35 machines have been installed worldwide. Following its extensive on-going research and development process, CST has now introduced new features and control systems. These include automatic autofocus, to facilitate real-time and continual distance adjustments between optic and
stencil surface which compensate for tension or screen frame imperfections, thus eliminating unwanted tonal changes and other colour interference. Another new innovation is the automatic calibration system, which combines special optical and electronic monitoring devices to virtually guarantee perfect imaging performance of Texas Instrument's DMD semiconductor, based on available UV light intensity. This self - calibrating process, which is carried out by the operator once a week, or after a bulb exchange, only requires one minute.
In addition, optics and lenses for 500dpi, 720dpi, 1,000dpi, 1,270dpi and 1,500dpi resolution capabilities are available for special screenprinting applications enabling users to choose the appropriate optic/lens combination to meet their specific requirements without any difference in price. Line counts from 65 up to 150 lpi are possible at their respective operational imaging speed ranges. CST's in-house engineering team has also designed a lens combination that guarantees the exact sharp dot geometry of each pixel to be reproduced identically
over the complete image area. Telecentric lenses ensure that the UV exposure light always hits the light-sensitive emulsion in a straight perpendicular angle. Poorly defined dots or undercutting are thus eliminated. Finally, since this new technology lends itself to automatic in-line processing of screens, multiple CST in-line configurations that include feeding and receiving screen frame magazines, DLE, plus developing and drying processing units will be available next year. For further information visit: www.dlpimaging.com
itself by its extreme versatility and universal field of use, making it an excellent all-rounder for applications. including promotional boards, system inscriptions, signage and POP of every kind. Ultragraph UVAR is best suited for applications that require a high flexibility, due to the need for further processing such as die-cutting or cutting into the ink film. Ultragraph UVGR offers fast curing and excellent chemical resistances at a convincing priceperformance ratio. It is particularly suitable for use on multi-colour printing lines. The outstanding characteristics of this ink series make it the ideal choice
for versatile promotional graphics, especially when used indoors. Like Ultraform UVFM and Ultragraph UVAR, the UVGR ink series offers a variety of applications for the promotional sector, with however some restrictions, for outdoor use. Due to its low-price pigmentation, it is only recommended for shortterm outdoor use. Ultragraph UVGR is best suited for applications requiring a high chemical resistance and can be processed very well on multicolour presses. For further information, please visit: www.marabu-inks.com
An ink for all seasons As screenprinting applications become increasingly diverse, the choice of ink becomes ever more crucial. However, whether screenprinters are looking for inks to provide flexibility, chemical resistance, or outdoor durability, the Marabu Graphics Package offers three separate systems, UVFM, UVAR, and UVGR, which more than fulfil these differing requirements. The three colour systems offer vibrantly coloured print and finely detailed text as well as excellent printability and ease of handling. In addition they are also environmentally friendly. Ultraform UVFM covers a very broad and universal spectrum in
terms of decorative and functional printing onto plastics. By continuously monitoring new products and improvements in the raw material market, Marabu has developed a highly flexible UV ink system for an almost infinite number of applications. The wide range of substrates and very good drying properties in combination with high-grade pigments facilitates the production of high-quality displays, which are also suitable for outdoor use. The ink’s extreme flexibility makes it ideal ink for forming and 180° folds, as well as for very elastic and soft materials. Ultragraph UVAR distinguishes
FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06 13
NEWS ROUND UP – CHRIS’S COLUMN
Chris’s Column It seems such a short time since the last edition yet much has happened within FESPA.
Update on e-learning As I write this column, the Spanish version of the e-learning course is now up and running with a few students already registered. The Finnish course is almost complete (and may well be available for enrolment by the time you read this!) as I hope the other languages will be. We have recently added German to the list, so eventually there will be seven languages (in addition to English) available through the FESPA website www.fespa.com.
Visit to Norske Serigrafers Forening I was delighted to be invited to Norway recently (together with Peter Kiddell, President of DSPA UK). My purpose was to speak to members of the Norwegian Association about FESPA – which included a brief history and some information about the exhibitions, but my main focus was on FESPA Projects (see below for latest information). Peter made two entertaining and informative presentations, the first about digital printing, the second on the FESPA e-learning course. Also present and speaking to delegates was a Norwegian printer, Ronnie Fossoy, who had completed the course in English as he was so keen to do it and could not wait for the Norwegian translation to be completed!
He told delegates how useful and informative the course had been, so much so, that he also intends to enrol some of his staff. At a cost of just €90 generally, the course represents tremendous value for money and completion will not only lead to a certificate of competence, but also to a far greater understanding and knowledge of the process. I will be visiting the Swedish Association very soon to make a similar presentation and am looking forward to meeting many of the members of Svenska Screentryckares Forening.
Projects At the FESPA General Assembly in Bratislava I reported that since November 2004, 54 projects have been submitted by Associations, with a further nine projects being submitted on behalf of FESPA (as FESPA projects). This makes a grand total of 63 and they are beginning to have a real international impact on our industry. At the last meeting, in August, a number of new projects were agreed. These included the provision of assistance to the Hungarian, Serbian and Spanish Associations, to enable them to either establish or update of an association website; a workshop in India; a range of seminars and/or recruitment events in Finland, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Spain and UK; and translation of the FESPA Planet Friendly Environmental guide into Italian and Spanish. Other activities have also been supported and information of these will already have been circulated through the normal FESPA channels.
Standards FESPA is co-ordinating a meeting (in Amsterdam on 4th October) to look at colour management and to consider current standards in screen printing as well as looking at the possibility of formulating standards for digital printing. Representatives from Germany, 14 FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06
Netherlands and UK will be involved, as well as two of the leading ink manufacturers (Sericol and Sun Chemical) plus FOGRA and Swansea University (both of whom have been instrumental in establishing some of the current screen printing standards).
RoHS and WEE A good friend of FESPA, Paul Machin, advises us on many environmental issues and a recent piece of EU legislation is beginning to be enacted in member states. Some States are further ahead with implementation than others, but this will affect us all, so I feel it appropriate to devote some space to an article written by Paul on this subject, which begins overleaf. He will also be preparing a series of articles for FESPA on Reach, which will also affect all screen and digital printers and these will appear in the run up to Reach, taking effect in 2008. Clearly this may pose some problems for members, so if you have a question, please let me know what it is and I’ll ask Paul to provide the answer. As always, I will be delighted to hear of any of your activities, so if you have any information that I can include in my column, please e-mail it to; chris.smith@fespa.com
ROHS AND WEEE
RoHS and WEE things to remember Two new EU Directives will affect the way you select new equipment in the future. Paul Machin explains Once upon a time it was relatively easy for a printer to choose new equipment - he only had to ask himself whether it did the job required and was good value for the price. How things have changed! Now it is necessary to ascertain whether the equipment complies with the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres, Physical Agents, Machinery, Electromagnetic Compatibility and Low Voltage Directives. And, as if this was not enough, printers, will also have to consider compliance with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEE) and the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Directives! The latter two directives could have a majority impact as to where and from whom future equipment is purchased.
What is the overall objective? The purpose of the Directives is the prevention of waste (WEE) and in addition, the re-use, recycling and other forms of recovery, so as to reduce the level of waste disposal. They also aim to restrict the use of materials that have an adverse impact upon human health and the environment.
What is the purpose of WEE? As stated in the Directive: “The amount of EE generated in the Community is growing rapidly. The content of hazardous components in electrical and 16 FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06
electronic equipment is a major concern during the waste management phase and recycling of WEE is not undertaken to a sufficient extent.” WEE is therefore intended to redress this matter dramatically. The European Union WEE Directive 2002/96/EC should have been in force across the EU since 13 August 2005, but many countries still do not have their local legislation in place. Since it was published under Article 175 of the Treaty of Rome, countries can adopt stricter environmental measures if they decide to, providing they also comply with EU law. This, in itself can present problems for the printer when purchasing equipment from other EU countries, where the rules are less strict. There are relaxations for certain countries, notably Greece and Ireland, as well as the newer EU members. WEE applies to all forms of electrical and electronic equipment, both household and industrial. The key features of the Directive which affect nonhousehold WEE are: • All separately collected WEE to be treated; • All treatment sites to be regulated; • Producers will need to provide information on components and material identification to facilitate treatment management. • Recovery and recycling targets for various categories of WEE • Producers of new equipment to fund the treatment and recycling of the third parties acting on their behalf.
• Producers and users may conclude stipulating other financial methods.
What is the scope? There are 10 categories. These cover large household, small household, information technology and telecommunications, consumer equipment, lighting equipment, electrical and electronic tools, toys leisure and sports, medical devices, monitoring equipment and automatic dispensers. At first sight, it would appear that industrial machinery is not covered, however, it is most likely to fall under category six; electrical and electronic tools. “Large-scale stationary industrial tools,” (LSIT) are specifically excluded and, unfortunately LSITs are not defined in the WEE Directive. To assist manufacturers and buyers of industrial equipment, the EU Commission published some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) in May 2005 that included comments on LSITs. Although the answers are not binding on regulators within each EU country, they are likely to be taken into consideration. The EU Commission described LSITs as: “Machines or systems, consisting of a combination of equipment, systems, finished products and/or components, each of which is designed for industry only, permanently fixed and installed by professionals at a given place in industrial machinery, or in an industrial building to perform a specific task. Not intended to be placed
on the market as a single functional or commercial unit.” The Directive also excludes products with a voltage range above 1000 volts for alternating current and 1500 volts for direct current. Products that have a primary power source other than electricity will also be outside the Directive.
What does this mean in practical terms? It is highly probable that each member state will interpret this description in different ways. Therefore, it is only possible to provide guidelines for FESPA members. The decision as to whether any equipment is inside or outside the scope of WEE will be based on a reasonable approach. To ascertain what is reasonable requires consideration, in order of importance, of the following: 1 The articles included in the Annex 1B of the EU Directive 2002/96/EC1 2 The EU “Blue Guide” on definitions2 3 The criteria set out in EU Commission’s Frequently Asked Questions3 4 EU member Governmental guidance notes if issued 5 The equipment should meet as many as possible of the following: a. Consist of a combination of equipment, systems, products and/or components b. Be a tool not covered under any other category c. Be required to be fixed to operate safely or within specification d. Be of “large-scale”
ROHS AND WEE
e. Require professional installation f. Only be used in an industrial environment and g. Be built to perform a specific task. 6. European trade association guidance such as the Orgalime Guide4. This will mean that the following, and this is not an exclusive list, will not be excluded: Printer units, copying machines; computers such as PCs; pre-press equipment such as cameras, developing machines, print-down frames, exposure units; small and medium sized digital and screen process presses; small and medium sized finishing equipment. The very large digital presses (10 metre wide) and four colour UV printing machines are highly likely to be excluded. The decision as to what is, or is not, excluded will be determined by the enforcing authority, initially in the country it is manufactured, or into which it is first imported. As yet, there seems to be no overall controlling body to rule on disputes that may occur between enforcing bodies in the country of manufacture and that of use. However, there is a definition as to who is a Producer.
Who is a Producer? The answer to this question is very significant, because the major responsibility of WEE rests on his/her shoulders. The Producer is any person who imports EE on a professional basis; makes and sells EE under his own brand or resells EE under his brand only. The general principle followed is that the “polluter should pay.” For industrial WEE, any equipment purchased by the printer prior to 13 August 2005, will be the responsibility of the print company as far as treatment and recycling goes. The exception is the purchase of replacement parts, in which case the Producer is responsible. The Producer is also responsible for all equipment sold after 13 August 2005. There is a “get-out clause.” The Producer can negotiate separate arrangements with the buyer for alternative arrangements. This is not surprising as some of the equipment may be retained for a considerable period of time and the Producer may have disappeared from the scene by the time it is ready for disposal. Printers should thus very carefully check the terms of any contract, especially if equipment of any type is involved.
How will hazardous materials be controlled? Many printers will be well aware of the control of hazardous
materials. It could be that after looking at the warning labels on inks and solvents or the declarations in safety data sheets that some will realise that they have to ensure that inks comply with the toy safety limits. The Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive 2000/95/EC (RoHS) will be no surprise. From 1 July 2006, lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), must be replaced by other materials in EE. There are certain exceptions: Mercury in various fluorescent lamps, Lead in: • Cathode ray tubes, electronic components and fluorescent tubes, • As an alloying element • Solders • Piezoelectronic devices • Cadmium plating • Hexavalent chromium as an anti-corrosion element. There is no stated limit as to the allowed level of hazardous substances. The EU Technical Adaptation Committee has put forward the following proposal: 0.1% by weight for lead, hexavalent chromium, mercury, PBBs, PBDEs and 0.01% by weight of cadmium in a homogeneous material. RoHS is different to WEE.
RoHS was established under Article 95 of the Treaty of Rome. This means the rules that apply will, or should be, the same across the whole of the EU. A producer may not market new EE containing the above chemicals exceeding the set maximum concentration values. Spare parts for upgrading or repairing equipment supplied prior to 1 July 2006 will be exempted. Equipment is required to comply with RoHS if it falls within the ten broad categories specified in Annex 1 of WEE, except medical, monitoring and control equipment. Any equipment will naturally require certification to confirm that it complies with RoHS.
The way forward As with all new Directives, there are going to be teething problems. It is vital that the printer only purchases EE from reputable companies who will be able to manage this issue properly. Make sure any equipment complies with RoHS. Ask the supplier before you buy. If you are not accepting responsibility for the recycling, make sure there is a scheme in place to deal with this issue. You do not want to be stuck with the problem when the product is no longer of any use. A responsible supplier will be able to deal with it.
References 1 Directive 2002/96/EC 2 EU “Guide to the implementation of directives based on the New Approach and the Global Approach” 1999 3 EU Commission’s FAQs see 5 Orgalime Guide “A practical Guide to understanding the scope of Directive 2002/96/EC on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEE) and Directive 2002/95/EC on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in EE (RoHS).
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EVENTS
High productivity depends on detail THIEME GmbH & Co. KG recently opened the doors of its plant in Teningen, in South West Germany, to welcome representatives of Portuguese screen-printers to a two-day open house event designed to highlight the very latest developments in screenprinting machinery and accessories.
Heliotextil, a textile transfer printing shop located near Porto, prints jerseys for the world's most renowned soccer teams. Three THIEME 3000 machines ensure the high quality and the adherence to delivery schedules.
Denis Piqué (second from right), THIEME's Sales Manager for Spain and Portugal, together with Portuguese screen printers during the demonstration of a THIEME 5020 machine.
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Representatives of Portuguese printing shops informed themselves about the state of the art in screen printing technology.
As in many other European countries, printing shops in Portugal are, for the most part, small to medium-sized family enterprises. Textile printing, which is carried out by more than 80 companies, is a major area of screen activity, but many printers are also producing signs and displays. Other special
services include varnishing, decorative or ornamental printing on glass and ceramic materials, and transfer printing on textiles. The Portuguese screenprinters learned about the entire printing process, from the stretching, coating, and cleaning of the screen to multi-colour printing with UV inks and solvent-based inks, through to the drying process. As well as THIEME other renowned leading companies such as Grünig, Hurtz, KiWo, Lüscher, Marabu and Tesoma also contributed to the success of the event. The presentation of the THIEME 5000 XL multicolour line and questions regarding the current trend in automation, aroused particular interest. José Quintino, whose company, Ruy de Lacerda, has
been THIEME's representative in Portugal for six years, was highly satisfied with the result of the event that he had helped to organise. He comments: "It was good to meet customers from all market sectors and to discuss the optimisation of processes with them. As was to be expected, the main concerns were quality and costs." The guests too enjoyed the event with João Santos, Director of the Screen2 company in Lisbon, summarising the overall concensus thus: "The comprehensive presentation of top-notch equipment and consumable materials will make impending investment decisions easier for us. And furthermore, this event has given me - and I think I am also speaking for my colleagues - a certain degree of confidence in the future."
Diary dates for 2006/7 SGIA 2006 26 -29 September, 2006 Las Vegas convention Centre Las Vegas Organiser: SGIA Tel: 001 220 313 489 Fax: 001 703 369 1328 e-mail: sylvia@sgia.ord www.sgia.org
Sign Asia Expo September 28-October 1 2006 Muang Thong Thani Thailand Organiser: IBRIX Co., Ltd. Tel: +66 2641 4381 (Auto) Fax: +66 2641 4381 ext. 13 E-mail: sale@signasiaexpo.com [local & International] E-mail: mkt@ibrix.co.th [International only] www.signasiaexpo.com
Visual Communication “Graphic Arts & Packaging” Balkan trade expo. October 2006 – Date to be confirmed Salonica, North Greece, Organiser: Materia Grigia Tel.: +30-210-3640197 (2 lines) Fax: +30-210-3608903
17th Europäisches Siebdruckertreffen/17th Meeting of European Screenprinters 12 – 14 October 2006 Bregrenz, Austria Organiser: Glatz Schilder GmbH Contact: Alexander Eberle/Kurt Kusternig Tel: +43 5574 802 806 e-mail: kurt.kusternig@glatz.at www.glatz.at
Sign Expo - Budapest, Hungary 17-19 October 2006 Hungexpo, 23-as pavilon (II-es kapunál) Nyitvatartás: 10-18 óra Belépés a látogatók részére: ingyenes Bõvebb információ: Sáska Hilda Telefon: 232-1428, Fax: 232-1425 e-mail: saska.hilda@magyarsign.hu
PRO Sign 2006 19 -21 October 2006 Exhibition Centre Frankfurt Messe, Frankfurt, Germany Organiser: Reed Exhibitions Tel: +49 (0) 211 90191-128 Fax: +49 (0)211 90 191-138 e-mail: egeef@reedexpo.de www.prosign-messe.com
PACK EXPO International 2006 October 29 - November 2, 2006 McCormick Place, Chicago, IL USA Organsier: PMMI Trade Shows Tel: 00 703-243-8555 Fax: 00 703-243-3038 e-mail: expo@pmmi.org Internet: www.packexpo.com
If you would like your event to feature on this page, please send full information via e-mail to Val Hirst at val@valhirst.demon.co.uk
Visual Communication Italia
Graphispag 2007
9 -11 November, 2006 Milan Fairgrounds, Milan, Italy Organiser: Reed Exhibitions Tel: ++ 0744 400544 Fax: ++ 0744 403708 e-mail: beatrice.cavalletti@reedexpo.it www.visualcommunication.it
19 – 25 February 2007 Venue Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain Organiser: Graphispack Organisation Tel: +34 93 233 20 00 www.graphispag.com
Screen Printing & Signs China Digital Printing China 2006 16 -19 November, 2006 INTEX Exhibition Centre, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, China Organisers: CSGIA Tel: 86 10 84043402 Fax: 86 10 64034996 e-mail: shenchunyan@csgia.org www.csgia.org
Printed Electronics USA 2006 5-6 December 2006, The Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix AZ, USA Organiser: IDTechEx. In association with Flexible Displays Unit, Arizona State University Tel: + 44 (0) 1223 813703 Fax: +44 (0) 1223 812400 www.printelec.com
Sign Istanbul, International Digital & Outdoor Advertising Fair, 7 -10 December 2006. Tuyap Beylikduzu,Turkey Organiser: IFO Istanbul Fair Organization Tel: 90 212 2757579 Fax: 90 212 2883611 e-mail: ifo@ifo.com.tr www.ifo.com.tr
Visual and Graphic Symphony 21–23 February 2007 Hall 5/1Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles, Paris Organiser: Semp Tel: 33 1 48 55 05 49. www.semp-france.fr
FESPA 2007 5th - 9th June 2007 Messe Berlin, Berlin, Germany Organiser: FESPA Tel: +44 1737 229 727 Fax +44 1737 240 770 e-mail: info@fespa.com www.fespa.com
FESPA World Expo India 2007 7th – 9th December 2007 Pragati Maidan New Delhi, India Organiser: FESPA www.fespa.com
FESPA Digital Printing Europe 2008 1st – 3rd April 2008 Geneva Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland Organiser: FESPA www.fespa.com
FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06 21
FESPA NEWSLETTER
Experience the Power of Imaging!
Marcus Timson, Group Commercial Manager, FESPA
Fespa Berlin 2007 • 5th – 9th June, 2007 • MesseBerlin
FESPA 2007 promises to be a truly inspirational event, with over 200 leading screen and digital printing suppliers having already signed up for FESPA’s flagship event. Corporate sponsor:
Platinum sponsors:
Supported by Corporate Sponsor HP and Platinum Sponsors, Marabu, Saati and Vutek, the show has also attracted a plethora of other leading industry suppliers, including Agfa, Avery, Fujifilm Sericol, Saati, M&R, MHM, Mutoh, Sakuri, Spandex, Thieme and Sefar, all of whom have booked stands in excess of 200sq.m. In fact, so enthusiastic has the reaction been, that FESPA has placed an option on a further two halls within the venue, bringing the total amount of available floorspace to a mammoth 28,000 sq.m, which will span an amazing 10 halls. Frazer Chesterman, FESPA Exhibitions Director, comments: “We are delighted with the response we have had so far. Many of our exhibitors are taking more space than ever and we have a number of new exhibitors taking part, indicating that there will be plenty of new products and techniques on show for visitors to experience and enjoy”. He continues: “As well as featuring all of the leading key screenprinting suppliers, we are looking to build upon the success of the debut FESPA Digital Printing Europe exhibition, and anticipate that digital technology will continue to have a significant presence in Berlin. Following
the success of the digital printing show, many exhibitors signed up for FESPA 2007 immediately and, in light of this, we are absolutely confident that visitors to next year’s show will experience the best representation of screen and digital equipment and consumables, ever seen under one roof. Further, it will provide them with an opportunity to see how the processes can be applied to applications as diverse as textiles, electronics, signs, glass and ceramics, to name but a few. It will also be particularly interesting for visitors to monitor the presence of screen/digital hybrid solutions at the show, given that one of the launches at FESPA 2005 was the M-Press from Agfa and Thieme”. FESPA 2007 will also feature a high quality educational programme designed to complement the wealth of technology and innovation in action on the show floor. More information on this will be released soon. With so much on offer, a visit to Berlin next year could be the best investment you ever make in your company – make a note of the dates in your diary now! For further information visit: www.fespa2007.com
Forthcoming FESPA events include: • FESPA 2007 – The Power of Imaging, 5th – 9th June 2007, Messe Berlin • FESPA World Expo India, 7th – 9th December 2007, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi • FESPA Digital Printing Europe 2008, 1st – 3rd April 2008, Geneva Palexpo • FESPA World Expo Thailand, 27th – 29th November 2008, BITEC, Bangkok For further information visit: www.fespa.com
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Marcus comes from the exhibition industry. His last position was Event Director of Exhibiting Show, a show that celebrates the power of exhibitions! Consequently he is passionate about the power of exhibitions and events as THE best way to engage with your industry, promote your organisation, gain new ideas, meet new contacts and do business. Timson has joined FESPA as Group Commercial Manager. His role incorporates communications and marketing of the FESPA Event portfolio, developing new activities as well as working with Chris Smith in helping the associations with their work in developing their local industry as well as adding value to FESPA membership. Marcus enthuses “FESPA’s success to date is astonishing. The shows really have delivered quality content for visitors and quality business opportunity for exhibitors. The speed to which this has taken place is impressive, which is why I am so excited and enthusiastic about joining the team. There is however, still a lot to be done! My appointment demonstrates FESPA’s commitment to deliver extra value and support for Associations as well as to enhance and develop the show portfolio. I really look forward to meeting members and suppliers at future events, conferences and exhibitions and I of course welcome any feedback or ideas you might have to help us, help you” Email or call me! marcus.timson@fespa.com
FESPA DIGITAL PRINT AWARDS 2007
Step Right Up! Following the recent launch of the FESPA Digital Print Awards Europe 2007, supported by HP, the first entries are beginning to arrive and are already illustrating how creatively the medium is being used by digital print companies throughout Europe.
The competition, which is designed to showcase digital print achievements and to promote application opportunities across the broad spectrum of digital printing, in both the commercial and industrial sectors, is open to all and there are no restrictions as to the printer, substrate or ink used. The submissions will be judged by an independent jury and the results announced next Spring, with the winners going on to feature in a companion publication, which will be distributed to thousands of design studios, agencies, advertisers and industrial goods manufacturers. To ensure that entry is made as easy as possible, companies will be able to obtain entry forms direct from a dedicated Awards website, which also provides information on the programme in six languages. Aspiring entrants are invited to register on the site, whereupon they will receive a guide entry via e-mail. This will enable them to discuss the various requirements with colleagues, if necessary, before returning to 24 FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06
the website when they are ready to complete the efficient on-line entry process. The competition, which should not be confused with the long-standing, traditional FESPA Awards, which are open only to FESPA association members, welcomes entries in one or more of the eight different categories, which between them, span every aspect of digital expertise. In the Commercial sector, the categories include exterior graphics (hoardings, billboards, buildings, external structures); interior graphics (showrooms, shops, exhibitions, POP); vehicles (cars, trucks, buses, trains, boats); dĂŠcor (museums, restaurants, entrances) and marketing (collateral, direct mail). The Industrial sector categories are flexible packaging (narrow web, labels); textiles; manufactured goods (ceramics, glass, white goods). The jury, comprising highly respected industry experts, will judge entries on the basis of their originality, impact, design and in terms of tactical use and productivity, focusing particularly on how digital
printing has enabled a novel promotional approach and/or provided an economic solution to the realisation of the project. The awards will be made on both a category and regional basis, with a Platinum Award being presented for the most outstanding Europe-wide entry in each of the eight categories. Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards will also be made, irrespective of the category in which they are entered, in each of eight regions across Europe. The regions are: Benelux (Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands); France/Switzerland; East Europe /Russia/Ukraine; Germany/Austria; Iberia (Spain, Portugal); Italy/Greece/Turkey/Cyprus; Scandinavia (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland); UK/Ireland. The Platinum awards will be presented at a central ceremony, whilst regional ceremonies, involving Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards, are planned in co-operation with FESPA’s national member associations. Entries are welcomed from
all commercial and industrial print service providers, who are invited to submit projects of which they are particularly proud and which they have completed during 2006. Entries must be supported by an agreement from all the parties involved in a project, namely the advertiser or end-user and advertising agency or studio. All eventual publicity for the Awards, in the form of editorial coverage in the European press, dedicated website exposure and inclusion in the Awards publication, will include the names of print service providers and the other parties involved in the development and use of projects. However, in order to maintain the open nature of the competition, suppliers of equipment and materials will not be credited. The closing date for entries is 1st December, 2006. For further information, including the rules and regulations, as well as online entry forms, visit: www.fespadigitalprint awards.com
OPINION
‘If you look at the same object from different viewpoints, you get different impressions. You cannot talk about the sea with a frog which never leaves the fountain; Or about the sun with a worm which never comes up from the earth’ Chinese Proverb
Globalisation – trick or treat? By Herbert Frintrup
“
With the increasing popularity of cheap air travel, the world is becoming a smaller place, one of the many factors which has influenced the spread of globalisation, to the extent that it now affects every level of society, as well as businesses of all sizes. Quite naturally, when faced with two very similar items, most people will prefer to buy the cheaper one, without for one moment questioning where it has originated, how it has been made, or considering how their own country’s economy might be threatened over the longer term. However, although many regard globalisation as a pernicious evil, might it not also offer a golden opportunity? And if so, what can we all do to take advantage of it? Some years ago, German produced goods were perceived as being very expensive. This lead to many German manufacturers moving their production facilities to countries with lower labour costs, with the full support of the German government. When these goods were then exported into Germany, the obvious happened - German consumers chose them over similar homegrown items. It has since become commonplace for Western manufacturers to establish facilities abroad, but this only provides them with a short-term solution. When looked at logically, it is unreasonable to expect that we can continually reduce our working hours and increase pay and benefits whilst still buying cheap goods produced elsewhere. When it comes to screenprinting, it is the same story. Increasingly, European screenprinters are losing out to those operating in the emerging economies of the Far East, where lower labour costs, coupled with greater state support with regard to environmental protection and health and safety issues keep prices down.
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Indeed, in some areas the latter two considerations aren’t addressed at all, with obvious cost benefits for the final item! So how do we compete? In order to regain the economic advantage, we should consider a number of different strategies. Obviously, it is common sense to do everything we can to ensure that our own production costs are as low as we can make them. In the first instance this means resisting all attempts to further reduce the working week and keeping wage rises within the realms of possibility. There is probably less that we can do about the costs associated with ensuring that employees and the environment are protected from exposure to hazardous waste and that all products are as safe as we can make them. Nor should we be attempting to save money in this area. However, there are several things we can do to become more productive. For example, by investing in the newest technology, we can reduce the time consuming and labour intensive pre-press process, thus increasing our profitability. Some screenprinters have already acquired the latest computer to screen (CTS) equipment offered by manufacturers such as Luscher, CST, Mantel, Kammann and Signtronic, as well as the automated screen reclamation lines offered by companies like Grunig. Further technological innovations aimed at streamlining the screen process should also be enthusiastically welcomed, and screenprinters will have to learn that they will need to spend money in order to make money. But just as importantly, we must reach within ourselves, with screenprinters becoming innovators too. With so much competition, it is no longer enough to continue down the same old roads as before. It is up to us to identify new areas of application and to hone and refine our
skills so that we can add value to standard products, thus also enabling our customers, to reap the premium price that something out of the ordinary always commands. Some screenprinters are already doing this very successfully by, for example, offering a host of special screenprinting effects designed to transform the run of the mill into something unique. Others are assessing the new and increasing opportunities that lie within the industrial sectors which often require superior skills and facilities, something which overseas competitors are less able to offer. In my view, we can use the current trend towards globalisation to spur us on to bigger and better things, or we can simply give in and give up. As the wise man in China first opined 3,500 years ago, if you look at the same object from different viewpoints you get very different impressions. In the same way, instead of complaining about the current level of competition, we should look afresh at our own companies and reassess what we really have to offer. The results could be very surprising!
”
Born in l952, Herbert Frintrup, trained as a screenprinter following his graduation from business school. He first joined Frintrup Siebdruck-Service, his family’s screenprinting company, in 1973, becoming Managing Director in 1991. The company, which now employs around 40 people, offering a full screenprinting service, is based in Bon-Bueuel, Germany. It also distributes screenprinting equipment. Herbert Frintrup became the company’s chairman in 1993.
OPINION
A future oligopoly in the Inkjet Market The recent trend towards consolidation in the inkjet printing sector is continuing during 2006, with the acquisition of several major industry players by other companies. We can thus imagine a time when a single organisation could control the manufacture and sales of hardware, software and consumables, whilst also setting the price bands that it considers appropriate for its purposes. In my view, this process of consolidation has arisen as a direct consequence of the competition that is now rife in the inkjet sector. Innovators are faced with very high research and development costs, whilst also having to cope with decreasing margins and their lack of profitability means that they can be acquired relatively cheaply. My fear is that this level of consolidation could lead to a supplier oligopoly, where a very few major companies control the whole sector. Surely it is now time for all digital printers to feature a truly ‘open architecture’
whereby they can use the UV inks supplied by the ink manufacturer of the owner’s choice rather than being restricted to using the branded inks specified by the printer manufacturer? This would, of course, require some standardisation of printheads and UV curing systems and for an industry that is still, relatively speaking, in its infancy, this could not happen over night. However, I believe that this should be a priority for FESPA, who, with the launch of FESPA Digital Printing Europe, has already demonstrated its leadership qualities and sense of commitment to the digital sector. Unless something is done soon, the oligopoly will continue to evolve more quickly than any process designed to facilitate the open architecture necessary to provide everyone with a free choice of ink. Ricardo Rodriguez Delgado – Past President of FESPA Panorama Spain
Do you think it’s down to screenprinters to be more innovative or do you have a opinion on the use of third party inks? If you have something to say about either of the topics covered here, or indeed on any other screen or digital printing related issue, this is the place to air your views. In the first instance, simply e-mail any contribution you would like to make to val@valhirst.demon.co.uk Alternatively, if you would like to discuss your contribution in greater detail simply contact Val Hirst on Tel: ++44 (0)1623 882398 for an initial chat. FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06 27
INNOVATION
Something Different When the going gets tough, the tough get creative! Instead of bewailing the effects of over capacity and tumbling profit margins, two companies, one an exhibition specialist and the other a screenprinter, decided to take a more innovative approach and, in so doing, came up with something completely different. Val Hirst reports
First established in the UK city of Leicester, some six years ago, Wildcard Creative worked hard to build a reputation as an exhibition specialist, providing a full design and build service for its clients. However, Directors Jamie Douglas, Tim Purkis and sidekick Dexter Hartley found themselves becoming increasingly concerned about the amount of waste –in terms of money, materials and resources – that the exhibition sector generated. Determined to do something about it, they decided to revisit a concept that Jamie had first become involved with at university, namely the creation of 28 FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06
cardboard graphics, which could be easily disposed of and recycled once their useful life had come to an end. Dexter explains: “We are in the business of providing bespoke schemes for our clients, which are often only used once or twice before becoming obsolete. What’s more, the time spent building and dismantling these structures on site, together with the cost of transporting them from show to show, are becoming prohibitive. With this in mind, a year ago, we decided to change the focus of the business and now, although we do still offer traditionally constructed exhibition stands, we are finding that
more and more clients are embracing the idea of a cardboard only stand.” To win around the sceptical, Wildcard Creative officially launched its concept at the recent Exhibiting Show held at London’s Excel Exhibition Centre, by making its own stand a completely cardboard one. With unusual graphics, which depicted the drawing room of a particularly splendid stately home, the stand proved suitably inspirational. Visitors, who were invited to enjoy afternoon tea, complete with fondant fancies, were completely wowed by both its creativity and durability. Wildcard also
INNOVATION
took the opportunity to launch their next cardboard project, an entrée into the furnishing sector, with the unveiling of a magnificent sculptural bench. Dexter says: “The show was a real turning point for us because people could see for themselves just how good the stand looked and also how tough it was. Generally speaking, a cardboard stand can be used at least three times, if desired and, because we use a modular format, sections can be replaced to display different graphics and/or promotional messages if necessary.” As well as being impressed by the overall look and style that is achievable, customers are also delighted to learn of the potential cost savings. Dexter continues: “Exhibiting is a very expensive business, with bespoke stands costing tens of thousands of pounds – the sky is literally the limit. However, for a 3m x 4m cardboard stand, you are looking instead at a total cost of somewhere between £2,000 to £3,000 – a huge saving.” Some clients are more concerned about the concept’s environmental credentials, especially since many companies are now taking a more ethical stance when it comes to the promotion of their own products and services. Dexter says: “We use a French company that produces cardboard which has the necessary fire
rating and also uses 99 percent recycled material. The remaining one percent, which is necessary to provide the level of quality needed for printing, comes from sustainable sources. When the stand is no longer required, clients can cheerfully scrap it, secure in the knowledge that the material can be recycled and reused.” He adds that all of the stand components can be packed flat and this, together with their lightweight, also offers a big reduction in transportation costs. But probably best of all, a cardboard stand can be erected and installed by just two people armed with a stepladder! “Although we offer an installation service if customers require it, it really is easy to build and dismantle a cardboard stand, which also saves on labour costs,” he says. That must be very welcome news to companies who despair at the expense involved in transporting and accommodating a posse of staff at various events throughout the year! Wildcard Creative use a Leeds-based printer, Image Serigraphics, who digitally print the graphics on its two Inca Turbo flatbed printers. The company also offers a screenprinting facility if larger volumes are required. So is there anything which can’t be done in cardboard? According to Dexter, there’s remarkably little. “As stand
designers, we are used to being challenged and feel that it’s our job to provide whatever the client demands. The only real limitation is the print size, which is dictated by the digital flatbed printer, but even then, the modular format means that we can design different sections to fit together, so the joins aren’t evident. Let’s just say that we haven’t had a commission that we couldn’t fulfil so far.” Buoyed by the initial success of this venture, Wildcard Creative is examining further opportunities – the whole point of sale sector is an obvious area and Dexter reveals that the company is already in talks with at least one leading supermarket chain. Bespoke furnishing and the whole area of product customisation also provide possible new markets for this enterprising company. But perhaps the most important thing is the amount of money it can make. The last word goes to Dexter who says: “Because the overall value of each stand is considerably less, we are having to design more of them to maintain turnover levels, but when it comes to profitability – let’s just say that we aren’t complaining!” Contact Wildcard Creative on Tel: ++44 (0)116 261 6863 Fax: ++44 (0)116 261 6864, e-mail info@wildcardcreative.com or visit: www.wildcardcreative.com FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06 29
INNOVATION
Something Different Pasja has taken an alternative, but no less original route to profitability by imbuing traditional screenprinting techniques with a new twist and, in the process, has carved out a unique niche for itself. The company offers special printed effects for clients who, in the main, know exactly what they want and don’t mind paying for it. Here, the Polish screenprinter reveals its secrets.
The first clue as to what makes Pasja tick is in the name. Pasja means ‘passion’ in Polish and principals, Jacek Stencel, who originally founded the company in Mikolow 1992 and Michal Kridel, have a very obvious passion for their work. However, rather than pursuing the familiar and well trodden screenprinting route and simply producing the usual round of point of purchase and promotional items, their offering is something truly different. Says Jacek: “Sometimes the biggest challenge lies in finding a way that you can work smarter, rather than just harder and that means identifying a niche area where the competition is less and the potential for profit is correspondingly higher.” Not that Jacek hasn’t experienced his fair share of hard work. When the company first started, he used a single manual press, but by adopting a strategy of constant re-investment, the Pasja equipment inventory has continued to expand. Nowadays, Pasja, which was the first company in Poland to invest in a cylinder press, also boasts a fullyautomatic Svecia press, which it purchased at FESPA Munich in 1999. More recently, it has set up a second facility to accommodate its digital division and has chalked up another ‘first’ by becoming the first company in Poland to acquire a OCE CS6100. Doubtless, its digital output will soon attract the same attention as its high quality screenwork, which provides dozens of stunning special effects, that make even the most pedestrian items dazzlingly eyecatching. 30 FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06
Michal explains: “With standard screenprinted items, the price is always the issue, but special effect printing is much more highly coveted and valued. We find, invariably, that customers are prepared to pay a higher price for the extra quality and finish and accordingly, we derive a double benefit – the pleasure of producing something we can be proud of, together with the extra profit!” A pioneer of UV varnishing techniques, which form the bedrock of the company’s activities, Pasja use a variety of different base materials, ranging through paper, cardboard, self-adhesive materials and plastics. It also uses a variety of different inks, including rub-removable, perfumed, luminescent, glue, glitter and more besides. These elements, or rather, inventive combinations of them, are what helps set Pasja apart from its competitors. The work covers the full gamut of applications; from the dramatic backlit signs used for advertising purposes, to inventive POP displays. Slightly less glamorous, but no less impressive items, such as lottery scratch cards and security marking on ticketing, also command an equally high premium. The company’s brochure provides a veritable treasure trove of ideas and demonstrates how, for example, thermoactive inks can be used to mask text and/or graphics. However, when influenced by a higher temperature, the ink becomes transparent, revealing what lies beneath it. A similar effect of ‘now you see it, now you don’t’ is achieved when
thermo-active ink is subjected to cooler temperatures, which activate pigments to produce vibrant colour. An embossed printing effect can be used to provide an intriguing 3D shape, whilst luminescent inks glow in the dark – just the job for signs and graphics in steamy nighclubs and discos! Perfumed inks add another facet to POP displays promoting cosmetics and bath products and glitter ink adds zing to any promotional material. Michal comments that the company, which now employs 25 people and enjoys an annual turnover in the region of one million euros, is always searching for new ideas. He says: “Printing special effects is one strand of our operation, the other is to come up with original ways of getting customers’ messages across, which means constantly
INNOVATION
reviewing the market and interpreting the latest trends in a creative way.” He goes on to remark that the company is especially proud to be a FESPA Gold winner at the FESPA 2002 Awards competition held in Madrid, particularly since, that year, no silver of bronze prizes were awarded in that category. Last year Pasja repeated its success gaining two Gold Awards at the FESPA 2005 Awards Competition in Munich, one in respect of an unusual calendar, featuring a plethora of leaves, each of which displayed a different special effect. Jacek declares himself excited by the new possibilities provided by digital printing technology and says: “Digital printing will enable us to apply all of the above techniques – and more – to smaller volumes and will also offer a greater opportunity for further personalisation
and customisation. This in turn will enable our clients to precisely target their promotional and advertising material, varying it to appeal to different sorts of customers.” Pasja, who offer a trade service, as well as dealing directly with advertising agencies and in-house marketing departments, are adamant however, that they won’t be entering the price war which all too often surrounds digital print. Jacek states: “We have found a way of maintaining our profitability whilst we continue to expand the company and since it also provides us with a lot of job satisfaction we see no reason to make any changes. This niche market is absolutely where we want to be.” Good news indeed, for all of Pasja’s customers throughout Europe!
For further information Tel/Fax: ++48 32 2260 789 e-mail biuro@pasja.com.pl or alternatively, visit: www.pasja.com.pl
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Full Steam Ahead Formerly best known as a producer of screen inks, over the last couple of years Nazdar has considerably expanded its scope to offer one of the largest screen and digital ink portfolios currently available. Val Hirst reports
First established as Naz-Dar in 1922, in the back of a small store in Chicago, Nazdar’s transformation into a major supplier of screen printing inks has, in many ways, mirrored the parallel growth of the screenprinting sector. In the decades that followed its formation, the company dedicated itself to the production of inks for use with the increasingly sophisticated range of substrates which were becoming available, even setting up its own research and development facilities to provide new formulations. During the 60s and 70s, Nazdar established a core distribution network, which has gradually expanded to serve Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, Asia and Australia, as well as North America. This process was given an extra fillip in 1982, when the company acquired KC Coatings, and, a little over a decade later, the ink and supplies division of Advance Process Supply Company, which also heralded a change of name to Nazdar.
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During the mid 90s, Nazdar, which remains a private company in family ownership, shrewdly recognised that digital printing technology would become an increasingly important area and established a separate division, Nazdar Digital, especially to develop solvent inks for use with wide and grand format inkjet printers. Another acquisition, of the Canadian company Ink Dezyne in 1997, not only served to intensify this process, it also provided Nazdar with access to OEMs operating in the inkjet and airbrush sectors and culminated in the launch of the company’s highly successful NDI Series of digital inks in 2001. 2004 saw a realignment within the company, with the establishment of two separate divisions: the Nazdar Inks and Coating Division, responsible for the manufacture of screen and digital inks, and Source One, a distribution network set up to service the speciality printing sector in North America. Last year the company
made several new appointments including the elevation of Richard Bowles from Vice President of Sales and Marketing to Vice President and General Manager of Nazdar Inks and Coatings, who amongst other things, is spearheading Nazdar’s further penetration into the global screen and digital markets. Earlier this year, another chapter of the Nazdar story unfolded with the company’s acquisition of Lyson, the UK manufacturer of digital inks, a move that has further consolidated its position in the digital sector. And, according to Stewart Partridge, Nazdar’s Business Unit Director for Digital Inks, the move has also provided it with a completely different perspective. He explains: “Before acquiring Lyson I think that Nazdar, in common with other screen ink manufacturers, had a particular view about the development of the digital process and the applications that it was best suited to. However, since the acquisition that view has now broadened
considerably, as we realise that we are entering uncharted waters, where, as far as the range of applications is concerned, nothing is finite anymore.” Stewart goes on to say that having decided to expand its business via a further acquisition, Nazdar was originally considering several different companies. However, Lyson particularly commended itself, since it offered numerous advantages. Stewart categorises these as its extended ink technology portfolio, coupled with a wealth of technical and manufacturing expertise. Further, it also came complete with a European manufacturing base and established market channels which offered Nazdar entrée into new sectors, Stewart comments: “As far as Nazdar is concerned, Lyson was definitely the right choice for us .” James Macdonald, Nazdar’s Sales and Marketing Director EMEA, agrees, elaborating on the new areas that have now opened up. He says: “As well as the
wide and grand format inkjet market, we can also now provide inks for use in the office and recycling sectors, in the areas of coding and marking, for the textile industry and last but not least, the proofing, photographic, fine arts and prepress sectors – all of which are expanding.” With improved manufacturing capacity and an expanded technological base, Nazdar is thus all set to capitalise on its enhanced assets and is now dedicated to creating the structure for major global growth worldwide. Stewart confirms that despite any initial rumours to the contrary, Nazdar plans to continue with all Lyson Group activities, promising that the only area of rationalisation relates to inks for wide and grand format printing. “Since both Nazdar and Lyson offered a comprehensive range of similar digital inks, it made sense to edit it, to both avoid confusion and to ensure that customers are getting the best possible product,” he says. James interjects that these
modifications have even offered extra customer benefits. ”Interestingly, the editing process has lead to the reformulation of some inks to combine the best elements of the existing Nazdar and Lyson products to create something superior,” he says. Further additions to the Lyson range, which will continue to retain its original branding, and with it the seal of credibility that the name conveys, will be announced at both Photokina in Cologne and SGIA in Las Vegas, with Stewart promising that more products are in the pipeline. He reveals: “Lyson already had an extensive portfolio of textile inks, but we have identified this as an exciting growth area that demands further support. In addition, we are developing an innovative range of new aqueous inks which are totally different from anything that has been seen before and will, I think, cause quite a stir. And of course, the market for UV digital inks continues to grow, since it offers print
FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06 33
Market sectors for Lyson Inks
companies faster drying and curing times, plus a wider choice of substrates. UV inks are particularly suitable in the packaging, furnishing and industrial sectors and to satisfy this demand, we will shortly be embarking on the global distribution of the Nazdar range of UV inks, which up until now, have only been available in the US.” With so many ink choices available to them, it seems appropriate to ask whether, in future, digital print companies will be able to exercise their true right of selection, with many printer manufacturers stipulating that their customers use own brand inks. Stewart is sympathetic to manufacturers who seek to boost their future revenues with sales of consumables. He says: “In some cases, manufacturers sell their cheapest machines at little more than cost price, so the only way they can realise a reasonable profit margin, is through the on-going sale of OEM inks. This financial imperative is also often coupled with an honest desire to protect costly equipment from the damage that can be caused by poorly formulated products. However, I think they also need to recognise that their customers are operating in an increasingly price sensitive market. If own brand consumables become too expensive, it will make it difficult for digital print companies to make the necessary margins and, in the longer term, this could effectively slow down the tremendous growth potential of the whole 34 FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06
Office/recycling/bulk inks
Aqueous inks suitable for use with HP, Epson, Lexmark and Canon printers
Grand and wide format
Aqueous, solvent and UV inks for use with all printers using Xaar, Spectra, Konica, Seiko and Epson printheads
Proofing/Photographic /Fine Arts/Prepress
Aqueous inks for use with the Epson 1800 printer and the Epson 9800 printer for prepress Nazdar media range also available including canvas, gloss and satin finish photographic and fine art paper
Textile
Reactive, acid and dye sublimation inks * , with pigmented inks joining the range soon. High-density formulations suitable for use with printers from Mimaki, Mutoh, Roland and Epson * Dye sublimation not available in the USA
Coding & Marking
Continuous, Drop-on-demand and piezo inks, suitable for use with printers including those from Lynx, Videojet, Willett and Imaje
Industrial
Under development
digital sector. Whilst I appreciate that it takes an awful lot of engineering expertise to ensure that an ink is compatible and that it is thus natural for printer manufacturers to expect to recoup at least some of this cost, customers must have real choice.” He continues: “There are many good alternatives to OEM products, most of which are entirely reputable and which will provide excellent results in terms of print quality and won’t damage printer heads. In fact, we are so confident about all of our digital inks that, providing they have been properly installed and used appropriately, we are perfectly happy to provide our customers with a warranty against damage to their machines’ ink delivery systems and printheads.” When asked whether he feels that, with so much consolidation, taking place in the digital sector at present, the market will soon be dominated by a few large companies, Stewart opines: “I don’t think that is the case at all. Although there has been some consolidation of late, new companies offering both hardware and consumables are emerging all of the time. For example, there are now more highperformance industrial printhead manufacturers than ever before, with companies such as Konica, Seiko and Ricoh joining the original market leaders Xaar and Spectra. In addition, there are more printer manufacturers than ever before - China alone boasts 25. I don’t regard larger companies or industry
consolidation as a threat - rather these large conglomerates are responsible for expanding the industry, since they have the financial strength and vision to engage in the level of research and development which provides the new innovations that benefit everyone. I think that the best situation is a mix of small and larger companies providing the maximum level of choice - and that is what we have today.” Despite the company’s collective excitement at the new opportunities that lie ahead, James is at pains to point out that this enthusiasm for all things digital doesn’t mean that Nazdar is giving up on its core screen printing products. He says: “On the contrary, we still feel that there is growth to be enjoyed in the screen printing sector, both in terms of applications and geographical spread.” To this end, the company in 2005 appointed Keith Ramsey as Area Manager for Screen Products in Europe, Middle East and Africa. James continues: “Keith will be helping our distributors in Europe to build up their market share and customer support facilities, as well as further expanding the distributor network. This though, is something that we want to do judiciously, since we are concerned that our products should only be sold by companies whose commitment to quality and customer service equals our own.” The final word goes to Stewart who concludes: “Whichever way you look at it, there are greater opportunities in all of the printing sectors than ever before and it’s is our mission to provide both the products and services that will help our customers achieve their fullest potential. That means constantly enhancing and improving our product portfolio, whether by organic growth or further acquisition – watch this space!”
SHOWCASE
SHOWCASE Our regular round-up of some of the latest projects
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a Delhi-based Indian digital printer, JMD, used its VUTEk PressVu UV 200/600 W+ digital print system to produce high quality images onto a variety of different substrates for the launch of Costa, the Italian coffee house chain, in India. Producing 370 square metres of print for installation at 10 coffee houses across Delhi, one of the most challenging issues JMD faced was how to print photo quality images onto hessian bean sacks. The company solved this problem by mounting the one square metre substrate on to a three centimetre thick wooden frame, stretching the hessian flat and thus minimising the possibility of fibres standing proud and distorting the print. Once mounted, the substrate was simply fed through the PressVu UV and the highresolution graphics imaged to the surface.
a
In addition to the hessian graphics that adorned each wall, JMD also produced a variety of POP graphics, including 2m x 1.5m menu boards printed on to rigid Sunboard, and menu cards printed on to 3m x 1m MDF. The printing took half a day for each Costa coffee house, with onsite installations taking a further day. b When the Rembrandt exhibition recently opened in the Beurs van Berlage Exhibition Centre in Amsterdam it offered visitors a number of surprises. As well as the sheer number of paintings on display – the exhibition featured all of Rembrandt’s known works – they were also able to experience a unique journey through the life of Rembrandt, viewing his canvases in chronological order. However, perhaps the greatest
SHOWCASE
b
d
surprise of all was the fact that none of the work on display was original! In fact, each work of art is a piece-by-piece life-like reproduction, printed at actual-size, using an Epson Stylus Pro 9800, UltraChrome K3, large format printer! Although Rembrandt’s world famous paintings are now spread throughout many of the world’s museums, transparent slides are available, which meant that it was comparatively easy to create digital files and print actual-size reproductions. This offered visitors the added bonus of being able to get closer to the paintings than is usually possible and to fully admire the genius behind every perfect brushstroke. c Big Ink used its Jeti printer from Gandinnovtions to print the 109 x 120foot banner used for a media event inside
c
e
the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, home of this year’s Final Four NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. The banner, which was printed on to 13-ounce scrim banner material, was complemented by a slightly smaller version printed on to an 8-ounce mesh. Both signs weighed well over 600 pounds! d BAF Graphics, who specialise in
museum, exhibition and point of sale displays, produced the graphic panels for the ‘Pixar: 20 Years of Animation Exhibition’ at the London Science Museum. The exhibition, which is currently touring the world, will end up in New Zealand! e Bonny Lhotka, a member of art collective Digital Atelier, has proven that
f
the capabilities of the Scitex Vision VEEjet+ reach far beyond its typical uses, with the creation of over a dozen pieces of artwork ranging from 61cm x 61cm to 1.83m x 1.83m in size. Bonny produces her art on a variety of unusual substrates, which become an integral part of it. f Harlands has recently produced labels for Tesco’s new “My Baby” range. In all, 52 different label styles were produced for the nationwide product launch earlier this year, on clear or white substrates, using up to nine colours and a selection of varnishes, including a special soft touch finish for the Baby Soft products. Working closely with PB Beauty, Harlands provided an overall service designed to meet the exact needs of Tesco’s original brief.
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INSTALLATIONS
Personal Choice Our regular series, which examines why companies select the products that they use
The Bally Wulff Group, based in Berlin, is one of the leading German companies in the development, production and sale of gaming machines. 2005 was a record year for Bally Wulff and a large percentage of its equipment was exported, no mean feat in today's harsh economic climate. The key to the success of this company is not only the gaming systems, but also the consistent “made in Germany” quality at every stage of production. Joachim Weber, the Manager of the screenprinting and graphics area of the company, explains, “Our success in international markets has led to a dramatic growth in demand and as a result, we are continually confronted with numerous challenges in production, such as consistent high quality and near perfect registration.” He continues: “All of our designs and films are produced in-house as they are required to be sub-surface printed in reverse on the glass panels with UV inks. The close viewing distance of the gaming machines requires us to print fine halftones, which can cause some problems. The demands for reproducibility are also very high. Depending on the need and also the success of a game, the numbers to be produced vary between 150 and 6,000 items and are often repeated. Typically 10, 12 or even 15 colours are printed on each panel so you have to be very careful. The high thread count of the fabric, 150/cm that is needed for printing UV inks can also cause some problems as we are
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printing onto glass. As a result, we use a considerable number of screens in a month, each of them over one square metre. Precision is everything; precision in mesh tension, stencil thickness and flatness and print reproduction, as even the smallest deviation in the colour value will be shown up by the back illumination.” It had become clear to Joachim Weber a long time ago that there is no other choice but capillary films if print jobs are to be uniformly repeated and the best quality obtained. He continues, “The most consistent films are those of the Autotype Capillex range from MacDermid Autotype. We have been using Autotype Capillex CP across Europe for more than three years now and find that this film best meets our needs”. Autotype Capillex CP photostencil has been specifically formulated for very fine halftone and line printing. It is the unique Controlled Profile technology used in Autotype Capillex CP that gives it the low stencil profile and optimized Rz value which minimises the ink skipping and stacking problems that can so often plague UV printing. “Quite simply, it is easy to achieve the results we need with Autotype Capillex CP”, Joachim Weber comments in conclusion, “As it guarantees fast set-up times, constant quality and reliability. This way, we are in a position to satisfy the strict requirements of the international market and to supply quickly and reliably”. For further information visit: www.macdermidautotype.com. THIEME GmbH & Co. KG has delivered a double screen-printing line with central continuous-flow dryer to a Saudi Arabian manufacturer of automotive glass. Compared with a single line machine, this configuration allows a rapid and flexible processing of print orders: windscreens, side and rear windows in different sizes and geometries can be
produced alternately without extended tooling times. The new system consists of two Thieme 3000 S three-quarter automatic lines, which were developed especially for handling glass sheets. The machines are loaded manually with the aid of portable print tables that allow simple positioning of the glass. The print tables have vacuum and blower segments which can be switched on or off via a stored-program control system. Another special feature is the stainless steel print table, which allows the use of flexible magnetic masks. Once the glass sheets are loaded into the machine, the rest is fully automatic. The print stations on the two machines are fitted with patented Thieme squeegee units to fulfil even the highest quality requirements. They have a 90° swivel facility and can also be fitted with anti-drip devices if necessary. After printing, the glass is lifted from the print table with the aid of a belt system and deposited at the back of the machine at a transfer station. The table moves simultaneously back to the loading position, thereby allowing rapid cycle times. From the transfer stations the printed glass sheets are transported via a roller conveyor to a 90° delivery station, which alternately feeds the central continuousflow dryer in the system. This is a highperformance dryer with a bandwidth of 2,500 m equipped with a hot air and infrared unit as well as two cooling modules. 300 windscreens with a glass thickness of 3 mm can be dried per hour and brought down to a temperature of less than 50°. The dried, cooled panes are deposited at a removal station behind the dryer.
INSTALLATIONS
The new system can print glass of up to 2,400 mm x 1,200 mm. The automatic transport system is designed for a minimum format of 350 x 350 mm, and smaller formats can be processed on a semi-automatic basis. The panes can be from 2 to 10 mm thick. The system is also very flexible with regard to the glass contours and geometries: panes with parallel edges and moulded panes with complex geometries can both be processed without any extended tooling times. The double print line is also impressive in terms of productivity. Compared with a fully automatic single print line with automatic pane positioning, it achieves a higher throughput of up to 20 percent. In addition, two different print orders with different formats and geometries can be processed in parallel. For further information visit: www.thieme-products.com Based in Barendrecht near Rotterdam, Holland, Van Sprung specialises in offering a trade service for the production of large format signs and graphics to signmakers from both its native Rotterdam and all over the Netherlands. Although only employing a relatively small number of employees, Van Sprang has an impressive array of the latest digital printing and finishing equipment, including a five metre roll-to-roll solvent printer and the latest digital laser plotter. The business, which celebrates its 50th anniversary next January, has risen from humble beginnings, evolving from an offset printer to a digital printer in order to fulfil the increasing demand for large format display printing. Mr. Van Sprang, founder and co-owner of the business together with his son, commented: “In order to stay ahead of the competition you have to offer the best quality and the fastest service, which means having the right machine for the job.”
Van Sprang first invested in a Durst Rho 600 in October 2005 and Mr. Van Sprang explains: “Printing directly onto rigid material is not at the core of our business, but it represented an opportunity to expand into new areas, whilst also helping us to supply a wider service. We are very pleased with the performance of the Rho, which is why we were interested in the Durst roll-to-roll machine – so much so that we ordered one from our local supplier Bührmann Ubbens, before we even saw it!” Explaining the machine’s appeal, Mr. Van Sprang, states, “The future is UV, since it offers greater possibilities with regard to speed and quality and, although the Rho 350 has only been installed for a couple of months, it is already kept very busy with actual commercial work. Our customers are also very impressed by it and are specifying it by name on their orders! We will certainly be looking to upgrade, first with speed and then possibly with the white ink function. I believe that there are many more applications for digital printing technology than have yet been identified – so much so, that if Durst was to introduce a five metre machine I would be interested in that as well!” For further information contact Durst on +Tel: 43 485 271777
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INSTALLATIONS
One of Europe’s leading point-of-sale printers, the SP Group, has recently installed the world’s first assisted loading system from Inca Digital Printers to further increase throughput of its two Inca Columbia Turbo printers. Technical Director Nick Stevens explains: “We use the Columbia Turbos to output on to a wide variety of substrates, operating them around the clock. However, although they are extremely productive, like all flatbed printers, the substrate needs to be loaded and unloaded, which on the Columbia Turbo takes between 30 – 40 seconds, if carried out manually. This is reduced to ten seconds when the printer is equipped with the assisted loading device, which increases productivity significantly.” He continues: “The new loading equipment has proved to be very easy to use and has handled a huge selection of stock very efficiently, regardless of weight, size or material - we’ve even used it to load different sized materials at the same time when we have printed jobs tiled on the bed.” 40 FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06
If Bordeaux-based Deepix Photography was to be compared to one of the area’s many wine-producing châteaux, its printed photographic output would put it in the prestigious premier cru category! Indeed, thanks to the passion and commitment of its owner, Alain Benoit, the company is now servicing the needs of some of the region’s best known châteaux – among them Château Latour and Château d'Yquem. In addition, it also boasts a portfolio of other equally illustrious customers, including Cartier and surfwear brand, Oxbow, for whom Deepix provides point-of-sale materials for outlets throughout France. It also produces graphics for a number of trade fairs, while demonstrating its own creative and artistic flair at various photographic exhibitions. A full-service photographic studio, Deepix manages photographic jobs from start to finish and for Benoit, maintaining his own high standards has, to a large extent, been made possible by his company’s use of a range of KODAK WideFormat Inkjet Media. Thanks to the versatility and dependability of KODAK ’s media, Deepix is able to obtain unmatched results across each of its large format printers, which, as well as KODAK options, include an EPSON model. Says Benoit: “We currently use a whole host of different KODAK media, from
premium photographic papers to backlit film and canvas. KODAK Rapid-Dry Photographic Paper/190 g, which offers an outstanding colour density and wide colour gamut, is our usual choice for our core inkjet applications, since its microporous coatings make for fast dry times, resulting in a reduced risk of smearing and waste and enabling instant lamination.” According to Benoit another sure-fire winner is KODAK Premium Rapid-Dry Photographic Lustre Paper/260 g. He continues: “The 260 g Premium Satin achieves results that easily compare to photographic quality, since it has the same brilliant, deep colour density and, from an efficiency aspect, the ink adheres to it extremely well and dries quickly. Some recent point-of-sale work for reputable port producer, Quinta do Noval, demonstrates the end-to-end service provided by Deepix. Explains Benoit: “Having first shot the digital images at 16,000 mega pixels, we produced the 1.30m x 1.80m enlargements on 190 g KODAK Rapid-Dry Photographic Satin Paper, fixed them to aluminium supports and installed them as promotional material in shops.” For further information visit: www.graphics.kodak.com/global/co nsumables/wide_format_media
The new Inca system provides semi automatic loading and automatic unloading of substrates, from one metre square up to the full 1.6 x 3.2 metre format of the Columbia and can be used with material from 250 gsm up to a thickness of 10 mm. The maximum sheet weight is 10 kg. Installation of the equipment can increase productivity by 35 sq metres an hour. It consists of a preload stack on a manually operated scissor lift, plus a pre-load table, which gives the operator the opportunity to prepare
material – removing film, brushing/wiping – during the previous print cycle. The automatic offload facility picks up printed stock and moves it from the Columbia’s vacuum table to the offload pallet, allowing the operator to simultaneously position a new sheet on the vacuum table. There is also the option of an electrically powered tug for easy removal and stacking of printed matter. For further information visit: www.incadigital.com
INSTALLATIONS
Membrane touch control switch panels have always been up there at the top of the league when it comes to demonstrating just what screen-printing can achieve in terms of sustained registration and precision. Critics who write off the screenprint process as suitable solely for ephemeral, large-format POP and poster work are quickly disabused when presented with a matchbox size switch construction comprising perhaps two conductor and two dielectric layers – plus a graphic overlay in several colours – all produced in perfect matching register. However, few people not involved in the specialised world of MTC appreciate that the increasingly exacting demands now being made by switch and panel designers are beginning to out-stretch the capabilities of much of the screen-printing equipment that the industry is accustomed to using. Few, but not all. As bespoke “boutique” membrane touch panel manufacturer, MAPP Systems will testify, the new generation Thieme 3000 series machines are more than capable of producing the most highly-engineered switch and panel components, embracing the most complex electronics and intricate overlay graphics. Indeed, their robust, precision engineering could be said to be purpose-designed for the job. Six months ago MAPP Systems installed an automatic Thieme 3010H flatbed machine to help underpin its burgeoning reputation as North East England’s leading manufacturer of custom-designed touchsensitive switches and panels, EL displays and industrial labels. The North Shields firm needed the Thieme to replace a press from another manufacturer which, although only five years old, could no longer cut the mustard in terms of output consistency. And, as founder and proprietor, Stephen Morse, explains, it came just in time to take 42 FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06
advantage of the 20 to 25 percent growth in customer demand which his company’s specialist niche skills had begun to generate. He says: “We are only a small unit, employing seven people in total, but we have only ever specialised in MTC panels and allied items. Thus, all our efforts have been single-mindedly focused on pushing the envelope in terms of switch and panel design and in adding perceived value to the product for the user. As a result, whilst our customer base has expanded only modestly, the extent of our work for our existing customers – driven by our accent on innovation – is growing continuously. “The Thieme machine is contributing hugely to this because of its outstanding productivity – which, of course, is a direct result of its speed of make ready, its simplicity of operation, its precision programmable controls and its absolute accuracy. “The intuitive, automatic make ready, is a boon because although we may have 10 colours to put down on a graphic overlay, as well as the conductor and dielectric membranes to print, the run may be as little as 15. The accuracy derived from the auto-levelling, pressure-sensing squeegee head is so good we can tackle even the most finely-detailed graphic designs whilst ensuring absolute colour-to-colour register – and we can step-and-repeat smaller panels right across the bed in total confidence. “Only bad workmen blame their tools. But with our previous machine it got to the stage where we were, literally, crossing our fingers and hoping when printing more demanding jobs because we just didn’t have the controls necessary to ensure a consistent result. The Thieme is a completely different animal, absolutely perfect for MTC work. We love it.” For further information visit: www.thieme-products.com
Modern Advertising, one of the largest outdoor signage and large-format printing companies in the Middle East, (also known as Saudi Signs), is expanding operations with the establishment of a new printing facility in Dubai. Called Megavision, the company began trading in July of this year using a Jeti 3318 printer which it recently acquired from Superwide Digital, the official dealer for Gandinnovations based in Dubai. The companies have purchased four 3300 printers from Superwide Digital in the last three years and last month invested in the Jeti 3318 for their Jeddah based operation. A sixth Jeti printer, another Jeti 3318, has recently provided the UAE market with another quality, six colour, solvent based printer. Superwide Digital also reports the successful conclusion of another sale to Golden Neon for the installation of a Jeti 5000 printer at its Dubai based printing facility in Al Quoz. An Inca Spyder 320 inkjet printer has transformed production at Indianapolis company Matrix Imaging, which is using the flatbed machine to produce a wide range of point-of-sale, signage and indoor display work. Dan Clark, VP of corporate development at Matrix Imaging, is delighted. “In our 25 years as a company we’ve never had anything like the Spyder 320,” he says. “It has not only doubled our capacity but has enabled us to break into new markets such as the production of lenticular work. This process previously required several individual tasks, but the Spyder 320’s extremely high accuracy and its ability to print directly on to the substrate means that lenticular print can be created in one pass – a phenomenal achievement. Indeed, the Spyder 320 is the only flatbed printer we have come across that can print at 1,000 dpi. Its speed is also exceptional, and with its capacity to output outstanding four-colour print at 540 sq ft an hour, we have been able to pass on cost savings. The Inca printer has opened doors to new customers, while gaining us a larger percentage of work from existing customers. Specialist work such as backlit displays has been easier to produce and the Spyder 320 has certainly allowed us to meet deadlines that would have been impossible before its installation.”
PETER KIDDELL
Regular columnist Peter Kiddell suggests that screenprinters could increase their productivity and profitability if they would only go
Back to Basics
PETER KIDDELL
COLUMNIST
44 FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06
Everyone likes to imagine the inspirational moment when all our problems are magically resolved and our wishes become a reality. Unfortunately, this only happens in our dreams. Success is more about deciding on your objective and dealing with the issues and obstructions, some major and others very minor, which normally come between you and your goal. And screenprinting is no different. It is fair to say that by now, the portrayal of screenprinting as a ‘black art’ is largely recognised for what it is - the rather lame defence used by incompetent printers to excuse their poor quality work. As a reader of this magazine, you will no doubt welcome advice and information that will help your business to succeed. Perhaps one of the first things to consider is that we often make the mistake of becoming complacent about things that we perceive as being easy to achieve. From a sales perspective, this often happens with existing customers, when we erroneously assume that they know all about our full product offering. When it comes to our own resources we tend to assume, equally erroneously in many cases, that we are getting the best from them. So it is with the screenprinting process. It never ceases to amaze me that screenprinters still persist in allowing for large numbers of extra prints in the form of ‘overs’ to compensate for losses during the printing process. Then there is the extraordinary practice of producing a print run plus or minus 10 percent. Some of the more enlightened amongst you may not subscribe to these old fashioned practices, but many do. In a world where screenprinters are working at around five percent net profit, these figures make no sense at all. During my work in the industry one of the key questions that I am most frequently asked is: “How many items do you have to print to recover the cost of one reject?” The
general answer is one, or maybe two. The questioners are thus very surprised to hear that if the company’s net profit is five percent, the number is twenty! This is because the cost of rejects comes off the profit, not the turnover. Your accountant probably knows this, but your operators don’t and neither do many others in the company. This is commercial suicide. So what do you do about it? For a start, tell your staff how much the consumables cost. They will probably be amazed to learn that the five litre tin of UV ink is worth £150.00, that the squeegee costs £25.00 a metre and the 10 sheets of printed substrate that they have just thrown in the bin, sell for £200.00! Rejects can destroy both profits and companies. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. In the industrial sector, where a 300mm square-printed substrate can sell for £300.00, the attitude to rejects is completely different. Here, they aim for less than one percent and achieve it! Another difference in attitude in the industrial sector relates to machine down time. The time for changeover and setting up is also included within this figure. Whenever a machine isn’t printing a quality product, it is considered to be out of production. In a point of sale printing environment, extra capacity is required to respond to the peaks and troughs of demand. However, often time delays are due to inefficiencies in the system and if this was properly addressed, extra capacity would not be required. It is accepted that delays prior to set up, caused by inadequate artwork or slow confirmation of detail from the client, are par for the course. But it is often on the shop floor that the greatest damage is done. 80 percent of all print problems are caused by poor or inconsistent set up. Typically, print jobs will be set up by the
PETER KIDDELL
operator, who continues to make adjustments whilst running the first few sheets. The operator will look at the printed result and adjust pressure and positions on the run. A casual observer might think the operator was working hard, skipping around the machine, making first one adjustment and then another, whilst looking harassed. Maybe some additive will then be poured into the ink and mixed in with the squeegee action. After several minutes of rushing around, the machine is stopped so the squeegee can be taken out and dressed, to avoid lines in the print. Back into production and the machine is stopped again, as part of the image is found to be missing and the operator is now scrubbing at the stencil in order to open the image up. Yet again, the machine has to be stopped because halftones are suffering from bad dot gain. During this time, numerous sheets of material are being wasted. The colour is checked and found to be wrong, so the operator scrapes the ink out of the stencil and puts it back into the original tin, additive and all. Finally, the stencil has to be remade, because of the dot gain and missing image. This situation is not unusual; indeed, in some shops it is normal. The costs of this sort of farce are huge and any profit on the job disappears in a fog of incompetence. The right way is so much easier. What the operator ought to do is to check the stencil production, which is, after all, the foundation of the whole process. He may then discover that the artwork has not been checked correctly, because the missing print image is in fact, caused by thinning of the image on the photopositive. The coating regime is poor, which results in a rough stencil (high Rz,) 46 FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06
and this, along with low mesh tension, causes dot gain and colour variation. What he should do is to measure tension, stencil thickness, (also known as emulsion over mesh), and Rz. He should also ensure that the frame is robust enough to withstand the loading caused by the tension in the mesh. In a fourcolour set, tension variations between stencils should not exceed 1 Newton cm. Ideally Rz should be less than 50 percent of emulsion over mesh. Any twist on the frame should be less than 10 percent of off contact (snap) distance. If your stencil consistency is very near or better than these figures, it is within the statistical range that high quality industrial printers and the very best graphics printers use. Compromise on stencil quality and the whole process is put at risk. In the fifteen years that I have been advising the industry on process improvement, I have never seen a new client using the optimum stencil quality required for the application. The stencil has been and still is the Achilles heel of the process. More correctly, it is stencil production methods that have been the weak link. Having obtained a stencil that is fit for purpose, the competent printer should be presented with a kit of parts that consists of: a production control card; a proof or print sample; press ready ink and, if required, a squeegee mounted in the holder and a flood coater. It could be that the squeegee and the flood coater already on the machine will be suitable. If the squeegee still has a satisfactory edge, then leave it, but if not, do not attempt to dress it until it has been cleaned and rested for at least 12 hours. The organised operator will have a squeegee dressed and ready for use, fitted into a squeegee holder. It is remarkable the number of printers who take a squeegee out of the ink and dress it immediately. The solvents or reactive resins penetrate the polyurethane and when it is dressed, the weakened squeegee edge breaks down very quickly, producing those infuriating lines in the print. By resting the squeegee, it will last much longer and expenditure on squeegee material reduced. The most important point is that downtime caused by unnecessary squeegee dressing will disappear, along with the rejects caused by the lines in the print. The Production Control Card will tell the operator everything that is needed to
set the job up correctly. If you go to: http://www.pdsconsulting.co.uk/ articles.htm you can download a typical production control card. If the machine is fully automatic, feeder settings and dryer settings will also be included. This document could be the core of the Standard Operating Procedures that have been adopted by the company. It is not just a question of the methods applied by an individual operator; all other operators must similarly conform. Consistency of set up is the key to successful printing. The Production Control Cards provide a history of set-ups for particular jobs and can thus be used when the job is repeated, or as a source of guidance for similar work. The combination of the Standard Operating Procedures and the Production Control Cards mean that the company is using the technical know-how that is its life-blood. Relying on individuals to retain the key elements of expertise is very risky, as people tend to come and go throughout the lifespan of a business, taking their individual skills with them. A good 80 percent of all problems are caused by inadequate set up and the remaining 20 percent by not controlling and monitoring the process during the production run. But by using adequate process control, the vast majority of these problems are eliminated, leaving the production team to work on improving performance rather than just keeping it going. When you buy a digital press most of the setup and ongoing control is managed by the system; with screenprinting you have to install the systems and instill the discipline of process control into the operators. If you do this, screenprinting becomes a highly profitable process that is controllable and predictable. The question is, do people want this? Or do they really prefer to keep the whole thing shrouded in darkness, allowing only the chosen few to make it work and keep it going? Mystery or profit? The choice is yours!
INFORMATION
FESPA ‘contact list’ The following list of Telephone, Fax and E-mail numbers will help you when you need to contact a colleague in FESPA.
FESPA board
Telephone
Fax
Hellmuth Frey – President
49 408 50 40 21
49 408 537 18 12
hfrey@frey-siebdruck.de
Anders Nilsson – Vice President
46 493 130 40
46 493 121 20
anders@gamlebyscreen.se
Ricardo Rodriguez Delgado – Past President 34 914 85 28 70
34 916 71 02 73
rrd@panorama-sa.com
Michel Caza
33 1 34 67 16 79
33 1 34 67 28 89
michelcaza@aol.com
Lascelle Barrow
44 207 537 42 00
44 207 531 12 77
las.barrow@amartin.co.uk
Gyorgy Kovacs
36 28 51 66 15
36 28 51 66 16
mszsz@vnet.hu
Enrico Steijn
31 79 343 5353
31 79 343 5354
enrico@imaba.nl
Christian Duyckaerts
32 34 57 90 20
32 34 57 03 81
Christian@pnd.be
FESPA secretariat Kurt Sperisen – International Ambassador 41 44 910 5150
41 44 910 3866
kurt.sperisen@bluewin.ch
Nigel Steffens – General Secretary
44 1737 22 97 22
44 1737 24 07 70
info@fespa.com
Frazer Chesterman – Exhibition Director 44 1737 22 97 26
44 1737 24 07 70
frazer.chesterman@fespa.com
Val Hirst – FESPA Magazine Editor
44 1159 81 81 99
val@valhirst.demon.co.uk
44 1623 88 23 98
Chris Smith – New Projects & Member Services Manager 44 1737 22 97 20
44 1737 24 07 70
chris.smith@fespa.com
Mandy Goldfinch – PA to Nigel Steffens
44 1737 22 97 23
44 1737 24 07 70
mandy.goldfinch@fespa.com
Michael Ryan – Group Sales Manager
44 1737 22 97 27
44 1737 24 07 70
michael.ryan@fespa.com
James Ford – Sales Manager
44 1737 22 83 54
44 1737 24 07 70
james.ford@fespa.com
44 1737 24 07 70
marcus.timson@fespa.com
Marcus Timson - Group Commercial Manager 44 1737 22 97 25 Samantha Yardley – Operations Manager
44 1737 22 83 52
44 1737 24 07 70
samantha.yardley@fespa.com
Lorraine Harrow – Marketing Executive
44 1737 22 83 50
44 1737 24 07 70
lorraine.harrow@fespa.com
44 1737 24 07 70
claire.goodchild@fespa.com
Claire Goodchild – Operations and Sales Assistant 44 1737 22 83 53 Sarah Willcox – Accounts Manager
44 1737 22 97 24
44 1737 24 07 70
sarah.willcox@fespa.com
Mirela Agolli – Accounts Assistant
44 1737 24 07 88
44 1737 24 07 70
mirela.agolli@fespa.com
Secretaries of FESPA national associations
Telephone
Fax
E-mail / Website
Christian Handler
Austria
43 15 12 66 09
43 15 13 28 26 19
verb.druck.u.medientechnik@aon.at
Kristine Zakalovska
Baltic States
371 750 11 41
371 750 11 42
kristine@sesoma.lv
Peter Robberecht
Belgium
32 25 12 36 38
32 25 13 56 76
peter.robberecht@febelgra.be
Evgeni Ivanov
Bulgaria
35 96 084 00 35
35 96 084 00 35
ett@mbox.contact.bg
Mirjana Bjelan
Croatia
38 51 45 52 327
38 51 45 52 327
mirjana.bjelan@zg.htnet.hr
Vladimir Havel
Czech Republic
420 487 71 27 12
420 487 72 63 55
vladimir.havel@sca.com
Finn Obbekaer
Denmark
45 63 12 70 00
45 63 12 70 80
fo@ga.dk / www.ga.dk
Regina Aas
Finland
35 89 71 72 99
35 89 73 84 52
regina.aas@suomeseripainoliitto.fi /
www.druckundmedientechnik.or.at
www.febelgra.be
www.sitotisk-serigrafie.cz
www.seripainoliitto.fi Julie Chide
France
33 144 086 422
Torben Thorn
Germany
49 611 80 31 15
49 611 80 31 17
tt@bvdm-online.de / www.bvdm-online.de
contact@gpsf.fr / www.gpsf.fr
Kimon Papas
Greece
30 210 52 39 41 6
30 210 52 48 23 7
papath@ath.forthnet.gr
Janos Buranyi
Hungary
36 28 51 66 15
36 28 51 66 16
mszsz@vnet.hu
Massimo Poli
Italy
39 02 71 04 05 98
39 02 71 09 24 46
segretario@siotec.it / www.siotec.it
Marius Gort
Netherlands
31 20 5 43 55 56
31 20 5 43 55 35
zso@kvgo.nl / www.zso.nl
Jon Halvorsen
Norway
47 33 07 15 30
47 33 07 15 31
halvorsen@hortensadvokatene.no / www.serigrafer.org
Michal Kridel
Poland
48 FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06
48 12 296 03 85
48 12 656 01 32
biuro@ssp.com.pl / www.ssp.com.pl
INFORMATION
José Carragosela
Portugal
35 12 18 49 10 20
35 12 18 43 87 39
geral@apigraf.pt / www.apigraf.pt
Marius Codirla
Romania
40 722 28 21 22
40 264 59 71 39
viking@mail.dntcj.ro / www.arsitd.homestead.com
Artem Nadirashvili
Russia
74 95 232 99 65
74 95 365 38 96
info@midiprint.com / www.rspa.ru
Dusan Golubovic
Serbia
38 11 63 21 23 49
38 11 13 61 50 23
sitologika@beotel.yu
Ludovit Bartos
Slovakia
42 1 32 74 43 589
42 132 74 30 434
info@sietotlacovyzvaz.sk www.sietotlacovyzvaz.sk
Edo Sternad
Slovenia
386 1 565 72 50
386 1 568 45 78
edo@ib-procadd
Pablo Serrano
Spain
34 91 307 74 44
34 91 307 76 08
pserrano@aspack.es / www.asibnet.org
Else-Britt Lindeborg
Sweden
46 87 62 68 17
46 86 11 08 28
else-britt.lindeborg@grafiska.se www.screentryck.org
Hans Peter Weiss
Switzerland
41 18 37 10 40
41 18 37 10 42
sekretariat@vsds.ch / www.vss-apss.ch
Ibrahim Demirseren
Turkey
90 212 212 41 16
90 212 212 41 07
ared@ared.org.tr / www.ared.org.tr
Michael Turner
United Kingdom
44 1737 24 07 92
44 1737 24 07 70
info@spauk.co.uk / www.spauk.co.uk
91 250 248 0786
info@s-p-a-i.org / www.s-p-a-i.org
FESPA Associate Members Mr Bhargav Mistry
The Screenprinters Association of India
Mr Clem Johnson
The Screenprinting and Graphic Imaging Association of Australia
Mrs Pei Guifan
The China Screenprinting and Graphic Imaging Association
Mr K Chaiyaboon
The Thai Screenprinting and Graphic Imaging Association
91 250 248 0998
0061 02 8789 7362 0061 02 8789 7387 clem@reidindustrial.com.au / www.sgiaa.asn.au + 86 10 6401 5007 + 86 10 6403 4996 peiguifan@csgia.org + 66 2509 66 53
+ 66 2509 66 54
contact@thaiscreenprinting.or.th / www.thaiscreenprinting.or.th
Other associations Mike Robertson
SGIA
1 70 33 8513 35
1 70 32 73 04 56
miker@sgia.org
List of advertisers
Magazine coupon for ordering Fespa World
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All members of FESPA receive this magazine every three months free. If you are not a FESPA member and wish to order a copy, the annual subscription for four copies, including postage, is €63.00. Please complete the following order form to ensure your copy for the future. The magazine is published in English. Full translations in German, French and Spanish are available on www.fespaworld.com to members and subscribers. I enclose my cheque for €63.00 payable to FESPA for issues 46, 47, 48 and 49. Future issues: Issue 46 December 2006, Issue 47 March 2007, Issue 48 June 2007, Issue 49 September 2007
Anton Hurtz ..................................................................................................32/33 BASF
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Basler Lacke ............................................................................................................27 Colorspan ................................................................................................................35 CST ................................................................................................................................43 Durst ............................................................................................................................45 FESPA 2007 ............................................................................................................23 Fimor
........................................................................................................................ 15
Gandi Innovations ..........................................................................................15 HP Scitex ..................................................................................................................17 FESPA Digital Print Awards
......................................................................25
J TECK ........................................................................................................................21 KIWO
(Block capitals please)
Name
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Marabuwerke
..............................................................Inside
Front Cover
Company
Membrana ..............................................................................................................35 Mimaki ................................................................................Inside Back Cover
Address
Nazdar ........................................................................................................................41 Reliant ........................................................................................................................27 Saatichem ................................................................................................................11 Saatiprint ......................................................................Outside Back Cover VFP ..................................................................................................................................7
Photocopy this sheet and send by post or Fax to: M. Goldfinch, FESPA, 7a West Street, Reigate, Surrey RH2 9BL, UK, Tel: +44 1737 240788 Fax: +44 1737 240770
Tel: Fax:
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FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06 49
AND FINALLY…
Fespa World quizzes Martin McMahon, Group Technical Support Manager, Xaar Q. How long have you worked for Xaar and what is your area of responsibility?
A. I’ve been with Xaar for over 10 months and, as Group Technical Support Manager I have responsibility for our worldwide team of FAE’s (Field Application Engineers), to ensure customer satisfaction through pre- and postsales support, including the integration of our products to help customers get up and running more quickly.
Q. What did you do prior to joining the company?
A. After gaining a degree in materials science and engineering, then a PhD in laser engineering, I have principally spent my career in customer facing management roles in hi-tech businesses, most recently as a Business Unit Manager for a sub-micron motion control products manufacturer.
Q. As one of the original manufacturers of inkjet printheads, Xaar is uniquely placed to form an overview of the whole digital marketplace. What special insights would you like to share with our readers and how do you see the market for inkjet printers developing in the future?
A. Inkjet has come of age, it’s real and industrialised, but there are many more developments to come, we've just landed on first base. Inkjet, and piezoelectric in particular, is the key area for growth and development of all forms of digital printing. Other technologies appear to have less potential for future development in terms of productivity, flexibility and quality. Xaar's piezoelectric developments open up the reach of inkjet and the breadth of applications, for example, our latest through-flow technology will significantly increase operational 50 FESPA WORLD AUTUMN/06
uptime, and hence productivity which overcomes the barriers to entry into commercial print and packaging.
Q. Many printer manufacturers are now indicating that they are looking further than the graphics market and are targeting various industrial sectors, which currently use screenprinting methods for the print element of their products. Which markets to you believe are particularly ripe for digital printing technology?
A. Grand format and indoor graphics (displays, POS, billboards) will continue to be the engine of growth over the next couple of years with solvent (be it ECO, Lite, or True) forecast to take significant market share from water based print. Packaging will probably be the next largest market, closely followed by textiles. In parallel to this, the industrial applications in display screens and printed electronics are likely to grow over the next five years or so.
Q. Do you believe that advances in this area will attract machine manufacturers who aren’t currently operating within the digital sector and if so, do you think that established machine manufacturers within the graphics market will face a lot of competition?
A. I believe that there may be more competition from new digital machines launched by existing manufacturers in this sector, however I don’t envisage more companies entering the traditional graphics market. New markets for digital inkjet technology are emerging and this diversification of the application of the technology is where I think any new entrants will come into play.
Q. How do you feel about the fact that there are an increasing number of printhead manufacturers now emerging from the Far East? What effect do you think this will have on the digital sector generally and your markets specifically?
damage the printheads and maybe also the printers themselves factors which are detrimental to printing organisations in terms of high maintenance costs and the additional business costs associated with machine downtime.
A. I am not sure that it is the
Q. Do you anticipate spending
number of manufacturers that is increasing, but more likely the popularity of the existing Far Eastern manufacturers that is increasing outside of the region. Most of these manufacturers are using Xaar technology anyway, and although it puts some competitive pressure on Western manufacturers, it all contributes to making the technology more accessible and therefore the adoption of inkjet will happen more quickly.
the rest of your working life within the digital sector and if not, what other areas inspire your interest?
Q. As far as the graphics sector
A. In some way, shape or form I have always been associated with the digital sector in my career, but who knows what the future holds! Digital technology is at the forefront of change, enabling us to deliver smaller, faster and more efficient solutions, so it’s definitely an exciting sector to be part of. Q. What do you do to relax?
is concerned what improvements in print quality can it anticipate?
A. I’ve three very young children at home…’relax’ is only a word in the dictionary!
A. Our innovative greyscale technology is already helping customers to produce photographic-quality prints to enable inkjet to move from outdoor to indoor, and even to specialist graphics applications such as CD-printing. By 2008/2010 we believe inkjet technology will advance even further and will become a serious competitor to the offset and flex processes (as it has already become vs screen printing).
Q. Give our readers a hot tip for the future.
A. Keep using Xaar printheads!!! Martin McMahon, thank you!
Q. Would you like to make any comment on the increasing controversy about third party ink usage?
A. Although initially more attractive, because they are cheaper, unapproved or ‘thirdparty’ inks have not been rigorously tested to ensure full printhead compatibility. Accordingly, they can severely
Martin McMahon, Group Technical Support Manager with Xaar, is married with three children and has a PhD in laser engineering.