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Print industry news
Koenig & Bauer expands into corrugate
The OEM’s entire sales team across Canada and the U.S. will now represent three major products in this sector – CorruCUT, CorruFLEX and Omega Magnus. Koenig & Bauer’s CorruCUT Rotary Die Cutter was designed for the high-performance production of die-cut corrugated products. It can handle corrugated sheets up to 110.24” wide and thicknesses up to .354” while running at speeds up to 12,000 sph. CorruFLEX technology produces high quality post-printing on corrugated board. It features a vacuum-belt feeder that operates without feed rollers, and an innovative anilox roller-changing system. Omega Magnus is a folder-gluer that utilizes carrier motorcontrol buttons on both sides, a colour monitor on the feeder for surveying delivery, an additional control board at the end of delivery, and remote control. “We are pleased to expand our dedication to the corrugated market,” said Kilian Renschler, President and CEO of Koenig & Bauer (Canada/USA). “All three of our new products are being operated successfully at a customer’s facility. Our North American sales team is the most experienced in all facets of packaging – from folding carton, to lithographic laminates, to flexible substrates, to the label markets.”
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Kilian Renschler
Heidelberg reports high orders and improved profitability
Heidelberg made a positive start to its financial year 2021/2022 (April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022), delivering on promised improvements in sales and operating profitability in its first quarter. Sales increased by about 30% compared to the previous year – from € 330 million to € 441 million. EBITDA improved to € 15 million, exceeding the pre-pandemic level in financial year 2019/20 of € 11 million. “As demonstrated by our encouraging initial quarter, Heidelberg is really delivering. Buoyed by the global economic recovery and the notable improvement in operating profitability, we are also very optimistic about meeting the targets announced for the year as a whole,” said Heidelberg CEO Rainer Hundsdörfer. Confidence was also fuelled by orders from its recent successful tradeshow in China, which led to incoming orders of € 652 million – an increase of about 89% versus the previous year. Given the increased demand, especially for new products such as the Speedmaster CX 104 universal press, Heidelberg is convinced it can continue building on the company’s market-leading position in China and is expecting this profitable upward trend to continue. Rainer Hundsdörfer
Researchers create flexible packaging film made from plants
Researchers from the University of Cambridge in England have developed a method to create a compostable, plantbased “plastic-like” material that’s as robust as engineering plastics. In a paper published in Nature Communications, researchers from the Knowles Group describe how they can create polymer film from plant proteins in a sustainable and scalable way. The new material is as strong as the most common plastics and could replace plastic in many common household products. It’s home compostable and will degrade naturally in a marine environment and in fresh water. To create the material, researchers developed a new approach for assembling plant proteins into materials that mimic silk on a molecular level. The method, which uses sustainable ingredients, results in a plastic-like, freestanding film that can be produced at industrial scale. Non-fading ‘structural’ colour can be added, and the polymer can also be used to make water-resistant coatings. The new product will be commercialized by Xampla which is a Knowles “spinout” that develops replacements for single-use plastic and microplastics.
Samples of sustainable plastic polymer film made from plant protein
HP discontinues its PageWide office products
HP will end sales of smaller PageWide A3 and A4 office products that use an inkjet array instead of a laser engine. The OEM plans to focus on expanding its LaserJet products but will continue investing in its PageWide technology in the largeformat, commercial and industrial-print sectors. It will also continue to support previously installed PageWide A3 and A4 devices for a period of five years, including parts and supplies. According to HP, the differences between office laser and inkjet technologies have been decreasing when it comes to device footprint, acquisition cost, ongoing running costs and energy consumption. Plus, HP’s LaserJet innovations have driven improvements in these areas – including up to a 20% reduction in hardware costs, weight and size, nearly a 250% increase in cartridge capacity, up to a 30% reduction in service costs, and reductions in energy consumption of up to 87%.
Domtar/Paper Excellence $3 billion merger approved
Stockholders of Domtar have approved a proposal whereby Karta Halten B.V. (an affiliate of Paper Excellence), will acquire all the issued and outstanding shares of Domtar common stock for $55.50 per share in cash. Just over 80% were in favour of the merger, which should be completed before the end of 2021 subject to clearances under Canada’s Competition Act. Paper Excellence is a manufacturer of pulp and paper that’s built a massive worldwide network of mills and chipping plants. Domtar manufactures uncoated, freesheet paper in North America, and is one of the largest manufacturers of pulp in the world. It has 13 pulp and paper mills and 10 manufacturing and converting facilities across Canada and the U.S. However, the $3 billion (CDN) merger is not without controversy as Paper Excellence is part of the multi-billionaire Widjaja family of Indonesia. According to the global organization Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the deal “would put at its helm a family that’s internationally notorious for both human rights abuses and deforestation.” Other environmental organizations have reacted negatively and Paper Excellence would also own vast forestlands and other natural assets across Canada once the deal is completed.
In-person Pack Expo Las Vegas set for September 27–29
With over 9,200 confirmed attendees registered at press time, Pack Expo Las Vegas and the co-located Healthcare Packaging Expo will bring the packaging and processing world together September 27–29 in one of the first major in-person tradeshows of 2021. Machinery in every hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center will showcase packaging and processing technology in action – including the latest advances in printing, packaging and processing, sustainability, packaging materials, automation, robotics and more. There’ll be over 70 free 30-minute educational sessions on the show floor, plus roundtable discussions on industry issues at The Forum, and additional presentations in the Reusable Packaging Learning Center. Dedicated Pavilions will explore the latest solutions in digital printing, containers and materials, confectionery, processing and reusable packaging. These will include The Processing Zone, The Package Printing Pavilion, The Containers and Materials Pavilion, The Reusable Packaging Pavilion and The Confectionery Pavilion. New exhibits this year will include The Pack to the Future Showcase, The Future Innovators Robotics Showcase and others.
Canon introduces its Digital Mailroom
Canon Solutions America has launched a new online platform that helps users anywhere to view, share, discard, or request physical copies of their mail via an easy-to-use interface. Aimed at helping employees navigate the hybrid workplace, the solution is a fast way to get incoming business-critical physical mail digitized and into the hands of intended recipients – no matter where they’re located worldwide. It allows mail scanned from a scanner or multifunction device to be viewed by a recipient in a secured web portal designed specifically for business correspondence. The new platform offers a simple solution to support remote workforces with enhanced ways to operate and interact. The Software as a Service (SaaS) subscription-based technology also provides users with the data they need to respond quickly to business requests from any workspace, while reducing the need to deliver physical mail.
Larsen named Manager of Pacific Bindery
Pacific Bindery (Burnaby, BC) has announced that industry veteran Claus Larsen has joined its team as manager of the company. Larsen takes the reins from Ed Kouwenhoven who’s moving to a new manufacturing position in the organization. Larsen will partner with supervisor Rob Kondratowski and his team, and will be responsible for day-to-day partner communications, estimating, scheduling, project consultations, and meeting with current and prospective clients. He’ll continue to work with Scott Gray, VP of Sales and Marketing, to serve, advocate and empower the professional print communicators of Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Recently expanding with PUR and iGlue Perfect Binding, the company is expected to release more state-of-the-art finishing services over the next two fiscal quarters. Pacific Bindery is Western Canada’s largest and most comprehensive trade book bindery, providing efficient and sustainable trade-finishing services to print and communications professionals.
