Industrial Print March 2018 by Industrial Print Magazine

vol-02 Issue- 01 March 2017

Price in Malaysia: Ringgit 100

Vol.02 Issue 1, 2018

Aslita writes a new chapter............................06 The complete print house of PJ....................12 Print Technology 2018......................................18 3D Printing.Destination Wow........................26

AM - A revolutionary technology................32 A Quarterly Publication from the Ceramic 3D Printing..........................................34 house of Industrial Publishing Media Sdn Bhd Styles of interiors................................................42 EPS220- Industrial MagAd-cover-01-FAOL.pdf 1 1/23/18 3:21 PM

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Cover : Silk Scarf printed digitally in all itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s colorful glory. Full story on page. 08

2019年4月9-13日 April 9-13, 2019 中国·广东现代国际展览中心 Guangdong Modern International Exhibition Center

Please Contact： Mr. Kent Wang, Mr. Jason Wang, Ms. Cecily Pu Tel: +86-10-51902382/84/83 Email: wanghaocheng@chinaprint.com.cn wangjinming@chinaprint.com.cn puxiaoying@chinaprint.com.cn

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From the editor’s desk Dear Friends from the Printing Industry: Greetings | Selamat Pagi Printing has come a long way from the most popular and most widely & longest used substrate – Paper – to today being used on all type of medium, shapes and material. In fact materials themselves are being created by an emerging and innovative printing process called Additive Manufacturing or AM or popularly known as 3D Printing. There are scores of industries thriving with Printing as their backbone, for example, tiles, wallpapers, signage, textile and the like. Industrial Print Magazine has been meticulously designed to cover tradition printing, textile printing, UV printing, digital printing and other industrial printing areas like 3D printing. Through this small endeavour, we seek to share with our Readers the ever expanding realm of Printing. In this issue we have a few chosen printers’ stories of success from Malaysia’s Printing Industry. Aslita Sdn Bhd is a perfect example of Digital complementing Offset in Kuala Lumpur. It is about Aslita writing a new chapter in Digital. Another story is about Global Repro Sdn Bhd of Petaling Jaya City of Selangor, which houses lithographic, digital and inkjet printing press technology in-house. For Global Repro, original consumables and eco-friendly material are always a high priority. The story about Percetakan Haji Jantan Sdn Bhd is about finding new opportunities in the industry by adopting new technology. The story about Premio PrintDepot is about writing success with innovation and creativity. For Jiet Soo of Jetco Art Enterprise of Kapong, Kuala Lumpur, Sublimation Technology was never up to the mark in providing vibrancy of colour. But, with the OKI, things changed and brought satisfaction for both him and his customers. Additive Manufacturing is a revolutionary technology which is changing the face of innovation. It is a market projected to be worth over 200 billion US dollars. With a euro4.3 million investment, The ARLab (Additive Research Laboratory) will enable revolutionary, new medical, electronic, mechanical, optical, acoustic, heat transfer, and sensing devices. Massivit 3D has developed over a hundred innovative applications for some of the industry’s hottest trends –soft signage, wide format PoS displays, billboards and signage, customizable channel letters, molds for thermoforming, super-size scenic props, and more. Read in this issue “3D Printing. Destination Wow.”, in which Massivit 3D provides PSPs new source of revenue and ways to expand their creative horizons. In another 3D Printing story, Ceramic 3D Printing KIT by StoneFlower enables owners of desktop FDM 3D printers to print ceramics, porcelain, plaster, experiment with pulp, wax, or even food, make custom jewellery from metal clay, automatically deposit paints on canvas or soldering paste on PCBs after a single upgrade. In UV Printing, read about colour changing 3-D printed objects. CSAIL system uses custom ink and ultraviolet light to repeatedly change an object’s colour. While the project is currently focused on plastics and other common 3-D printing materials, the researchers say that eventually people would be able to instantly change the colour of other items like clothes. There are a lot more stories about latest technologies and installations and happenings in relevant sections. Do go through the interview with EFI Reggiani and know about major industry events like Heimtextil 2018, FESPA Asia 2018, Print Technology 2018 and other stories about the colourful and vibrant industry, that is, Printing!’ Warm regards | Jacob George

Industrial Print is a quarterly magazine published by Industrial Publishing Media Sdn Bhd (1250474-A), No.42-2 Jalan 6/38D, Taman Sri Sinar,Segambut,51200 Kuala Lumpur.Malaysia Tel : 03-6277 5108 eMail : info@industrialprintmag.com Director Belle Yam Editor-in-Chief Jacob George jacob.industrialprint@gmail.com Editor Jasvinder Singh Advertising and Sales Adelle Wong adelle.wong@industrialprintmag.com Graphic Designer/Prepress Anil Kumar Networking/Hardware Consultant Sukhdeep Singh USA Corerspondent Yadhu Morphine European Correspondent Monique Van Der Sman Printed by: Thunder Print Sdn Bhd (374290-X) No.6463,Lorong Ayam Didik 3, Taman Ria Jaya Light Industrial Park, 08000 Sungai Petani, Kedah. Tel: 04-4418 005 Industrial Print March 2018 Vol 02, Issue 01 Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied. All material supplied is compiled from sources believed to be reliable or solely an opinion of the authors. Industrial Print is not responsible for any steps taken based on the information provided herewith.

Aslita: Writing a new chapter in Digital Aslita Sdn Bhd is a perfect example of Digital complementing Offset in Kuala Lumpur.

Aslita Sdn Bhd started as a small shop making stamps and visiting cards in the year 1977. Today Mr. Syed Ebrahim manages the business which serves the demands of the publishing industry in Kuala Lumpur along with other parts of the country and is fast expanding to other countries. The press which is now a state-of-the-art set-up was started by Ebrahim’s father as a small unit. Presently it provides all kinds of books with special expertise in Islamic reference books which are in huge demand in the country. “We also have the license to print Koran,” informs Ebrahim.

Digital was uniquely used to test customer response and market demand of new releases and launches for clients. The choice of Digital vs. Offset was usually made based on order size.

Key Notes : > Adding digital capabilities to existing offset business. > Streamlining the entire printing production process. > The digital arsenal includes Pro C7100 (5 station colour printer) and Pro 8100 cut sheet black and white printer.

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Printed on a wide range of substrates (of thickness from 45 to 350 gsm), their products feature diverse value additions by way of printing, binding, perfect binding, trimming, collating, stitching and other postpress jobs. The key printing machine is a Ryobi and there is a Muller Martini 3 Knife Trimmer that works along with a Collator and Centre Stitcher for the Perfect Binding exercise. “We run paper starting from 45 gsm to 350gsm on our Ryobi printing machine and we do it with ease,” says Ebrahim. Additionally, Aslita also outsources to a selected few reliable binding houses in the vicinity its specific demands for certain jobs like hard cover binding. “As the volumes in the hard cover binding are not much, we send

these job to a selected few binding houses that excel in their job,” says Ebrahim.

Printing runs in the blood Ebrahim joined the organisation about 5 years back after his graduation and after a short stint in the banking industry. Today, he along with two of his relatives is looking after the day to day activities of the press. Ebrahim has gathered the knowledge of printing from the hands-on-approach while working at the press. Printing, however, ‘runs in his blood’ – he used to hear about printing from his father in his younger days. Aslita has indeed benefitted from Ebrahim’s past stint in banking. “Everything in the banking industry is process driven and there is no chance of bypassing the small processes followed in the system. That is exactly what I have tried to follow in my organisation as well,” says Ebrahim. “The biggest challenge was to streamline the entire printing production process which I think I have been able to do justice to,” he adds. He also expresses that most printing houses across Asia run by small families didn’t pay much importance to systems. He says that the present

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generation joining such businesses are bringing in technologies and modern methods to processes. While introducing systems, the challenges Ebrahim faced included convincing shop floor guys to follow new patters. Jumping the queue of jobs due to pressure from clients was one of the issues which took a while for Ebrahim to actually change. “It’s always a tough job to change patterns that have been in place for quite some time at a workplace especially production environments. It wasn’t a cakewalk for us either. We had a tough time convincing the shop floor staff to follow the changes and even tougher to sustain the changes effectively in the organisation,” admits Ebrahim. Later, Aslita saw runs per title started diminishing and consequently Ebrahim decided to explore the Digital printing space – a change from their existing Offset printing. One area where Aslita found its niche in Digital printing was producing smaller quantities for their clients. This was usually for testing the customer response and market demand for new releases and launches by their clients. “We started by helping clients by printing smaller quantities for them, say, initial run of a few hundred copies. When these products got positive response from the market, we would print them with either Digital or Offset process as per the requirement,” explains Ebrahim. Aslita is a perfect example of ‘Digital complementing Offset’. The Digital printing is taken care of by their Ricoh Digital printing machine. Aslita does about 25-30 titles in a month for various publishing clients. Their offering excellent prices for providing Digitally printed titles has not only enhanced his bond with the publishing clients but also increased the throughput of their original Offset printing business. Ebrahim expects to continue with a growth rate of over 8% in coming years. He and Aslita are well geared up to achieve this growth as they are equally prepared to face the market challenges like technological and other changes. Though the implementation of GST in 2016 threw in many challenges and there was a dip in market demand, yet, through constant exploration of newer avenues, Ebrahim has been able to expand Aslita’s operations including exports. The

March 2018

exports contributed 30% to their turnover in 2017. He sees more growth in the domestic market with the settling down of GST turbulence. A greater challenge is book printing going down due to the Digital onslaught. Ebrahim, however, expects to achieve his growth targets rather easily since their reference books are a good market and also growing at a constant pace.

Ricoh leads the Digital portfolio Digital is their key growth market and Ebrahim is very proud of his Ricoh machine leading his Digital portfolio. He explored various other machines before finally deciding in favour of Ricoh, which won for its quality as well as Ricoh’s after sales service

and support. “When we were deciding to invest in Digital, we found that howsoever advanced a machine is, its sales service and support is of utmost importance. We found Ricoh leading in this aspect,” declares Ebrahim. Aslita has a Pro C7100 for colour output and another Pro 8100 for black and white printing. “We use the black and white for the inner pages and the other one for the coloured output,” says Ebrahim. In fact the Ricoh colour machine has capabilities to run materials of heavy thickness – up to the tune of 400gsm. Aslita even uses the capability to cater to its packaging customers for their demands like Duplex box printing. The Ricoh

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RICOH Ri 100 RICOH Ri Printer 100 Direct to Garment RICOH Ri 100 Direct to Garment Printer

* RICOH Ri 100 printer with the RICOH Rh 100 finisher option. * The CES Innovation Awards are based upon descriptive materials submitted to the judges. CTA did not verify the accuracy of any submission or of any claims made and did not test the item to which the award was given. * RICOH Ri 100 printer with the RICOH Rh 100 finisher option. * The CES Innovation Awards are based upon descriptive materials submitted to the judges. CTA did not verify the accuracy of any submission or of any claims made and did not test the item to which the award was given.

Ricoh Production & Wide Format Series * RICOH Ri 100 printer with the RICOH Rh 100 finisher option. * The CES Innovation Awards are based upon descriptive materials submitted to the judges. CTA did not verify the accuracy of any submission or of any claims made and did not test the item to which the award was given.

Ricoh Production & Wide Format Series

MPRicoh W6700SP/7100SP/8140SP CW2201SP 8200s/8210s/8220s Production & MP Wide FormatProSeries

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Pro C5200s/C5210s

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Pro C9100/C9110

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Pro C9100/C9110

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RICOH (MALAYSIA) SDN BHD (10078-W) RICOH (MALAYSIA) SDN BHD (10078-W)

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industrial printing/general printing

Digital machine has also helped them in providing value added security features to the clients. The feature like Micro Text Printing is in addition to the Fifth Colour (white/clear) advantage for the customers. The Clear Fifth Colour especially has helped them in giving certain unique effects on the cover of the books which they print for their publishing clients. Ebrahim is planning to invest in a Graphtec Digital Cutting machine for short run Packaging Finishing which is another promising market in the region. Mr.K L Loh of Ricoh, speaking to Industrial Print Magazine, reveals that his client Aslita owns four machines in their Digital arsenal which includes Pro C7100 (5 station colour printer) and Pro 8100 cut sheet black and

white printer. They also have MP CW2201SP, a Large Format colour printer and L4160 Wide Format Latex printer. “Aslita has been a really progressive printer with a long and focussed vision to excel in whatever they do and Ricoh will leave no stone unturned to support them in all their endeavours,” says Loh. While speaking to Industrial Print Magazine, En. Mohamed Ziauddin, the man who started it all in 1977, commented, “Digital is the future and we intend to open two three outlets in Kuala Lumpur to cater to the increasing demand of Digital printing in the area. It’s been an interesting journey for us in the world of printing. We started by freelancing printing stationery for banks. We first owned a Multigraph machine and after some time added a Heidelberg

GTO machine. Today, we are proud of our complete set-up which has a diverse machines’ line-up catering to various printing processes.” Aslita indeed has come a long way from the day when Ziauddin used to get the job during the day and would rush to the press for production. The hardships of initial days from finding customers to funds are all talks of yesterday. He remembers that quality was low at that time – there were better margins, payments were on time and they were working with banking corporates. He today feels proud of his next generation, the way they adopted the latest technologies, especially the speed of adoption of Digital at Aslita and mostly of the smooth sail of their business on the waves of growth.

Labelexpo Southeast Asia opens registration Supported by TSGA and DIP under the Minister of Industry, the event will cover over 3,500sqm and host 200 of the global industry’s principal manufacturers and suppliers. printers/converters, brand owners, label and packaging technicians, buyers and design specialists, the event expects visitors to attend from across Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea and Australasia.

Labelexpo Southeast Asia will take place from 10th to 12th May 2018 at BITEC in Bangkok, Thailand. The show has opened registrations online for visitors. Aimed at

Supported by the Thai Screen Printing & Graphic Imaging Association (TSGA) and the Department of Industrial Promotion (DIP) under the Minister of Industry, the event will cover over 3,500sqm and host 200 of the global industry’s principal manufacturers and suppliers. Labelexpo Southeast Asia will offer a variety of valuable learning opportunities, beside the exhibition, visitors can attend a range of conference sessions, exclusive workshops including those which will be held in association with the Label Academy covering shrink sleeve technology and die-cutting and tooling. Jade Grace, project director for Labelexpo Southeast Asia says: “We are very excited to be bringing the full Labelexpo exhibition brand to Thailand for the first time. Southeast Asia has a population of over 646 million people and label consumption growth of

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6-7%, making it hugely significant as one of the world’s fastest growing markets. This show is set to be a game changer for the region’s printers as it brings together both supply chain companies and key clients. Many of the west’s big international manufacturers are now setting up shop here so the days of sourcing from overseas and enduring slow shipping are numbered. The expo will be invaluable for sourcing new contacts and partners who will be able to help printers improve profitability, quality and efficiency whilst helping them to grow their capabilities and shield their businesses from competitors.” Ms. Prapaporn Narongrit, president of the Thai Screen Printing & Graphic Imaging Association says: “As the representative association of industrial print in Thailand it is our pleasure to extend our support to this inaugural event in Thailand and also welcome that of the Department of Industrial Promotion, under the Ministry of Industry, and the Thailand Exhibition and Convention Bureau (TCEB), under the Office of the Prime Minister.” Labelexpo Southeast Asia is free to attend and visitors can register for their full expo pass by visiting the event’s official website.

industrial printing/general printing

Fuji Xerox launches new high-end Iridesse Production Press Iridesse is derived from iridescence which means colours which gradually change (e.g., rainbow colours) depending on changes in the angle of view or the angle of illumination (ex. sea shells, butterfly and dragon fly wings). Fuji Xerox recently launched its new production printer, Iridesse Production Press, a high-end, professional-use printer. Utilizing xerography, this unique new production printer with a six-colour print engine is able to print different speciality colours including metallic with a single pass, by housing up to two additional specialty dry inks of gold, silver, clear and white. The digital press was first released in Japan, followed by sequential release in the rest of the Asia-Pacific region, including China. With the newly developed single-pass, six-colour print engine, Iridesse Production Press can print eye-catching images with the xerographic colour printing process by using up to two special dry inks selected from gold, silver and clear in addition to the common cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK). Going forward, white dry ink will also be added to the specialty dry ink lineup to accommodate printing on dark coloured or other specialty papers. Compared to prints using only conventional CMYK dry inks, adopting special dry inks expands the range of expression, produces a premium finishing and provides more sense of seasonality of the printed images, which adds value for effective marketing activities. The newly launched print engine enables CMYK dry ink layers to be processed on top of the special dry ink layer. In addition, an overlay of another specialty dry ink can also be processed on top of CMYK dry ink layers. While conventional offset printing requires mixing silver ink to make metallic ink, this new product realizes simultaneous printing of several metallic colours during a single printing process. The standard colour library equipped in the product contains Pantone+Metallic and Pantone+Premium Metallic, which are swatches of metallic colours commonly used in the printing industry. By utilizing these colour swatches, the operator can reproduce colours similar to Pantone metallic colours on printing materials by simply designating the colour codes.

“Until recently, brands, creatives and print service providers have been limited by printing technology — often having to compromise between colours, print quality, material types or print finishes, “ said Bruce Murphy, Senior Manager, Graphics Communication Services Business, Fuji Xerox Singapore. “With Fuji Xerox’s latest Iridesse Production Press, customers can now enjoy prints with richer and deeper colours, while achieving highly desirable Pantone metallic colours. We’re excited to share the possibilities that Iridesse unlocks, and are pleased to share that our customers can simply walk into our local showroom to take a peek into what the press can offer.”

Ensuring basic performance to meet the expectations of professional users CMYK dry inks are made of High Definition EA Dry Ink (hereinafter HD EA Dry Ink)—one of the world’s smallest particle size toners. The HD EA Dry Ink fuses quickly at low temperature and is evenly fused onto the paper by utilizing the Company’s marking technology that realizes even transferring of six layers of dry inks. Fine/smooth images are realized with 2,400 dots per inch fine resolution and HD EA dry ink, and Iridesse Production Press has a high productivity of printing on 400 grams per square meter thick paper at a high speed of 120 pages per minute.

Two-sided Trimmer D2, and SquareFold Trimmer D1 can be connected to Iridesse Production Press to automatically produce professional booklets and folded leaflets. These finishing options expand the possible printing applications by enabling to produce complex folded leaflets including accordionfold and gate-fold. Against the backdrop of rapidly diversifying consumers’ needs, the printing industry is adjusting its use of printing techniques. Instead of just relying on conventional offset printing, which performs well for highvolume jobs, more businesses are choosing on-demand printing, which is shorter in turnaround time and prints the necessary number of copies for catalogues, manuals, and advertising materials. While offset printing involves significant time and cost for making plates, adjusting colours and proofreading, digital printing can process jobs with less time and cost and add value to printed materials. Enhancing the value of print products with the use of their capital equipment, such as digital printers, is critical for printing companies to grow their businesses.

Also, Finisher D6 with Booklet Maker, Crease/

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Global Repro: The complete print house of Petaling Jaya Global Repro Sdn Bhd got established in 2012 to be among the first choice for one-stop printing needs of customers from Petaling Jaya City of Selangor.

“HP Pagewide machine has an amazing speed. We are happy to give our customers the highquality and deliver it to them on time because of its fast throughput of 60ppm.” – Alex Yap

Key Notes : > A one-stop-shop for large format and other printing solutions across PJ. > Original consumables and eco-friendly material are always a high priority. > Houses lithographic, digital and inkjet printing press technology in-house.

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Serving over 300 SME clients spread all over Petaling Jaya, Global Repro Sdn Bhd provides large format printing, digital printing and other related services that include latest designs, exclusive patterns, contemporary looks and vibrant colours with flawless finish to diverse customers. The large format products cater to customer needs for conferences, exhibitions, seminars, indoor banners, pop up banners, media walls etc. It is actually a complete print shop based in PJ (as Petaling Jaya is popularly known among the locals). Customers can choose from small business cards to joint-less large-format outdoor prints. They house lithographic, digital and inkjet printing press technology in-house to cater for any stationery requirement and any printing volume.

2.5 million Ringgits is on a fast path of growth. Alex is proud of his HP line-up especially his HP Pagewide. “HP Pagewide machine has an amazing speed. We are happy to give our customers the high-quality and deliver it to them on time because of its fast throughput of 60ppm,” says Alex, as he shows us their HP Pagewide plotting machine kept in their shop. Presently the unit has about ten people working for him. Alex is in expansion mode and plans to add a laser die cutting machine (probably a Graphtec) and other related paraphernalia to make it a onestop shop for his customers. “Convenience to the customer is our motto and we look forward to service them even better in the future with more ease and shorter turnaround time,” says Alex.

Global Repro Sdn Bhd is based in the city Petaling Jaya. Local people popularly call it PJ. It was originally developed as a satellite township for Kuala Lumpur but got city status in 2006. With a population of about half a million and with over 25 colleges and universities, the city presents a lively atmosphere for every life needs, be it education, health, nature, business or growth, says Alex Yap, owner of Global Repro.

Talking about the RoI in Digital printing, Alex says, “I put the RoI at one and a half year.” Starting his shop at 9 in the morning, he works till late in the evening. “Anything beyond one and a half year to recover such investment is actually a loss,” he declares. With a state-of-the-art set up lined up with high end printing and other equipment from HP, FujiXerox and many more, this Print House is on a fast lane to recover its existing investment and plans to expand as a single stop solutions provider to its customers.

“We are a one-stop-shop for large format and almost all our machines are HP. We do most of the jobs for corporates in the area,” says Alex. Binding too is in-house with machines for Wiro, Spiral and the likes. Construction companies, architects etc. are their mainstay and most of the work too is project based. Global Repro is a highly environment friendly organisation with all of its consumables are ecofriendly. “This way we contribute our bit towards environment protection – we use only original consumables and eco-friendly material are always a high priority at Global Repro,” informs Alex. Alex did his Masters in Management from Melbourne. His father had a fully furnished Digital Shop ready for him to run and manage on the completion of his Masters. Today the Petaling Jaya unit is run by Alex and is ably assisted by his brother and his wife. As opposed to his earlier days when he handled sales and marketing himself, now a team of sales and marketing guys looks after that part. Global Repro with a present annual turnover of about

industrial printing/general printing

Heidelberg and WEIG implement new digital business model for folding carton printing Heidelberg supplies complete package comprising presses, software, services, and consumables under subscription agreement. Growth is on the cards for folding carton producer FK Fürther Kartonagen, which forms part of the WEIG network of companies. In creating a new digital business model, WEIG is drawing on the experience, advice, and technology of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg). “We’re looking to turn our Emskirchen site into a folding carton business that leads the way when it comes to availability and flexibility. We’re therefore entering into a partnership with Heidelberg in which our strategic and business interests are aligned. Under the new business model, Heidelberg will no longer make its money by supplying press components, but solely by achieving agreed productivity and growth targets,” explains Toni Steffens, Commercial Director of WEIG Packaging. The Heidelberg subscription model follows the growing pay-per-use trend in mechanical engineering and aims to move away from growth based solely on selling and installing printing capacity.

Customers pay for usage in new Heidelberg digital business model Under this Heidelberg model, customers only pay for the number of sheets actually printed. Under the conventional business model, they buy the presses and pay separately for consumables or services. With the new digital business model, all the equipment, all consumables required – such as printing plates, inks, coatings, washup solutions, and blankets – and a comprehensive range of services geared to availability are included in the price per sheet to be charged. This differs significantly from the click charge model already introduced by digital press suppliers. Although these suppliers also charge per sheet, they mainly base this on their own costs and not on the customer’s business model.

and maximum utilization of the installed equipment no longer rests solely with the customer, but for the first time also with the supplier,” explains Professor Ulrich Hermann, member of the Management Board and Chief Digital Officer at Heidelberg. “After all, a customer only enters into a longterm agreement with us if the benefits are permanent. We ensure this will be the case with our operator model. A situation in which customers are looking to make full use of the opportunities of digitization throughout the system also represents a forward-looking solution,” he adds.

New approach offers increased availability and new possibilities for users Under the agreement, two new Speedmaster XL 106 presses from the drupa 2016 generation with Push to Stop and Multicolor technology are being installed at the Emskirchen folding carton plant. However, the model in its totality also includes all service components, replacement and wear parts, all consumables required to operate the presses, and a training and consulting service aimed at increasing availability. In addition, WEIG is using the new Heidelberg Assistant digitization solution, which went into series production at the end of 2017.

The Heidelberg Assistant is being developed into the central control panel. In practice, this means a big step is already being taken in the direction of Industry 4.0 for the entire sector, with equipment and components communicating independently. Maintenance requirements and wear will be identified at an early stage so as to enable joint, predictive service planning. This will significantly improve the availability of equipment. WEIG will benefit from enhanced flexibility in terms of customers and scheduling with a view to achieving just-in-time production. “Establishing pay-per-use models in industrial offset printing is the result of our company’s ongoing digital transformation, and also our software and data expertise. Heidelberg offers customers a smart complete system comprising press, services, consumables, and software solutions,” says Hermann. “The stable management of a system of this kind is inconceivable without big data applications – in predictive maintenance, for example – and our Push to Stop approach to autonomous printing. Our customers and investors alike appreciate the benefits of long-term, sustainable business relationships that aim to digitize the sector,” he stresses.

“Under the Heidelberg subscription model, the economic responsibility for optimum technical availability, increased productivity,

March 2018

Percetakan Haji Jantan Sdn Bhd: A Sunrise Business Percetakan is led by Dato Haji, who has led his printing business on the path of a growth industry.

With high-volume job production possibilities, high image quality and stability, the Konica Minolta bizhub PRESS C1100 is an asset for in-house print rooms and graphic communication providers, says Dato Haji. The Konica owned by the company meets the latest global standards, supporting various industry standards as well as high-level colour management.

Key Notes : > Finding new opportunities in the industry by adopting new technology. > Recognizing meeting, discussing with and delivering to customers as pillars of success. > Digital – helping in doing short run and meeting short deadlines.

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Today’s flourishing business of Percetakan Haji Jantan Sdn Bhd, got its foundation stone laid in the year 1982, by Dato Haji Mohammed Zakaria Bin Haji Naina. He was just a young man of 21 and has been able to guide and steer the business from one achievement to another along the decades. He made the best of his three key strength areas – family, staff and suppliers. He attributes Percetakan’s success to the support from his family for the set-up part; to his staff for the continuous flow of production; and his suppliers for regular business support. Not only did he spell success for his business, but also denied the notion of print industry being a sunset industry. As an answer, he has always found newer opportunities and always been at the forefront of investing in the latest technology. “People say printing is a sunset industry, but by finding new opportunities in the industry by adopting new technology and investing into it, one can turn it into a sunrise business,” says Dato. “Only those running their shop with a hands-on approach can survive. They have to be on the front foot in all – starting from meeting the customer to discussing his requirements of the job, getting it prepared as per his wishes. He has to ensure quality and service in outputting, printing, binding and delivering what the

customer expected. Customers come and go but the three elements just mentioned are the pillars of the printer’s success,” he continues.

Writing the success story letter by letter Dato actually had hands on experience in typesetting the old way – letter by letter. This one of the earliest printing methods required movable type to be composed by hand for each page. Cast metal sorts were composed into words, then lines, then paragraphs, then pages of text and tightly bound together to make up a form, with all letter faces exactly the same ‘height to paper’, creating an even surface of type. The form was placed in a press, inked, and an impression made on paper. “I am one of those who actually have also done the masking thing hands-on to make the film ready for exposure on the plate,” Dato reveals with a pride. In 1982, Dato started with a two colour machine Heidelberg SOR and added a few more Heidelberg including the sturdy SORD and in due course added a Komori and Mitsubishi as well. With the business picking up he invested in a Toshiba 4 colour Web printing machine along with a two-colour. “I have always believed in improving on the existing capability and technology to ensure a constant growth path for

industrial printing/general printing

our business. This path gives us the impetus to move further whenever we look back at our efforts,” adds Dato. Prepress is Percetakan’s main strength and that has helped it to retain its customers all these years. Their customers from their initial days were government education departments and quiet interestingly, they still constitute majority of their production. Dato feels proud that his organisation is contributing its bit to the country’s education

are also getting the required quality for their customers. They have been outsourcing the entire post press work including binding – perfect binding or hard binding – and all their customers are fully satisfied with the final output. Dato showed us a few nice samples of his products. We found them pretty impressive – both quality and finish was superb. Dato also told that they are presently doing printing with various processes like offset, digital as well as web-fed offset. “This way we able to not only distribute our risks

Konica Minolta bizhub PRESS C1100: An asset for in-house print rooms Dato Haji Mohammed Zakaria Bin Haji Naina of Percetakan Haji Jantan Sdn Bhd owns the popular and production workhorse – The Konica Minolta bizhub PRESS C1100. “With high-volume job production possibilities, high image quality and stability, the machine is an asset for in-house print rooms and graphic communication providers,” confirms Dato, while speaking about his Konica bizhub. Today the company is able to do small lot orders and variable data printing jobs with

tight deadlines with speeds of 100/85 ppm on 55 to 350 gsm papers. The multifunctional options helps save labour and ensure added value. The bizhub PRESS C1100 owned by the company meets the latest global standards, supporting various industry standards as well as high-level colour management. With JDF support, APPE, Pantone, industry-standard Fiery and Creo controller, the company owns a state-of-theart model for the printing industry in Malaysia.

growth story. “We do a lot of medical books for the Ministry of Health and it involves quite a bit of diagrams, formulae and many more things. Everything is done in-house in our designing department. I believe prepress is our strength and probably the source of our continued success too,” he reasons.

in a volatile environment, but also make the best of these technologies. Moreover, the economy’s condition still doesn’t allow us to keep all the eggs in a single market. It can even prove a suicide,” he declares.

Dato prefers to outsource post-press part of his products. They are located in a virtual printing hub and outsourcing post press is saving them both costs and time and they

Dato has been at the forefront of technology adoption. While adopting Digital, he thought it a great opportunity to add Digital Printing capability to his Offset business. Now, both

Taking on digital printing with Konica Minolta technology

the processes complement each other to the hilt at Percetakan. “Konica Minolta is my favourite and they have been giving me excellent support all these years,” says Dato. The company has invested about RM1.4 million in their Digital Printing setup. They plan to further increase the investment once they achieve their present targets. With both colour as well as Digital Printing available for their customers, Dato sees a big opportunity ahead with the infrastructure in place. Dato admits that profit margins in printing are getting thinner by every passing day. For him, investing into new technology has become absolutely necessary. “One needs to be alert and progressive in order to achieve success,” he says. Digital has helped him a lot, especially, when it comes to customers putting extra pressure to get their jobs done in extremely short time. Dato, an avid golfer, is the Vice President of the Malay Printing Association. Many of his suppliers too being his golfing partners makes it more of a friendly game than competitive business. Another golfer in the family is Dato’s son who too plans to join the printing business soon. Dato’s wife gives him an able support by devoting quite a bit of her time in the daily management of the press. To any fresher, who wishes to enter the printing business, Dato has a valuable piece of advice, “First of all he needs loads of cash to invest in the machinery. Secondly, he must acquire proper knowledge of printing, its technologies and processes. He must be prepared for the initial hard phase and may even have to spend up to 16 hours working daily. In short, if you are not looking for any short-cuts to success and you are ready to focus and dedicate yourself to it completely, there is undoubtedly success in this industry.” “I strongly believe that new and young people must come into the industry to keep it growing. It is indeed exciting to see so many youngsters visiting the exhibition like IPMEX and Print Technology and exploring possibilities of starting businesses in the industry. I hope this industry will continue to inspire the next generations,” he concludes.

March 2018

Premio PrintDepot: Writing success with innovation and creativity Joey Wong of Premio PrintDepot believes creativity and innovation go a long way in a printing business success.

In addition to Offset-like image quality, the 5th colour opportunities with White and Clear Gloss Toner of Ricoh Pro C7100x helps Premio create a niche for their and their customers’ products. Moreover, broad paper support of this machine is of added advantage.

Key Notes : > Digital enables printing a single card for customers. > Creativity, innovation, infrastructure and great service are the hallmark. > Ricoh is a solution rather than a machine for Premio.

March 2018

Joey’s family has been in the print business for a while now and has been running a copy centre. In 2000 the shop ventured into the name card business with short-run capability enabled by Digital Printing technology. Apart from their capability to print a single card digitally, they have a wide offering for their customers by way of Offset printed products along with Digitally printed products. They also run three stationery shops, which are the main force behind the venture.

which he is strongly implementing in his organisation. Innovation is another aspect which Joey feels strongly about. “It is ok to have infrastructure but to be innovative and bring out creativity is the key,” he emphasises. In fact they are doing a lot many funky products in their stationery shop. Gold Foiling is a big draw for their Chinese customers and they have a full range of such products. They also do books, magazines and other regular things in addition to packaging as well, both Offset as well as Digital.

Their main clients are students and SMEs for all of whom providing convenient service in terms of timely delivery and good quality is of utmost importance. “Creativity, innovation, infrastructure and great service is our hallmark and I truly believe that they will be the only things which will help us to survive in coming times,” says Joey Wong.

Customisation and innovation enrich the catalogue

Design is a very big part of Joey’s business as he finds it to be the one of the components which makes him different from others in the industry. “Creativity is the key to our success and it is only designing which brings out the creativity in you,” he says. Joey has strong IT back ground and he is not only keen but a firm follower of workflow and processes

Digital capabilities of Premio enable them answer all type of walk-in demands of daily visitors to their three stationery outlets. Their Digital capabilities are led by the recent acquisition – a Direct-to-Garment printer from Ricoh. “Since the three outlets deal with lots of walk-in customers, the T-shirt printing with the Ricoh Direct-to-Garment printer is in fact drawing a lot of crowd,” reveals Joey. “This is just the tip of the iceberg. In fact we are in the process of developing customised/ personalised aprons, napkins, personal cards, as well as products for occasions like baby full moon and baby showers etc. We also do a lot of innovative Wedding cards. All these products help us enrich our catalogue. It’s a need of the hour to beat

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competition, expand revenue opportunities and always be in customers’ memory,” he summarises. “The journey from Stationery to Copy Centre, to Offset, to Digital, and now to Textile has been a rather keen journey and we wish to take it to the next level in due course of time,” foresees the committed businessman in Joey. He feels his Digital Gold Foiling equipment is a machine which has given impetus to his creativity and innovation aspect.

Ricoh Pro C7100x is their prized possession Premio PrintDepot owns quite a few Ricoh Digital machines. One of the prized possessions of Premio is their Ricoh Pro C7100x which serves as the ideal solution offering a wide variety of applications and extending those offerings further with its 5th colour capabilities. In addition to Offset-like image quality, the 5th colour opportunities with White and Clear Gloss Toner helps him create a niche for his products as well for his clients. Moreover, broad paper support of this machine is an added advantage. Joey is now looking for a Flatbed UV machine for his setup. “Good service at reasonable price is what we provide. Serving just bread and butter is not sufficient now rather we must provide jam as well as peanut butter in order to get a few more footfalls,” he quote as an analogy. Personalisation and digitisation is the key to the success Premio PrintDepot has seen. Another important aspect of their business has been value addition through offering product variation.

for our customers in order to help them maximise the investment they make,” he informs, adding that Ricoh doesn’t sell a box to its customers but provides a complete solution including training for them so that they can achieve the best from our machines. “We consider our customers more as partners than as customers,” he declares. Ricoh demo centre provides machine operators of their customers training on the latest capabilities of Ricoh machines as also the efficient usage of available resources. “Ricoh now also has a certification process by certified Ricoh trainer for the operators who get trained at our demo centre. It is a matter of pride for both the operator and the owner of the print shop to have a certified machine operator. It also increases the

efficiency of both to most economically get the best out of the machine. According to Joey, the annual turnover is about 2 million ringgit as of now. The Premio group is a multifaceted group and Digital Printing is a part of it. “Offset too is our forte and we do own a Komori Lithrone machine with the related post and pre press equipments for in-house printing and finishing,” says Joey. Joey is in the lookout for a CtP and expects to acquire one soon once he is convinced of its utility in-house, till then outsourcing is the mantra. “We are presently focusing on things that will increase revenue but not yet calculated as to how much it would be!” Joey concludes.

Ricoh – helping customers maximise their investment For Joey, Ricoh is a solution rather than a machine for Premio and its Clear Gloss toner is a boon for their products offerings. “The guys are really Service oriented and we have a healthy relationship with them for quite a while now,” says Joey. “I think we have been quite close together as a supplier and customer. The reason is, we don’t believe in just selling a product but try to build solutions for the customers’ problems. This is also the key reason for Ricoh products’ popularity and our success with our customers,” says Mr.K L Loh of Ricoh (Malaysia). “We have an operators training program

March 2018

Print Technology 2018 Print Technology plays an important role as the platform for Asia of advertising and printing trade industry leader gathering in Kuala Lumpur. Print Technology 2018, a biennial exhibition since year 2004, addresses the needs of the printing and advertising industries of the region. The eighth edition of Print Technology will be held in Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 2nd to 5th August 2018 in a total exhibition area spanning over 12,000 square meters. Print Technology in 2016 had been highly successful with numerous business deals concluded and exhibition of worlds’ leading technologies from international brands such as Roland, Kornit Digital, EFI, Anajet, Mimaki, DGI, Epson, Mutoh, Canon, Graftec, HP, Brother, OKI, LDP, Summa, Trotec, REN2, Kurz, Uchida, Morgana, Ricoh and Sindoh to name just a few.

In the exhibition, some brand new products and state-of-the-art technologies will provide their first look impression to Asia and the world market.

Key Notes : > The eighth Print Technology exhibition will be held in Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), Kuala Lumpur. > A total exhibition area of over 12,000 square meters. > 18,000 visitors from the region expected to participate in the exhibition.

March 2018

An estimated over 18,000 visitors are expected to participate in printing exhibition. The visitors will represent countries like Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam Malaysia’s neighbours in the region and from other parts of the world. Print Technology is a member of Federation of Asia Print Exhibition (Asia Print), Asia Advertisement Association (AAA), and also endorsed by Malaysia

External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE). Print Technology plays the role of being an important platform for Asia’s advertising and printing trade industry with leaders from the industry gathering in

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Kuala Lumpur, accepting greater challenges, providing superior service to printing industries, creating unlimited opportunities, discussing on major issues and showing the latest and advanced technologies of products and solutions including printing equipment and material. In the face of globalization, printing industry, as like any other industry, needs to improve strengthening competitiveness in the market. Prestigious printing enterprises and equipment manufacturers – both domestic and international – have been putting in great efforts to create awareness on the ways to maximize growth for the industry and its members. Leading players from the industry will participated in the fair. In the exhibition, some brand new products and state-of-the-art technologies will provide their first look impression to Asia and the world market. There will be others with surprise announcements and their latest products as exhibition highlights.

• •

Malaysia LED & Lighting Technology Show 2018 Asia Sign 2018

Transform the future by revolution of printing at Print Technology 2018.

Nonetheless, Print Technology 2018 expands by diversifying and integrating: • • • •

Packaging & Label 2018 Digital Print 2018 Print Buyer 2018 Malaysia Textile Printing Show

March 2018

Jetco Art Enterprise: Advantage OKI Jetco reaps the advantage of White Toner under CMYK or alone by producing exceptional WhiteOn-Colour and Colour-On-Colour on a wide range of media. Pro-Cust has been doing Golf ball printing. With their experience of 30 years in business, Mr.Jiet Soo, along the journey also took Textile Printing under the umbrella along with other innovative ventures to make a name in Kepong in Kuala Lumpur.

In fact, Sublimation Technology never excited Jiet Soo as he was not satisfied with the vibrancy of colours it gave. But, with the OKI coming in with the White Ink, things changed and even convinced both him and his customers.

Key Notes : > From Golf ball printing to Textile Printing. > Printing colour-pluswhite on transfer media with OKI Digital Transfer Printer. > OKI brings advantage of producing colour vibrancy to clients’ full satisfaction.

March 2018

The textile printing business – Jetco Art Enterprise – was started in the year 2015 in a small shop in the Kepong Industrial Area. “For single colour we go in for PU plates but when it comes to more than one colour we use the OKI Digital Transfer Printer which has the ability to print colour-plus-white on transfer media,” says Jiet. The process is faster plus the end product displays truly vibrant colours. A4 is the maximum paper size of the printer. “We are able to do about 200 pieces (shirts) in a day of multi colour which is a reasonable production considering it is all manual,” says Jiet. According to him OKI is a sturdy machine and it gives them excellent results and has helped in increasing the productivity many fold. Presently, they are at the top of their production capacity fulfilling demands of corporate customers for their promotion needs. The demands from such customers come all at the same time and that bring hectic schedules for Jiet and his team. “All of them mostly come together thus making life a wee bit miserable,” says Jiet. “During full season, there are weeks when we need to work till 4:00 am for many days at a stretch to fulfil commitments.”

Jetco Art Enterprise, the textile printing business is not much different from the Golf ball printing one for Jiet who has to meet the demands of usually the same clients in both. “The same customers for whom we provide the balls are the ones for whom we now make the T-shirts. It is just about adding another revenue stream to remain a step ahead in the competitive and cut throat market,” adds Jiet. Jiet has been exploring the possibility of entering the Textile Printing field for quite some time but it was the technology which did not permit him to. In fact, Sublimation Technology never excited him as he was not satisfied with the vibrancy of colours it gave. But, with the OKI coming in with the White Ink, things changed and even convinced both him and his customers by the colours it produced and the vibrancy they brought.

The best advantage with OKI is White Colour “By applying White Toner under CMYK or alone, you can now produce exceptional White-On-Colour and Colour-On-Colour on a wide range of media, thus opening up new opportunities for On-Demand Printing with vibrant results every time,” asserts Jiet. “OKI is the choice for printers like us who look to simplifying the already time consuming process of short-run Textile Printing,” concludes Jiet.

industrial printing/general printing

4th edition of Print China to take place in April 2019 The 4th China (Guangdong) International Printing Technology Exhibition (PRINT CHINA 2019) will be held on April 9-13, 2019 in Dongguan, Guangdong-Guangdong Modern International Exhibition Center. The estimated exhibition area this time is approximately 140,000 square meters. There are more than 1200 manufacturers participating in the show and more than 200,000 professional visitors are expected to attend the grand show along with more than 60 summit forums and technical exchange activities to be held during the same period concurrent to the show. The exhibition will continue to maintain the characteristics of the “Special Pavilion Area”. It will strive to create the top ten digital prepress, printing equipment, post-press processing, packaging and printing, label printing, advertising inkjet, corrugated boxes, screen printing, equipment supplies, comprehensive support and other top ten Demonstration section. It will also open up the Internet + smart packaging, intelligent robot + printing, 3D printing, VOCs comprehensive management, laser + printing and other five themes. Since PRINT CHINA 2019 was launched in May 2017, it has received extensive attention and strong support from the industry. The organisers have reported that nearly 350

exhibitors have submitted applications for exhibition so far and the total area of bookings exceeds 50,000 square meters. The registration of exhibitors has been vigorously promoted with the Print China

team visiting various exhibitions and associations; the recent one being the meet at Sri Lanka attended by Mr.Jason Wang representing Print China 2019.

Kodak expands into 3D Printing Smart International will release branded filament, as well as a branded 3D printer, for the camera brand this winter. Kodak has signed on Smart International to

develop a Kodak 3D Printing Ecosystem that will “set a new standard for professional 3D printing.” The Kodak 3D Printing Ecosystem includes the Kodak Portrait 3D Printer as well as the Kodak 3D Printing Filament, which features low moisture content, high melt flow index and precise diameter and roundness for topnotch prints. “Professional 3D printing is a fast-evolving growth category Kodak has had its eye on for a while,” says Joel Satin, vice president and director, brand licensing, Kodak. “We are happy to add a strong and innovative

licensee like Smart International to our portfolio of brand licensees.” The Kodak 3D Printing Filaments will be available this December, while the Kodak Portrait 3D Printer will be available in Q1 2018. “We are excited to take the Kodak brand into 3D printing and pioneer a best-in-class series of desktop printers and materials designed specifically for creative professionals,” says Roberto Gawianski, chief executive officer, Smart International.

March 2018

industrial printing/general printing

Major Digital Packaging Expansion for HP in US ePac purchases 10 HP Indigo 20000 digital presses for nationwide rollout. ePac Flexible Packaging, an all-digital flexible packaging converter, purchased 10 additional HP Indigo 20000 digital presses to expand operations across the US through mid-2019. The new order quadruples production capacity for ePac and is the largest packaging deal for HP to date. The purchase is ePac’s second expansion with the high-capacity HP Indigo 20000 flexible packaging press since launching just 18 months ago with one HP Indigo unit. ePac currently uses three HP Indigo 20000 digital presses in Madison and Boulder, and the 10 new units will be deployed coast-to-coast in new facilities opening in Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, and Miami. “ePac helps simplify how brands of all sizes buy flexible packaging. Rapid turnaround time, low minimums, customization, graphics quality, and the ability to print to demand differentiate ePac from conventional flex pack converters,” said Jack Knott, CEO, ePac Flexible Packaging. “Printing is the core enabling technology we have built ePac on, with the HP Indigo 20000 serving as the foundation of our manufacturing platform. ePac’s collaboration with HP is fundamental to our growth strategy, as we look to adding ePac sites in the months ahead.” The HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press provides converters the freedom to produce nearly any flexible packaging application, in addition to labels, and shrink sleeves on film or paper – all with the proven quality to help meet strict brand requirements. “HP Indigo digital printing technology means greater flexibility for brands and entrepreneurs, and a more meaningful connection for their consumers,” said Santi Morera, Global Head of Graphics Solutions Business, HP Inc. “HP is thrilled to play an integral role in ePac’s rapid rise to success over the past two years – and with today’s purchase, it’s a relationship we support proudly in the months and years to come.”

Growing market for flexible packaging Smithers Pira forecasts growth in flexible packaging, with digital forecast to increase

March 2018

at more than 17.1% CAGR in the five-year period to 2022, when this market is expected to reach more than $750 million. “Highquality printing allows converters to offer new features and functions in flexible packaging to brands and retailers with economic short runs and faster turnaround key advantages. Innovative campaigns are boosting end user engagement and experiences, opening new business opportunities for the early adopters,” said Sean Smyth, Smithers Pira.

The HP Indigo 20000 is connected to HP PrintOS, allowing PSPs to monitor the press performance in real time anywhere and anytime, and thus continuously optimize operations. Powerful apps running on the cloud-based PrintOS platform offer advanced capabilities that simplify and automate the print operations. In addition, by connecting their brands directly to PrintOS, PSPs can efficiently produce large jobs’ volume and be part of a global print network.

Since its release in 2014, converters around the world have purchased more than 115 HP Indigo 20000 digital presses. The 30 inch (76 cm) HP Indigo 20000 can print virtually any sized flexible packaging application with unlimited variation and support demand for growing SKUs, alongside benefits of reduced waste from minimal setup and production of only the quantities needed.

The HP flexible packaging ecosystem has grown to include end-to-end solutions including HP Indigo Pack Ready Lamination for immediate time-to-market with highperformance laminates. The system consists of the Pack Ready Laminator, supplied by Karlville, and Pack Ready Film. In addition, eBeam is offering a solution for surface print protection.

industrial printing/general printing

Konica Minolta installs first MGI JetVarnish3DS with iFoil in Malaysia Konica Minolta Business Solutions (M) SdnBhd has installed Malaysia’s first MGI JetVarnish 3DS with iFoil. AsahiArts Printing, a Print-for-Pay company of the country has acquired a unit of MGI JetVarnish 3DS with iFoil. The innovative digital finishing solution differentiates AsahiArts Printing from the competition, boost its revenue, and add value to the growing commercial printing market. AsahiArts Printing saw opportunities in digital finishing which were largely performed via traditional methods. The purchase is a key investment that enables it to spot UV and hot

stamping services which can be accepted in volumes as low as one sheet and be delivered within the day. Edwin Wong, Managing Director, AsahiArts Printing, said: “We are proud to have Konica Minolta as our strategic partner as they understand our business requirements. Their technologies and expertise give us a competitive advantage and an opportunity to offer a wider range of services.” He continued: “Within a year of our establishment in 2014 as a small design house with print-for-pay facilities, we saw the

need to introduce digital printing services in the local market. Thus, we invested in the Konica Minolta bizhub PRESS C8000, making it the first digital production system to be installed in Sarawak.” “As business expanded, we invested in three more units of Konica Minolta’ digital production printing systems. Today, we celebrate the addition of the MGI JetVarnish 3DS with iFoil, which now provides local creative designers with more options to create visually impactful collaterals while growing the local digital and offset printing industry. With this, we have set our sights on expanding our commercial printing customer base and become the leading print provider in East Malaysia”, he concluded. The MGI JetVarnish 3DS with iFoil digital finishing technology is poised to be a new industry standard with its ability to produce outstanding finishes with spot UV, and digital emboss ad hot foil stamping without the need for expensive for time-consuming plates, screens, or setups. End-customers will benefit from finished outputs with tactile prints that feature a premium feel. As the industry demands shorter runs and customisation, the MGI JetVarnish 3DS with iFoil improves time to market, builds visual impact to its end products, and helps business that seek value added service expansion and revenue.

Pentawards to host conference at ADF&PCD Shanghai 2018 For the first time, the Pentawards will host a conference in China at ADF&PCD Shanghai 2018. Visitors will learn from the award winning experts from the packaging design industry and turn their packaging design challenges into opportunities. They will hear from a selection of local and international design gurus at the top of their game, who will be revealing their creative insight and design thinking that formed the basis of their award winning work. The Pentawards will also be giving the ADF&PCD audience the opportunity to view some of the 2017 winners from around the world. The winners exhibit will feature some of the 2017 finalists, across five main

categories – Body, Beverage, Food, Luxury and other markets. The display offers visitors the unique opportunity to get inspiration from the best and most creative achievements in packaging design from last year.

a curation of the world’s best packaging design, and visitors will be the first to see it at ADF&PCD Shanghai 2018.

With over 2000 entries from 5 continents and 54 countries, this display will feature

March 2018

industrial printing/general printing

Massivit 3D at C!Print - to demonstrate how visitors can boost business with large format 3D printing technology; also to feature as part of show-floor educational roundtable discussion comprising industry experts. Massivit 3D Printing Technologies, provider of large format 3D printing solutions for visual communication applications, will earmark C!Print (Lyon, France, 6th – 8th February) to demonstrate how large format print providers and sign & display companies can secure repeat business and win new customers with its revolutionary 3D printing technology. Taking centre stage at its first public outing

in France, the Massivit 1800 3D Printing Solution fills a gap for users by offering the opportunity to quickly produce visuallystriking 3D printed signage and displays that stand-out from the crowd. By integrating 3D printing technology into their operations, large format print providers and sign & display companies are granted the means to create a plethora of headturning 3D models and displays for high-level marketing campaigns. These include retail POS/POP displays, events and exhibition graphics along with other branded/themed entertainment projects. In doing so, these companies can add value to their service offering, increase revenues and differentiate their business from the competition. Via a huge array of larger-than-life applications, visitors to Massivit 3D’s stand can discover how they can transform traditional visual communications with better customer engagement.

Insightful Roundtable Discussion As well as the opportunity to consult Massivit 3D experts on its stand, C!Print visitors can hear directly from the company at an informative free-to-attend roundtable

discussion. This session, entitled, ‘3D Printing: an Innovation made for Designers’ Imagination’, will explore the way in which the 3D printing market is growing and the application opportunities it offers to those who embrace the technology. This enlightening discussion will feature industry experts, including Denise Zenet, Managing Partner of Metropole 3D, the first French adopter of Massivit 3D printing solution, along with Massivit 3D’s Director of Sales for Southern Europe and Benelux, Gaspare Bugli and will take place in the conference area on the show-floor, on 8th February.

Show-stopping potential Commenting on the company’s plans for C!Print, Isabelle Marelly, Massivit 3D’s Marketing Director, says: “C!Print is a great platform to demonstrate a technology that, for large format print providers, is justifiably acknowledged as a genuine door-opener to revenue-enhancing opportunities. “Those sign and display businesses that have already integrated 3D printing into their offering are testament to this and as one of the must-see technologies at C!Print we fully expect Massivit 3D will be a key highlight of the event.”

Malaysia’s Media Chinese International’s Q3 Net Profit drops Malaysia’s largest newspaper and magazine publisher, Media Chinese International has reported nearly 34% fall in its net profit the fiscal Q3. The company has sited weaker publishing and printing segment as the key reasons behind the fall.

31 was 11.13 million ringgit ($2.85 million) against 16.83 million ringgit a year ago. Quarterly revenue was 5.8% lower at 274.34 million ringgit compared to 291.18 million ringgit for corresponding period previous year.

Net profit for the three months ended Dec.

Media Chinese International plans to grow

Etirama has a successful 2017 Etirama closes the year 2017 with 81 machines sold, being half for the Brazilian market and the other half for the international market, to countries like Russia, Australia, Greece, England, South Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Panama, Peru and Chile. Apart from Brazil, customers from Mexico and Russia too

March 2018

bought Etirama presses in large numbers. The two countries together added 18 presses. In a year of unstable economy in Brazil, Etirama celebrates the result achieved and projects a new year of great growth and consolidation of the brand in the world market.

its digital business and strengthen cross platform marketing efforts. It will also be continuing cost optimization initiatives across all operating units.

industrial printing/3dprinting

Dubai 3D Printing Strategy - Initiative to promote UAE and Dubai as a leading hub of 3D Printing technology by 2030. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has launched the ‘Dubai 3D Printing Strategy’, a unique global initiative that aims to exploit technology for the service of humanity and promote the status of the UAE and Dubai as a leading hub of 3D printing technology by the year 2030. The Dubai 3D printing Strategy aims to make Dubai a global 3D printing hub. The strategy adopts an emerging technology that will

printed prosthetic limbs, 3D printed teeth, and 3D printed hearing aids in public clinics and hospitals.

help cut cost in many sectors, especially the medical and construction sector in Dubai. The technology will restructure economies and labour markets, and redefine productivity. Our lives are going to change with the penetration of this technology in different aspects of modern living – starting from houses we live in, the streets we use, the cars we drive, the clothes we wear and the food we eat, this technology will create added economic value and benefits worth billions of dollars during the coming period. It will also redefine productivity because the time needed for 3D printing of buildings and products will be 10% of the time taken in traditional techniques.

The Dubai 3D Printing Strategy aims to reduce labour by 70%, reduce cost by 90%, and reduce time by 80% in the different sectors. It will be focusing on lighting products, bases and foundations, construction joints, facilities and parks, buildings for humanitarian causes and mobile homes. Additionally, in medical products sector, the focus will be on developing 3D printed teeth, bones, artificial organs and medical and surgical devices and hearing aids. In consumer products sector, it will focus household items, optics, fashion jewellery, children’s games and fast food expecting a Dh2.8 billion market by 2025.

Key estimates include: • 300 billion dollar global 3D Printing market by 2025 • 25% of Dubai’s buildings will be 3D printed by 2030 • 1.7 billion expected medical products market in Dubai by 2025 • 2.8 billion expected consumer products market in Dubai by 2025 The global market for 3D printing is expected to reach US$120 billion by 2020 and about US$300 billion by 2025, driven by research and product development activities and the increasing need for more creativity in the design process. 3D printing technology will ease the production process in various sectors, offering the prospects for major leaps in the world of industry.

The strategy will be implemented by many partners, including Dubai Municipality, Dubai Health Authority and Dubai Holding.

Every new building in Dubai to be 25% 3D printed in 2025 In 2025, based on Dubai Municipality’s regulations, every new building in Dubai will be 25% 3D printed; this move will start from 2019, starting at 2% with a gradual increase to the strategic goal. Dubai Health Authority has committed to regulating and setting the standards to the use of the technology in the health sector, and will explore the use of 3D

March 2018

3D Printing. Destination Wow. 3D printing solutions provider Massivit 3D provides PSPs with a new source of revenue and ways to expand their creative horizons.

The growing global demand by top brands, advertising firms, events and entertainment producers for 3D-printed campaigns, displays, and scenic props is indisputable. Global brands such as Sony, Netflix, and Louis Vuitton are not only eager to leverage this engaging new dimension in their traditionally 2D advertising campaigns, but also to announce to the world their adoption of 3D printing techniques and technology in order to assert their market position as an innovative, creative brand.

Massivit 3D has developed over a hundred innovative applications for some of the industry’s hottest trends –soft signage, wide format PoS displays, billboards and signage, customizable channel letters, molds for thermoforming, super-size scenic props, and more.

Key Notes : > Growing demand for 3D-printed campaigns, displays, and scenic props. > Global brands assert their market position as innovative, creative brand through adoption of 3D printing techniques and technology. > Fabricators and designers benefit from lightweight, illuminable materials that enable complete geometric freedom.

March 2018

From the moment the brand and marketing teams at Columbia Pictures and Netflix were exposed to the wow factor of 3D printed, large format bus wraps, they were hooked… and will likely never turn back to 2D. Causing heads to turn throughout Times Square and Las Vegas, the stunning Angry Birds and Ghostbusters campaigns created by Carisma caught the attention of passing pedestrian crowds and passengers, creating an entirely new type of sensory experience, luring potential cinema-goers into the fantasy world of these illuminated characters. The success of these campaigns was made possible by the creative vision of Carisma’s CEO, Moshe Gil, and by the cutting-edge capabilities of his Massivit 1800 3D printing solution.

3D-printed Game of Thrones Likewise, HBO’s blockbusting TV series Game of Thrones – a fantasy that rises above cultural borders and touches the souls of viewers worldwide – almost exclusively employs 3D printed props on its production sets, including weapons, armor, and even giant-size dragons. These props were produced in far less time than feasible with other technology, and at a significantly lower cost.

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The emergence of 3D printing has even had legal and economic implications in the US which is incentivizing Hollywood studios by offering state and federal tax credits if they produce their film props with 3D printing technology. So, just how widespread will the impact of 3D printing be on the visual communication industry?

Latest 3D applications for visual communication In the wide format signage and display arena, over a hundred innovative and costsaving applications have been developed by 3D printing solutions provider, Massivit 3D, in order to provide print service providers with a new source of revenue and to offer exhibition and entertainment producers a way to expand their creative horizons while also benefitting from lightweight, illuminable materials that enable complete geometric freedom. Massivit 3D Printing Solutions produce customized, super-size 3D displays and models. New 3D printing applications are being developed in line with the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hottest trends, such as soft signage, wide format PoS displays, billboards and signage, customizable channel letters, molds for thermoforming, and super-size scenic props. Soft signage (sometimes referred to as dye sublimation) has until now been constrained to rigid, aluminum, rectangular frames that require laborious handiwork for shaping. With Massivit 3D Printing Solutions, soft signage frames can now easily be customized into any geometric shape or size in a fraction of the time, and with the option to backlight.

correlation with CAD or STL files in the prepress phase.

3D sparkle and shine A few years back, the Dutch supermarket group, Plus, teamed up with lighting manufacturer, Philips Lighting, to measure

the impact of light on customer buying behavior over a 21-week period. They found that lighting indeed influences consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; spending habits. Under appropriate or creative LED-based interior lighting, consumers spent more. Massivit 3Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technology offers various levels of model

Molds for 3D point of sale displays and for thermoformed signage can now be rapidly produced to create unique campaigns including customized versions per branch or location. Massivit 3D Printing Solutions offer a new and more cost-effective solution for mold creation than has been possible with traditional materials. Channel lettering is now likewise easier to customize, curve, and even backlight. The Massivit 1800 printer offers flexible levels of transparency, complete geometric freedom, and even video mapping that can be accurately designed and planned in

March 2018

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Complexity and customization The limitations of traditional CNC manufacturing machines have restricted the scope and creative realm of advertising campaigns. Curves and complex geometric shapes were challenging or impossible to achieve due to the nature of the technology. Massivit 3D’s technology makes it possible to produce any imaginable, super-size shape you can dream up, and provide PSPs with the ability to realize a project in hours that would otherwise have taken weeks. Aside from the obvious business advantages of saving time, brands and advertising firms have become accustomed to demanding rapid campaign turnaround with minimal lead time. The Massivit 1800 printer prints at ten times the speed of most 3D printers.

Shedding weight and waste

transparency in order to provide control over internal illumination and backlighting. The models are printed hollow, allowing for easy insertion of LED or other lighting.

Super-size: Our fetish for all things giant It’s not entirely clear why humans are drawn to giants. There is no shortage of mythological, larger-than-life characters that transcend cultures and historical ages. Take, for instance, David’s enemy Goliath in the

Bible, Gulliver from Gulliver’s Travels, King Kong, and Jack and the Bean Stalk. Giants intrigue people. Massivit 3D is empowering brands to tell their story and personify their brand through super-size characters or products that instantly compel consumers, tempting them to touch, feel, and hug the brand they love. The Massivit 1800 printer prints models and displays up to a height of 1.8 meters (70 inches), but if multiple parts are glued together, the overall potential size of a given project is unlimited.

Conventional advertising construction processes produce a lot of waste and often require additional support structures made of aluminum or polystyrene. This requires a great deal of time and manpower. 3D printing is an additive process and therefore almost solely uses the material needed for the end product. Models and displays are printed hollow, keeping them lightweight, and saving on excess materials, which keeps costs down.

Destination: All things 3D 3D printing has been forecast to significantly impact all printing, design and creative industries. Its inherent benefits are too valuable to disregard; its crowdstopping power too obvious to ignore. Print service providers, exhibition and entertainment producers, top brands, and advertising agencies are all rapidly catching on to the game-changing benefits of 3D printing, and heralding in a new era of sensual, compelling brand engagement in a world where storytelling always rules. Visitors to Shanghai International Ad & Sign Expo will be able to see a live demo of a Massivit 3D printer as well as many new applications. For more information, visit www.massivit3D.com/IPA or email info@massivit.com.

March 2018

industrial printing/3dprinting

3D Printing Industry Awards 2018 The lucky winner will have a chance to win an awesome Wanhao Duplicator 9. In addition, the winning designer will be catapulted to 3D printing stardom, and immortalised through their winning trophy design for the official 3D Printing Industry Awards, in partnership with Protolabs. The winners will be announced on April 10th.

3DPrintingIndustry.com is going to hold their 2nd annual 3D Printing Industry Awards 2018, in partnership with Protolabs. Protolabs is a manufacturer of custom prototypes and on-demand production parts, with 3D printed parts available for typically next day delivery. This year, Protolabs will be manufacturing the Awards, to be distributed to industry leaders across the globe. The final design will have access to the full capabilities of Protolabs, state of the art, additive manufacturing machinery.

Winners will be decided by a public vote, and to ensure we get a wide representation that truly represents the diverse, worldwide community of 3D printing, the organisers are inviting the public to nominate who should be in the shortlist for each category. Nominations were open in 20 categories, ranging from 3D printing start-up of the year, Aerospace or Automotive application and both industrial and desktop 3D printers using the full spectrum of materials. In total 20 winners will be announced at a black-tie event in London on May 17th 2018.

Microsoft makes first investment in 3D Printing company Alongside companies like Porsche and Siemens, Microsoft was probably the most surprising company to participate in series C funding for 3-D printing startup, Markforged. The investment not only stands out as a rare occasion where Microsoft invested in a hardware company, but also marks the first time that it invested in a 3D-printing startup, indicating that is has a high level of confidence in the technology’s ability to impact the manufacturing sector.

The round, set at $30-million, raised a total capital of $57 million. The funding will be used for improving Marforge’s technology to lower the cost of printing carbon fiber, metals, and other materials. “The composite business is profitable, and we are scaling at 300% year-over-year,” says Greg Mark, founder and CEO at Markforged.

“We have an incredible product roadmap, and raised this round to help us bring these new printers to market even faster.” Markforged has expressed plans to release a new desktop 3D printer that can produce metal parts in 2018. Currently, its printers are used in industry to create final metal parts and prototypes.

Microsoft Venture typically invests in software-centric startups with specializations in emerging technologies like cloud computing. However, other actions, such as the introduction of the Paint 3D application on its Windows 10 platform, show its market interest for 3D modeling in the early stages of design.

March 2018

New Fraunhofer Institutions Expansion of the Hamburg research location.

The transfer of Laser Zentrum Nord and CAN to the FraunhoferGesellschaft gives the two facilities a new boost and increases the attractiveness of the entire science and innovation location of Hamburg.

Beginning in this year, LZN Laser Zentrum Nord GmbH has been operating as a worldwide-leading institution for technology transfer in industrial 3D printing and additive production as an independent Fraunhofer Research Institution. As a result, it is the first Fraunhofer Research Institution based in the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and, in the future, it will bear the name Fraunhofer Research Institution for Additive Production Technologies IAPT. In addition, the Center for Applied Nanotechnology CAN, which is also located in Hamburg, has been integrated into the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP as a new research area. Not only will the Hamburg research location be developed further by the two new Institutions. The IAPT and CAN are important building blocks in the expansion of the competences of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in the field of the future-oriented topics of additive manufacturing and nanotechnology.

helps to reduce production costs, saves process steps, makes customized production feasible and enables a variety of additional functionalities. The keyword “nanotechnology”, on the other hand, encompasses a broad spectrum of new crosssectional technologies with materials, components and systems, the function and application of which are based on the special properties of nanoscale (≤ 100 nm) elements. Nanotechnology is already an integral part of everyday life and makes new or improved products possible; it appears in displays, LEDs, solar and fuel cells as well as sunscreens and diagnostic medical examinations. Both additive manufacturing and nanotechnology are important areas of research at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. The two new units will complement and strengthen these research fields.

Innovation driver in Hamburg

Additive production and nanotechnology: topics that not only influence economic development, but also the everyday life of people, today as well as in the future. Among other things, industrial 3D printing

On the occasion of the opening of the Fraunhofer IAPT and the integration of CAN GmbH into the Fraunhofer IAP, Olaf Scholz, First Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, had the following to say: “Innovations are a guarantee for

Key Notes : > The first Fraunhofer Research Institution based in the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. > In future to bear the name Fraunhofer Research Institution for Additive Production Technologies IAPT. > Center for Applied Nanotechnology CAN has been integrated into the Fraunhofer IAP as a new research area.

March 2018

Katharina Fegebank, Second Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and Senator for Science, Research and Equality, and Dr. Raoul Klingner, Director of Research at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, signing the site agreement to expand the research location in Hamburg.

industrial printing/3dprinting

economic development and prosperity. The combination of outstanding science with business – which is the success model of Fraunhofer – is of great importance for the strength in innovation and competitiveness of Hamburg. With Laser Zentrum Nord and the Center for Applied Nanotechnology, we have two world-class facilities that will develop even more clout thanks to the transfer to the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. The expansion of the Fraunhofer activities documents the still young but very successful collaboration between Hamburg and the FraunhoferGesellschaft.” Katharina Fegebank, Senator for Science, Research and Equality added: “Hamburg is well on its way to becoming a leading location for research and innovation in Europe. With the areas of 3D printing and nanotechnology, we have opened up fields of the future that will be the main drivers of innovation and engines of development for our city. The transfer of Laser Zentrum Nord and CAN to the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft gives the two facilities a new boost and increases the attractiveness of the entire science and innovation location of Hamburg. Application-oriented research plays a crucial role in the transfer of insights from basic research into marketable products – and therefore has a major impact on the everyday life of people. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is the top address for application-oriented Research in Europe.” Prof. Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, added: “With the transfer of LZN Laser Center Nord GmbH and CAN GmbH to the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, we are increasing our competencies in the field of additive manufacturing and nanotechnology even further. That allows us to provide our customers and partners with even more intensive support in the near future. With the two new Fraunhofer units, we will be developing new technologies and solutions that strengthen and successfully position the German and European economy in fields such as aviation, medical technology and mechanical engineering.”

Fraunhofer Research Institution for Additive Production Technologies IAPT With the incorporation of LZN Laser Zentrum Nord GmbH into the FraunhoferGesellschaft in Hamburg, a competence

center for additive production has been established with the goal of developing this manufacturing technology in a targeted manner by means of applied research and development services. Prof. Claus Emmelmann, Managing Director of LZN Laser Zentrum Nord GmbH, on the change of the company’s name: “With the transfer to a Fraunhofer Research Institution, the course has been set for the development of one of the future’s most influential production technologies, additive manufacturing, in the Hanseatic city. This, in turn, will have a positive impact on infrastructure, since many companies will choose the location of Hamburg in the future in order to be able to benefit from the extensive expertise of the Fraunhofer IAPT. At the same time, we will double the number of our employees over the next few years.”

Fraunhofer Center for Applied Nanotechnology CAN As a technology transfer center in the field of nanotechnology, the Fraunhofer CAN translates research results into solution strategies for new or improved products, especially in the areas of functional materials, life science, as well as home and personal care. With its research focus on quantum dots/OLEDs, biofunctional nanoparticles and the expertise regarding nanoparticle

synthesis by means of flux reaction, the new research area CAN ideally complements the skills of the Fraunhofer IAP. “The connection to the FraunhoferGesellschaft opens up completely new perspectives, even in areas in which we have previously not been active. In addition to cooperating with the Fraunhofer IAP, we will be opening up new thematic areas with other Fraunhofer institutes,” says Prof. Horst Weller, who, in addition to heading the CAN research division, also holds a chair at the Department of Physical Chemistry at the University of Hamburg.

The future-oriented topics of additive manufacturing and nanotechnology Additive manufacturing and nanotechnology are research fields in which the FraunhoferGesellschaft has been active for a long time. Various institutions research and develop new technologies and solutions across institutes. With the Fraunhofer IAPT and the Fraunhofer CAN, the expertise that the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft can offer its customers and partners will be even greater. The two facilities are ideally integrated into the overall structure and will help to release the tremendous potential inherent in additive manufacturing and nanotechnology and to transform it into applicable technology.

3D Printing photos as Lithophane Lithophane is a technique for carving images on translucent material and creating 3D images with high details when backlit. Photographer Daniel DeArco used the technique to turn a photo into a lithophane with 3D printing.

file thus generated is then loaded into a slicer program that slices the 3D model into hundreds of layers for use by the 3D printer. The resulting lithophane shows the photo beautifully when viewed with a backlight.

Lithophanes are carved in a way that brighter and darker areas are defined by difference in thickness in the material. DeArco used a website that can help generate a 3D printing model for creating lithophanes from photos. The website turns clients’ uploaded photos into STL files. The STL

March 2018

Additive Manufacturing a revolutionary technology - changing the face of innovation, a market projected to be worth over 200 billion US dollars. AMBER, the Science Foundation Ireland-funded materials science research centre headquartered at Trinity College Dublin, has announced a new additive manufacturing (AM, commonly known as 3D printing) research laboratory.

With a €4.3 million investment, The ARLab (Additive Research Laboratory) will enable revolutionary, new medical, electronic, mechanical, optical, acoustic, heat transfer, and sensing devices.

Key Notes : > AMBER announces a new additive manufacturing research laboratory. > A euro 4.3 million investment from Science Foundation Ireland and the European Research Council as well as strategic funding from Trinity and the institutional support. > The AR-Lab will focus on worldleading research that will innovate new materials, printing methods and extend the capability of 2D and 3D printing.

March 2018

The AR-Lab (Additive Research Laboratory) was established with a euro4.3 million investment from Science Foundation Ireland and the European Research Council as well as strategic funding from Trinity and the institutional support these large initiatives require. The AR-Lab will focus on worldleading research that will innovate new materials, printing methods and extend the capability of 2D and 3D printing to enable revolutionary, new medical, electronic, mechanical, optical, acoustic, heat transfer, and sensing devices. Additive manufacturing refers to technology that can produce 3 dimensional objects via layer by layer deposition of materials. This approach allows the fabrication of complex shapes, forms and

designs without the need for complex moulds, forming or subtractive shaping. It will be a major driver of technologies such as the internet-of-things, wearable and flexible devices as well as personalised healthcare products. Additive manufacturing will change how goods are produced in the future with a shift in emphasis from mass production to mass customisation where bespoke products can be manufactured at scale for low cost. AMBER will partner with existing and new industry partners enabling next generation products from innovative SMEs and Multinationals. AMBER’s AR-Lab features a combination of both Irish and world first equipment and 3D printers – allowing industry a unique partnership opportunity. The SFI Research Centre AMBER has invested in a suite of 3D printing technologies which spans the full spectrum of materials from ceramics, metals to polymers and biomaterials. The ability to 3D print ceramic materials is of particular interest. These materials have application in a wide range of sectors

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from telecommunications to biomedical implants but, due to current constraints on manufacturing techniques, are limited in their use and performance. For example, it is envisioned that advanced free-form lightweight 3D printed ceramic objects could ultimately be used in the future as orthopedic implants designed to promote tissue and bone growth. Other applications for AM can be found in aerospace, defence, automotive, healthcare, and other industries. This is due to its many advantages, including design flexibility, product customisation, and minimisation of material waste, compared to subtractive manufacturing. The use of additive manufacturing also has the potential to add significant advancement to medical device development, as geometries will no longer be constrained to the limited base stock (i.e. flats sheets or circular tubes) that components are machined from. Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD commented, “Additive manufacturing has grown from strength to strength in the last number of years and I am delighted to see Ireland once again keeping pace with these disruptive technologies. AMBER’s new additive research lab highlights another new market entry for Ireland – one of crucial importance for industry in the future. With potential applications in industries such as healthcare and automotive, this is another great opportunity for Ireland to grow our global reputation for excellent and impactful research.” Dr Patrick Prendergast, Trinity’s Provost said, “Additive manufacturing is being hailed as part of the ‘fourth industrial revolution”, marked by emerging technologies including nanotechnology, bio-technology, and the internet of things. However, the materials and techniques needed to progress from a niche area into widespread application requires intense research. The opening of this laboratory Trinity is an exciting development and will allow AMBER to undertake world leading research that will sponsor innovation and allow Ireland to exploit the technologies to deliver economic and societal benefits for the country Professor Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland said, “Science Foundation Ireland

is delighted to support the establishment of a new additive manufacturing laboratory at the AMBER SFI Research Centre through the latest SFI Infrastructure Call. Ireland has built a reputation for cutting edge science and engineering and now attracts top international talent from across the globe. We are also educating the next generation of innovators here. However, this knowledge base must be underpinned by state-of-the-art facilities and equipment. Such infrastructure, provided by Science Foundation Ireland, provides the scientific community with the platforms they require for continued progress and achievement.” Professor Michael Morris, AMBER Director said, “AMBER’s AR-Lab will be a pivotal component of AMBER’s research focused on the fundamental material science challenges associated with 3D printing e.g. the range and complexity of the materials that can be printed, the size of these features and how a number of material sets can be

integrated into a functioning device. We have invested in a customised suite of 3D printing technology which spans the full spectrum of materials from ceramics and metals to polymers and biomaterials. This investment will play a leading role in the emerging 3D printing national research ecosystem. It will enable AMBER to build on our foundation of innovative excellence in materials science and become leaders in this emerging technology which is critical to the manufacturing industries that support the Irish economy. The size of the AM market is projected to reach $0.2 to 0.6 trillion (US Dollars) by 2025, with between 30 - 65% cost savings for the industrial sectors adopting it. AMBER’s AR-Lab has been enabled by a euro3.3 million award from SFI as part of their Research Infrastructure program and an additional euro1 million investment from the European Research Council.

Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo in Singapore The largest professional 3D printing event series worldwide returns to Singapore for its 5th year at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre on February 6-7, 2018. Inside 3D Printing Singapore takes place at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre on February 6-7, 2018. The event is the largest professional 3D printing and additive manufacturing event series worldwide. The Singapore event, now in its fifth year, has established itself as the premier professional 3D printing seminar and expo in Southeast Asia. In addition to its exhibition hall, Inside 3D Printing Singapore also features a full seminar program focusing on the latest developments, technologies, and applications in 3D printing and additive manufacturing. The expo is free to attend for all pre-registered attendees.

• • •

• • • • •

The conference includes the following topics and more: • HP, Inc. & Eye-2-Eye: Changing the way the world designs and manufacturers • NAMIC: AM distributed manufacturing and its implications

Shonan Designs: Solving industrial challenges using 3D scanning Chemtron: The future of medicine is here – Bioprinting! SLM Solutions: Metal AM technology on the way to mainstream series production, status and challenges Stratasys: 3D Printing -- An industry in motion Arburg: Freeformer: The new freedom Singapore University of Technology: 3D Printing Architecture Cad Cast Co: 3D Printing for metal casting applications Creatz3D: Unveiling desktop metal’s bound metal deposition technology system

Exhibitors include: HP, Creatz3D, Arburg, Eye-2-Eye, Shonan Design, Filatech, NYP, Chemtron and AVS.

March 2018

Ceramic 3D Printing Ceramic 3D Printing KIT, developed by the Munich Startup “StoneFlower”.

Anatoly Berezkin from Stoneflower3d clay printer company presented his ceramics 3d printing kit, which consists of a piston driven Cartridge connected to the Auger operated Extruder by tube. It can handle a slightly diluted clay and a wide variety of other viscous materials.

Owners of desktop FDM 3D printers will get a chance to print ceramics, porcelain, plaster, experiment with pulp, wax, or even food, make custom jewellery from metal clay, automatically deposit paints on canvas or soldering paste on PCBs after a single upgrade.

Key Notes : > Anatoly Berezkin from Stoneflower3d clay printer company presented his ceramics 3d printing kit. > 3D printing kit with piston driven Cartridge connected to the Auger operated Extruder by tube. > Can handle a slightly diluted clay and a wide variety of other viscous materials.

March 2018

With this new solution, the owners of desktop FDM 3D printers will get a chance to print ceramics, porcelain, plaster, experiment with pulp, wax, or even food, make custom jewellery from metal clay, automatically deposit paints on canvas or soldering paste on PCBs after a single upgrade. All of this is possible with Ceramic 3D Printing KIT, developed by the Munich Startup “StoneFlower”. Ceramic 3D Printing KIT includes a universal print head and a syringe pump for viscous liquids and pastes that is compatible with the most of FDM printers. The print head deposits materials in layers as thin as 0.3 mm that is comparable to the accuracy of FDM 3d printing. The capacity of the pump is about 500ml or 900g of clay. The KIT to be available at Kickstarter is expected to cost 450 euro and delivery is planned around March 2018. Engineers from StoneFlower team considered

a number of existing technical solutions for clay printing, and spent over 6 month to optimize mechanics, hydrodynamics and electronics of their product. They found, that the feeding of the clay and other liquids with a compressed air, being the most popular solution, has low reproducibility and requires a lot of fine-tuning. To facilitate printing, they implemented a syringe pump, which turned out to be exceptionally accurate, safe and more silent than the air compressor. Now the StoneFlower Ceramic 3D Printing KIT works even with thick just slightly diluted clay, providing mechanically stable prints. Optimized print head, equipped with an Auger extruder, removes air bubbles from manually mixed clay and does not suffer from leaks. Moreover, this is the first print head of this kind that one can conveniently assemble and disassemble for cleaning by hands, without instruments. Project StoneFlower was founded in early 2017 by Anatoly Berezkin and Stanislav Mironov. The project is aimed at the development of professional 3d printing equipment for highly viscous pseudoplastic liquids: clays, glazes, pastes, paints, curable resins etc.

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Dr. Anatoly Berezkin, being a researcher at the Max-Planck Institute in DĂźsseldorf, got acquainted with 3d printing of resins from liquid mixtures in the year 2013. During his collaboration with the German company Covestro AG he published a couple of research papers about the principles of this process. In the next few years at Technical University of Munich (TUM), he gained a hands-on experience in the development of automated equipment for synchrotron experiments, building CNC routers and 3d printers as a hobby. In StoneFlower Anatoly is responsible for the product development, general business management and certification.

Dipl. Eng. Stanislav Mironov has graduated from Technical University of Munich, and joined the project after internship at Electro Optical Systems GmbH (one of

the world leading companies in additive manufacturing). In the startup Stanislav takes care about PR, marketing, and supply chain.

March 2018

industrial printing/3dprinting

3D printing: changing the shape of design and manufacturing Over the course of just three decades, 3D printing, aka additive manufacturing, has evolved from being the stuff of science fiction to a valuable driver of real-life product design. Widely known as additive manufacturing by those in the industry, 3D printing has come a very long way in its relatively short existence. Today, the technology is helping companies throughout the product development process and across a wide range of industries, including automotive, healthcare, consumer electronics, aerospace, education and countless others. Designers and engineers have the ability to turn their design ideas into physical models that they can touch and feel – whether it be an early concept model or the actual production part – while saving significant time and money in the process.

“Siemens Mobility, which runs and maintains all of the rail and trams throughout Germany, is now manufacturing the front bumper of trams with our additive technology as opposed to what were previously metal parts,” says Andy Middleton, president, Stratasys EMEA. “By doing that, they can now actually 3D print those spare parts on demand and drive down the massive inventory of parts that they’ve had in the past.” What’s more, the diversity of affordable 3D printing solutions now available in the marketplace makes 3D printing more accessible than ever for businesses of all

shapes and sizes. “While some of the big players and big industries have been pioneering additive and 3D printing, many of our customers globally are small and medium-sized enterprises,” adds Mr Middleton.

3D printer company Robo expands in Asia 3D printer manufacturer Robo has announced plans to expand its business to a number of Asian regions including China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. The San Diego, California based company says the expansion is part of its overall plan to expand 3D printer sales and distribution to over 50 countries around the globe by mid-2018. Currently, the company has offices

or representation in 40 countries across five continents. Robo has partnered with Xi’an Elite Robotics Co. Ltd., a tech supplier in Asia, to distribute its 3D printing equipment across China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. With its international expansion including the recent one into the Asian 3D printer market, Robo expects overseas market to contribute

over 20 percent of its total revenue in 2018. Robo 3D said that the reason for its Asian expansion plans was the “result of growing demand for Robo’s 3D printing products in international markets,” with Xi’an now becoming the first official distributor of Robo 3D products in China. Robo 3D already has several other preexisting distribution agreements in Asia. In Hong Kong, Robo 3D signed a distribution agreement with Beets Limited, a specialist provider of 3D printing solutions to Hong Kong customers. Robo has a reseller agreement with Pebble3D, who plan to become the “only one-stop solution centre for 3D printing solutions in Malaysia,” providing supplies and after-market support services for fully assembled 3D printers, 3D scanners and other consumables. It also has an agreement with SEACAD to promote and distribute its products in Singapore. The company’s Robo R2 is an easy to use 3D printer launched last year. Robo will be showcasing along with Xi’an at the 12th Guangzhou International Mould & Die Exhibition (AsiaMold) that will take place during March 4-6, 2018 in Guangzhou, China.

March 2018

industrial printing/uv printing

IST METZ wins ‘Global Market Leader 2018’ in UV Drying Systems The University of St. Gallen and the Academy of German Global Market Leaders (Akademie Deutscher Weltmarktführer) award the official title to the UV specialist. The Nürtingen-based mechanical engineering and UV specialist IST METZ has been awarded the title of “Global Market Leader 2018” in the “Mechanical and Systems Engineering” sector in the field of “UV drying systems based on ultraviolet light (UV), infrared (IR) and warm air (WA)”. The Global Market Leader Index 2018 with 461 listed companies was determined on the basis of a ranking by the University of St. Gallen. IST METZ GmbH has been active in the development, production and sales of systems for curing printing materials and coatings for over 40 years. The UV systems cure inks, coatings and a variety of other materials within fractions of a second. And the UV specialist has now made it into the Global Market Leader Index, developed by the Henri B. Meier School of Entrepreneurs of the University of St. Gallen in cooperation with the Academy of German Global Market Leaders (ADWM). IST METZ GmbH is now listed as the Global Market Leader Champion 2018 in the “Mechanical and Systems Engineering” sector in the “UV drying systems based on ultraviolet light (UV), infrared (IR) and warm air (WA)” segment.

A place for those who meet the strict criteria The index is based on an objective and transparent selection process for the current global market leaders from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It guarantees that all selection criteria and ascertained results are fully disclosed and made freely accessible. IST METZ GmbH successfully meets all the necessary criteria and thereby secures a place among the 461 companies listed in the index: the highest or second highest market share in its segment, annual turnover of over 50 million euros, of which at least half must

be generated abroad, and activities on three continents. IST METZ GmbH is located in the southern German town of Nürtingen with approximately 500 employees worldwide. For 40 years the company has been producing systems for curing printing materials and coatings by means of UV light. The UV systems cure inks, coatings, silicones, adhesives, resins and other materials within fractions of a second. The IST METZ Group offers its customers a huge product portfolio of high-performance UV lamp and UV LED systems. This product range is further complemented by warm-air-infrared drying systems.

Komori America participates as Platinum Sponsor at Print UV 2018 Komori America participated as a Platinum Sponsor at Print UV 2018 conference, held in Las Vegas, NV from February 26-28. This conference is a premier event in the UV printing industry, with a focus on the growth of UV printing in the global graphic communications industry. Print UV 2018 offers opportunities to hear from world-

equipped with UV, LED or Komori’s innovative H-UV curing system have experienced higher productivity and efficiency levels resulting in increased margins and business growth. class experts and discover successful print initiatives. The conference is designed as a peer-oriented, intimate event geared for commercial, packaging and specialty printers looking to accelerate their profits in a dynamic and fast-changing print market. Komori America sees Print UV 2018 as a great opportunity for UV printing professionals to come together to learn from each other and from experienced practitioners sharing topics ranging from sales to manufacturing to the development of innovative new products and services. Komori’s customers who operate presses

“In Print UV 2018 we shared the power of UV with the attendees,” said Jacki Hudmon, vice president new business development for Komori America. “UV technology has proven to be a major advantage within the industry and Komori’s continued development of this technology has enabled our clients to successfully capitalize on this trend.”

March 2018

Colour changing 3-D printed objects CSAIL system uses custom ink and ultraviolet light to repeatedly change an object’s colour.

Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have developed ColorMod, a method for repeatedly changing the colours of 3-D printed objects, after fabrication. With this technology, using colour changing 3-D printable ink, an object can be recoloured in a few minutes using UV light. While the project is currently focused on plastics and other common 3-D printing materials, the researchers say that eventually people would be able to instantly change the colour of other items like clothes.

While the project is currently focused on plastics and other common 3-D printing materials, the researchers say that eventually people would be able to instantly change the colour of other items like clothes.

Key Notes : > By changing an object’s colour, you don’t have to create a whole new object every time. > ColorMod - developed by Researchers from MIT’s CSAIL. > A method for repeatedly changing the colours of 3-D printed objects, after fabrication.

March 2018

After printing, changing the multicoloured objects involves using ultraviolet light to activate desired colours and visible light to deactivate others. Specifically, the team uses an ultraviolet light to change the pixels on an object from transparent to coloured, and a regular office projector to turn them from coloured to transparent. The team’s custom ink is made of a base dye, a photoinitiator, and lightadaptable dyes. The light-adaptable (photochromic) dyes bring out the colour in the base dye, and the photoinitiator lets the base dye harden during 3-D printing. “With the amount of buying, consuming, and wasting that exists, we wanted to figure out a way to update materials in a more efficient way, which was

largely the motivation behind this project,” says MIT professor Stefanie Mueller, who led the project. “By changing an object’s color, you don’t have to create a whole new object every time,” adds Mueller, who co-authored the paper with postdoc Parinya Punpongsanon, undergraduate Xin Wen, and researcher David Kim. It has been accepted to the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, which takes place in April in Montreal. “This work is a true breakthrough in being able to change the colour of objects without repainting them,” says Changxi Zheng, an associate professor at Columbia University who co-directs Columbia’s Computer Graphics Group. Mueller says that the goal is for people to be able to rapidly match their accessories to their outfits in an efficient, less wasteful way. Another idea is for retail stores to be able to customize products in real-time.w

industrial printing/textile printing

Epson launches new Digital Fabric Printing Microsite New Microsite offers fashion designers one source for digital fabric printing information, products and collaboration. At its annual Digital Couture Project fashion and technology showcase, Epson America introduced a new microsite – “Epson Brings Technology & Fashion Together” – dedicated to connecting digital fabric printing technology and solutions to fashion designers and entrepreneurs. The new site provides fashion designers with an informative digital fabric printing destination, offering solution-based guidance for a range of digital fabric printing applications including, dye-sublimation, direct-to-garment, and direct-to-fabric printing on a variety of fabrics. The “Epson Brings Technology & Fashion Together” microsite also connects fashion designers directly to digital fabric printers to help advance the integration of digital fabric printing technology in today’s design workflows.

as the leader in this innovative new product segment, Epson is taking the lead to help educate fashion designers about the benefits of this emerging technology.”

“Digital printing technology has changed every industry it’s touched, and now it’s revolutionizing the fashion industry by offering fashion designers amazing new ways to produce their designs on a range of fabrics,” said Mark Radogna, Strategic Marketing, Epson America, Inc. “The digital fabric printing market is evolving quickly, and

Design Without Limits – When printing fabrics digitally, design choices are virtually unlimited – nearly anything that can be designed on a computer can be printed onto fabrics.

For fashion designers, Epson digital fabric printing technology provides many benefits over traditional methods of printing fabrics for fashion design. Brilliant Image Quality – Printing fabrics digitally produces high quality prints with virtually unlimited colour and design options. Reliable Performance – In most cases, a digital textile printer can print designs on the same fabrics that designers typically screen print to in as little as seven working days, compared to weeks or even months.

Print on Virtually Any Fabric Type – Epson has a digital fabric printing solution for virtually any fabric type – from polyesters and blends

to natural fibers such as silks, cotton, linen, wool, and rayon. Better for the Environment – Digital fabric printing provides significant reductions in both water and electricity consumption when compared to traditional methods of fabric printing. For many fabric printers, digital fabric printing can reduce water use by up to 90 percent and electrical usage by up to 30 percent. Affordable, Scalable Solution – Digital fabric printing offers an excellent performance-toprice ratio with reliable productivity to meet your business needs. The “Epson Brings Technology & Fashion Together” website is available at epson.com/ fashion.

Smithers Pira announces 2018 Digital Textile Printing Conference exploring topics such as innovations and technical advances in digital print for textiles, the future of digital print for textiles, digital textile printing in e-Commerce and more. This year’s agenda will feature two dedicated tracks on workflow developments in digital textile printing, focusing on apparel and home décor, and soft signage.

Smithers Pira has announce that the 2018 Digital Textile Printing Conference will take place June 7-8, in Chicago. Concluding this year’s Digital Print Week, Digital Textile Printing will focus on Applications and Market Drivers Within Digital Textile Printing,

“After the success of last year’s inaugural edition of Digital Textile Printing, we are very excited to have the conference return for 2018, concluding this year’s Digital Print Week,” said Jena Stout, Conference Producer for Smithers Pira. “Focusing on the theme, Applications and Market Drivers Within Digital Textile Printing, this year’s program includes discussion of the latest developments around digital print, while

exploring the day-to-day operations and workflow of digital print for textiles.” Additionally, this year’s speaker lineup will feature Spoonflower, EFI, Cotton Inc., SPG Prints, HP, StitchMob and many more. Kicking off this year’s Digital Print Week will be Digital Print for Packaging, taking place June 4-6, 2018 in Chicago. Smithers Pira is the worldwide authority on packaging, paper and print industry supply chains. Established in 1930, the company provides strategic and technical consulting, testing, intelligence and events to help clients gain market insights, identify opportunities, evaluate product performance and manage compliance.

March 2018

FESPA Asia 2018 Connecting screen, digital, textile printing and signage communities across the ASEAN region.

FESPA events in 2017 attracted visitors from across the global industry, with the regional exhibitions allowing industry professionals to gain a key insight into the latest technologies on offer to the market. This year looks set to be no different, with FESPA lining up a series of global and regional events.

Also running throughout FESPA Asia this year will be the ever-popular seminar programme. Kicking things off on the opening day will be Mark Gervais, director of screen print at Ninbo Shenzhou Knitting Co., who will discuss hybrid digital technology, focusing on merging print and digital.

First up is FESPA Asia, which will take place from February 22-24 at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) in Thailand. The event aims to connect screen, digital, textile printing and signage communities across the ASEAN region.

Later on, Dmitry Sarbaev, managing director Fluxmall DTG Vietnam, will look at how to start a successful direct-to-garment printing business and what visitors need to do to establish themselves in this competitive sector.

In addition to a host of major names from across the global industry, FESPA Asia will include a series of in-show features, each designed to offer guidance and advice to visitors as to how they can grow their businesses.

Moving on to day two and Michele Riva, sales and marketing director at EFI, will be in attendance to talk the future of printing and the ‘Digital Textile Ecosystem’. Sean Holt of FESPA will then look at the FESPA Print Census 2018, the largest data gathering project in the wide-formant print industry.

Expanding your knowledge of the market The event aims to connect screen, digital, textile printing and signage communities across the ASEAN region.

Key Notes : > FESPA lines up a series of global and regional events. > Takes place from February 22-24 at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) in Thailand. > Among the many highlights at FESPA Asia will be a special FESPA Textile feature.

March 2018

Among the many highlights at FESPA Asia will be a special FESPA Textile feature, where visitors can learn not just about the opportunities available in the textiles sector, but also how they can access this work and establish textile print as a key part of their business.

Highlights on day three include a session by Cholakarn Visutipitakul, marketing and creative director at Bodhi Tree Décor, on hybrid printing within the interior decoration market, as well as a presentation by Direk Chowdhry, chief executive of Asa Print Technologies, on trends in print and manufacturing of apparel.

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the best way for them to see the latest technology from around the world. “We once again hope for strong attendance and robust booth activity at the show.”

Away from the seminars and a special show feature set to draw attention is the Asian regional round for the FESPA Wrap Masters 2018. Here, visitors will be able to see some of the most talented wrappers compete for a place in the final round of the competition at FESPA 2018.

Leading brands take to the stage Kornit Breeze from Kornit Digital is recognised as the company’s the entry-level option within its range of advanced direct-togarment printing solutions These special sections aside, visitors will be able to find out more about the latest advancements in print technology from many of the leading names in the global print market. Kornit Digital will be one of these brands and will focus on its direct-to-garment solutions at the event.

FESPA Asia 2018 in an effort to connect with visitors on Stand B10. The company will be showing off its Breeze and Storm Hexa as it seeks to showcase how its products can support those active in the direct-to-garment market. Kim said: “Kornit Breeze is the entry-level of our advanced direct-to-garment printing solutions. It is compact, powerful, and is designed specifically for e-commerce shops or small to mid-sized commercial digital t-shirt printing businesses. “As for Storm Hexa, it is a six colours (CMYK, Red & Green) system, which has been equipped with state-of-the-art inkjet technology to turn it into the most advanced industrial direct-to-garment printing systems for medium-size businesses.”

Anticipating robust activity Buck Kim, president, Asia-Pacific at Kornit Digital, explains why the company values FESPA events so highly: “FESPA is a renowned brand in the digital print industry. We would like to leverage FESPA Asia as an ideal platform for Kornit to demonstrate our advanced industrial direct-to-garment systems to all companies - especially those located in Southeast Asia - wanting to find new and profitable additions to their product portfolios.” Kornit Digital will be working with Thailandbased partners Chaiyaboon and Scala at

Another major name on the floorplan this year is screen printing specialist M&R, which will be based on stand D30. Rick Bach, regional manager for Asia-Pacific at M&R, said that the company has opted to return to FESPA Asia this year after a successful appearance at the 2017 event. Bach said: “We experienced excellent attendance at the 2017 FESPA Asia and M&R’s sales were positively impacted throughout the year. We recognise Asian buyers prefer attending quality trade shows without having to travel so far. FESPA is

Visitors to the M&R stand at FESPA Asia will be able to find out more about the Hybrid Victory 1 oval, which features the new, higher speed digital print head. M&R will also show off its high efficiency screen room, consisting of I-Image S, Uni-Kote screen coater, Starlight LED exposure and Eco-Rinse washout unit.

Soft signage focus for Caldera Also due to exhibit at FESPA Asia in February is Caldera, a specialist provider of RIP software for large- and grand-format print production. Sebastien Hanssens, vicepresident marketing and communication at Caldera, said that the company values FESPA events highly as it allows the firm to reach out to the wider print community and, as is the case with FESPA Asia, key, regional markets. Hanssens said: “The Asian market is very important for Caldera and we have invested to grow there with dedicated native speaking sales and support resources. We have been participating and partnering with FESPA for many years because it a dynamic trade-show where we are sure to meet our prospects and customers.

FESPA Asia attracts a wide range of visitors from all across the continent “FESPA Asia is a key investment for Caldera to develop sales and showcase our products. We want to continue to grow our contact base and meet printers.” Visitors to the BITEC next month will be able to find out more about the legacy RIP software available from Caldera, while Hanssens also reveals that the firm will be placing a key focus on soft signage work. Hanssens added that Caldera has identified this market as a key growth sector and expects this to be a major trend both at FESPA Asia and over the coming months. With these companies representing just a small selection of the many scheduled to exhibit at FESPA Asia in February, it is clear that there will be plenty on offer for visitors from all backgrounds.

March 2018

Exhibitors showcase styles for interiors at Heimtextil Exhibitors, 2,975 in number, presented their latest styles, colours and designs for textile interiors at Heimtextil in Frankfurt. Heimtextil was held during January 9-12. The show focused on flexibility, individuality, and innovation for a healthier and sustainable furnishing style. “The future is urban” was the title of the “Theme Park” which showcased importance of being comfortable in all areas. Presentations in the “Theme Park” showed whether at home, at the office or in a hotel – people want to and should feel comfortable where they live and work. The omnipresent Hygge zeitgeist was represented in the form of harmoniously coordinated styles and colours.

Heimtextil held in Frankfurt during January focused on flexibility, individuality, and innovation for a healthier and sustainable furnishing style.

Key Notes : > “Theme Park” shows comfortable living and working at home, office and hotel. > Urban jungle creates a pure feeling of nature with lush green tones, plant and leaf motifs. > The “Interior. Architecture. Hospitality Expo” places a special focus on contract furnishing.

March 2018

Powdery tones in combination with mostly light natural materials provided a relaxed, open cosiness. The palette ranged from delicate rosé, lilac and coral, and sand, grey and nude to pastel aqua and petrol varieties. These soft nuances were underpinned by clear lines, velvety surfaces, shine and sensual structures. Amongst these, there were the harbingers of somewhat livelier world of colours with tones such as apricot, berry, pink and mint. Having already made its entrance to the world of fashion, purple also reinvented itself and ran the gamut from lilac and lavender tones to dark ultraviolet. At the same time, the classic indigo blue continued to develop into a cool trendy colour. Typical designs included new interpretations of traditional patterns,

batik looks and washes that convey the impression of something being handmade. The mix of blue and natural tones had a particularly original effect on raw textiles, which contrasted the general digitalisation of life with the charm of the imperfect. Also on the rise were denim fabrics that gave the interior a casual touch. In the urban jungle, lush green tones and lush plant and leaf motifs created a pure feeling of nature. The green colour scheme was interrupted by subtle berry and rose tones. Black provided targeted modern accents across all colour trends. In combination with gold and meadowlark, a cool sunny yellow, it unveiled its exclusive effect in graphic designs. The use of metallic shine was omnipresent. Graphic patterns remained in vogue. In amongst the many elements borrowed from the 1950s and Art Deco, there was increasing inspiration mixed in from a new ethno style that was young and fresh. Structures that offer a very haptic experience and appeal to the senses remained a trend. On display were grained and openwork surfaces, leaf structures as well as artistic graphic patterns or nature-inspired 3D effects on rough and high-gloss fabrics. The play with opposites, such as coarse and fine, matt and smooth, transparent and opaque, created suspense. Such designs offered many exciting possibilities,

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especially for window design and room layout. The “Interior.Architecture.Hospitality Expo” placed a special focus on contract furnishing. In addition to the high demand for flexibility, there was a noticeable increase in interest in sustainability. This applied in particular to innovations that brought the environment and economy together, such as the COEX fibre from Maasberg. The specially processed cotton was flame-retardant, washable at the highest temperature, causing a stir in many sectors such as clinics. The fact that environmental awareness is no longer regarded as a niche area was also shown by the Irish company Chieftain Fabrics. With its recyclable organic imitation leather, it has handled major projects such as Dublin Airport and the Chelsea football stadium. Healthy living and working remained one of the top themes in the furnishing and upholstery fabrics sector. Companies such as Drapilux and ATN presented several new products that air-condition flats or dampen the sound. They are certified organic, waterproof and/or flame-retardant. Despite all the high-tech, the textiles still looked very

natural. This also applied to outdoor fabrics in linen, flannel or woven looks from Ter Molst. When it came to soft feel-good textiles for indoors, high quality wool was exploited to the full at Luidor. Dolce Vita combined natural fabrics with fresh colours for a bold mix and match with interesting structures and young ethno styles. The “Carpet by Heimtex” area of the Association of German Home Textiles Manufacturers offered exciting potential for floor coverings. Ege Carpet gave an insight into the fascinating photo-realistic future of the carpet. In cooperation with Werner Aisslinger and Hadi Teherani, Vorwerk succeeded in creating a highly flexible, bitumen-free tile concept. Its geometric cuts and free forms allowed for the creation of individual, expressive carpet compositions. Artistic patchwork, patches and used looks in design continued to follow the major trends in terms of colour. The new products in the field of privacy and sun protection at the show highlighted the right transition between indoors and outdoors. For example, MHZ presented a new roller blind design that combined

all mounting and operating modes in one model. Rooms with different possibilities can thus be designed in a visually coherent manner. With an eye on both the environmental aspects and the demands of urban nomads, Kadeco is expanding a “small solution” for the motorisation of blinds and roller blinds. The solar panel, which functions independently of power sources, can easily be removed and installed when moving flats, including the roller blind. Digital printing was another show stopper. It provides an increasing number of possibilities and greater precision. Kornit Digital, for example, develops colours with special luminosity. The new process integrates the neon tones pink and yellow directly into CMYK printing. This means no change of cartridge is necessary, whether for neon highlights or simply more luminosity for different textile types from single jersey to swimwear. Imaginative, floral designs and neo-Romantic artworks in photo-realistic quality stand out in the designs. Motifs of this kind decorate not only walls, but also elaborately structured sound-absorbing textiles for individual workspaces.

Epson to host fourth Annual Digital Couture Project where fashion meets technology

Epson hosted its fourth annual Epson Digital Couture Project on Feb. 6, 2018, leading up to Fashion Week in New York City. Designers from North and Latin America leveraged Epson’s world-class textile printing solutions to create fashion designs built around the theme “Cosmopolitan Couture with Impossible Colors – How Does Your Culture Dress-up?” This unique fashion presentation showcased the design possibilities made possible with Epson’s digital imaging technology. 13 design teams told a story through their collection created with Epson dye-sublimation printing technology. “The future of fashion is customization – from the colours and prints, to the size and shape of garments – all on-demand,” said Keith Kratzberg, president and CEO, Epson America, Inc. “Epson’s digital imaging technology is changing the business of

fashion, providing a platform for designers to print higher quality, more unique designs for customers on-demand, as well as the ability to print just in time. This Digital Couture event showcases how the design potential and impact on the fashion marketplace is limitless.” Prior to the fashion showcase, Epson will host a Fashion and Technology panel – a thought-provoking conversation about how digital technology is evolving the fashion industry, as well as market trends and technology’s role in fashion. Anthony Cenname, vice president and publisher at WSJ. Magazine will moderate, with opening comments from Kratzberg and closing comments from Agustin Chacon, Epson America’s vice president of international marketing. Panel participants include interior designer Ryan Korban, Mark Sunderland from Thomas Jefferson University, and Aliza Licht, EVP Brand Marketing and Communications for Alice + Olivia and author of “LEAVE YOUR MARK.”

At the Digital Couture Project event, each designer or design team told a story through their collection via textiles created with Epson dye-sublimation printing technology. These technologies enable limitless design possibilities, with the result being original prints of the highest quality unique to each designer, on fabrics that convey their signature style. The fourth annual Epson Digital Couture Project event showcased the design capabilities through the featured collections of designers from North and Latin America. Epson offers the textile and fabric printing market three printing solutions, allowing entrepreneurs and established fashion brands to print on a variety of fabrics in real-time, including cotton and synthetic fibers, for a new level of creative freedom. These include Epson SureColor F-Series (dye-sublimation printing technology); Epson SureColor F2100 (for direct-to-garment printing); Monna Lisa (for the industrial textile market).

March 2018

Ricoh unveils Direct-to-Garment printer Ri 100 Ricoh continues to expand the possibilities for new and existing garment printing businesses with the launch of entry level DTG printer RICOH Ri 100. Ricoh unveiled a compact, affordable Direct to Garment (DTG) printer that empowers users to quickly and easily produce high-quality applications on a variety of fabrics. The RICOH Ri 100 fits easily on desks and counters and magnificently combines ease-of-use with productivity. The printer is a perfect fit for environments not traditionally dedicated to print, such as souvenir shops and small businesses. As many organizations and individuals seek ways to expand their portfolios or enhance brand loyalty, the RICOH Ri 100 is a cost-effective way to achieve these goals.

Ideal for creative entrepreneurs starting a garment printing business or those wanting to add a new profitable product line to their existing printing business, the RICOH Ri 100 uniquely combines high quality output and ease of use at an affordable price level. It is best suited for low volume printing needs.

Key Notes : > The new Ricoh Ri 100 compact Direct-ToGarment printer can fit easily on desks and counters. > A perfect fit for environments such as souvenir shops and small businesses. > Joins Ri 3000/ 6000; prints 1,200 x 1,200 dpi in vivid mode; features industry standard printheads & modular drop-size technology.

March 2018

“As Ricoh continues to invest in the industrial print market, we do so with one goal in mind – to make it easier for our customers to grow their businesses,” said John Fulena, Vice President, Commercial and Industrial Printing Business Group, Ricoh USA, Inc. “The RICOH Ri 100 fits perfectly into that mission: it’s affordable; it’s easy to use; it works fast to produce quality, unique applications.”

Businesses, municipalities and other organizations have long recognized the impact of branded t-shirts, canvas bags, pillows and other fabrics, but questions around cost, customization and control have prevented many from taking advantage. The RICOH

industrial printing/textile printing

Ri 100 eliminates those concerns by putting the power of DTG printing directly in the hands of these organizations while allowing for cost-effective one-off and short run prints to help supply meet demand. Users can choose between ready-out-of-the-box Ricoh Design Software to create and print designs or an RPCS driver, which allows users to create designs with their preferred software of their choice before printing. Additionally, the RICOH Ri 100 is bundled with an intuitive heating system that removes wrinkles from fabric, creating a smooth surface for printing, and then cures the ink after, helping to fix the design in place for long lasting, colorfast prints. The heating unit was designed with simplicity and safety in mind, helping those new to DTG printing easily produce a finished product. The RICOH Ri 100 joins the RICOH Ri 3000/ Ri 6000 printers in building upon Ricoh and AnaJet’s (a Ricoh company) history of fast, high-quality garment printing. It prints up to 1,200 x 1,200 dpi in vivid mode, leveraging Ricoh’s industry standard-setting printheads and modular drop-size technology.

“Over the years, our customers have asked for an affordable, low risk way to enter the DTG market and we’re proud to be the first to answer that question at a price point that is unmatched today,” said Karl Tipre, CEO of AnaJet. “Like our Ricoh colleagues, our commitment to our customers is to help them reach their business goals. The RICOH Ri 100 does just that, and at a much lower cost than traditional DTG printers, helping them come to market even quicker.” MSRP for the RICOH Ri 100, heating unit, software and other accessories will be less than $5,000, significantly lower than that of traditional DTG printers. Further, Ricoh’s ink costs are among the lowest in the industry, helping to keep total cost of ownership low, as well. The RICOH Ri 100 got displayed at CES 2018 that took place from January 9 to 12 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

A CES 2018 Innovation Awards Honouree Ricoh has also been named a CES 2018 Innovation Awards Honouree for the RICOH

Ri 100. Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, independent engineers and members of the trade media to honour outstanding design and engineering in cutting edge consumer electronics products across 28 product categories. Entries are evaluated on their engineering, aesthetic and design qualities, intended use/function and user value, unique/novel features present and how the design and innovation of the product directly compares to other products in the marketplace. Products chosen as CES Innovation Honourees reflect innovative design and engineering in some of the most cutting edge tech products and services coming to market. CES 2018 Innovation Honouree products are featured on CES.tech/Innovation, which lists product categories, as well as each product name, manufacturer information, description, photo and URL.

March 2018

industrial printing/textile printing

Shanghai International Digital Printing Industry Fair presents interview with EFI Reggiani The 9th Shanghai International Digital Printing Industry Fair (TPF 2018) will be held from the 19th to the 21st of April, 2018, in Shanghai New International Expo Centre. TPF 2018 is organized by UBM China and SUNEXPO. As one of the most influential digital textile printing fairs in Asia, TPF is keeping a close eye on the market trend and technology development. On 27 Nov, Electronics For Imaging presented the EFI Reggiani VOGUE to the public in Shanghai, a new industrial textile printer designed for superior-quality direct-totextile printing in fashion applications. It prints at resolutions up to 2,400 dpi with 16 printing heads and 4- to 72-picolitre drop sizes. Whether it is for apparel and accessories, sportswear or footwear, the EFI Reggiani VOGUE can handle it,” according to EFI Reggiani VP/GM Adele Genoni. “The new printer, along with the entire EFI Ecosystem of products including Optitex 2D/3D design software, Reggiani digital printers and inks, and our newest Fiery proServer bundle, create an effective, more-efficient manufacturing model for the fashion space.” On 29 Nov, TPF interviewed EFI Reggiani VP/ GM Adele Genoni and Sales & Marketing Director Michele Riva. The full interview is below.

TPF: We are a little curious about the name of your new printer, VOGUE. Why VOGUE? Adele: Because it’s targeting fashion. VOGUE for us is an evocative word, which is easily associated with fashion. Digital printing is the fastest growing printing technology in the textile market. And digital is at this time about 3-4% of all printed textiles consumed by the Fashion industry, reaching about 13% in the Fast Fashion, according to our research.

TPF: Speaking of fashion, we know that your customers in fashion are printing for top brands in the traditional fashion space as well as top fast fashion brands. Are the printing requirements different between top brands and fast fashion brands? Michele: First of all, there is a common requirement, no matter what the quantity of the production order is. The environment is very important to all of the brands, and digital printing is the solution to meet that common requirement. For high end brands, the

environment is probably even more important than other factors.

Adele: I agree. Having an environmentally friendly process is important because it’s a part of the vision of social responsibility, which is becoming more common. On the other hand, they do have different needs. For fast fashion, the main need is to be fast, which means typically this type of account wants to have a place in the world where it is possible to build up a collection, do sampling and spread work around to all of the brand’s factories or printing partners with the same level of quality. Fast fashion brands really need to have the same level of quality everywhere around the world. It is also very important for them to control the total cost of everything, not only the cost of investment in machine. But for high end top brands, the thing they want most is super high quality. For example, they often require a very deep black color, which is something you achieve only with a very high end machine. In addition, in fast fashion, it’s important to have the integration with purchasing online, so actually, companies in fast fashion are really looking to us as a strong provider of integrated solutions from 3D design moving to digital printing. Think about the possibility that when you look at the customer the camera on her computer: you can see the image, the shape and the size of the garment required and then you can give a suggestion on the type of dress that is more suitable to the body shape to optimize the look. The fast fashion brands are asking us for an integrated technology to allow them to be better in online purchasing. It is very important for fast fashion brands, but less so with premium brands - consumers’ experience with top brands is more about going to the brand’s boutique store and not as much about buying online. Michele: It’s correct but on the other side for example, even for top brands it is also important to have 3D technology to design a garment, then optimize the design. So for different solutions, they can use the same advantage 3D offers.

March 2018

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Adele: Though we have talked a lot about fashion, we are not only in fashion, we are also working with customers in the home design and signage segments, printing for very important brands. Their requirements are very high. To them, only quality matters, and we help them get the best results. TPF: EFI Reggiani is from Europe. What do you think of the Chinese market? Adele: Europe is far more consolidated and mature compared to Asia and China and the requests are much more sophisticated. The customers are really willing to have the best, in terms of innovation and technology, quality and performance. The green requirements came earlier than in China. But China is far more serious, stricter now. From the technology perspective, I think in Europe only the medium-high end and high-end solutions remain, and we see higher-level requests for technology and investment. Regarding the ink, there’s strong pressure on price, especially on reactive ink. There is a high demand for pigment - pigment with a short process. That means no pre-treatment or post-treatment. But as far as I know, there is not a competitive solution in the market to deliver that exactly. We are working on it but we don’t have a solution ready to be launched. TPF: As you said, the Chinese market is not as mature as Europe. Are the innovative technologies of EFI Reggiani well accepted in China? Are customers willing to pay more for state of art technologies? Michele: Our goal is to increase the knowledge in digital printing sharing our experience and supporting our customers. The idea is to create a different mentality which looks to digital as a big advantage. EFI Reggiani products are designed and manufactured to the highest standards and to simplify textile production across a wide range of industries.The digital experience has been built on more than 70 years of Reggiani product innovation and implementation for leading-edge textile printing technologies.

Adele: What we have done in terms of technology has been done to meet customers’ environmental needs. We also

provide reliability, which means higher productivity and fewer stoppages. In terms of quality, we are the customers who are going to buy and we are becoming more and more demanding. So I think there is a strong trend to have a good finished garment. Also our customers - printing factories - need to have higher quality as well. We help customers to save money. For example, our innovative recirculating system, for the ink, makes our printheads more reliable, which means our customers need to substitute the heads less frequently, resulting more cost-effective printing. The machine is more tolerant to the temperature of the environment, so you do not need to switch on air-conditioning with higher temperatures, and that saves money on cooling costs and is better for the environment. The technology we have put into EFI Reggiani printers provides solid benefits to customers. I haven’t talked yet about the Fiery, it really saves time which means saving money for designers, allowing them to make more things and to have more space in creativity. In the end, they can achieve more in their businesses.

TPF: Have you heard about Imprintable? Adele: From my point of view, what consumers are looking for with imprintable garments reflects what can also be delivered by purchasing garments online with high level of customization. This is a technology that we can offer. With our acquisition of Optitex, a company we acquired approximately one year ago. This gives the possibility to the software to make thousands of different things, all customized to the end customer. TPF: You mentioned at the press conference that reshoring and near-shoring is a trend in textile industry. How does it happen? Adele: In the past, there was a big movement of textiles in Asia, particularly from the US. A lot of American textile companies closed down and moved to Asia. In Europe, several still remain but they are more medium-high end. With the new digital revolution of the textile market, where everything needs to be fast and the customer wants the printed garments in a few days, you need to have your factories close to the market so there’s a trend of reshoring, from Asia back to the market close to the

consumer. There is a push, especially in the US to develop more printing and production operations. This also is happening in Europe but less than in the US because the US closed down more garment operations than Europe. In China the environment is so important now and pressure is huge. In this case, factories are asked to close down if they are not in line with environmental regulations. There’s going to be a trend of companies closing down in China and opening in nearby countries because of regulations and because of rising labor costs in China. However, large companies will invest in environmentally friendly solutions so they will stay in China to serve the Chinese market.

Michele: The trend is more in garments. More production of garments moves from China to Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar. Businesses, especially large ones, are seeing the opportunity, to invest complete product lines with digital printing. They are also making those investments because of the environment and labour costs. TPF: Would you like to share some suggestions on choosing inks? Adele: It’s very important that ink is compatible with the head system. We are producing our own ink on a reactive side, and this is a perfect combination. It is an optimized solution with our machine and also the compatibility with all the materials within the machine that encounter with the ink. So we strongly recommend to buy the ink tested and developed with the machine in order to have an optimized and effective solution. In this way, we can ensure the warranty for the system. Otherwise it’s very difficult to provide a warranty because we don’t know what is the ink and if the heads break down, it will not be included in the warranty. TPF: What’s EFI Reggiani’s vision and what’s your next move to influence the industry? Adele: Our vision is to continue to innovate to sell higher standard, productive, userfriendly, eco-friendly products. It’s a strong vision and we are demonstrating it every day. Our next move is the single-pass, which we expect to launch worldwide at the end of 2018. March 2018

industrial printing/textile printing

Xerox and EFI usher in next generation printing Newly developed Digital Front End demonstrated at EFI Connect in Las Vegas lay groundwork for next generation printing. Xerox and Electronics For Imaging (EFI) have demonstrated a new Fiery digital front end (DFE) that will give print providers a powerful new tool to manage high value jobs that require special embellishments and effects using dry inks including silver, gold and clear. Keypoint Intelligence-InfoTrends projects that digital print enhancement volume will grow at a 27 percent compound annual growth rate through 2020, providing print operations with new business that promises both growth and profit1. “This new development by Xerox and EFI is a testament to the commitment by both suppliers to enrich their solutions with efficient production workflow, processing power and colour management needed for the range of applications produced today,” said Ron Gilboa, group director, Keypoint Intelligence. “These tools are critical for print providers who are looking to grow their business and offer their clients differentiated solutions including colour and the use of special embellishments in metallic gold and silver.” In February of last year, Xerox announced the sale of its FreeFlow Print Server (FFPS) DFE business to EFI, along with plans to work with EFI to market a single DFE to drive Xerox

digital production presses. The new DFE combines unique features from the Xerox FFPS with the capabilities of the market leading EFI Fiery DFE. “This is an important step in our collaboration with EFI to offer our customers a single and more powerful DFE,” said Andrew Copley, president, Graphic Communications Solutions, Xerox. “Customers will benefit not only from greater production efficiencies and performance capabilities, but also from increased support in the field.” The new DFE delivers fast Raster Imaging Processor (RIP) speeds, seamless automation integration, and advanced workflow efficiency and productivity. Additional customer benefits include: • Access to EFI’s sales and technical field resources working side-by-side with their Xerox sales reps. • A standardized and simplified digital

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workflow. Fiery Command WorkStation provides a single, intuitive user interface across a customer’s entire print operation. Customized workflows for metallic applications. The DFE optimizes processing speeds for single or multiple jobs with Fiery HyperRIP technology. Colour management tools along with gold, silver and clear dry ink capabilities that allow customers to create more metallic effects and tactile embellishments for higher-value applications.

“Working with Xerox on the 2017 acquisition of FFPS technology marked a new level of cooperation in our longstanding partnership, and we are excited about the new technology that it has yielded,” said Toby Weiss, senior vice president and general manager, EFI Fiery. “The new technology demonstration at Connect will show customers the important ways digital print is expanding, with fully colour managed metallic effects, stronger, better automation, superior options in latestage editing, and much more.” The new DFE will be driving a production colour press technology demonstration at EFI Connect in Xerox booth. The booth will also display a Xerox AltaLink C8000 with the recently launched Xerox EX-c C8000 Print Server Powered by Fiery along with a workflow station featuring Xerox FreeFlow Core.

March 2018

industrial printing/textile printing

Epson unveils SureColor F2100: Doubles the speed of previous generation DTG printer Epson announces next-generation SureColor F2100 Printer for high-performance direct-to-garment printing Epson has announced its next-generation direct-to-garment printer SureColor F2100. Exclusively for direct-to-garment printing, the SureColor F2100 offers purpose-built system for high-quality prints at production speeds. Featuring Epson PrecisionCore TFP printhead and UltraChrome DG garment ink technology, the SureColor F2100 can achieve up to twice the speeds of the previous generation DTG printer. Successor to the popular SureColor F2000, the F2100 model offers four colour ink technology, plus White ink and delivers improved image quality, speed, and efficiency. Additional upgrades include quick-load platen and Epson Garment Creator Software along with an allnew integrated self-cleaning system enabling less downtime. In addition, White ink is triple filtered before reaching the printhead, designed to help reduce White ink nozzle clogging for greater up-time and reliability. “The SureColor F2000 is the number-one selling direct-to-garment printer in the market and has helped customers increase efficiency on short-run orders and expand product service offerings. We listened to our customers and addressed common direct-togarment pain points with the new SureColor F2100,” said Tim Check, senior product manager, Professional Imaging, Epson America. “The SC-F2100 delivers on reduced maintenance, while providing increased

speed and efficiency with newly developed print modes to help customers increase business needs.” The SureColor F2100 touts Epson PrecisionDot technology to create output with smoother tonal gradations, improved image detail and preservation on the garment. Newly developed print modes, including Light Garment Mode, and Highlight White mode, offer consistent print quality. All-new Highlight White mode achieves brighter White ink output by applying a second coat of White ink, while simultaneously printing colour ink for improved print speeds. Touting a new garment grip pad, the SureColor F2100 allows users to quickly load and unload garments on the printer platen to help reduce traditional hoop platen load times. With the ability to print directly onto garments ranging from 100 percent cotton to 50/50 fabric blends – t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, tote bags, and more – the SureColor F2100 offers advanced features for the direct-to-garment industry, including: High-Quality Direct-to-Garment Printing – Epson UltraChrome DG inks are durable, vibrant and safe, with outstanding colour performance, plus equal pricing for colour and White inks;

Up to Twice as Fast – Newly developed print modes, including Light Garment Mode, offer consistent print quality at up to twice the speed of the previous generation; Highlight White Ink Mode – Developed exclusively for the SureColor F2100, this unique feature offers simultaneous printing of White and colour inks on the colour pass for greatly improved image quality, speed, and efficiency; Fast Loading for More Productivity – The easy-to-use, all-new quick-load platen reduces traditional hoop platen load times; Intuitive, Easy-to-Learn Workflow – Improved Epson Garment Creator Software, available for macOS and Windows, includes powerful tools for layout and text, colour management, ink control, cost estimation, plus hot folders; Designed Exclusively for Direct-to-Garment Printing – An entirely purpose-built system featuring Epson’s PrecisionCore TFP printhead, Epson UltraChrome DG ink system and robust hardware; Reduced Maintenance Time and Operational Cost – Featuring a fabric wiper and an in-line cleaning cartridge, the integrated selfcleaning system allows the printer to perform daily maintenance to reduce downtime; and Backed by Industry-Leading Support – Includes a 1-year limited on-site warranty with U.S.-based phone support; an optional extended on-site service place is available. The Epson SureColor F2100 will be available in March 2018.

March 2018

PERFECT FIT for Digital Label Production HIGH IMAGE QUALITY AND HIGH-PRECISION PRINTING Multi-gradation Data Processing at a high Resolution of 1200dpi x 8bit 8bit/256-gradation processing “S.E.A.D” Image Processing Technology to meet Sophisticated Needs OPERABILITY AND MAINTAINABILITY Ease of Tasks such as Colour Adjustments & Reprinting compared to Analogue Machines

HIGH PRINTING SPEED

COLOUR CONSISTENCY

Realisation of production speed 13.5m/min*1 for pressure sensitive adhesive substrate

Complete colour management control allows consistency across substrate from the beginning to end of entire press run

CONTINUOUS BANNER SIZE PRINTING

SPACE ECONOMICAL Footprint (W x D x H): 5160mm x 3170mm x 1480mm (operation unit included)

Capable of continuous printing of a maximum size of 1,195 x 320mm FUNCTION WITHOUT PRINTING PLATE Provides ﬂexibility for high-mix low-volume jobs at affordable cost

*1 Feeding speed needs to be changed depending on the paper type: 18.9, 13.5, 9.45m/min.