PRESSIdeas April 2022 Issue by Jacob George

22 vol-22 Issue- 04 April 2022

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Vol.22 Issue 04, 2022

Heidelberg Cares................................................13 2nd RMGT for Nutech.......................................14 Industry’s wait ends...........................................18 Kurt Asari is KMI’s new MD..............................23 Beyond Plastic Neutrality................................24

A monthly Publication from PRESSIdeas Publishing Pvt. Ltd.

Breaking Flexo barriers.....................................26 Employers miss the opportunity.................31 DTH for garment decoration.........................36

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Contents FROM THE EDITORS’ DESK..............................................................................................................................................................................................................6 International Conference on ‘Future Printing and Scope for India’ concludes at CUH Mahendergarh..............................................................8 HEIDELBERG CARES ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Nutech Print Services adds second fully-loaded RMGT to its lineup........................................................................................................................... 14 Surbhi Album achieves Perfect double-sided Layflat Photobook................................................................................................................................ 17

Jasmeet D. Editor & Publisher (jasmeet@pressideas.com) Vineet K G. Associate Editor (vineetkg@pressideas.com)

Industry’s Wait Ends: PRINTPACK India Arrives!................................................................................................................................................................... 18 DS Printech China postponed .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 20 New dates for Labelexpo Europe ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 21 Canon Group acquires Edale...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Konica Minolta India names Katsuhisa Asari as new MD................................................................................................................................................. 23 Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway takes 11.4% stake in HP...................................................................................................................................... 23 ITC goes beyond Plastic Neutrality in 2021-22.................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Creative Graphics Solutions: Breaking geographic and flexographic barriers........................................................................................................ 26 Indian paper industry at inflection point.............................................................................................................................................................................. 28 SISTRADE to showcase management solutions at Gulf Print & Pack 2022................................................................................................................ 28 Agfa to acquire Inca ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Inks for sustainable paper electronics.................................................................................................................................................................................... 29

Jasvinder S. Sub-Editor (jasvinder@pressideas.com) Jacob George Marketing and Sales (jacob@pressideas.com) M.S. Mukundan Advertising and Sales Southern and Western India (aims@pressideas.com) Graphic Designer Anil Kumar

Aniflex chooses Xeikon digital technology .......................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Employers miss the opportunity to automate processes for hybrid work................................................................................................................ 31 Setting an example for diversity and gender parity.......................................................................................................................................................... 32

Networking/ Hardware Consultant Sukhdeep Singh

High-speed and more affordable Flexo-printed Solar Cells........................................................................................................................................... 33 Siegwerk expands with new facility at Tauru....................................................................................................................................................................... 34 Toppan acquires Thai packaging converter.......................................................................................................................................................................... 35 Jindal Polyfilms acquires SMI Coated Products................................................................................................................................................................... 35 Why you should have designs on the hottest trend in garment decoration........................................................................................................... 36 PRINT Business Outlook Conference 2022............................................................................................................................................................................ 37

USA Correspondents Tensi M., Preeti European Correspondent Rimi, Yadhu Morphine Production Thomas K Alex

PRESSIdeas April 2022 Vol. 22, Issue 04 Printed by Jacob George and published by Jasmeet Singh on behalf of PRESSIdeas Publishing Pvt Ltd. Printed in India at Hues and Colors 363, Industrial Focal Point, Phase-IX Mohali, and published at PRESSIdeas, 437-A 1st Floor, Industrial Area, Phase-2 Chandigarh-160002 (India) 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. PRESSIdeas is not responsible for any steps taken based on the information provided herewith.

April 2022

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FROM THE EDITORS’ DESK Dear Readers, Due to COVID-19 and the lockdowns imposed by the respective State Governments during the last two years, the 15th PRINTPACK INDIA Exhibition had to be postponed on two different occasions. During the 14th edition of the Exhibition, which was organised at India Expo Centre, Greater Noida from February 01 to 06, 2019, a total display area of 24,500 was booked by the Exhibitors. The current edition has already crossed this figure with a total space of around 25,500 Sqms. This shows that the industry was desperately waiting for this premier Show for the last more than two years. The 15th PRINTPACK INDIA Exhibition has received overwhelming response from the Trade and Industry for participation. Besides there are many companies that have been kept in the waiting list due to non-availability of space and may get accommodated should there be any cancellations. “With all this we can see the craze and importance of PRINTPACK INDIA Exhibition amongst the Trade and Industry,” observes Mr.Sodhi, President, IPAMA (Indian Printing Packaging & Allied Machinery Manufacturers’ Association). One of the key attractions this time would be inclusion of more segments of the Graphic Arts Industry in the Exhibition profile for the first time. With business visitors (around 91,000) from 82 countries visiting the previous edition, the 15th edition is all set for new landmarks in many respects, including space booking. During the current edition, apart from display of latest technology, latest models of machinery and related products, Conferences and Seminars will also be organised by a number of Associations/ Organisations. Find our interview with Mr. Rakesh Sodhi in this pre Printpack India issue. The next issue focuses the 15th Printpack India 2022. It is no surprise that Nutech has gone for the same configuration in their second RMGT press, as the first one too was a fully loaded one. With the new RMGT all ready, Nutech plans to phase out some of their older fleet, however, they are aiming a printing capacity increase of 30-35%. The first RMGT was installed in 2019. With a current capacity of producing 65-75 thousand paperback and 20 to 25 thousand hard-case books each day, Nutech Print Services is quite focused on the target of doubling the capacity over the next 18-24 months. The cover story is based on an exclusive interview with Mr. Ravi Dev Shroff, Managing Director, Nutech Print Services. The other key story is based on our interview with Mr.Deepanshu Goel, MD, Creative Graphics Solutions. Creative Graphics Solutions was first flexographic tradeshop in India to break geographic barriers. Its strength shows for itself when it comes to flexographic competence and when it comes to simulating the print to be printed on different presses. Find more about the company and its offerings in the inside pages. Other key stories this time include Siegwerk opening new facility at Tauru; ITC going beyond plastic neutrality; Konica Minolta India announcing new MD; Canon acquiring Edale; Agfa-Gevaert Group acquiring Inca Digital Printers; Billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc taking an 11.4% stake in HP Inc; flexo printed solar cells; and Direct to Film printing. Find all this along with the regulars in the April issue of PRESSIdeas. Enjoy Reading!

- Jasvinder Singh, Sub-editor

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April 2022

International Conference on ‘Future Printing and Scope for India’ concludes at CUH Mahendergarh OPA organizes Conference with Ministry of MSME support and under the aegis of AIFMP – A Report.

The International Conference on ‘Future Printing and Scope for India’ was organized by OPA (Offset Printers Association) with the support of the Government of India, Ministry of MSME on 25-28 March. The conference was organized at the CUH, Mahendergarh (Haryana) under the aegis of AIFMP. Mr.Parveen Aggarwal, President OPA, speaking about the event being held at the Central University of Haryana, states, “We are talking about the future printing. Therefore, it was felt necessary that besides the present printers, the future printers of the country may also be vigilant and understand how to manage the changes.” The Central University of Haryana (CUH), Mahendergarh trains the future printers.

The conference remained a huge success with the presence of 6 international speakers, 18 Indian resource persons, 30 Print Professionals and 255 Print Entrepreneurs.

Key Notes : > Print leaders from Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal etc. constitute part of the hybrid conference. > Participant printers discussed the industry’s needs and challenges and shared ideas for the apex body of printers to take up and facilitate. > The oldest Gita Press and the 2nd oldest Narain Printing Works get felicitated.

April 2022

The conference aimed to expand the scope of Indian printing and packaging market. “India is a bigger market and we have the capacity to supply the quality material at most competitive rates, especially to surrounding countries, like Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal etc.,” says Mr. Parveen Aggarwal. Print leaders of these countries were part of this hybrid conference – with the international speakers being present virtually and Indian speakers and audience gracing the event by being personally present. A huge digital display facilitated the international speakers participating virtually.

The conference remained a huge success with the presence of 6 international speakers, 18 Indian resource persons, 30 Print Professionals and 255 Print Entrepreneurs. The Ministry of MSME, Government of India, provided its support to the conference under the international cooperation scheme. With Dr.Lakshmi Priya, moderator, welcoming the guests, the event began on the morning of 26th March. Prof.Rajiv Kumar, Member Secretary, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), was the Chief Guest and Prof.Tankeshwar Kumar, Vice Chancellor of Central University of Haryana joined as the Guest of Honour for the inaugural session. Prof. Kamal Mohan Chopra spoke about the achievements of OPA while Mr. P Chander, President of AIFMP portrayed the current state of affairs of the Indian printing and packaging industry. Participant printers discussed the industry’s needs and challenges and shared ideas for the apex body of printers to take up and facilitate.

AICTE: promoting industry-institute collaboration “Conferences like this where Industry persons from National and International levels participate in an academic institution, are very rare. Thanks

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to the efforts of Prof. Kamal Chopra for spearheading such a remarkable event, the students are getting opportunity to benefit greatly from this enormously,” remarks Prof. Tankeshwar Kumar. Chief Guest, Prof.Rajiv Kumar was just overwhelmed to see the audience consisting of printers from various parts of North India seated along with the pool of students and faculty members. “This is exactly what AICTE is insisting all institutions to do,” acknowledges Prof.Rajiv Kumar. He listed out the schemes and facilities that AICTE has rolled out over the years, which promote industry-institute collaboration. He spoke about YUVAK, LILAVATI and PRAGATI, schemes that fund students to participate in international events, to travel abroad, Smart India Hackathon, Internship supports, Faculty Development Programme (FDP), Quality Improvement Program with foreign universities and over 40 more. Today an extensive set of technical education courses is being provided in regional languages and technical books have been translated in regional languages for the purpose.

Packaging industry to reach USD1.05 trillion by 2024 Mr. Narendra Paruchuri Pragati Offset, Hyderabad in his keynote address gave a technical presentation on ‘Current Scenario of Printing in India – Technology and Scope’. He gave an excellent statistical view about the prevailing scenario in commercial printing and the booming packaging industry. By 2025, India is expected to become the fifth largest consumer market in the world, according to CII. The inception of new technologies along with a rise in e-commerce, changing lifestyles, urbanisation and increased personal health awareness has boosted the growth of the print and packaging markets. Globally, the packaging industry sector has positioned itself as one of the fastest growing industries across all countries. The industry is worth over USD917 billion (in 2019), growing at a CAGR 2.8% to reach USD1.05 trillion by 2024. Packaging is the world’s third largest industry following the food industry (1st) and energy (2nd) and the only industry that has to do with every single product produced in an economy. Packaging is the fifth largest sector in India and is one of the highest growth sectors in the country. According to the Packaging Industry Association of

April 2022

India (PIAI), the sector is growing at CAGR 22% to 25%. Even with this steep rise in the last decade, there is significant headroom for growth in this sector when compared to other developed regions across the globe. Mr.Narendra emphasized the need for innovation and specialty products with high quality, excellence holding the highest position. There is immense opportunity in Photo books, inline finishing operations and digital VDP operations. He advised students to explore and learn every day and grab the opportunity since manpower is scarce in the printing industry.

The importance of networking and collaboration in industry Mr. Ahmed Mughira Nurhani, President of Indonesian Print Media Association speaking on the occasion, emphasized on ‘Future Printing Scope for India and Indonesia’. He said there can be ample of

opportunities in networking, because they produce paper in Indonesia whereas use the post press machinery manufactured in India. Growth of printing is almost similar on both the countries, but there are just one or two institutions offering education in printing technology that too don’t offer advanced courses in Indonesia. He pressed for the need of collaboration for educational purposes between his country and Indian bodies like AIFMP and OPA. Mr. Zulkor Shahin represents the Printing industries association of Bangladesh to “Asia Print federation” gave a talk on ‘Future of printing in Bangladesh and Scope of network with Indian Printing and Packaging Industry’. The Managing Director of Book Printing Company says, “In Bangladesh we celebrate the Book Day on the 1st of January when over 3 million books are distributed to children from Pre-KG to Higher Secondary

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classes. Presses in the country are being modernized now and that brings in the need for young people’s education in this field. He recognized the need for support for his country in print education, quality printing and post press machinery. The AIFMP president responded with a positive note on supporting the cause. At the North Zone Printers Meet, the organizers introduced and felicitated the Presidents and other members of participating printers’ associations of North India. The printers expressed that with networking, any challenge can be met.

The printers were happy to see the students of printing getting professionally equipped at CUH. The printers insisted towards the need for research oriented training, so that the qualified students beat the common challenges the industry faces in day to day routine. The north zone printers expressed their gratitude towards OPA for the conference and providing a great opportunity to the print professionals and future printers to learn from print entrepreneurs. The students of PPT presented a gala cultural show that greatly enthused the audience and they enjoyed dancing and singing along.

The day two On day two, Mr.Peter Deckker, President of Sri Lanka Association of Printers (SLAP) talked on ‘Future Outlook of Printing in Sri Lanka and Opportunities for Collaboration’. He stressed upon the need of cross-country collaboration and invited the printers to make a business trip to Sri Lanka and the students to their print lab. Speaker Ms.Thiemjai Jorgensen, the 80 year old Chief Editor of Thai Printer Magazine, spoke on ‘Printing Industry of Thailand and Scope for Collaboration’. She acknowledged the dearth of man power and sought support from the platform in this regard. “There are about 100 printing houses in Thailand and they celebrate Thailand printers Day every year. There is a dearth of man power in print houses,” she said. While discussing networking, she extended an open invitation to the PackPrint International Exhibition to be held in Oct 2022 where the Thailand association of printers can discuss possible areas of cooperation with Indian printers. Mr. Satish Malhotra, former President of AIFMP spoke about the opportunities of print export especially to the Middle East and African countries. He emphasized the importance of networking possibilities among the printers of neighboring countries to be more competitive in the global print market. He explored such possibilities by discussing

April 2022

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the topic with the audience from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Bangladesh etc. Mr.Pema Gelay, Leader of the Bhutan Printers Association, gave a slide show presentation on ‘Printing Industry of Bhutan and Scope for Collaboration’. Traversing through the history of printing in Bhutan, mentioning the first Heidelberg bought in 1977, he walked the audience through the primary challenges of decline in printing industry, technology shift, issues in raw materials, and lack of human resources. Looking for strategic partners in Indian printers, he said India is the major supplier for all kind of machines and material for the printing industry. “There is tremendous scope for networking and possible cooperation with Indian printers in various sectors,” concludes Mr.Pema Gelay. Lauding the efforts of OPA for the international conference, Mr. Subhash Chander, former President of AIFMP said, “Printing and packaging in India is growing and we have the capacity and capability to supply quality equipment to many countries. It is noticed that presently these countries are highly dependent on China for the supply of printing services and equipment etc. Today these countries are looking at India and with possible collaboration and networking it may be beneficial for both of us, where India can get new customers and these countries can benefit with quality services and machines at economical rates.” Mr. Khom Kanta Regmi, President of the Federation of Nepal printers’ Association (FNPA) addressed the gathering in Hindi and emphasized that India has been the source for their printing industry – raw materials, machines and even some job orders. He sought AIFMP support in many areas to

April 2022

which the AIFMP president suggested upon support in the areas of collective material purchase, twining programmes, skill development and scholarships for Nepali students coming to India for Print education. The Chief Guest, Prof. (Dr.) Rajenderakumar Anayath, Vice-Chancellor Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology and an eminent printing technologist, spoke about the perspective that is needed for an engineering student. “Students must observe the environment where they are, identify challenges in the society and give engineering solutions for it,” he emphasized. He connected the contents of ancient scriptures, and the current environment sustainability challenges. He listed the various words in Sanskrit for representing water and described the subtle differences in them and what kind of water each represents. OPA, through a survey identified the Oldest Surviving Printing Press of Northern

region. During this conference the owner/ management of the oldest surviving printing press of the northern region – ‘Gita Press, Gorakhpur’ (estd. 1923) and the 2nd oldest Press ‘Narain Printing Works, Hoshiarpur’ (estd. 1925) were also felicitated. Presenting the vote of thanks Mr. Ashwani Gupta, Jalandhar Printers’ Association appreciated the efforts of OPA. He thanked the ministry of MSME for providing the opportunities to learn the future printing. He appreciated the international speakers from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal for their time and guidance. It was a wonderful occasion; it was for the first time ever that such a conference was organized at Mahendergarh. The event’s organizing team successfully conducted the event. The printers gained invaluable knowledge, explored new avenues, shared novel ideas and agreed upon the magnificence of networking and working together.

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HEIDELBERG CARES Heidelberg’s Team India conducts Operator Forum. Team Heidelberg India conducted HEIDELBERG CARES- Operator Forum on 24-April-2022. The event successfully concluded with more than 100 participants joining the interactive session led by Heidelberg experts and analysts. This forum was exclusively organized for Production Managers, Operators and Owners. The half day session covered topics like press maintenance, usage of right consumables, tips for preventive maintenance and roller maintenance. “Looking at the overwhelming feedback from our participants, we are planning to conduct more such sessions in the future,” says Heidelberg India.

April 2022

Nutech Print Services adds second fully-loaded RMGT to its lineup With the new RMGT all ready, Nutech plans to phase out some of their older fleet, however, they are aiming a printing capacity increase of 30-35%. Nutech Print Services is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. The company began its printing journey in 1970 under the aegis of Late Mr. Krishan Lal Shroff. Under his leadership, Nutech in no time became one of the leading printing houses in North India, focusing almost exclusively on the commercial sector. In the early 1980s, it diversified and established Nutech Security Printers which was closely followed by Nutech Packagings. It was home to one of India’s first fully postscript prepress departments, with early investments in CTP and other automation. The company entered the book printing segment in the late 90s, and expanded its reach to service book export orders in the early 2000s.

With a current capacity of producing 65-75 thousand paperback and 20 to 25 thousand hard-case books each day, Nutech Print Services is quite focused on the target of doubling the capacity over the next 18-24 months.

Key Notes : > Looking at the growth in the demand for books, we have ordered our second RMGT press, says Ravi Dev Shroff. > It is no surprise that Nutech has gone for the same configuration in their second RMGT press. > Though they would be phasing out some of their older fleet, they are still aiming for an increase in printing capacity by 30-35%.

April 2022

“All our group companies have collectively cemented Nutech’s position as a leading end-to-end quality print services provider,” says Ravi Dev Shroff, Managing Director, Nutech Print Services. The Nutech Group has constructed three greenfield factories: two in Faridabad – one for security printing and the other a 2.5-acre plant in Ballabhgarh focusing on book exports; the plant at Greater Noida is for the high-end packaging materials, and is a LEEDS certified green building. “Today we are internationally accredited to supply printed goods to some of the world’s largest supply chains. Our focus on quality brought us the laurels of being recognized as PrintWeek’s Book Printer of the Year recently,” shares Ravi.

When it comes to multicolour printing, Nutech has relied exclusively on Mitsubishi presses since 2004. Nutech first invested in a five-colour Ryobi A-format press in 2017, which paid huge returns for them. This encouraged them further to invest in RMGT presses – the first RMGT press was installed in August 2019. “Apart from the efficiencies that arise from fleet commonality, we have found the machines to be reliable, robust, and easy to maintain,” says Ravi, adding, “and looking at the growth in the demand for books, we have ordered our second RMGT press to be installed in April 2022.”

Keeping the growth ticking during the pandemic “The pandemic has been painful for everyone, and Nutech is no exception to that,” says Ravi. However, what kept them afloat was a diverse order book in both domestic and export markets. Besides, they have an agile operations team that adapted to the changing course of the pandemic in no time. Being one from the worse affected offset segment it surely was a tough time. Even book printing suffered due to schools remaining closed and general effect of lockdown. “While domestic demand suffered tremendously during the lockdown but when the GST rate on printing services got revised, the market was resilient. It is now bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels. We are seeing healthy demand for all printed

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materials, especially academic and trade books,” explains Ravi. It is no surprise that Nutech has gone for the same configuration in their second RMGT press; the first one too was a fully loaded one. Giving details, Ravi says, “The new machine is identical to the one we installed in 2019, except for the addition of a mechanical “fan-out” register control. This allows for better registration of fine matter on thinner stock at the frontlay. This will reduce operator pain when printing jobs that require very fine registration.”

Pradeep Nandagopal are veterans in the industry, have a clear understanding of our needs and expectations, and have always delivered on what was promised,” continues Ravi. Lead by a team of professional leaders,

Nutech came through the pandemic period smoothly. The highly experienced team supported the company’s mission objectives and continued to work tirelessly to ensure that the company’s customers are being served the best. The key part of the market catered by them constitutes high-end colour

The new RMGT and the plans ahead Nutech will continue to focus on book exports with the addition of the new RMGT press. “We will be phasing out some of our older fleet, but will still see an increase in printing capacity by 30-35%,” claims a confident Ravi. Enabled by the RMGT fleet, they have brought down their makeready time to less than ten minutes. Moreover, they are now able to do a complete job change in a remarkable under 15 minutes.

RMGT, one of Provin’s largest customer Nutech is one of Provin’s largest customers. “We currently have two Diamond 3000 presses, one Diamond 1000 press, and two RMGT 920ST presses. This alone tells our great experience with Provin and their excellent service. Mr. Vinay Kaushal and Mr.

April 2022

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books along with academic and trade books. “We produce millions of school books and readers, college textbooks and manuals, guides, and training materials. The new RMGT allows us to increase our capacity and efficiency in serving these key market segments,” underlines Ravi. Employing 300 people in different positions, Nutech has a pretty chic streamlined workflow. On the printing side, their prepress to pressroom technologies allow CIP data exchanged among their all presses, which, among other things, drastically reduces the makeready times for them. “In addition, we have closed loop colour control systems on all our multicolour presses to ensure colour consistency. On the operations side, we have developed a production ERP from the ground up that is tailored to our needs,” describes Ravi. RMGT is not the only investment that tells all about Nutech’s commitment towards their business when it comes to adopting new technology. The company has invested in a range of diverse equipment to strengthen their infrastructure to be able to expand their core offerings. To talk of the last six months alone, Nutech has added a Komori blanket-to-blanket perfecting press, a Heidelberg folding machine, an Aster section sewing machine, and a Fidia folder-gluer for automating the production of flexibound covers. “We are currently in negotiations to add a new CTP to our fleet of machines within this month,” informs Ravi. Nutech has been catering to both the domestic as well as overseas markets, however, during the pandemic, their share of exports increased. Presently, it is almost 50-50 between the exports and domestic products. “We cater to quality-conscious customers in both segments,” declares Ravi. Looking at digital possibilities in printing or entering into the POD segment is not in Nutech’s current expansion plans. With a current capacity of producing 65-75 thousand paperback and 20 to 25 thousand hard-case books each day, they are quite focused on their target of doubling this capacity over the next 18-24 months. Ravi looks enthusiastic about future investment plans. Though he refrains from being specific about the plans, he says, “We

April 2022

have made exciting investment plans for next year and we will announce them at the right time.” “While there has been some consolidation among the larger players, we believe that the overall trends bode well for the Indian print industry. There has been a significant shift among international publishers to diversify their supply chains outside of China, and with favourable policy support from the Indian

government and the Make in India push, we feel optimistic about the future,” he adds as he concludes with this optimistic note – “I think we are entering a time of significant change overall. While the next three-to-six months should be extremely challenging as the global supply chain has been severely disrupted due to shortages and high shipping prices. Our outlook is that these headwinds should settle down soon.”

pressideas/ commercial printing

Surbhi Album achieves Perfect double-sided Layflat Photobook Couples a Fujifilm ApeosPro duplex printer with a Layflat TL400 double-sided book binder. In their quest to offer a layflat photobook to enhance and expand their top quality printed photobook portfolio, Surbhi Album, based in Nagpur, India, coupled a Fujifilm ApeosPro duplex printer with a Layflat TL400 double-sided book binder. Previously, they were unable to provide a seamless and uninterrupted view (Layflat view) between two pages in the photobook; but, by adding the TL 400 VS, installed by PinnacleTechnocrats in India, they successfully obtained the desired layflat photobook. This machine is very easy to Install, as it arrived “ready-to-operate.” Merely uncrate and securely locate it in the planned location, then load the top and bottom film rolls.

Switch on the power, set the parameters, and it is set to begin production. Operator training was minimal, and Mr. Swapnesh, GM of Surbhi Album, was very pleased. “In this one machine, we can produce top quality photobooks in sizes from 6”x8” up to 20”x20”, he said, “and either in landscape or portrait format.” Within a few weeks, Subhi Album was able to significantly increase its business, and is already discussing adding a second machine to its production line. This V-Shape LayFlat Binding technology, when used in combination with the Fujifilm ApeosPro for creating any book, further enhances the overall look and feel of the smooth and higher printing quality of that

printer. This innovative patented technology from Layflat.com was especially developed for double-sided printed sheets to generate a true layflat look with utmost precision when the book is opened. Despite the COVID pandemic in India, to date twelve TL 400 VS systems have been installed in Indian printing facilities during the last year. Following every installation, each Print Service Provider has successfully boosted productivity while reducing labor costs. With these results, some customers are already ordering an additional machine, confident that its quality output and lack of downtime will help continued expansion.

April 2022

Industry’s Wait Ends: PRINTPACK India Arrives! In talk with IPAMA President Mr.Rakesh Sodhi as the industry’s wait ends with the arrival of 15th edition of the grand PRINTPACK India 2022.

During the current edition, apart from display of latest technology, latest models of machinery and related products, Conferences and Seminars will also be organised by a number of Associations/ Organisations. The Exhibitors, Visitors and associate Partners can also attend such programmes.

Key Notes : > For the first time, inclusion of more segments of the Graphic Arts Industry in the Exhibition profile. > Business Visitors (around 91,000) from 82 countries visited the previous edition. > The 15th edition is all set for new landmarks in many respects, including space booking.

April 2022

Due to COVID-19 and the lockdowns imposed by the respective State Governments during the last two years, the 15th PRINTPACK INDIA Exhibition had to be postponed on two different occasions, after conducting a survey and also taking into account, the recommendations of the Exhibitors, Business Visitors, Partner Associations and all other concerned parties. “The 15th PRINTPACK INDIA Exhibition has received overwhelming response from the Trade and Industry for participation,” says Rakesh Sodhi, President, IPAMA (Indian Printing Packaging & Allied Machinery Manufacturers’ Association). During the 14th edition of the Exhibition, which was organised at India Expo Centre, Greater Noida from February 01-06, 2019, a total display area of 24,500 was booked by the Exhibitors. However, the current edition has already crossed this figure. The total space for this Edition will be around 25,500 Sqms. This shows that the industry was desperately waiting for this premier Show for the last more than two years. Besides there are many companies that have been kept in the waiting list due to non-availability of space and may get accommodated should there be any cancellations. “With all this we can see the craze and importance of PRINTPACK INDIA Exhibition amongst the Trade and Industry,” observes Mr.Sodhi.

The key attractions The preparations for the current Event are on the right track. The Works Manual which contains the guidelines for the Exhibitors and Business Visitors have been uploaded on both the Websites of the Association for the information of all concerned. Explaining the preparations, Mr.Sodhi says, “The Service providers have already been selected for executing various works relating to the Exhibition. We have also made arrangements for arrangement of meetings between the Exhibitors & the Business Visitors Online. We have also made arrangements for placing of orders for additional services by Exhibitors directly on the Services providers Online. We have

earmarked the Halls segment-wise, keeping in view the convenience of the Exhibitors and the Business Visitors. For the first time, we have included some more segments of the Graphic Arts Industry in the Exhibition profile. During the current edition, apart from display of latest technology, latest models of machinery and related products, Conferences and Seminars will also be organised by a number of Associations/ Organisations. The Exhibitors, Visitors and associate Partners can also attend such programmes. All necessary arrangements for the Inauguration Ceremony have already been finalised.” The net display area for the current Edition is 25,500 Sqms which was 24, 500 Sqms during the 14th PRINTPACK INDIA Exhibition. There will be around 450 Exhibitors (the exact number of Exhibitors will be known only in the first week of May, 2022). During the 14th Edition, a record number of 90,720 Business Visitors including a good number of them from 82 different countries visited the exhibition. This year the presence of foreign Visitors may be a bit less due to COVID-19 and other related factors.

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Online registration of visitors is on. “We have sent invitations to Asia Print and Global Print Member countries for visiting the Exhibition. We have also sent invitations to the affiliate Associations of AIFMP, Partner Associations and related organisations for attending the Exhibition. Some of the Business Visitors from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, UAE etc., have already confirmed participation at the Exhibition,” informs Mr.Sodhi who is expecting an encouraging number of Business Visitors at the exhibition. Besides, keeping in view the response from the Trade and Industry and the number of Exhibitors participating in the Exhibition, the business results should also be encouraging. There was severe impact of COVID-19 on the industrial operations in the country during the last two years. Hit by economic crisis, supply, demand, material shortage and similar issues, most of the industry segments suffered saving for a few that managed to move. The industry suffered much in investment decisions too lately. Consequently, it affected the general employability of the industry. “The industry has suffered a lot as far as the investment is concerned,” observes Mr.Sodhi. “It has also affected the general employability of the industry. Due to closure of industrial operations in the country, there was a largescale exodus of labour force. However, in spite of all odds and problems, the Industry

is now returning to normalcy at a much faster speed,” he assures.

Offerings by the Greater Noida venue for the exhibitors and visitors The Greater Noida venue is equipped with all the modern facilities for organising international events, conferences, exhibitions etc. There are a sufficient number of Hotels around the venue. Markets for meeting the requirements of the Exhibitors and Business Visitors are also within a radius of 2 to 5 Kms. The venue is well connected by Road, Metro, Rail and Air. Keeping in view the record number of Business Visitors visiting the previous edition (90,720 including those from 82 countries), IPAMA has made elaborate arrangements to provide Hotel Accommodation and pickup and drop facility to the invitees of Asia Print and Global Print member countries on complimentary basis. All other foreign visitors will be provided complimentary pick-up and drop-facilities in case they come in groups of 20 and more. Speaking about the hot May, Mr.Sodhi confirms, “The climate during May will be 40 plus in the entire Delhi NCR. In spite of the hot season, the 15th edition will set new landmarks in many respects, including space booking.”

Packaging, Digital Technology and Digital Printing machines will be the key attraction for PRINTPACK INDIA Exhibition and we would see them significantly influence the future course of the industry. The role of IPAMA President is challenging which requires coordination between the Members, Government agencies and Trade & Industry. After Mr.Rakesh Sodhi’s nomination as President, a number of policy decisions have been taken relating to PRINTPAK INDIA Exhibition and the day-to-day functioning of the Association. Apart from this, IPAMA is also in the process of forming a Federation of the Graphic Arts Industry so that the difficulties being faced by the industry can be taken up with the Government Agencies in a more effective manner. IPAMA is also in the process of setting up of a Lab in IPAMA premises. “On receipt of the Project report, further action will be taken,” discloses Mr.Sodhi. During the recent few months a number of Exhibitions/Shows have been successfully organised in different States, including in Pragati Maidan Exhibition Complex. “IPAMA representatives had, in the last 2 / 3 months, have attended a number of Exhibitions/ Events for promoting PRINTPACK INDIA Exhibition. IPAMA Teams not only interacted with the Exhibitors and the Business Visitors but also invited them to visit the Exhibition.

April 2022

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The situation is upbeat. We have been encouraged by the recently organised Exhibitions/Business Meets in different parts of the country. I strongly believe that 15th PRINTPACK INDIA Exhibition will break some of its previous records, particularly in space booking,” declares Mr.Sodhi. “For the first time, IPAMA has included some new segments of the Graphic Arts Industry in the Exhibition profile. Each Hall has been earmarked segment-wise for display purposes. This has been appreciated by the representatives of Trade and Industry, Exhibitors and Business Visitors,” he adds. Government’s support for the growth of the industry is always crucial. Though IPAMA has not asked for any Government support in organising the 15th PRINTPACK Exhibition, however, DC, MSME will be reimbursing

space charges for 15 Sqms to the MSME Units participating in the Exhibition. Three Conferences have already been finalised which will be organised by different Associations during the Exhibition. These are related to Ink, Label and International relations. The 15th PRINTPACK INDIA is going to be a grand showcase of five days. “Keeping in view the present conditions and the demand of the Trade and Industry, the five-day exhibition is enough,” perceives Mr.Sodhi. Regarding preparations, the Members of the Governing Council and the Exhibition Committee are monitoring each and every item personally or under their direct supervision relating to the Exhibition. The Minute-to-Minute programme are being finalized; arrangements have been made for

conducting smooth meetings between the Exhibitors and the Business Visitors Online. The Exhibitors can also place orders Online for additional services. The Registration Service provider has also been finalised. Special arrangements have been made for Parking of the Vehicles of the Exhibitors, Business Visitors, Special Invitees and VIPs. There are many such services which the interested people can know by contacting the organizers or visiting the exhibition website. Mr.Sodhi concludes with this message for the exhibitors and visitors: “I would like to say one thing to the Exhibitors: Please display maximum range of your products. And to the Visitors: Please do online registration for hassle-free entry and witness the India’s biggest Exhibition.”

DS Printech China postponed Pandemic situation forces organizers to postponement of DS Printech; new dates to be announced in due course. DS Printech China, scheduled to take place from 18 to 20 May has been postponed due to the developing pandemic situation in Shanghai. The event may take place later in the year. The organisers are working to secure new dates for the show and will announce these as soon as possible. Ms Wendy Wen, Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, addressed the postponement: “As a result of the developing situation of the pandemic nationwide and particularly with the increase of case numbers in Shanghai, the government has implemented tighter containment measures and travel restrictions. Also in Shanghai, many large-scale exhibition venues have been enlisted as temporary mobile treatment facilities, affecting various events scheduled at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. It is for these reasons that it has been necessary for the organisers of the fair to postpone the show to a later date. The organisers fully support the pandemic containment efforts of the government and we will work to ensure that the fair can recommence when it is safe and possible for all participants.” “A business matching service will be available

April 2022

soon for exhibitors to get in contact with buyers online. The digital platform is set to be an important asset for enhancing connectivity amongst global industry players during the interim period,” Ms Wen concluded. The last physical edition of DS Printech China held in 2020 in Shenzhen hosted 200 exhibitors and 8,853 visitors, while there were

over 130,000 online participants. The fair, an influential platform dedicated to the digital and screen printing industry, is a rebrand of two events: CSGIA and Textile Digital Printing China. The fair is co-organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, China Screen Printing & Graphic Imaging Association (CSGIA) and Guangzhou Teyin Exhibition Service.

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New dates for Labelexpo Europe Supply chain pressures of the industry coupled with the fast-evolving situation in Ukraine forced rescheduling of the event. Labelexpo Global Series organizer, Tarsus Group has rescheduled Labelexpo Europe 2022, with the event now taking place 11-14 September 2023. The organizing team has made the decision to move the event dates in light of the significant supply chain pressures the European label industry is currently experiencing coupled with the fast-evolving situation in Ukraine. The decision comes on the back of close consultation with exhibitors, associations and the wider industry, with many directly impacted by the shortage of components and materials. These shortages, triggered by the pandemic, have been escalating over recent months with long lead times now disrupting the supply chain in Europe. With the event set to take place in just under two months’ time the lack of forward visibility led the event team to reschedule in the best interests of the label community. Lisa Milburn, Labelexpo managing director, explained: “Firstly, I’d like to acknowledge the support we have had from the industry with many committing to Labelexpo Europe in spite of the issues many of them are currently dealing with, we know the decision to reschedule the show will be as disappointing for them as it is for us. This has been a very difficult decision for us to make, we have been working tirelessly to overcome the supply chain issues and produce the show the industry needs, especially in light of the challenges of the past two years. Unfortunately these issues have proven to be insurmountable at this stage so we feel that rescheduling is the responsible decision to make.”

package printing industry. We admire our longstanding partner Labelexpo for taking this extremely difficult decision, and for putting the interests of the industry first.” Given the rescheduling of Labelexpo Europe the next major global event for the package printing industry will be Labelexpo

Americas which will take place at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Chicago, 13-15 September 2022. Other upcoming Labelexpo events this year include Labelexpo Asia (28 June-1 July), Labelexpo India (10-13 November) and Labelexpo South China (7-9 December).

Jules Lejeune, managing director, FINAT, also commented: “FINAT fully understands and supports the decision that has been taken. Given the existing shortages of chips and components, the current shortages of paper and other consumables to produce labels, and now the major geopolitical uncertainties caused by the situation in Ukraine, there are simply too many hurdles to overcome. FINAT remains a proud supporter of the world’s leading trade exhibition for the label and

April 2022

digital printing

Canon Group acquires Edale Canon bolsters Label & Packaging growth strategy with acquisition of Edale; Canon LabelStream 4000 incorporates Edale web transport technology. Canon has acquired UK-based packaging converting equipment manufacturer Edale. Canon Production Printing and Canon Inc. announced the acquisition saying the acquisition would strengthen Canon’s label and packaging business, and creating opportunities for future developments. The acquisition is in line with Canon’s longterm strategy to provide turn-key solutions for the label and packaging sectors. The move will enable Canon Production Printing to further develop its LabelStream 4000 product line, as well as provide expertise and technology for future products. Based in Hampshire, UK, Edale engineers and manufactures printing and converting solutions for the label and packaging industry, including digital and hybrid presses, carton and label production lines, flatbed die-cutters, and finishing and converting equipment. The company has a long history in the flexo label industry and a strong reputation for its web transport and converting solutions for digital label production.

April 2022

Mick Asada, CEO, Canon Production Printing comments: “Edale has been a supplier of the web transport, conventional printing and embellishment modules for our LabelStream 4000 series since 2018. Through this close collaboration we have a very high regard for the Edale team’s capabilities and specialist expertise in printing and converting for the label and packaging industry. We’re excited by the enormous potential that will come from far closer co-operation, and confident that this will help to realise Canon’s ambition to become a major force for digital innovation in the packaging arena.” Edale Owner and Chairman Grahame Barker comments: “We’ve experienced a period of exciting growth, and I believe that the support of a strong global player is vital to enable us to continue that trajectory in the future, so I’m delighted that Canon will be that partner for the next stage of Edale’s development. We’re confident that the combined force of Edale and Canon will deliver tangible advantages for both companies’ customers.” Edale, continuing to trade under the

Edale brand, will remain an independently managed company, pursuing its established strategy to provide printing and finishing solutions, focused on the label, folding carton and flexible packaging segments. Grahame Barker will retire and the business will be led by the existing Edale management team under Managing Director James Boughton, reporting into Canon Production Printing through Walter Vogelsberger, VP, Digital Packaging Printing. Canon Production Printing develops and manufactures high-tech printing products and workflow software for the commercial printing market and is part of Canon, a global provider of imaging technologies and services. Canon Production Printing operates on 3 continents, with approximately 2900 employees (end 2020) and has its Global Headquarter in Venlo, the Netherlands. Its product offering includes continuousfeed and cut-sheet printers for high-volume printing and publishing, roll-to-roll and flatbed printers for large format graphics applications and large-format printers for CAD/GIS

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applications. Industrial label printers for self-adhesive labels and selected flexible packaging applications have been added to the portfolio. Edale provides printing and converting solutions to the packaging industry globally in addition to manufacturing and supplying high technology, narrow, mid-web

flexographic and digital printing presses and converting equipment. With 75 years of experience in the printing and packaging industry, Edale exports 75% of its products and specialises in four distinct areas: Cartons, Digital Web, Labels and Finishing and provides a range of standard equipment and bespoke solutions to

customers worldwide. Together with leading partners and an enviable global distribution and service network, Edale continually assesses market and customer needs to ensure machines are fully upgradeable to stay ahead of the changing demands.

Konica Minolta India names Katsuhisa Asari as new MD Kurt Asari takes over from Tai Nizawa, who transitions to Konica Minolta Asia as MD. core MFP business,” says Kurt Asari. Konica Minolta India has cemented its stance as a company that cares about its employees, customers, and the community, and one that’s deeply committed to ethical leadership and creating societal value.

Konica Minolta has announced the appointment of Mr. Katsuhisa (Kurt) Asari as the new Managing Director for the company. Taking over from Tai Nizawa, who transitions to Konica Minolta Asia as MD, Mr. Kurt Asari has been associated with Konica Minolta India since 2018 as General Manager of Business Planning. Tai Nizawa will oversee the expansion of the brand’s portfolio across 14 markets from Singapore while Kurt Asari, in his new role, will drive Konica Minolta’s business and technology strategy to further the company’s digital transformation (DX) initiatives, strategic partnerships, and business growth to ensure shareholder value.

Kurt Asari adds, “We have great talents and customer first DNA in the company. We will continue to service our customers with the same customer-centric experiences they expect from Konica Minolta, while driving digital transformation to serve them better and more seamlessly.” Konica Minolta Business Solutions India is a wholly owned subsidiary of Konica Minolta Inc., Tokyo, Japan. The company has its expertise in imaging, data processing and

Warren Buﬀett’s Berkshire Hathaway takes 11.4% stake in HP

Kurt Asari started his career with this company in 1998. In his 25 years of experience, he has worn multiple hats in the field of sales, marketing, strategic planning and business development in North/Central Americas and Middle East. This journey also includes his 13-year international stint before he joined India in 2018. “We are fully committed to the Indian market, and looking forward to building on Konica Minolta’s track record of success through the expansion of our core business. I envision continuing our current strategies to expand Konica Minolta’s presence in professional printing, managed services and digital solutions domains while gaining share in the

data-based decision making and providing digital workplace solutions. Worldwide, the company has over 43,000 employees and is operating in over 150 countries.

Billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc has taken an 11.4% stake valued at about $4.2 billion in HP Inc, the household name world over in personal computers and printers.

With the latest 11.1 million HP shares’ addition, Berkshire upped its stake to nearly 121 million. The market often takes it as a clue of approval from the billionaire whenever Berkshire discloses new stakes and HP shares too went on the same line by closing up $5.15 at $40.06 – a rise of about 15%. “Berkshire Hathaway is one of the world’s most respected investors and we welcome them as an investor,” HP said in a statement.

April 2022

ITC goes beyond Plastic Neutrality in 2021-22 Indian conglomerate ITC achieves yet another Sustainability Milestone by managing 54000 tonnes of plastic waste. In line with the commitment made last year, diversified Indian conglomerate ITC has gone beyond plastic neutrality in 2021-22 through the orchestration of an integrated solid waste management programme that incorporates unique and multidimensional initiatives. The Company collected and sustainably managed more than 54,000 tonnes of plastic waste across 35 states and union territories. The amount of plastic waste managed exceeded the amount of plastic packaging utilised by ITC during the year, enabling the Company to achieve the milestone of Plastic Neutrality.

ITC’s flagship solid waste management programme Well-Being Out of Waste’ (WOW) has so far covered 18 million citizens across 46.7 lakh households in India’s large cities and small towns.

Key Notes : > The amount of plastic waste managed exceeded the amount of plastic packaging utilised by the company during the year, making it plastic neutral.

For more than a decade, the Company has been running a holistic 360-degree solid waste management programme that is based on the principles of a circular economy and encompasses the entire waste value chain. For a company with large-scale operations in FMCG and hospitality, going beyond plastic neutrality is a commendable feat to accomplish. The milestone is yet another reflection of ITC’s commitment to augmenting environmental and social capital, in line with Chairman Mr. Sanjiv Puri’s Sustainability 2.0 Vision that calls for inclusive strategies that can support even more livelihoods and pursue newer pathways to fight climate change.

ITC has achieved this milestone by scaling up its portfolio of holistic initiatives focused on in-house innovation, robust waste management programmes centred around source segregation and sustainable business practices with mass impact. “Over the decades, ITC has made industry leading efforts in end-to-end waste management. Through a large-scale and integrated solid waste management programme, ITC moved beyond plastic neutrality this year. In addition, the Company is also using cuttingedge innovations to develop sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging for the industry. This milestone has been possible due to the untiring efforts of all our

> Introduces several sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging, leveraging the cutting-edge R&D capabilities of ITC Life Sciences and Technology Centre, Bengaluru. > Pioneers a first-ofits-kind sustainable and inclusive multilayered plastic (MLP) management model in Pune.

April 2022

L-R Vikas & Atul Bhatt

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partners and I would take this opportunity to congratulate themfor supporting Team ITC’s aspirations of contributing meaningfully to address some of the major sustainability challenges facing the country. The efforts to move beyond plastic neutrality and sustainable management of waste will continue apace in the years ahead as part of our Sustainability 2.0 agenda.” Said Mr Sanjiv Rangrass group head, ITC Life Sciences & Technology, Central Projects, EHS & Quality Assurance, ITC Ltd. ITC has adopted a multi-pronged approach to reduce plastic in the company’s operations spanning Fast Moving Consumer Goods, Hotels, Paperboards and Packaging. This includes creating robust next-generation environment friendly packaging solutions, mega-scale waste collection programmes under its flagship waste management initiative ‘ITC WOW – Well-Being Out of Waste’ as well as focussed interventions in rural areas; a culture of plastic-free operations - in line with its philosophy of ‘Responsible Luxury to eliminate single-use plastic usage in ITC Hotels; and innovative models for sustainability which has plastic reduction and management at their core. Within its operations, ITC has been recycling more than 99% of the waste for more than a decade. ITC WOW, which enables the creation of a clean & green environment through community partnerships, has so far

covered 18 million citizens across 46.7 lakh households in India. Currently operational in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hyderabad, major towns of Telangana, Coimbatore, Chennai, Tirupur, Cochin, Muzaffarpur, Delhi and several districts of Andhra Pradesh, the initiative has raised awareness in over 52 lakh school children and 2,000 corporates since its inception. The initiative has also created sustainable livelihoods for over 16900 waste collectors by facilitating an effective collection system in collaboration with municipal corporations. In addition to WOW, a separate ITC programme on Solid Waste Management (SWM), which deals with both wet and dry waste, is also operational in 17 districts of 9 states covering 14.6 lakh households. Acknowledging the challenges with respect to disposal and recycling of multi-layered plastic, ITC has also pioneered a first of its kind sustainable and inclusive multi-layered plastic (MLP) management model in Pune. The Company’s targeted waste management initiatives not only ensure that lesser waste goes into landfills, but also enable larger value recovery from waste, thereby creating sustainable livelihoods for waste collectors, while creating additional income streams from collecting and sorting plastic waste. The Company’s waste management programmes cover all categories of plastic waste, including flexibles, rigids and tetra packs.

Being India’s leading paperboards and specialty paper company, ITC has also introduced several sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging. Leveraging the cutting-edge R&D capabilities of ITC Life Sciences and Technology Centre (LSTC), Bengaluru, the Company has developed multiple sustainable packaging solutions for the industry, including the recyclable barrier board under the ‘Filo Series’ – an innovative substitute for single-use plastics in the food services segment, as well as the biodegradable ‘Omega Series’, launched as an alternative to plastic-coated containers and cups. Some of the other innovations by the Company include ‘Bioseal’ for replacement of polyethylene coating, ‘Oxyblock’ for improving barrier properties and recyclability, and the ‘Green Stiffner’ – a first of its kind compostable and recyclable solution. In December last year, ITC’s Paperboards and Specialty Papers Division (PSPD), also collaborated with the Invest India, a non-profit venture under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, to launch the ‘ITC Sustainability Innovation Challenge’, which is aimed at supporting and crowd-sourcing innovative technology-based solutions from the start-up ecosystem on sustainable packaging and smart waste management.

April 2022

Creative Graphics Solutions: Breaking geographic and flexographic barriers Creative Graphics Solutions, the first flexographic tradeshop in the country to break geographic barriers has many strength points including the expertise in conversion of gravure jobs to flexo. In talk with MD Deepanshu Goel. Creative Graphics Solutions started two decade ago and built its reputation on continuous innovation in process, upgradation in its facilities and improving on services and customers experience.

“Brand owners are emphasizing on flexography instead of Gravure because of sustainability. Digital is taking over short run markets and commercial printing. Our focus is on adapting to new demands of market, simulation of process and abolishing the obstacles of flexographic process.” – Deepanshu Goel

Key Notes : > Creative Graphics Solutions’ strength shows for itself when it comes to simulating the print to be printed on different presses. > The company looks forward to expand to some new locations. > Expects their photopolymer sleeves, mock proof, premedia services and flexographic plates to be the frontrunners of driving the future industry trends.

April 2022

The first milestone was when Creative Graphics Solutions chose to go digital and multi-locational in year 2012. “Creative Graphics Solutions was first flexographic tradeshop in India to break geographic barriers,” says Mr. Deepanshu Goel, MD, Creative Graphics Solutions. It gave them a wide array of clients and also ability to serve customer faster and better. Creative Graphics Solutions’ approach to nonegotiable quality and unparallel service has helped it to achieve new markets and retain customers.

Beating the pandemic The pandemic period was a tough one for all and so it has been for Creative Graphics Solutions. According to Deepanshu, “Now a days it is VUCA world. External situations are extremely challenging and to a company to survive and excel, there is continuous need of flexibility and adaptability. It was really a challenging time during pandemic for every industry but now we can experience a very positive changes and steep hike in demand. For example, there have been large changes in converting process of boxes, paper and other packaging product recently, which has lead the changes in printing processes. The largest growing segments are labels and corrugation.” Creative Graphics Solutions has adapted to the changing demands of the market with innovative approach and astute strategic changes. They are working with some large brands and providing

them a one shop solution, right from adaptability of artwork, according to process, reprography, mock proof on actual substrate to press pass to give consistent output at all converters across India. “Our key initiatives in this direction will be getting new Technologies, improving efficiencies and getting into new markets,” shares Deepanshu. With a total strength of 300 + people, an experienced and dedicated management team leads the affairs at Creative Graphics Solutions. Mr S.Sakelley is the CEO, ably assisted by his team that includes, Mr Jairaj as head prepress, Mr Hemant as CFO, Mr Rajiv Sharma as head operations and Mr Sunil Bajaj as head Technical. After a struggling year because of Corona, Creative Graphics Solutions is seeing a surge in demand. “We have been achieving a double digit growth YOY and looking forward to add one more facility to the current lot of seven,” says Deepanshu Goel. Creative Graphics Solutions’ core strength is deep knowledge of flexographic printing process and has a similar strong point when it comes to its all variables including plates, inks, tape etc. “Our colour

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management technology is our forte and the strength shows for itself when it come to simulating the print at our end to be printed on different presses. Our expertise is also in conversion of gravure jobs to flexo,” emphasizes Deepanshu. Recognizing the increasing interest of printers and customers alike in embellishment technologies, Deepanshu underlines the future of printing and packaging and changing customer preferences, “Embellishment is the icing of cake and gives lot of value addition; it is always easy to grab customer attention with these embellishments. It has also been an integral part of liquor and luxury industry. Now it is being used to give rich feeling to the ultimate product. Different varnishes, foiling, metal ink printing, embossing can be done inline with flexography process and is currently the flavour of all brand owners.”

Changing trends and Creative Graphics Solutions “There is continuous change in printing technology because of changes in manufacturing of packaging material,” observes Deepanshu. Offset printed cartons are being shifted to flexography pre and post print because of automation of process, quality of cartons and cost advantages. “Brand owners are emphasizing on flexography instead of Gravure because of sustainability. Digital is taking over short run markets and commercial printing. Our focus is on adapting to new demands of market, simulation of process and abolishing the obstacles of flexographic process,” he

explains. Digital printing is taking over many of the printed products previously being printed through various other processes. “Digital is definitely making new head ways and upcoming,” notes Deepanshu. “But largely, it is a complimentary technology to different processes – good for short runs. I think, for example, corrugated printing through digital is not successful and will take ages to be practically implemented,” he reckons.

Key offerings and technologies behind Speaking about the latest products, services and solutions offerings from the company, Creative Graphics Solutions is the first company in India which is coming up with Photopolymer sleeves technology. “Till date it has been one of biggest hurdles for seamless printing and growth of flexo process,” he stresses. Creative Graphics Solutions has also come up with its other arm CG Premedia which deals in premedia activities and mock proof. Deepanshu strongly believes their photopolymer sleeves, mock proof and premedia services along with flexographic plates would be the frontrunners of driving the future trends in our industry. The products and solutions of Creative Graphics Solutions are promoted usually through participation in exhibitions and other media activities. The wide range of solutions by the company stand out due to Creative Graphics Solutions’ customer oriented approach, a dedicated team, adaptability to

new circumstances, regular acquisition of new technology and equipment. “Above all hunger for growth and to lead are our key strengths,” avows Deepanshu. Dupont, Esko and Kodak are their biggest technology partners. “State-of-the-art German machines from Dupont and imaging technology form KODAK and ESKO constitute vital part of Creative Graphics Solutions. Besides, powerful software from ESKO helps us achieve consistent output,” reveals Deepanshu. Creative Graphics Solutions is a certified IMS quality by none other than SGS. They are also validated by SEDEX. “We have stringent SOP for quality and give regular training to our staff to achieve consistent quality,” further informs Deepanshu. Having invested heavily in new technologies like photopolymer sleeves and new software to improve efficiencies, Creative Graphics Solutions is looking forward to expand to some new locations. They are largely exporting flexo plates to western markets. Besides, their new venture CG premedia is also offering premedia services and solutions to different markets. Creative Graphics Solutions and its team find their core strength in their out of the box thinking and owe it all to their customers’ support that has spelled success for them and a name to reckon with in the Indian flexographic market.

April 2022

pressideas/ plc

Indian paper industry at inflection point - Capex cycle turns towards packaging paper segment: ICRA. The paper industry is witnessing a paradigm shift from the demand perspective, with demand for newsprint papers (NP) and printing writing papers (PWP) dwindling, given the rising impact of digitisation. At the same time, the packaging paper (PP) segment is witnessing a rise, with growing demand for packaging from e-commerce, food and food products, FMCG and the pharmaceutical sector. ICRA expects the healthy demand for packaging papers to drive growth for paper manufacturing companies in the medium term. Mr. Suprio Banerjee, Vice President & Sector Head, ICRA says: “The domestic paper manufacturing industry is currently at a juncture where the newsprint papers (NP) and printing& writing papers (PWP) segment is gradually losing out to the packaging paper segment. The installed capacity levels in packaging paper is seen picking up progressively, aided by the capex incurred in the recent past over FY2017 to FY2022, along with the capex planned over the next two fiscals till FY2024. For the sample set of entities under study the installed capacity in packaging paper division is expected to

be largely at par with non-packaging paper (NP+PWP) capacity by FY2023 and notably surpass the installed capacity by FY2024. On the earnings front, rising raw material prices largely driven by rising waste paper prices and elevated fuel prices (primarily coal),may keep the margin under check in the near term.” The Y-o-Y revenue growth for the paper industry plummeted in FY2021 owing to pandemic-induced disruptions in the form of factory lockdowns, curtailed demand for NP/PWP segment due to close of schools/ colleges and offices working in hybrid modes. However, with the continued demand from FMCG, pharma and e-commerce sectors, particularly for packaging paper, the sector is expected to grow in the range of ~30-31% in FY2022, albeit on a lower base of FY2021. The growth is expected to be in the range of 7-8% in the next two fiscals supported by demand from packaging segment. One major near-term concern for the paper industry has been rising wood pulp and wastepaper prices and elevated fuel costs,

given that the industry also relies on imported coal largely, wherein the prices have risen substantially over the last one year. Though the industry is managing these challenges by passing on such rises to the final customer as well as absorbing, wherever possible, on an aggregate basis the long-term demand potential for the India paper industry remains intact, given the rising penetration of different forms on paper in daily livelihood and is tilting towards the packaging paper segment. ICRA Limited was set up in 1991 as an independent and professional investment Information and Credit Rating Agency. The international Credit Rating Agency Moody’s Investors Service is ICRA’s largest shareholder.

SISTRADE to showcase management solutions at Gulf Print & Pack 2022 Gulf Print & Pack 2022 takes place May 24-26, 2022, Dubai World Trade Centre. Sistrade Software Consulting, S.A. will be present at Gulf Print & Pack fair in Dubai, between the 24th and 26th of May 2022. With a network of partners and customers in several countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, Sistrade considers Gulf Print & Pack an important event. The company will be showcasing its management solutions to visitors operating in the Packaging and Labels industry sectors. It will also show how innovative technology, flexibility and features make Sistrade software distinguish itself and allow users adapt to any industry sector. Sistrade software for digital label converting as well as for packaging printing industry sets the main focus on providing highly

April 2022

detailed information for the clients. Among the new features Sistrade highlights Technical Data Sheet as the main data repository, which in combination with Graphical Process Management contain all the technical data necessary for a smart production and full data traceability. In case of Sistrade software, it is important to emphasize that all the data can be automatically imported into the technical data sheet from estimates or job orders. Graphical Process Management gives possibility for the users to control in real-time the status of all the different graphical processes of the products and confirm if the customer approves all the information, design files and samples. Implementation of Sistrade software in any company results in efficient sales as the

companies are able to cut down the time spent on planning, automatically monitor operations, easily compare the information and make better decisions. All this ensures that less energy is consumed in production process, transforming the company into a Smart Factory. SISTRADE stand G27at Gulf Print & Pack 2022 fair will showcase the feature packed Sistrade software version 12.11 with emphasis on the Packaging and Labels industry sectors.

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Agfa to acquire Inca Agfa-Gevaert focuses packaging market growth with Inca Digital Printers acquisition.

The Agfa-Gevaert Group has announced that it would acquire Inca Digital Printers. The acquisition strengthens Agfa’s position in high speed digital printing and brings an additional focus on packaging printing markets. “The Inca acquisition is a major step in Agfa’s transformation. Digital printing is a profitable growth engine for the Group with a tremendous potential that will be further accelerated by the addition of Inca,” said Pascal Juéry, President and CEO of the AgfaGevaert Group. Inca Digital Printers is a Cambridge UK based leading developer and manufacturer of advanced high speed printing and production technologies for sign and display applications as well as for the rapidly growing digital printing market for packaging. Inca is an ideal partner for Agfa, bringing a complementary portfolio of

printing solutions of the highest standard and a strong technological platform to launch robust single pass printing presses for the packaging market. The acquisition encompasses the portfolio of existing high speed multi pass printers, including a strong service organization; a newly designed line of single pass printers for several packaging applications as well as a joint development of a customized in-line Print Engine in collaboration with leading corrugator manufacturer BHS Corrugated. Stephen Tunnicliffe-Wilson, CEO/CTO of Inca Digital Printers Ltd.: “The acquisition by Agfa allows us to combine our technological knowhow and will enable us to become a leading digital packaging press manufacturer worldwide. Our new parent has shown long term commitment to the digital printing market and we are extremely proud and look forward to becoming part of the Agfa family.”

Vincent Wille, President of Agfa’s Digital Print & Chemicals division, comments: “The combination of Inca Digital’s manufacturing knowhow and Agfa’s technical expertise, worldwide presence and excellent service networks will allow us to bring unparalleled printing solutions to our customers and to adapt seamlessly to their needs in this rapidly evolving space. This investment leverages and strengthens our position in the high-end and high speed wide format market as a whole and specifically in the promising packaging segment.”

Inks for sustainable paper electronics SARALON GmbH has developed a series of electronic inks for paper electronics production. Initially Saralon developed a variety of suitable water based conductive silver inks for paper which dries fast and hence maintains the stability of the paper. The ink can also be used on rough paper surfaces. In order to fix LEDs and other SMD components on the printed conducting ink, Saralon also developed a low temperature curing conducting adhesive. Copper Printing Inks are its latest innovation with Low cost, air-curable copper particle

based ink with a low sheet resistance and is suitable for paper and plastic substrates. “Printed electronics industry is at a very nascent stage but is definitely the future. However with the right knowledge, machines, materials and support from the experts it becomes easier to implement it,” says Kunal Gandhi of Kunal Enterprise, that jointly provides Saralon PE solutions in India. For enquires/order contact Kunal Enterprise at sales@kunalenteprise.com.

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Aniflex chooses Xeikon digital technology The Polish printing specialist has invested in a Panther PX3300 UV inkjet press to expand its digital label offering and speed up production. Aniflex Głowacka Wojtaszek general partnership is one of the fastest developing companies in the self-adhesive labels and packaging sector in Poland. The company’s growth strategy is based on consistently investing in modern printing technologies, allowing it to gain a competitive advantage and diversify its offering. Achieving these goals were the determining factors behind the decision to install a five-color Xeikon Panther PX3300 inkjet digital press. Maciej Wojtaszek, co-owner of the printing company, said, “The investment in the new Xeikon press has significantly increased the technological capacity of our plant and allowed us to exploit the sales potential for low- and medium-volume orders, as well as helped us cut delivery time – all of which enable us to stay competitive.” Established in 2003, the Tomaszów Mazowiecki based company has invested significantly in organizational, production and technological advances over the years, and today, offers shrink sleeves and flexible packaging, in addition to self-adhesive labels. Great emphasis is also placed on expanding the product offering with innovative solutionsthat meetcurrent trends and market needs, as the company strives to maintain its leading position. These include self-adhesive labels printed on new eco materials and packaging with augmented reality technology.

SKUs very quickly. Xeikon PX3300 meets both these requirements and more. The five-colour (CMYK + white) press prints on substrates up to 350 mm wide at a maximum speed of 50 m/min (approx. 990 m2/h). The PantherCure inks allows Aniflex to deliver durable and abrasion-resistant labels with high gloss, and thanks to the ability to apply two layers of white ink, to produce attractive tactile and haptic effects inline. “Xeikon’s PX3300 supports a wide variety of substrates: PP, PE, PET, self-adhesive paper, vinyl, metallized and clear-on-clear transparent materials, and is extremely useful in the production of labels for industrial, chemical and household use, as well as for cosmetics and health care, and alcohol, beer and other beverage labels,” says Michał Kuczkowski, sales manager, labels and packaging, Xeikon. “There is no need to create printing plates for digital printing, which reduces costs and shortens lead times. By using a sensor, Xeikon presses can also print additional elements for personalization, or markers in a specific place, or add digital print on pre-printe substrates. “By using Xeikon X-800 software, the user can increase the automation of the label production process and the control of individual production stages, as well as

create security measures to protect the end user, such as EAN barcodes, QR codes, DataMatrix or other track & trace solutions.” The introduction of the state-of-the-art Xeikon PX3300 combined with the earlier experience of the Aniflex team in inkjet printing has allowed the printing company to reach the next level of production quality. Customers have also been very enthusiastic about the new opportunities that the investment will bring. Mr Kuczkowski concludes, “We are very proud to support a modern company like Aniflex. As a market leader, it is developing dynamically, as validated by being ranked 13 times as a Business Gazelle by the Coface Group. The team also conducts many additional activities and share interesting ideas, such as webinars about the creation and production of labels and packaging. They educate their clients by showing unconventional projects, new raw materials, various refinements, and environmentally friendly solutions. It is a very experienced and demanding team that often sets high standards for their suppliers, including us!”

Xeikon’s Panther PX3300 has replaced an older inkjet machine which had been in use at the Tomaszów plant for many years. In fact, Aniflex was one of the first companies in the industry to invest in UV inkjet printing for labels. The Xeikon press was chosen to modernize production and allow the company to increase print quality, among many other benefits. Mr Wojtaszek explained that when choosing a new press, it is extremely important to ensure that the high print quality can be repeated automatically without having toreenter the job parameters each time, and that you have the ability to produce multiple

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(L–R): Michał Kuczkowski, sales manager,labels and packaging, Xeikon; Maciej Wojtaszek, co-owner, Aniﬂex; and Łukasz Smok, head of production, Aniﬂex

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Employers miss the opportunity to automate processes for hybrid work Just one in 10 office workers has access to automation tools to streamline their workflows.

A New research released recently suggests employers are not taking the opportunity to automate workflows and upgrade office spaces as part of their hybrid work strategies – despite employee calls to digitalise manual processes. The research, conducted by Opinium for Ricoh Europe, polled 3,000 office workers across the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. It found that most European employees now believe that digitalising processes improves their work, as admin-heavy workloads, lack of office booking systems, and inadequate workflow technology hamper employee experience. Currently, only 11% of office workers have access to workflow automation tools, while two fifths (44%) report no change in their company’s investment in tools to automate tasks or processes over the past year. That’s despite the majority (69%) saying automating processes makes their work better – a shift from more skeptical attitudes to workplace digitalisation, pre-pandemic.

these additional tools actually increase their workload, rather than streamline it. This highlights the need for employers to take a consultative approach when considering the technology and systems that are best for their people. Platform overload could soon frustrate talent and lead them to look for opportunities elsewhere. With employers trying to encourage workers back to the office, establishing processes to make this transition easy is vital. However, more than half of European office workers (54%) think there hasn’t been a change in the amount invested in desk and room booking systems. As many businesses look to downsize their office footprint, a lack of, or convoluted process for, desk booking could

mean workers arrive at the office without an adequate workspace. This naturally contributes to creating a poor experience and a disincentive to return to the physical workplace. Nicola Downing, CEO, Ricoh Europe, says: “Gone are the days where employees felt concerned about their roles being ‘replaced’ by automation. The value of technology and automation, when implemented effectively, is widely seen to free up time to work on more valuable activities. Ultimately, if employers fail to weave automation into their long-term hybrid working strategies, they could be missing an important opportunity to improve operations while boosting morale and productivity across the entire workforce.”

Hybrid work represents a major opportunity for employers to improve the employee experience and productivity by automating laborious and mundane tasks and processes. But they risk missing out if they fail to embrace the tools and procedures that can make hybrid working a success and meet employee needs. Nearly half of workers (49%) say they would be more productive if their administrative burden wasn’t so high. Yet, two fifths (42%) are confused by the number of technology platforms they are expected to use, saying

April 2022

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Setting an example for diversity and gender parity Siegwerk joins Cologne alliance MIT FRAUEN IN FÜHRUNG. As a new member of the MIT FRAUEN IN FÜHRUNG initiative, Siegwerk joins an alliance of Cologne-based companies committed to greater diversity at management levels. The focus is on career advancement for women and thus the creation of a gender-oriented corporate culture.

disruptive thinking and breaking out of old patterns,” explains Dr. Nicolas Wiedmann, Chief Executive Officer of Siegwerk. “Expertise knows no gender, background or personal orientation. And as a company in a classically male-dominated industry, I can only say we need more diversity and urgently more women, at all levels.”

The global printing inks and coatings supplier for packaging applications and labels recently announced its membership in the Cologne-based alliance MIT FRAUEN IN FÜHRUNG (With Women in Leadership). The local initiative specifically promotes gender parity and career advancement for women and offers companies in and around Cologne a unique platform for exchanging experiences on gender-oriented management. Siegwerk’s formal acceptance into the alliance took place during the ceremony “FRAUEN EMPOWERMENT Fakten schaffen!” at Sparkasse Köln Bonn. Ulrich Voigt, Chairman of the Board and new patron of the alliance, and Christine Kronenberg, initiator of the initiative welcomed Siegwerk as another familyowned company and the first manufacturing company in the Cologne alliance.

As part of its new sustainability agenda, Siegwerk has set itself the goal, among other things, of doubling the proportion of women at management level by 2025. Joining the Cologne-based corporate alliance FRAUEN IN FÜHRUNG (Women in Leadership) once again underscores this commitment and is intended to specifically help improve structures and the working environment and ultimately thus attract more women to management positions at the Siegburg headquarters. “We are pleased to be part of this unique initiative and to exchange ideas with other companies on genderoriented management and measures for the systematic advancement of women,” adds Wiedmann. “For me, diversity is a clear leadership issue and for this reason I have also made it my personal mission to sensitize managers to the relevance of diversity and to consistently raise awareness within the company. In this unique network, we are therefore very happy to exchange ideas and learn from each other.” Siegwerk sees itself as a pioneer in its industry and is ready to

“Diversity, equality and inclusion are the drivers of successful and satisfied teams. Colourfully mixed teams bring together the most diverse perspectives, enabling

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actively tackle change, put its own structures to the test and adapt the organization accordingly. The Cologne Alliance WITH WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP was founded in 2016 by Female Resources, a management consultancy in the field of gender management, to specifically promote development opportunities for women in companies in the region. With a network of 15 different companies from the Cologne area, the alliance represents a unique platform for local business to exchange ideas across industries about gender-oriented HR policies and the advancement of women in particular, and to further drive change in society. “We are pleased to include Siegwerk, another leading company in the region, in our circle that is committed to actively improving the proportion of women in management positions,” says Christine Kronenberg, founder of Female Resources and initiator of the alliance WITH WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP. “I am particularly pleased with Dr. Wiedmann’s personal commitment to working for more gender fairness, diversity and equal opportunities in the company. This commitment from the top of the company is exactly what is needed for sustainable change.”

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Siegwerk recognizes that diversity, in combination with equality and inclusion, can make a valuable contribution to the success of individuals and the company as a whole. Diverse teams have been shown to increase individual productivity and creativity. Based on their different skills and different perspectives, employees of diverse teams are enabled to jointly develop new approaches to solutions and sustainable innovations. For example, scientific studies show that companies with more diverse leadership teams bring more innovative products and services to market than those with homogeneous leadership teams. At the same time, diverse leadership teams statistically achieve above-average business success. “In this context, a diverse

workforce and supportive work environment are not only important aspects for retaining employees, but above all for becoming a company that is attractive to women and to potential applicants,” Wiedmann adds. A diverse workforce is important to the majority of those looking for a new job when deciding on their new employer.

includes reviewing current promotion and hiring processes, conducting training on unconscious bias, or defining new personnelrelated key figures and reporting them transparently. In this regard, managers in particular are called upon to personally contribute to making the organization a diverse and inclusive workplace.

The company wants to reposition itself in the medium term in order to further increase its attractiveness as an employer, especially for female specialists and managers, and to make greater use of the potential of diverse teams. To achieve this, Siegwerk is focusing on education within the company to create awareness of everyone’s collective responsibility. Among other things, this

By participating in this local initiative, Siegwerk hopes to gain targeted, practiceoriented insights into strategies and measures for implementing successful gender management and, consequently, for creating an attractive working environment in which all those who want to make a career can do so.

High-speed and more aﬀordable Flexo-printed Solar Cells Dartmouth Engineers develop rapid printing method for more affordable solar technology.

A group of Dartmouth engineers has developed the quickest reliable printing method for the manufacturing of perovskite solar cells, which can be used to efficiently harness and convert solar energy. The method may help scale the use of efficient solar technology, such as electric vehicles. Though metal halide perovskites are the most promising new abundant absorber material to increase global solar capacity, it is difficult to scale due to slow production time, yielding high manufacturing costs. However, a Dartmouth Engineering lab has developed a method that accelerates total processing time of solar charge transport layers (CTLs) by 60 times while maintaining reliability. “Our method prints the layers of the solar cell with the speed and efficiency of a commercial newspaper printing press. This high manufacturing speed is important because it directly translates to lower cost per kWh, which will ultimately make solar energy more affordable for a larger population,” says Dartmouth Engineering Professor William Scheideler. The study, “Eliminating the Perovskite Solar

The ﬂexography method for high speed printing of lightweight perovskite solar cells. The accompanying Venn diagram shows technological benefits for manufacturing the charge transport layers critical in perovskite solar modules.

Cell Manufacturing Bottleneck via HighSpeed Flexography,” was recently published in Advanced Materials Technologies and authored by engineering PhD candidate Julia Huddy, research associate Youxiong Ye, and Scheideler. The researchers’ method involves pairing high-speed flexographic printing with rapidly annealed sol-gel inks. When compared to silicon photovoltaic production, the Dartmouth method is faster and also more efficient in terms of energy usage and required materials.

“An advantage of our process is that it can be used to print solar cell layers on flexible or rigid substrates, allowing for applications of solar energy that go beyond typical silicon solar panels,” said Huddy. “The impact of solar energy and its penetration into the electrical grid depend critically on the cost of manufacturing solar cells. This is where innovation in the lab is still needed to accelerate the potential of renewable technologies,” said Scheideler.

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Siegwerk expands with new facility at Tauru Company inaugurates warehouse and colour matching center at Tauru, (Haryana) to support India’s growing demand for packaging inks.

Global provider of printing inks and coatings for packaging applications, Siegwerk has commissioned a new warehouse and colour matching center in Tauru (Near Sohna), Haryana. This move follows the recent inauguration of the specialized solvent-based blending facility in Siegwerk’s Bhiwadi site in Rajasthan. The new centre in Tauru, a facility spread across 36,000Sft, will position Siegwerk for further growth in the northern market. The company builds on experience, innovative technology and the adoption of global best practices in ink manufacturing. The warehouse and colour matching facility is strategically located on the KMP expressway, which will ensure faster deliveries to address north zone customers and also supports pan India customers through inter-region deliveries. With an investment of INR 40 million (Euros

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460,000), the facility boasts a warehousing capacity of 1,000 tonnes and colour matching for the north zone customers. This new matching center is equipped with an ultra-modern quality control lab in line with global standards. The facility was inaugurated by Mr. Ashish Pradhan, President, Siegwerk Asia. Within the first three months of 2022 alone, Siegwerk Group has invested close to INR 250 Mn into its Indian operations. Commenting on the development, Mr. Ramakrishna Karanth, CEO, Siegwerk India said, “This expansion is in line with our strategic growth plan to sustainably expand our footprint in India. This new expanded capacity is a welcome indicator of the company’s growing demand since the launch of our 100% safe inks. The expansion presents an ideal situation allowing us to further drive value through the industry’s supply chain. According to reports, the global packaging ink market size is forecast to reach $12.91 billion by 2025, with APAC dominating the market. Considering the population and consumer demand facets,

we are betting high on the Indian market and these investments are in line with our commitment to India.” The new colour matching center is designed to operate with all safety requirements including: a hydrant system, a smoke detection system and a water sprinkler system. The facility also boasts a CCTV surveillance system, which adds 24 x 7 hour security to the premises. The center has space to expand in the future as the business requires, with the installation of additional equipment. Siegwerk is one of the leading international manufacturers of printing inks, coatings and individual solutions for packaging, labels, and catalogues. With more than 180 years of experience, the company has solid expertise in and knowledge of many printing procedures and a global manufacturing and service network. Siegwerk employs some 5,000 people worldwide in more than 30 country organizations and is headquartered in Siegburg near Cologne.

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Toppan acquires Thai packaging converter Tokyo-based Toppan entered a share-transfer agreement with Majend Makcs Co., Ltd. (Majend Makcs), a manufacturer of flexible packaging headquartered in Ayutthaya, Thailand. The acquisition will enable Toppan to produce flexible packaging in Thailand for supply to markets in Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia. The deal is expected to close next month. Toppan has expanded its packaging business in Asia, including Indonesia, Thailand, and China, and is strengthening global production and sales with an eye on North America, Europe, and Latin America. Toppan bolstered its capability to manufacture and supply transparent GL BARRIER film for markets in North America and Europe with the launch of Toppan USA’s Georgia plant in April 2016 and acquired the InterFlex Group, a packaging manufacturer with locations in the US and UK, last year. Most recently, Toppan has also made leading Indian film producer Max Speciality Films a consolidated subsidiary. Majend Makcs was founded in Thailand in 2002 and manufactures and sells flexible packaging for food, consumer, and medical goods. Thailand is a major production location for global food and consumer brands serving North American, European, and Southeast Asian markets. By acquiring Majend Makcs, Toppan will be able to produce and provide its sustainable packaging to leading markets as it aims to be a global packaging provider, delivering an end-to-end service throughout the world from manufacture of barrier films and other

packaging materials to supply of finished products. It has become essential for global brands with worldwide businesses to address the environmental impact of their products. Thailand, where a large number of such brands have bases producing goods supplied to Europe, North America, and Japan, is also expected to see increased demand for more eco-friendly packaging and advanced functionality. Synergies generated by the acquisition of Majend Makcs are expected to include enhancing the Toppan Group’s global supply capability for sustainable packaging. This will be achieved by leveraging Majend Makcs as a base for the manufacture of sustainable packaging that takes advantage of Toppan products such as barrier film for functional monomaterial packaging, part of the GL BARRIER lineup.

In addition, sharing and combining Majend Makcs’s flexible packaging production technology and know-how with Toppan’s converting technologies centered on GL BARRIER, while collaborating on raw material sourcing, will drive enhanced productivity and a stable procurement system to strengthen price competitiveness. Majend Makcs will also function as a hub for development and analysis of customer and technology trends in the global market. “We are very excited to have Majend Makcs joining the Toppan Group,” says Masahiko Tatewaki, MD-Toppan’s Global Packaging business. “Not only does it afford us greater capacity to manufacture and market more price-competitive packaging materials to customers throughout the world, but also strengthens our ability to meet the sustainable packaging needs of global brands and of society as a whole.”

Jindal Polyfilms acquires SMI Coated Products Jindal Polyfilms has fully acquired SMI Coated products. SMI recorded a turnover of Rs 273 crore in FY2020-21.The acquisition would augment Jindal Polyfilms existing growth plans resulting in forward integration by expanding into downstream product segment i.e. labels and related products.

Polypack to the sellers would be Rs 99.65 crore. Jindal Polyfilms is engaged in diverse business activities including manufacturing of polyester film, polypropylene film, steel pipes and photographic products. Jindal Polypack will source its raw material from Jindal Polyfilms.

The acquisition by Jindal Polypack, a wholly owned subsidiary of Indian conglomerate Jindal Polyfilms has been done for Rs 195 crores. After adjusting for net debt and debt like items, equity value payment by Jindal

SMI produces 100-million sqm of labelstock per annum, exporting to 22 countries with a slitting and distribution company established in Jebel Ali, Dubai, UAE.

“We are confident that we have handed over the baton to a company which will take SMI, its team and the industry to greater heights,” says Rohit Mehta, the corporate director of SMI Coated Products.

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signage printing

Why you should have designs on the hottest trend in garment decoration By Axel Stuhlreiter, Head of Textile Solutions, Graphic Communications Group, Ricoh Europe.

Direct To Film (DTF) printing technology has been described by Keypoint Intelligence as the newest and hottest decorated apparel trend. In just over two years it has emerged as an all-for-one technology. This is because it has a number of attractions. They include the ability to work with Direct to Garment (DTG) printing technology to produce a wide range of high quality sportswear and workwear, as well as corporate and promotional items, on a broader range of substrates like polyester and nylon. DTF cost effectively delivers on demand, or short run print, as there is a shallower learning curve for printing DTF transfers and there is no need to pre-treat the fabric. The transfer technology works by printing designs onto Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) film using water-based pigment inks. The design is printed with CMYK ink first and then white ink. This is a reversal of the standard DTG approach of white ink first, followed by CMYK. At the same time the image is reversed so that its orientation is mirrored.

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The wet ink is powdered with a hot-melt adhesive and then cured. The final cured image is transferred to the textile application using a heat press.

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Among the benefits of the technology are:

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Increased opportunities for customised, short run, on demand garment production by enabling printing on a wider range of fabrics. Material versatility and suitability for fabrics not ideal for other production

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methods, such as water repelling surfaces like leather and nylon. Polyester can be used as well. Durability and high fastness that makes it particularly suitable for applications such as synthetic sport jerseys. It is also ideal for workwear, promotional items and corporate branding. Greater elasticity and stretchability for high quality results on a wider range of applications. Very soft and flexible results. Extensive colour options. The ability to produce full colour, photorealistic images, and no limitations on complex designs. The ability to prepare images in advance and apply to fabric at a later date. This prevents over production for a more sustainable approach.

Another benefit offered by Ricoh’s recently launched DTF solution is cost effective and fast production for low volumes.

The retrofittable technology can easily be combined with the capabilities of Ricoh’s existing Ri 1000 and Ri 2000 Direct to Garment printers to provide a broader portfolio of business winning applications. It also allows operations to maximise the utilisation of their Ricoh DTG printers and achieve a greater Return on Investment. Designs can be pre-produced and stored as ready-to-go transfer film for quick application. High quality production is

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supported by ColorGATE Textile Production server V21.10. It accurately processes rich graphics from creative applications. Ricoh’s DTF technology also achieves very soft and flexible results and meets Oeko-Tex standards. With cultivated knowledge and

organizational capabilities nurtured over its 85-years history, Ricoh is one of the leading providers of document management solutions, IT services, communications services, commercial and industrial printing, digital cameras, and industrial systems

Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group has major operations throughout the world and its products and services now reach customers in approximately 200 countries and regions.

PRINT Business Outlook Conference 2022 partnership with Indian Printing Packaging and Allied Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (IPAMA) which will be held on 28 May, 2022, India, Expo Centre, New Delhi in conjunction with PrintPack India 2022 exhibition. The conference will cover a wide range of contemporary topics relevant to the industry. Some of the pointers that would be taken up at the event include:-

A summary of the key issues facing global printing and packaging

Association for Print Technologies (APTech India), formerly NPES will host the Print Business Outlook Conference 2022 in

- The emerging applications • An overview of some of the key developments in the field • A discussion of the key enabling technologies for printed electronics applications. • An evaluation of the challenges and barriers facing the industry

A compelling tentative agenda of timely topics presented by top industry experts is set to engage participants in lively discussion. Topics include: • State of Digital Package Printing Today • Indian Label Market: What’s Happening, What’s Ahead, and What We Can Do About It • Digital Transformation: How Technology is Changing Business • The Drive Toward Sustainability in Packaging • Paper Shortage Concerns for the Printing Industry: Availability, Pricing Levels, Delivery Times Remain Paper Market Panel • Printers Panel - Time for a Re-think RRR - Respond, Reset and Renew • Suppliers Panel - Innovation in a crisis: Why it is more critical than ever • Augmented Reality: Revolutionizing the Value of Print

Events Calendar mediaexpo 2022

Labelexpo India 2022

Date: 12 MAY -22 to 14 MAY-22 Venue: Bombay Exhibition Center Mumbai

Date: 10 NOV -22 to 13 NOV-22 Venue: Expo Centre & Mart Greater Noida - Delhi NCR

PAPEREX 2022

PAMEX 2022 - Postponed

Date: 10 MAY -22 to 13 MAY-22 Venue: India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, NCR Delhi

Date: 27 MAR -23 to 30 MAR-23 Venue: Bombay Exhibition Center, Mumbai

15th Printpack India

Labelexpo Europe 2023

Date: 26 MAY -22 to 30 MAY - 22 Venue: India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, NCR Delhi

Date: 11 SEP -23 to 13 SEP-23 Venue: Brussels Expo Centre,

Labelexpo Asia 2022

drupa 2024

Date: 28 JUN -22 to 01 JUL - 22 Venue: NECC in Hongqiao, Shanghai

Belgium

Date: 28 MAY -24 to 07 JUN-24 Venue: Brussels Expo Centre, Belgium

Readers are required to confirm the dates of the exhibition from the organizers. This is a reader service provided by PRESSIdeas and the company cannot be held responsible for any error or omission. If your event is not listed in the above list, kindly write to us at info@pressideas.com with subject as event and we shall gladly be including the same as above.

RNI:CHA/ENG/2001/3989