PRESSIdeas March 2022 issue by Jacob George

22 vol-22 Issue- 03 March 2022

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Vol.22 Issue 03, 2022

Lithrone G40 prints Art....................................08 Shortage of Paper..............................................12 Canon wins BLI duo...........................................14 Fujifilm’s Never Stop 2021...............................16 Work smarter, not harder................................18

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Another MGI for Printmart..............................20 Kaliswari’s 4th Polar 115...................................22 Heidelberg at LOPEC.........................................28

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Contents FROM THE EDITORS’ DESK............................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Lithrone G40 prints Art Book that collects Best Paintings of Chinese Dynasties...................................................................... 8 Increasing prices increase OP0A’s concerns.........................................................................................................................................11 Shortage of paper endangers rebound of graphic industry worldwide....................................................................................12 Paper shortage crisis hits Sri Lanka daily ..............................................................................................................................................13 Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE DX series earns the highest overall rating from Keypoint Intelligence ....................14 EFI Nozomi C18000 at Modern Ambalaj................................................................................................................................................15 Fujifilm’s NEVER STOP 2021........................................................................................................................................................................16 The new AccurioPress C7100 and AccurioPress C7090 work smarter, not harder.................................................................18 Monotech Systems strengthens foothold in TN.................................................................................................................................19 Seiko goes live at InPrint..............................................................................................................................................................................19 It’s another MGI Jetvarnish for Printmart ‘in no time’........................................................................................................................20 MGI JetVarnish 3DS........................................................................................................................................................................................21 Kaliswari strengthens post-press with 4th Polar 115........................................................................................................................22 DuPont Cyrel Lightning Plates win 2022 FTA Technical Innovation Award..............................................................................23 Siegwerk India partners with Centre for CSR & Sustainability Excellence to restore pond in Tijara (Rajasthan, India).........................................................................................23 PrintMart adds digital embellishment capabilities with MGI Jetvarnish 3D One...................................................................24

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

A Sustainable View of Packaging in 2022 and Beyond.....................................................................................................................26 Heidelberg presents printed electronics at LOPEC............................................................................................................................28 FINAT releases programme for European Label Forum 2022.........................................................................................................29 Koenig & Bauer Durst’s third SPC Open House ...................................................................................................................................30 Durst Expo 2022 to happen on April 26-29..........................................................................................................................................31 Paper crisis can have severe repercussions for all economic markets: Intergraf ....................................................................32 eProductivity Software makes its EMEA debut...................................................................................................................................33 Highcon Euclid 5C at Box Genie................................................................................................................................................................33 Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Electronics and IT and Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State in Electronics and IT release “National Strategy on Additive Manufacturing”........................................34 DPA Celebrates Printers’ Day .....................................................................................................................................................................35

Networking/ Hardware Consultant Sukhdeep Singh USA Correspondents Tensi M., Preeti European Correspondent Rimi, Yadhu Morphine Production Thomas K Alex

PRESSIdeas March 2022 Vol. 22, Issue 03 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.

March 2022

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FROM THE EDITORS’ DESK Dear Readers, Shortage of paper endangers rebound of graphic industry worldwide. Customers are facing surging prices and uncertainty about the supply of paper and board. Print community is watching helplessly. The government is not forthcoming despite paper being an essential commodity. Several members of the World Print & Communication Forum (WPCF) warn that the current paper shortages will have severe repercussions in the supply of print products for all economic markets and endangers the rebound of the graphic industry after the pandemic. “During the past two years, printed products have witnessed a decline, but now demand is rebounding to pre-pandemic levels. Now customers are facing surging prices and uncertainty about the supply of paper and board. Industry leaders are saying there will be further paper price increases in the near future and the printers’ costs will quadruple. And even if you are willing to pay the price, there is a shortage of paper. It seems either mills have stopped its production or emphasized exporting their production, thus there is a scarcity of paper. The print community is watching helplessly,” observes Kamal Chopra, president of WPCF and chairman international relations of the All India Federation of Master Printers. “The unprecedented escalation of price of paper by the paper mills is the major hurdle while consumables industries are not willing to pass on the cost making their business unviable,” observed Offset Printers’ Association during its recent ‘Churning Meeting’ held at Heritage Hotel Raj Mahal, Nalagarh, Himachal Pradesh. Intergraf, the Brussels-based European printing industry umbrella association with 20 members in 19 countries, too has warned that the current paper crisis will be further aggravated with severe repercussions in the supply of print products for all economic markets. This constitutes a threat not only to the graphic industry but endangers its support function for all sectors and the much needed rebound of the European economy. Sri Lanka’s popular daily The Island had to suspend its print edition amidst newsprint shortage crisis recently in that country. The newspaper which published continuously during the civil war halted its print edition due to severe economic crisis the country is facing resulting in a grave shortage of newsprint. After MGI Jetvarnish 3D One installed a couple of months ago, the new-age business model Printmart adds a Jetvarnish 3DS from Konica Minolta and is on a quicker orbit. Read the complete story based on an exclusive interview. Monotech Systems strengthens its foothold in TN with the installation of Ricoh Pro C5310S at Chennai-based Konika Traders. Sivakasi-based Kaliswari Group has invested in fourth Polar 115 PF paper cutting equipment in a bid to strengthen its post-press operations. The Kaliswari Group manufactures and sells fireworks under the reputed brand name “Cock”. Find all this along with many interesting stories including those about Konica Minolta, Fujifilm, Seiko, Durst, DuPont, ePS, Highcon, Heidelberg, Siegwerk, Asahi Photoproducts, Canon, EFI and more in this March Issue of PRESSIdeas. Also keep updated on the recently released “National Strategy on Additive Manufacturing” by the Government. The Minister of Electronics and IT and the Minister of State in Electronics and IT released it a few days ago. Enjoy Reading!

- Jasvinder Singh, Sub-editor

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March 2022

Lithrone G40 prints Art Book that collects Best Paintings of Chinese Dynasties Lithrone G40 advance at Artron Art Group – 30 percent increased efficiency of high-quality art printing.

Founded in 1993, the Artron Art Group has made a name for itself around the world as an integrated company committed to the enterprise of culture. Artron’s mission is to “serve the people with art by serving the people’s art.” By integrating a range of technologies, Artron has become one of the world’s top cultural and art-related service providers, conveying the beauty of art to the world.

“We have been using Komori presses since our founding. The first were the Lithrone 40 series presses, followed by the Lithrone S40 and the Lithrone G40 series, and now the Lithrone G40 advance series press introduced this year.” - Zhang Yao-kang, Executive VP, Artron

Artron Shanghai was established in 2006 and is their third integrated operation base in China after Shenzhen and Beijing. In 2013, the company moved their headquarters to the Jiading District of Shanghai, and their industrial park now has a very rich artistic atmosphere and covers an area of 22,000 square meters. Artron’s policy throughout is to serve companies in the fields of high-quality art, fine art, art auctions, and luxury brand products as well as prestigious businesses, and such firms now make up their main customer base.

Zhang Yao-kang, Executive Vice President of Artron Shanghai

year. The Shanghai plant is now running a total of eight Komori presses. The main reason for the introduction of the five-colour Lithrone G40 advance press with coater is that we are printing “The Collection of Chinese Historical Paintings.” This very important art book published by Zhejiang University Press collects the best paintings of Chinese dynasties from the Qin Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty and has been designated a national publication fund project.

Artron: leader in fine art printing Zhang Yao-kang, Executive Vice President of Artron Shanghai, says, “We have been using Komori presses since our founding. The first were the Lithrone 40 series presses, followed by the Lithrone S40 and the Lithrone G40 series, and now the Lithrone G40 advance series press introduced this

The collection demands a very high degree of integrity and requires the use of 280-line highdefinition screen printing and very sophisticated reproduction of the original paintings. Therefore, the specifications for printing and binding quality are extremely strict and the constraints are very high.

Key Notes : > Artron Art Group: A Lithrone G40 advance success story. > By integrating a range of technologies, Artron has become one of the world’s top cultural and art-related service providers. > The Shanghai plant is now running a total of eight Komori presses.

March 2022

Artron (Shenzhen) Art Center

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In addition, the customer is also making demands regarding the performance, condition, and operating life of the printing presses. Against this background, we proactively contacted Komori and they overcame a number of difficulties amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, arranged a variety of resources, and installed the advance machine for us in July 2021. The timing of the press installation was very good, and it saved us a lot of trouble.”

Lithrone G40 advance increases high-definition printing efficiency by 30 percent Commenting on the effects of the new press, Vice President Zhang Yao-kang says, “The introduction of the new press has greatly helped to improve our overall efficiency, which has increased by 30 percent. In the past, we were limited to five or six jobs per shift, but now we can print up to eight jobs. We also feel that the advance model has significantly improved feeder and delivery performance, and the overall stability of the press’s operation has been significantly improved. This goes a long way in ensuring our overall productivity and efficiency. In addition, when printing with the state-ofthe-art Lithrone G40 advance, dot and color reproduction is excellent, and our customer is very satisfied with the print quality of the finished product for our most important project, “The Collection of Chinese Historical Paintings.” The ultra-high-definition color reproduction by Artron, an enterprise synonymous with high quality printing, can only be achieved by using the most advanced printing machines. The performance of the press in the printing process plays a crucial role in reproducing the originals. Technology such as the unique Komorimatic continuous dampener on the Lithone G40 advance model maintains the minimum water supply required and provides a more stable supply of dampening solution. By reducing UV ink smearing and maximizing the benefits of the Komori dampening system, the press achieves even faster color reproduction and more reliable color management. This kind of subtle differentiation and design, which is not easily captured, has resulted in the sharp halftone dot reproduction of Komori presses and has contributed significantly to Artron winning numerous printing awards.

March 2022

Liu Lei, Printing Manager

Lithrone G40 advance more convenient and intuitive This overall increase in efficiency is closely related to the wide range of performance improvements that the advance series press brings to the table. Liu Lei, a printing manager who has operated different series of Komori presses, commented on a number of improvements in the new model. “With the feeder, the operator used to manually stack the paper and align it with the center point. Now we can track it automatically with the monitoring sensors on both sides and with automatic adjustment to the proper pile position, which is even more convenient. For the delivery, the number of suction wheels has been increased on the latest model, enabling more stable and neater paper delivery even at high printing speeds.” “The operation screen of the PQC Print Quality Control System is more intuitive

than ever, allowing us to visually check the current and preset values of each ink application quantity, and to control the increase and decrease of ink supply. Another major improvement is the checking of the ink distributing roller. In the past, it was necessary to climb up the steps of the machine, open the safety cover, and check the ink distributing roller by loosening the screws, but now it can be checked simply by touching the screen, reducing maintenance time. Also, for replacing the blanket, when attaching or detaching the blanket cylinder gap cover, damage to the press resulted if the plate was misaligned. Now we use a fixed gap cover, which reduces manual operation and significantly reduces the safety risk. By simply scanning the color bar with the PDC Print Density Control System scanner, the density and Lab values are neatly displayed on the screen, and with the P4 pre-inking function, the balance between the

The printing speed specification of this model is for the Chinese market.

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dampening solution and ink quickly reaches an OK level, leading to reduced paper loss.”

Artron and Komori: a strategic partnership Artron and Komori first met 25 years ago in 1996. Commenting on the partnership between Artron and Komori over the years, Vice President Zhang Yao-kang says, “As Artron has grown, we have also witnessed the expansion of Komori’s business in the Chinese market. Moreover, Komori has played a very important role in our growth process, providing us not only with the indispensable printing presses but also a great deal of support, including technical

cooperation, establishing printing standards, and training. Several years ago, Artron and Komori collaborated on a project called “Chomolungma Action.” Specifically, we invited experts from Komori’s technical and production fields to help us improve Artron’s overall management of production technology, printing site management, and efficiency, and this was very helpful.” Zhang describes the collaboration between Artron and Komori: “In the past few years, Komori has also started sales of digital printing systems. Artron Beijing has already installed two Komori Impremia IS29 digital printing systems, and we are planning to

install a Komori Impremia NS40 digital printing system using nanotechnology in the spring of 2022. In the future, Artron and Komori will have more opportunities to collaborate. I think there are better opportunities for both companies, not only in the area of production equipment but also in exploring business models. And we hope that Komori will develop many more superb machines and provide us with more technical assistance and support.” In 2022, four Lithrone G40 advance presses will be newly installed to contribute to Artron’s art business.

Increasing prices increase OP0A’s concerns Printed Products to cost more as there has been a sharp rise in the prices of various raw materials. Offset Printers Association (OPA) has condemned the sharp rise in the prices of raw material, especially paper, plates and chemical, etc. The unprecedented escalation of price of paper by the paper mills is the major hurdle while consumables industries are not willing to pass on the cost making their business unviable, the association expressed concern during its recent ‘Churning Meeting’ held at Heritage Hotel Raj Mahal, Nalagarh, Himachal Pradesh. OPA observed that frequent increase in prices of kraft paper and other raw material is a matter of deep concern for the printing industry. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gagandeep Singh, Vice President OPA said, “The prices of all types of paper in India have increased since March 1, upsetting the user industry.” Mr. Rohan Oberai, PRO of OPA added, “The corrugated box manufacturers are the worst affected in view of frequent price hikes. From March 1, prices of coated and uncoated papers have been increased by $20 (Rs.1,456) a tonne. The user industry has been told that prices would be raised further by $20 each at least four more times this month. The printing and packaging industry, mainly the corrugated manufacturers, is worried as the economy is just recovering from the pandemic impact.” Prof. Kamal Chopra, General Secretary,

expressing his concern on the ongoing situation, said, “The demand for paper except office paper has already reached the pre-COVID level. The demand was low in the office space segment but it improved in this quarter and it reached almost the pre-COVID level in September last.” He was optimistic about future growth considering the gradual opening of economy and lifting of restrictions is getting back the demand. He continues, “The packaging sector has grown by 10-15% and the growth will continue. Apart from Covid related challenges, the printing industry is facing the twin blow of continuous price hikes in paper, plates, chemicals, ink and other raw material and substantial rise in input cost.” As a result of this, cost of printed products are bound to

increase at least by 18 to 25 per cent by next couple of days. OPA noted that the prices of raw material have more than doubled in just 6 months. Providing daily update on prices to its members, the association is motivating them to take advantage of bulk procurement of material at competitive prices. Other factors responsible for this critical situation include the GST increase from 12% to 18%, inflation and various international factors like increasing crude oil prices. With many in the industry having already closed shop, many more are at the brim of closing down. Printing and packaging industry is one of the worst hit industries from the cost of raw material and paper.

March 2022

pressideas/ commercial printing

Shortage of paper endangers rebound of graphic industry worldwide Customers facing surging prices and uncertainty about the supply of paper and board; print community watching helplessly; the government is not forthcoming; despite paper being an essential commodity… Several members of the World Print & Communication Forum (WPCF) warn that the current paper shortages will have severe repercussions in the supply of print products for all economic markets and endangers the rebound of the graphic industry after the pandemic. The World Print & Communication Forum is a federation of printing associations all over the world and a number of them point to current supply problems; these countries include Australia, Europe, India, Japan, Nepal, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka and the United States of America. The graphic industry supports all economic activities with their products, be it for information, news, entertainment, education, advertising or packaging. Print plays a huge role in everyday life – so much so that it is frequently overlooked. Our sector supplies the packaging for goods at the supermarket, the books, newspapers and magazines we read as well as the boxes our digitally ordered food, clothing, gadgets and much more are packaged in.

March 2022

While during the past two years graphic products have clearly witnessed a decline, demand is now almost back to pre-pandemic levels in most countries. In 2020 customers were forced to reduce print advertising and many switched to electronic means for their communication. In mid-2021, this market has come back to print, but customers are now facing surging prices and uncertainty about the supply of paper and board. The ongoing strike in some Nordic paper mills aggravates the situation not only in Europe but also in other countries such as the US. The stocks of printing companies will not last until the strike has been settled and printers will be forced to announce to their customers their incapacity to fulfill the orders. The inability to print will cause large financial losses not only to the printing company but also to the final customer. This will entail foreseeable shortages of many printed consumer goods and some products including food and medical supplies that cannot be put on the market due to a lack of packaging.

Tensions on all markets are increasing with the war in Ukraine and will cause additional supply problems to produce forest-based products that source their wood or pulp from Russia or Ukraine.

Voices from the industry Kamal Chopra, president of WPCF and chairman international relations of the All India Federation of Master Printers says, “During the past two years, printed products have witnessed a decline, but now demand is rebounding to pre-pandemic levels. Now customers are facing surging prices and uncertainty about the supply of paper and board. Industry leaders are saying there will be further paper price increases in the near

Kamal Chopra, president of WPCF and chairman international relations of the All India Federation of Master Printers

pressideas/ commercial printing

future and the printers’ costs will quadruple. And even if you are willing to pay the price, there is a shortage of paper. It seems either mills have stopped its production or emphasized exporting their production, thus there is a scarcity of paper. The print community is watching helplessly since even the government is not forthcoming despite the fact that paper is declared as an essential commodity under The Essential Commodities Act.” Ford Bowers, director Printing United Alliance warns, “Print as an industry is uniquely threatened by the supply chain issues that are roiling economies around the world, especially as it relates to paper shortages. This creates a ripple effect as the lack of paper products, marketing materials, packaging, and other necessities of business creates a drag on recovery in many different markets. Print is one of the essential requirements for business transactions at all levels of delivery for virtually all goods and services. A concerted effort to alleviate these issues will serve the broader economic recovery.” Peter Decker, president of the Sri Lanka

Association of Printers, says, “The industry sources say the country is now faced with a severe shortage of printing material and packaging material. Further, this situation has severely affected the large and small printers in Sri Lanka. Most printers have even scaled down their operations due to a lack of availability of raw material and the shortage of raw material has really affected the industry.” Abdool Mahomed from the Printing Industries Federation of South Africa warns, “The major concern is that due to massive price increases and shortages of supply, users of print may be forced to accelerate communications to digital platforms. If this happens, this could possibly lead to a decline in the need to print. This impacts on job losses, as some companies contemplate downsizing or even closures – a toxic mix that has to be addressed sooner rather than later.” Walter Kuhn, president of the Print and Visual Communication Association of Australia, says, “The Print & Visual communication sector is reliant on its raw materials for its existence and as such the impacts from the

strikes and unrest within Europe will have a flow on effect for us, this said the Australian paper manufactures and importers have taken steps to secure sufficient stocks to ensure the continued viability of the industry. The greater issue is the constant price increase which can have the effect of driving consumers away from print communication to the alternative digital communication.” Beatrice Klose, secretary general of WPCF says, “Print is an essential and important part of our daily life. Many citizens rely on printed information. Apart from being a large sector of our own, our industry and our products support citizens, culture and all other economic branches in one way or the other. This support is endangered by the current tensions in the supply chain.” Beatrice Klose, secretary general of WPCF says, “Print is an essential and important part of our daily life. Many citizens rely on printed information. Apart from being a large sector of our own, our industry and our products support citizens, culture and all other economic branches in one way or the other. This support is endangered by the current tensions in the supply chain.”

Paper shortage crisis hits Sri Lanka daily The Island announces suspension of its print edition amidst newsprint shortage crisis. Sri Lanka’s popular daily printed the notice about the paper’s suspending of print edition for the day on its frontpage. The newspaper which published continuously during the civil war halted its print edition due to severe economic crisis the country is facing resulting in a grave shortage of newsprint. “We regret to inform our readers that we have been compelled to suspend the publication of The Island print edition on Saturday,” a notice, published on the front page of the newspaper said on Friday, attributing the decision to the “prevailing newsprint shortage.” The newspaper apologised to its readers for taking such a measure which, it said, was “due to circumstances beyond our control.” Sri Lanka is harshly hit by the economic downturn which a few days ago forced its Education Department postponed term examinations for millions of students, as

they did not have sufficient paper. Authorities also said they could not complete printing textbooks for the new term amid persisting shortage of paper. The Island is the latest victim of the crisis. Many Sri Lankan newspapers have cut down on pages in recent times. The shortage is being felt by printing industry not only in the newsprint but other imported material like the printing plates and inks as well. Since its launch in 1981, The Island has shut its press only on such occasions like some specific holiday or during the pandemic when distribution wasn’t possible at all. The Island newspaper will now function as an e-paper. Privately owned Upali Newspapers has said their English-language daily, The Island, and its sister Sinhalese version, Divaina, will only be available online “in view of the prevailing newsprint shortage”.

March 2022

digital printing

Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE DX series earns the highest overall rating from Keypoint Intelligence Canon Wins the BLI 2022 A3 Line of the Year Award from Keypoint Intelligence and, for Fourth Consecutive Year, the BLI Pick Award for Outstanding Cloud Output Management Solution. Canon has won the coveted Buyers Lab (BLI) 2022 A3 Line of the Year Award as well as the BLI Pick Award for Outstanding Cloud Output Management Solution from Keypoint Intelligence, the global independent provider of testing services and analytical information to the document imaging industry. The BLI 2022 Pick Award marked the fourth consecutive year that Canon’s uniFLOW Online received an outstanding cloud output management accolade.

imageRUNNER ADVANCE DX and uniFLOW Online recognised for supporting hybrid work environments with exceptional reliability, usability and data protection capabilities.

Key Notes : > The company completed the incredible hat trick by earning the BLI 20222024 Most Reliable A3 Brand Award. > uniFLOW Online enables users to work with additional cloud solutions, automate scanning process while protecting valuable business data. > Fourth consecutive BLI Award for Outstanding Cloud Output Management Solution for uniFLOW Online.

March 2022

“We are truly honoured, once again, to be presented with the BLI A3 Line of the Year Award, and the Pick Award for Outstanding Cloud Output Management Solution in recognition of our innovation efforts,” said Mr. K. Bhaskhar, Senior Vice President – BIS Segment, Canon India. “The wins reaffirm Canon’s commitment to delivering reliable devices and practical solutions to businesses operating in these changing times. We will continue to meet the requirements of today’s hybrid work environments by combining the best of our technologies and constant innovation.”

BLI 2022 A3 Line of the Year Award Deemed best overall based on rigorous lab evaluations, Canon’s range of A3 multi-function devices, the imageRUNNER ADVANCE DX series earned the highest overall rating from Keypoint Intelligence. To determine the overall quality of the product line, analysts took into consideration the ratings in many key areas, including reliability and usability. “Canon has assembled an excellent lineup of A3 MFPs that deliver exceptional performance and have the same well-designed touchscreen that boosts productivity even more,” said Pete Emory, Director of Research & Lab Services US/Asia at Keypoint Intelligence. “Not only has Canon won big with multiple BLI Winter 2022 A3 Pick Awards and this BLI 2022 A3 Line of Year Award, the company completed the incredible hat trick by earning the BLI 2022-2024 Most Reliable A3 Brand Award – all during this same awards cycle. It is clear that Canon has an A3 MFP for any customer, and it is also clear that users can rely on Canon A3 MFPs to get the job done accurately and efficiently.”

BLI Outstanding Cloud Output Management Solution Pick Award Recognised as one of the most impressive solutions evaluated by Keypoint Intelligence during the previous 12-month test cycle, Canon’s cloudbased print management solution, uniFLOW Online proved its ability to help businesses track and control print, scan and copy activities from different environments effectively through a single platform in the cloud. Supporting hybrid work environments through frequent updates, uniFLOW Online enables remote and in-office users to work with additional cloud solutions, automate scanning process while protecting valuable business data. “For the fourth time in as many years, Canon’s uniFLOW Online is taking home a BLI Award for Outstanding Cloud Output Management Solution,” said Lee Davis, Associate Director of Software/ Scanners at Keypoint Intelligence. “The solution’s continued success should not come as a surprise, as Canon has been continually upgrading and improving the solution, ensuring that customers have access to the latest output management capabilities available.” Line of the Year Awards salute the companies that provide a broad range of hardware or software and whose products consistently performed above average throughout testing. Other key criteria include ease of use, features, and value, across an entire portfolio for that product area. Buyers Lab Document Imaging Software Picks are hard-earned awards. Each product that passes its Keypoint Intelligence lab test earns a Platinum, Gold, Silver, or Bronze rating, with the best performers qualifying as Pick contenders.

pressideas/ digital

EFI Nozomi C18000 at Modern Ambalaj Modern Ambalaj – Turkey’s largest corrugated packaging producer – sees value in adding singlepass digital printing capabilities. Istanbul-based Modern Ambalaj has installed an EFI Nozomi C18000 Plus single-pass inkjet corrugated packaging printer. Founded in 1997, Modern Ambalaj is Turkey’s largest producer of corrugated packaging, operating out of six factories making approximately 600,000 tonnes of corrugated packaging annually. Modern is continuing to grow, with the Nozomi installation in its Manisa factory helping to increase total production capacity to 800,000 tonnes in 2022. Additional investments at a Modern Ambalaj plant in Turkey’s Sakarya province are expected to further increase the company’s overall annual production capacity to 900,000 tonnes in 2023. With its high quality the EFI Nozomi singlepass system installed in Istanbul delivers the high-volume single-pass inkjet corrugated printing capabilities. The C18000 Plus model of the multiple award-winning digital direct-toboard Nozomi production platform includes a number of enhancements that further expand Modern Ambalaj’s offerings. The newly installed printer reflects Modern Ambalaj’s focus on remaining ahead of trends to help make its customers more successful. “The Turkish corrugated packaging industry needs fast and highquality digital solutions to adopt new market demands,” said Modern Ambalaj General Manager Kubilay Alkan. A key enhancement to the Nozomi C18000 Plus is a transport that provides consistent

throughput at higher speeds and with fewer interruptions, along with a patented vacuum table system that eliminates warping, making the printer even more productive and profitable. The 1.8-metre-wide printer also features an improved inspection system to help users monitor quality and quickly identify inkjet nozzle issues or other defects. Busy shops like Modern Ambalaj also appreciate the Nozomi C18000 Plus printer’s rush proof feature, which can generate and output a proof within 90 seconds while another job is running on the printer.

to its standard CMYK inkset, Modern Ambalaj’s printer features orange, violet and white ink options for an imaging gamut that can reach up to 97% of PANTONE Colors. Modern Ambalaj’s new printer also includes the latest version of the EFI Fiery NZ 1000, an advanced digital front end print server offering significant production advantages, including exceptional colour management and a powerful Smart Ink Estimator feature that accurately analyses image data for more-precise control of ink costs.

Operating at speeds up to 75 linear metres per minute – producing up to 10,000 890x890-mm boards per hour two-up – the printer also features advanced coater options, including a quick-change anilox coater for improved performance. In addition

March 2022

digital printing

Fujifilm’s NEVER STOP 2021 Fujifilm India highlights innovations to resolve social challenges with “NEVER STOP 2021” campaign.

Fujifilm’s “NEVER STOP 2021” brand campaign highlights the company’s commitment towards resolving social challenges-at-large with innovation. A household name in imaging solutions as well as healthcare, Fujifilm India recently launched its “NEVER STOP 2021” brand campaign, which represents the company’s successful transformation from a photographic film manufacturer to a company contributing to the betterment of society with a wide range of business verticals.

A high-speed, highprecision print head that ejects as many as five billion ink particles per second, and unique technology to prevent ink blur; it achieves the same quality as offset printing, including a wider range of colour expression and smoother gradation, which were previously impossible to reproduce with digital printing.

Key Notes : > Fujifilm – a company contributing to the world through a wide range of business fields. > The campaign is a visual representation of Fujifilm’s successful transformation from a photographic film manufacturer. > Highlights Fujifilm’s diverse products and solutions that are contributing to making the world a better place.

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Debuting in 2018 globally, the NEVER STOP campaign was aimed towards raising awareness around Fujifilm’s commitment to achieving sustained corporate growth and to “never stop” building on innovations and expertise. The 2021 edition of the campaign emphasizes on the various divisions of Fujifilm that are helping the world evolve and removing barriers to social growth. The digital film traces Fujifilm’s evolution from being the pioneer of digital imaging to the leader in medical diagnostic solutions and further expanding into document storage solutions for enterprises. The digital film also captures the growth of Fujifilm as a comprehensive healthcare company, highlighting healthcare solutions and innovative technologies such as image processing and AI applications. Fujifilm is working to advance imaging technology with the intention of bringing more richness and colour to everyday life. With the intent to provide

consumers and communities with technologically advanced products which address their needs and lifestyle, Fujifilm’s legacy and innovation in imaging solutions are helping it create ‘value from innovation’ while supporting a ‘sustainable society.’ “Never Stop is not just a campaign for us. Never Stop signifies our commitment to continuously bring values from innovation. Since its inception, Fujifilm has evolved constantly to grow into a brand that resonates with people, delivers innovation, and provide solutions to people. Through our Never Stop Campaign, we want to highlight our long-standing relationship with our consumers and introduce them to our newer technologies and product offerings while strengthening our position as a market disruptor. At Fujifilm, we have endeavored to ‘NEVER STOP’ innovating and improving by providing our consumers with the best-in-class products and services, across verticals,” said Mr. Tribhuwan Joshi, Vertical Head Brand Communication, Public Relations and CSR, Fujifilm India Pvt. Ltd. Talking about the company’s commitment and vision towards a sustainable world, Mr. Koji Wada, Managing Director, Fujifilm India, said, “Fujifilm India has always been at the forefront of healthcare innovation. For us, it has been about celebrating the ‘Never Stop’ spirit of people and inspiring them to learn the possibilities that good healthcare can bring. We want to shape the future of healthcare in India with our leading technologies, equipment and

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Inkjet Technology – Expanding the possibilities in the textile, 3d printing, and printing industries

solutions and this campaign captures the sentiment perfectly. With the launch of this new campaign, we want to further strengthen our commitment to deliver sustainable products, drive social changes and Never Stop Innovating Solutions for a Better World.” The digital film also announces the launch of new offerings from Fujifilm India which are led by Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT). With its cutting-edge innovation in products like Digital Radiography, Endoscopy, Ultrasound and Healthcare IT, the company’s portfolio now includes MRI and CT systems that leverage its imaging technologies which enableearlier detection of disease and support doctors and healthcare professionals to provide quality care. The highlight the innovations made by Fujifilm in various fields to resolve challenges on large scale, the NEVER STOP 2021 campaign will be promoted through print, digital and OOH mediums.

NEVER STOP Imaging With the spread of Covid-19, opportunities for people to interact with each other are decreasing and means of communication are changing. The pandemic has brought about a greater need for enrichment of the heart and mind, and to foster connections between people. As one of the leading companies in the field of photography, Fujifilm continues to communicate the value of photography, connecting hearts and enriching lives. From instant photo systems that allow users to enjoy printing photos on the spot, to high-end digital cameras, it offers products that allow users to experience the power of photography, as well as various opportunities to enjoy photography. It keeps exploring the possibilities of photography to meet the changing needs of the times. In order to develop photographic and imaging culture

and realize an enriched society, Fujifilm aims to continue providing photographic products that evoke emotions, capture and record images, and give shape to memories.

Graphic Systems – Creating excitement through high quality printing In the printing industry, long run jobs using offset printing have been the mainstream, especially commercial and newspaper printing, as information and individual tastes become ever more diversified and personalized, demand for short run printing has increased, and digital printing has continued to evolve to meet this demand. However, digital printing has faced the issue of difficulty in reproducing high quality and faithful colours equivalent to offset printing. Fujifilm’s digital printing presses solve this issue - by utilizing the technology for uniformly applying a photosensitive layer cultivated through the production of photographic film, a high-speed, highprecision print head that ejects as many as five billion ink particles per second, and unique technology to prevent ink blur, it has achieved the same quality as offset printing, including a wider range of colour expression and smoother gradation, which were previously impossible to reproduce with digital printing. In addition to offset printing, it keeps providing a wide range of products, technologies and solutions in digital printing by balancing high quality and cost. Fujifilm says that its mission is to support the creation of as much diverse content as possible, from everyday printed matter to those with valuable historical, cultural, and social value. Its technologies play an indispensable role in these efforts.

Fujifilm’s advanced inkjet technology meets the needs of the growing inkjet printing, graphic, textile and packaging industries, as well as other new technology fields. With the strength to develop printheads, inks and image processing systems Fujifilm delivers high-quality industrial printing by integrating them as one system. Leveraging its many decades of experience and innovation Fujifilm continues to develop inkjet technologies for products and industries such as textile and packaging. Besides, the technologies have the potential to revolutionize and pioneer the futures of a wide range of industries. Fujifilm boasts having the ability to steadily and reliably supply advanced inkjet technologies, along with its ability to develop all aspects of the technologies in-house, from Fujifilm Group inkjet printheads through to inks and image processing systems. Fujifilm’s multifunction printer is the gateway to apply the company’s expertise in both paper and digital documents, enhancing users’ speed and accessibility. Building the future of business environment with its expertise it brings innovation to businesses. Since Fuji Xerox invented the first true Multifunction device in 1987, to the leading document technologies of today, Fujifilm has never stopped applying innovative technology in xerography to further develop the document services sector. Equipped by a robust range of printing technologies and consulting services to help customers identify and solve business issues beyond paper, they are among the leaders in office technology and documents. In the graphic communication domain, which encompasses everything from content production to processing and delivery, Fujifilm provides digital production printers for the commercial print sector as well as printing workflow solutions. The company offers document and workflow solutions tailored to individual industry and operations. By providing system integration and cloud solutions, as well Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) of mission-critical processes, it helps customers streamline business operations, enhance their capabilities, and support flexible work.

March 2022

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The new AccurioPress C7100 and AccurioPress C7090 work smarter, not harder Konica Minolta launches new AccurioPress C7100/C7090 series digital colour presses packed with innovative technologies. Konica Minolta Business Solutions India (Konica Minolta) has introduced the AccurioPress C7100 series digital colour presses packed with innovative technologies to create more profitable business opportunities. From intelligent automation and enhanced finishing to flawless quality, advanced capabilities and exceptional durability, customers have the power to grow their businesses through a press that works smarter. Succeeding the successful AccurioPress C6100 Series, the new AccurioPress C7100 model runs at 100 pages per minute (ppm) with the AccurioPress C7090 at 90ppm. With a focus on optimizing performance, offering new and advanced print products, and growing the entire business, the AccurioPress C7100 series serves more customers and completes more jobs with innovative technologies that power success. “Key to the development of the AccurioPress C7100 and AccurioPress C7090 was building a press that works smarter, not harder, with new technologies geared to provide stability, reliability and productivity to make businesses more profitable,” said Tai Nizawa, Managing Director, Konica Minolta India. “These new models bring the agility that print service providers have come to expect from Konica Minolta, and serve our mission to support our clients’ transformation with opportunities for new revenue sources.” Konica Minolta’s latest Simitri V toner is eco-friendly and formulated for performance. Fast melting, energy efficient and low maintenance, it reproduces superb quality

March 2022

on a wider range of media up to 400 g/ m2. Combined with an output resolution of 3,600 dpi equivalent x 2,400 dpi, outstanding results are achieved from even the longest print runs. With auto-duplex banners up to 900mm and the flexibility to handle embossed and textured media, handling of the machines is so simple that the most complex projects can be run by a single operator For e.g. 4up A4 brochures etc By instantly detecting the precise stock being used, the optional Intelligent Media Sensor IM-101 significantly reduces production time. At the same time, the optional IQ-501 Intelligent Quality Care Unit ensures perfectly consistent colour quality and front-to-back registration on every print in real time. With no recalibrations or inspections mid-run, users benefit from printing image data now directly comparable with scanning data from IQ-501 with real time variable data print (VDP) inspection. It can be inspected for changes in text and images with real time colour and registration adjustment. As with the entire AccurioPress portfolio, a wide range of finishing and other functions are offered, in addition to booklet-making, stapling, perfect binding and wire binding. Konica Minolta’s TU-510, the world’s first inline cutting finisher, successfully introduced with the AccurioPress C14000 high-volume production printer, is available for the AccurioPress C7100 Series. The TU-510 is a four-edge trimmer and creaser that allows full-bleed finishing support for long

sheets, booklets, catalogues, and dedicated business card cutting options. Reliability drives profitability. Among the new technologies built into the engine are a more durable lubricated drum, double corona wires with automatic cleaning, an optimized paper transport solution and a double swing registration system for improved paper compatibility and feeding accuracy. The AccurioPress C7100 Series is designed to support a highly responsive print environment where customers rethink agility and offers a choice of different controller front ends from EFI, CREO and Konica Minolta’s own offering to perfectly match customer requirements. These new models help customers expand and streamline their business and help them transform to meet potential challenges and create solutions.

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Monotech Systems strengthens foothold in TN Installation of Ricoh Pro C5310S at Chennai-based Konika Traders. Konika Traders was inaugurated in the year 1989 in the name of Konica Enterprises and later in the year 1992 they changed their name. It acts as a one-stop solution for colour printing, designing, commercial printing, book printing, and envelope printing. The 1st Production machine they purchased and installed was from Monotech Systems Limited and the model was Konica Minolta 6501. Mr.M.Viswanathan, Proprietor, Konika Traders says, “Ricoh is a Japanese Product, Monotech Systems is my home ground since we have purchased our 1st PP machine from them. When they came up with the Ricoh machine we had faith in them and so we have purchased the 5310S model. I have attended the demo and selected the machine for the sharpness of the print output and quality of the print when compared to other technologies.” “We have an in-house Cutting machine, a Lamination machine, and a copier for meeting the customer requirement. Achieving customer satisfaction and meeting the customer requirement is a major challenge since the customers compare the quality of digital output with the offset results. For Production, we had Konica Minolta 6000, since the agreement for service ended we were looking for a new machine and so

we compared various options and finally decided to go with the Ricoh,” Mr. M. Viswanathan added Built as a right-sized solution, the RICOH Pro C5310S digital production press offers a fusion of vibrant colour, agile media handling,

and a wide range of finishing options. With superior reliability, accurate registration, and intuitive controls, they are ideal for marketing agencies, in-plants, commercial printers, and franchise/pay-for-print environments looking for a total package — in a compact footprint.

Seiko goes live at InPrint Visitors to InPrint taking place from 15 to 17 March in Munich, Germany will see printing from all directions – whether vertical, horizontal or even from below. The Seiko recirculating RC1536 will enable digital inkjet printing from all conceivable print directions at the show. Seiko Instruments is pretty excited at the possibilities and will appear live again at InPrint after a long time and bring exciting integration examples on board. Key highlights include: ideeGO, a machine manufacturer and integrator for inkjet systems, will be there with a prototype

that prints vertically with a print gap between the print head and the substrate of more than 10 mm. With its machine “Backtrack”, People & Technology from Spain impressively demonstrates how easy it is to code and mark from bottom using the RC1536. C-marx, a system integrator from Chemnitz that specialises in the field of additive manufacturing, will show a teaser of what will be unveiled at Seiko´s second OpenWeek in June. A robot arm created in cooperation with the Fraunhofer ENAS Printed Functionalities department that can apply coatings to almost any two and threedimensional substrates.

So, it’s going to be exciting, stop by Seiko’s InPrint stand no. 2764 in hall A4. Seiko Instruments GmbH represents the sister company SII Printek Inc., which manufactures the printheads in Japan, as the point of sale, service and most importantly technical support in the regions of EMEA + Russia + India.

March 2022

It’s another MGI Jetvarnish for Printmart ‘in no time’ After MGI Jetvarnish 3D One installed a couple of months ago, the new-age business model Printmart adds a Jetvarnish 3DS from Konica Minolta and is on a quicker orbit. Atul and Vikas Bhatt had very humble beginnings with the verve and vision to grow at a pace that equaled that of a digital printing machine or surpassed even that! Their father worked for the transport department of Delhi government. Atul, elder of the two brothers is an engineer and had a stint as maintenance engineer with HCL computers which used to sell Konica Minolta production printers in the Indian market around the year 2010. In 2013, Atul along with his close friend Harish Sethia decided to take the plunge into digital printing. They formed Printmart and started operating from the ground floor of their house in Rohini with a Konica Minolta machine which they brought from HCL.

PrintMart aims to further accelerate their existing double-digit growth enabled by the capabilities of their latest addition MGI Jetvarnish and Accuroshine.

Key Notes : > To offer new print applications to its wide customer base and explore new markets.

“Those were amazing times when there used to be a beeline of clients outside, waiting for their turn to get their photocopying job done,” reminiscences Atul. Remember, those were times when photocopying used to be done at much higher than prices today. It was in 2018, five years after Atul & Harish started the business that the younger brother Vikas joined their printing business. Vikas had completed his Masters in Production Engineering in Germany and was working in an MNC. Atul convinced him to join their digital printing business and also guided him astutely during his familiarization with the digital printing process and technical and other aspects of the business. “Atul ji drew the detailed picture of the digital printing business he was already doing. He then explained the business model he was working on. It helped me have a positive feeling about the

new journey,” says Vikas. Also, Vikas was already considering living with the family while working far away in Germany. Therefore, the proposal looked welcome and he expedited the decision to return and join the fast growing business. “The satisfaction of being with my family along with being my own boss all worked together to help me join Atul and Harish,” says Vikas. Printmart had expanded to seven locations – six in Delhi and one in Noida by the time Vikas joined formally though he had been part of the expansion through his active support. “When we expanded to seven branches, it was a great achievement but at the same time, we needed more people who we could trust to run the show. When Vikas joined us, it was a great relief as we knew it would immensely help us to efficiently manage our various facilities,” says Atul. The strength of association of like-minded people in a business is a blessing, according to Atul. “Harish and I as a team always felt the strength of a squad of twenty-two. Vikas’ joining made us a team of thirtythree!” declares a proud brother. The eighth unit of Printmart started on 4th February 2018 in Patparganj. “Thereafter we have been growing at speed of almost four to five new units each year and that too not only in and around Delhi but also in about a radius of 250kms around the capital city,” reveals Vikas.

> The new MGI Jetvarnish 3D One and Accurioshine 101 are perfect compliments for their already installed Konica Minolta digital presses. > Tremendous support from Konica Minolta for earlier installations helps PrintMart decide on the MGI investment.

March 2022

L-R Vikas & Atul Bhatt

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As the units kept growing, the need for value addition was the need of the hour and that is when the exploration led them to MGI

Jetvarnish from Konica Minolta. “Konica Minolta has been a very good partner for us during our entire journey not only for

supporting our entrepreneur blood rush but also in our expansion plans and statistics, I must admit,” asserts Atul. MGI 3D One gave

MGI JetVarnish 3DS ‘Haptic Technology’ lets you simulate touch in a digital environment. Today’s most successful commercial printers are already enhancing their services by using Haptic Technology to offer a more appealing and creative experience. With MGI’s groundbreaking new take on haptic, ‘digital varnish technology’, this more tactile approach to potential customers makes complete commercial sense. Countless print providers nowadays – both offset and digital – offer “just printing” as a standard service. But the visionary players in the market are looking to diversify and enhance their product by creating a new, more appealing printing process. It has always been possible to create special effects such as spot gloss, three-dimensional printing, and a metallic, shiny look. With conventional production methods, however, this was often inefficient and time-consuming – ruling it out as a service, especially for short-run jobs subject to tight deadlines. Now, with new digital varnish technology from MGI, Konica Minolta is helping providers wishing to offer both direct customers and end-users something special, with these value-addition capabilities and at the same time maximise their profits too. The new technology lets one spot coat prints, highlight defined areas and add 3D effects for one’s customers – creating a completely different, tactile experience and vivid print product that’s sure to make their company’s name and reputation stand out from the run-of-the-mill printing crowd. MGI digital technology turns printed jobs into spectacular products that grab and hold customers’ attention and that of their customers in turn. Digital varnish technology is perfectly suited to a wide range of different applications – from books to exclusive business cards, high-end invitations, packaging, POS materials and more. It offers an unrivalled set of features including a full-page scanner, high productivity with single-pass printing, ease of use and more, making the whole commercial

L-R Vikas Bhatt, Atul Bhatt, Pawan Chauhan (Konica Minolta), Jatin Malik

experience a more enjoyable one for your immediate customers. MGI Jetvarnish 3D Technology helps users attract new prospects and realize lucrative market opportunities by providing customers with ultra-precise spot coatings, letting them handle digital or offset originals in long or short runs, and even varying the thickness of their coatings for attractive prints with tangible depth to increase communications impact. This new and exciting technology is interesting for any print provider who is operating toner, offset or print systems, and lets the user add a creative touch to a wide range of applications. Print may be just ink on paper, a product or label, but embellishment transforms it into an experience with a sensory haptic– i.e. tactile – edge over the competition. When customers ‘feel’ raised wording on packaging, they are far more likely to touch it, and even more likely to buy it. Don’t limit yourself to printing documents of irreproachable quality. It’s time to offer your customers high added value and new creativity. JETVARNISH 3DS easily transforms your customers’ impressions into high value-added products that will be simply irresistible. The JETVARNISH 3DS allows you to apply an ultra-precise selective varnish on all your digital prints. Your customers will

discover new visual and sensory effects. You can create a 3D effect on laminated surfaces or directly on toner, thanks to the new varnish formula in combination with Konica Minolta printheads. The variable data option adds personalization capabilities for impactful and innovative communication. You can choose the areas to sublimate and vary the thickness of the varnish. The combination with the iFOIL S in-line hot foil module opens the doors to the hot foil and digital embossing market. From the cover of magazines, books, brochures to labels, invitation cards and packaging, you will be able to offer new services and exceptional services to your customers. The machine delivers speed (in 2D/flatbed mode) of up to 2,298 A3 sheets per hour (with 15 μm) and of up to 1,624 A3 sheets per hour (with 30 μm)( in 3D/embossed mode). Maximum printable width is 35.5cm. Key features include: automatic registration on the fly enabled by its SmartScanner AIS controlled by Artificial Intelligence, scanning each page and correcting on the fly, if necessary, the deposit of the varnish. It can produce complete variable data (text, graphic, image) for spot varnish and gilding areas. Other capabilities include integrated barcode reader (1D / 2D) and optional Raster Image Processor.

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Printmart the taste of success through value addition and we saw the company ordering its second MGI, this time a Jetvarnish 3DS, within no time. “If everything goes well, the third one is also on the cards,” says Vikas. “Printmart today has an enviable edge over any CMYK or CMYK+ printer because of the MGI Jetvarnish machine since it can provide what others cannot,” claims Mr. Pawan Chauhan, IP Business Head (Sales Division) of Konica Minolta. “Of course we are a printer with CMYK capabilities with the KM engines and CMYK+ capabilities with the FujiFilm engine. And now with the value addition of Konica Minolta’s MGI 3DS, we are proud to have inline value addition capabilities and being a complete one-stop-shop for all the

printing needs,” support Vikas and Atul. Digital Printing is all about defining the coming trends and answering the present demands through value addition and ever evolving solutions. “Value addition to a product also adds value to the product and so also adds to the company’s bottom line – the margins,” states Atul. For him, 5-year plans don’t work for their business. “Answering, where Printmart would be in 5 years’ time, is a long call for me. What I can envision would rather be regarding coming 3 to 6 months. I can say that in this much time (3-6 months) I would open a couple of additional units; but 5 years is too long a period to predict much,” declares Vikas. This is surely the new-age business model which

is on a quicker orbit. Another interesting aspect of Printmart is that the trio has been running their business operating from rented premises. “Invest in men and machines rather than shops and buildings; at least we have the option to move to another place in case of an eventuality,” concludes Vikas with a smile. With a 32 crore turnover each month, Printmart with its 27 branches having over thirty five Konica Minolta engines can indeed be a source of inspiration for any printer in the country. The subtle demeanor of the two brothers can be a lesson for many entrepreneurs. The clarity of vision that the brothers hold in their mind can be a reason for envy too.

Kaliswari strengthens post-press with 4th Polar 115 “Like Heidelberg, we always prefer Polar cutting equipment, which is a perfect combination of quality and innovation,” A.P.Selvarajan, Director, Kaliswari Group. Sivakasi-based Kaliswari Group has invested in fourth Polar 115 PF paper cutting equipment in a bid to strengthen its post-press operations. Commenting on the latest installation, A.P. Selvarajan, Director at Kaliswari Group, says, “The new Polar 115 PF cutting equipment will further enhance our commitment towards excellent delivery and just in time services to all our factories in need of labels, wick coverings and wrappers.” The Polar 115 PF is suitable for all standard

cutting jobs. The cutting equipment is best suited for all the offset formats of 70x100 cm. With cutting width up to 115 cm, the intuitive cutting program enhances faster knife changes and shortest makeready times. The Polar’s positioning system comes with mechanical positioning accuracy of 1/1000 mm and renders greater cutting precision. The Polar is highly reliable for everyday production. “Like Heidelberg, we always prefer Polar cutting equipment, which is a perfect

combination of quality and innovation. We used to cut thin paper stock for firework labels and even thin paper stock for cracker wicks with 100% precision, the touch screen operation is more user friendly for our operators,” adds Selvarajan. Kaliswari Group had an amazing run since its inception in 1923 as a match factory. Over the years, the Group grew strength to strength, and soon the company expanded its arms into fireworks. The Kaliswari Group manufactures and sells fireworks under reputed brand name “Cock”. Other than the Pyrotechnic business, the company also owns educational institutions, transportation company, and hotels in Tamil Nadu. The in-house printing division caters to the commercial and packaging needs of the fireworks and other businesses. Today, the Kaliswari group operates more than 30 factories and with an employee-strength of 9,000 plus people.

Mr. A.P. Selvarajan, Director – Kaliswari Group with the brand new Polar 115 cutting equipment.

The nine-decade old print house has a complete display of pre-press, press, and post-press equipment including the Heidelberg Speedmaster CS 92 four-color press installed in 2015, first in India to bolster the printing division. The firm also has three Polar 115 cutting equipment, and Suprasetter A 106 CtP equipment with Prinect software including plate on demand.

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DuPont Cyrel Lightning Plates win 2022 FTA Technical Innovation Award DuPont Cyrel Lightning Plates – Optimized match between access time and plate performance without compromising the print quality. Cyrel Lightning plates by DuPont Cyrel Solutions have received the prestigious 2022 FTA Technical Innovation Award. The award ceremony took place on March 13 during the FTA Forum. “We are deeply honoured to receive this outstanding achievement, which highlights the power of our science to raise the bar on plate performance. The judging process was extremely competitive with a variety of distinctive products being submitted for evaluation, and we’re grateful for this special recognition by our peers,” said Tucker Norton, Global Business Leader at Cyrel Solutions.

The Cyrel Lightning plates challenge this as they were formulated from the ground up with UV-LED exposure characteristics in mind. The Cyrel LSH represents the first photopolymer plate of the Lightning family. It is solvent processable and currently available in 045 and 067 gauges.

The new Cyrel Lightning plate family is optimized for UV-LED exposure units to make full use of this system’s capabilities. The benefits of the plates include a further optimized match between access time and plate performance, while not compromising the print quality. Previously, exposure settings on LED units often had to be adjusted for either higher quality or shorter access time.

• •

During the FTA Forum 2022, DuPont team members also gave four technical presentations: •

•

‘Optimizing ink laydown with flexographic plate technologies’ – Scott Rickard ‘How do I fix it?’ – PJ Fronczkiewicz ‘Plate life indicator project’ – PJ Fronczkiewicz ‘Tips and tools for improved print performance’ – James Kulhanek

Additionally, Brad Gasque was session chair at ‘Improving print quality through optimization’ during Forum, and also

participated at INFOFLEX Innovation Central presenting ‘Lightning plates – the benefits seen in real applications’. “We are proud that DuPont is again a Diamond sponsor of the FTA Forum. Both the Forum and INFOFLEX provide a great opportunity to meet people, learn and share experiences, explore new technologies and find innovative solutions. DuPont has always valued the contribution of these events to the flexography industry, which is aligned to our commitment to developing innovative solutions for our customers to thrive,” added Tucker Norton. FTA’s Forum 2022 was held from March 13 to 16 at Fort Worth – Texas (USA).

Siegwerk India partners with Centre for CSR & Sustainability Excellence to restore pond in Tijara (Rajasthan, India) Siegwerk India and Centre for CSR & Sustainability Excellence (CCSE), a non-profit organization, partnered for the implementation and management of Siegwerk’s CSR and sustainability initiative. The program envisions conservation, development and sustainable management of natural water resources in the Tijara block of Alwar district in Rajasthan. The majority of the community living in the targeted region depend on agriculture and its allied sectors as their primary source for livelihood. However, the region is semi-arid and experiences erratic rainfall. The project aims to address the issue of water scarcity in the region by restoring a pond situated in the Dhaki village within the district. The project consists of three stages - restoration of the pond, plantation of trees and clearing the areas around the pond. CCSE, as part of the partnership with Siegwerk India, will monitor and manage the project implementation, community mobilization and outreach on-

ground with the help of the local community. Mr. Ramakrishna Karanth, CEO Siegwerk India Region said, “At Siegwerk, we have articulated a clear sustainability journey for the improvement of ecological and social performances. Our CSR vision of sustainable development is a strategic priority which requires supportive commitment through such partnerships and bold decisions to drive change. Through this project, Siegwerk aims to empower the local community and steer socio-economic progress in the village of Dhaki”. On the occasion of World Water Day on 22nd March 2022, Siegwerk India and CCSE, jointly organized a community sensitization event in Dhaki village. The event aimed to raise awareness about water conservation and the key role of rural communities in it. During the course of the event, the impending threat of a global water crisis was

highlighted, and the villagers were urged to commit to conservation, development and sustainable management of their natural water resources. The event was conducted in the government school of Dhaki village and witnessed enthusiastic participation from the school principal, teachers, members of the Panchayat, key leaders of the village, and school students.

March 2022

PrintMart adds digital embellishment capabilities with MGI Jetvarnish 3D One Customized print products digital specialist PrintMart installs MGI Jetvarnish and Accuroshine 101 from Konica Minolta. PrintMart is one of the leading names in online printed product services. The company has been providing a versatile range of customized printing solutions to customers across the country. The solutions are not only customized to individual needs but are also available at attractive price point along with the possibility of an easy to use online product designer so that anyone can get a product selected by them and made according to their choice. There is a wide range of products to choose from, like T-shirts, Mugs, Caps, Pillows, Key Chains, Photo Frames and a whole lot of Gift Products, all with the option of customized printing.

PrintMart aims to further accelerate their existing double-digit growth enabled by the capabilities of their latest addition MGI Jetvarnish and Accuroshine.

The Delhi-based digital print specialist has recently installed an MGI Jetvarnish 3D One along with an Accurioshine 101. “We wanted to offer new print applications to our existing customers and new prospects. Hence, we went with the MGI technology, a domain-leading brand in digital embellishment,” says Atul Bhatt, PrintMart, speaking about their latest installation. With a range of high-end machine equipping their set-up, PrintMart boasts colour and mono digital print

machines from Konica Minolta ably complimented by MGI machine for digital embellishment. There are others dedicated for various finishing works like lamination, cutting, binding and cutting. The state-of-the-art infrastructure provides PrintMart a distinct edge whether it is in brochure printing or visiting cards, labels, short run packaging, banners or educational books. Calling the recent MGI as their major milestone, Atul says, “We have been adding new print facilities every year to expand our business. We have also been growing our print volume, especially during the pandemic. We consider MGI installation as a major milestone.” “The new installation of MGI Jetvarnish 3D One and Accurioshine 101 compliments our earlier installed digital presses from Konica Minolta,” continues Atul. Now, they are able to provide more print applications to the market. “We have added new business segments like Cosmetics, Perfume, etc. Also, with new customers, we are getting more print jobs on our digital presses. It won’t be an exaggeration if I say our new growth avenues have been made possible

Key Notes : > To offer new print applications to its wide customer base and explore new markets. > The new MGI Jetvarnish 3D One and Accurioshine 101 are perfect compliments for their already installed Konica Minolta digital presses. > Tremendous support from Konica Minolta for earlier installations helps PrintMart decide on the MGI investment.

March 2022

Atul Bhatt, Partner in PrintMart

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only because of the latest MGI installation,” asserts Atul. “We have always received tremendous support from Konica Minolta for our earlier installations, which has helped decide on MGI investment. We did consider a few other options but finally went for the best – the MGI,” he is all praises for MGI and Konica Minolta. MGI Jetvarnish 3D One is a feature packed embellishment workhorse offering high productivity with single pass printing. The digital high-end embellishment device delivers speed up to 2077 A3 sheets per hour and combines UV inkjet technology with Konica Minolta’s drop on demand piezoelectric print heads for high quality. The AIS smart scanner ensures automated sheet to sheet registration and intuitive software suite allows users to follow jobs, manage job queue, create job tickets, recall reprints and adjust AIS scanner in one simple and self-explaining tool. In addition it offer variable varnish thickness between 21 and 116 micron for 2D and 3D tactile effects in one single pass, and eco-friendly in line LED dryer for an ozone free environment. Accurioshine 101 is offline equipment that is supplied in combination with Jetvarnish 3D One for applying foil on the prints. Accurioshine 101 delivers embellishments that will make printed pieces more eye grabbing and undeniably effective, from a digital foiling perspective. High quality, precise embellishments on an easy to use device with low operation costs are just some of the features that highlight the value that is added by the AccurioShine 101 to any business. “Earlier, our main focus was to generate business through print brokers. But with MGI installation, we shall start targeting corporate customers,” says Atul.

addition of new sites we would like to grow further,” informs Atul. They plan to expand their colour printing gamut further enabled by their latest MGI. “MGI at PrintMart will be used to grow direct business with end users because it has more margins,” says Atul when asked about their plan to catch more outside markets. He sees the recent Covid period as an opportunity for them to transform. “COVID-19 pushed us to transform from traditional analog to digital. So, clearly, the pandemic has improved our business!” he declares. They have been recording a double-digit growth on a YOY basis. Atul aims to further accelerate this growth with the addition of their latest MGI. “Print applications like UV and foil on MGI would attract end customers to the product of consumer marketing companies. As the business of users grows, MGI print volume would also increase,” says Atul seeing ahead. He sees both MGI Jetvarnish 3D One and Accurioshine 101 as better suited brands for

Indian customers because of their ease of use in transforming traditional technologies into modern ones in sync with evolving customer needs. “All this makes MGI the ideal machine for the Indian market,” he recommends. Appreciating Konica Minolta support, Atul tells that the support has always been excellent. “This was one of the most important deciding factors for choosing the MGI brand,” he confirms. “We are very excited about the new MGI installation, and plan to expand our business to direct corporate customers in near future with the increased capabilities. With Konica Minolta’s support, we would like to grow in new business verticals like Cosmetics, food, Perfume and luxury packaging segments,” concludes Atul. He sees a sizeable market for embellishment prints which he plans to tap and strengthen their business further, thanks to their new MGI Jetvarnish 3D One and Accurioshine 101. Atul also plans to invest in more new equipment and hopes it would around March end for new Financial Year.

What puts MGI Jetvarnish above competitive products is its Artificial Intelligent scanning system which allows registration accuracy in every print undertaken on MGI. This saves cost and time and ensures high print quality with accuracy. PrintMart usually prints about 85 percent colour jobs as compared to monochrome which stands around 15%. “We have done 4.5 million A3 clicks in December and with

March 2022

A Sustainable View of Packaging in 2022 and Beyond The industry is shifting the way we think about packaging. There are many aspects of what we used to think of as normal life that have been irreversibly changed by two factors: the pandemic and the climate crisis. And the packaging industry is not immune to these changing dynamics.

Even during Covid-19 pandemic, GHG emissions did not decrease greatly and are increasing again. The difficulty of resolving the issue of climate change, and the need to accelerate relevant efforts is a key driver in Asahi Kasei’s increased drive toward attaining carbon neutrality status in all of its operations by 2050.

Key Notes : > Brands are turning to packaging converters for greener packaging options. > Converters are looking for ways to incorporate more sustainable materials and practices into their processes. > The ultimate goal is to achieve sustainability across the supply chain.

March 2022

That being said, the industry – across the entire supply chain from raw materials suppliers to manufacturers, brands and consumers – is shifting the way we think about packaging. In 2018, the EU passed Directive (EU) 2018/852 for packaging waste which states that by end of 2025, a total of 65% of all packaging waste should be recycled. Consumers are beginning to demand less product packaging that is more sustainable yet can still adequately protect products. Brands are responding to these demands – and to their own sustainability goals – by turning to packaging converters for greener packaging options. And converters, in turn, are looking for ways to incorporate more sustainable materials and practices into their product development, manufacturing and distribution processes. The ultimate goal is to achieve sustainability across the supply chain. But achievement of this goal is not necessarily in line with corporate cost savings goals. In order to improve sustainability, investments must be made. And consumers need to be educated about the value of more sustainable product packaging and be willing to pay a premium for it.

Sustainability: A Goal Worth Pursuing Due to both consumer demand and climate crisis pressures, we see that sustainable efforts are becoming increasingly important to brands. To achieve a low carbon impact, brands must engage the entire supply chain for a life cycle assessment of the carbon footprint for each of their products. To the extent that other stakeholders across the supply chain have measured their carbon footprint in accordance with PAS 2050, the brands can actually apply those CO2 emission calculations to their own footprint. Thus, brands should be looking for suppliers who are pursuing a carbon measured strategy or whose products/materials have already been measured. Asahi Photoproducts is on the path to studying carbon neutrality. Having met PAS 2050 standards for measuring our current state, we continue to evaluate the possibility to reduce our product carbon impact for our next generation AWP-DEW CleanPrint waterwashable flexographic plates.

A Heritage of Sustainability Our move to bring more sustainable products to market did not start during the pandemic. Rather, we have been working toward this goal for half a century, even though the terminology for the various aspects of sustainability has changed many times over those years. Asahi Kasei was in fact the first manufacturer

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of a water washable liquid photopolymer plate resin (APRTM) in 1971. For many years, our parent company Asahi Kasei has recognized that climate change is a serious global issue, impacting both the natural environment and society as a whole. Its group mission has been, and continues to be, to contribute to life and living for people around the world. Even when much of the world’s economic and social activity was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions did not decrease greatly, and emissions began increasing again when economic and social activity resumed. This is one indication of the difficulty of resolving the issue of climate change, and the need to accelerate relevant efforts. It is a key driver in Asahi Kasei’s increased drive toward attaining carbon neutrality status in all of its operations by 2050. For Asahi Photoproducts, an early and key aspect of our drive toward delivering products in harmony with the environment includes moving from a hydrocarbon-based solvent wash platemaking process to a nonVOC based alternative such as water wash. But, of course, we are not stopping there as we continue our journey to a carbon neutral status. We will also continue to study our raw material and manufacturing processes to determine how that might fit into our future development efforts. It is also important to note that with the improved quality and productivity flexographic printing technology has achieved over the years with innovations such as Asahi’s CleanPrint family of water wash plates, flexo is well positioned to compete with both offset and rotogravure printing. It should be noted that rotogravure accounts for about 20% of packaging printing worldwide, but has a key disadvantage: It requires the use of a highly toxic chemical, Chromium trioxide, for manufacturing rotogravure cylinders. While the European Union has extended its approval for the use of this chemical through September

2024, that does not diminish its impact on rotogravure’s carbon footprint. It’s just one of the components of the rotogravure process that makes it significantly less sustainable than flexography, especially using solventless production of the plates.

Packaged versus Fresh There is another trend that is important to mention, and that is the growth of what is known as “Zero Waste Shops” selling unpacked food stuffs. While this approach is admirable in reducing packaging waste at a local level, it may not be able to solve the food waste problem on a larger scale. Food waste is a significant problem globally, and in many areas of the world, food security is a growing issue. Packaged food, on the other hand, especially if packaging material can be reused as a new raw material in a closed loop circular economy, can actually be more sustainable. Using lightweight functional barrier films in packaging to prevent moisture, oxygen and contaminants from food contact can vastly improve food shelf life and reduce food waste. In the end, nonpackaged food on a large scale likely results in more spoiled food, actually wasting this valuable resource. Not everything needs to be packaged, of course. But there is value in a smart hybrid model for retail food that can minimize waste and maximize sustainability.

A Final Note For flexographic operations, in addition to careful supply chain management, efforts toward carbon neutrality, and other sustainability initiatives, we see three growing trends that can help these operations be not only more sustainable, but also more profitable in 2022 and beyond. These include: •

More automated platemaking which reduces time, cost and carbon footprint in the value chain. An example is Crystal Clean Connect, a fully automated platemaking line jointly developed by Asahi and ESKO and Kongsberg. The

•

first two units have been installed in Asia and are delivering terrific results. This fully automated platemaking system has a direct and positive impact on the sustainability of flexo platemaking and encourages converters to make the shift from rotogravure to flexo. In-house platemaking at the converter site. As more automation is introduced into the platemaking process, it becomes easier, more efficient and more sustainable to bring platemaking in-house. A side benefit is that plate production times can be reduced from days to hours. Transitioning away from a hydrocarbonbased solvent wash platemaking process to non-VOC based alternatives such as water-wash.

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that life is not as predictable as we may have thought. And it is absolutely clear that the world has truly changed, even beyond the threats posed by the coronavirus. We must come together to address these challenges in a meaningful way, and Asahi Photoproducts is determined to be a leader in these efforts, especially as it relates to sustainability. In the past one to two years, there has been a marked increase in awareness regarding problems of greenhouse gases, plastic waste, food waste and other issues related to achieving harmony between the development of human society and the global environment. No one individual, company or government can single-handedly cure the climate crisis. It takes universal, global collaboration and cooperation to get the world to a point where climate deterioration is eased. Asahi Photoproducts is proud to be a contributor to this worldwide effort.

- By Dieter Niederstadt, Technical Marketing Manager, Asahi Photoproducts

March 2022

Heidelberg presents printed electronics at LOPEC Heidelberg presents printed electronics for the automotive industry at the LOPEC trade show. Heidelberg is presenting innovative applications for the automotive industry at LOPEC, the international trade show for flexible, organic and printed electronics. Together with Heidelberg’s InnovationLab, the company will be presenting printed sensors for battery monitoring and RECARO car seats at the end of March. Heidelberg had already set up its own business unit for the industrial development, manufacture, and sale of printed electronics for this growth market and also established production at the Wiesloch-Walldorf site. In the future, electronic components and sensors for digital applications, particularly from the healthcare and logistics sectors, as well as retail, or the automotive industry, will be produced here using state-of-the-art printing technology.

Using a car seat developed with RECARO Automotive GmbH, visitors can see how pressure sensor foils can detect occupants and distinguish them from other objects.

Key Notes : > Printed sensors for battery monitoring and RECARO car seats. > Innovative applications improve safety, comfort and range of electric vehicles. > Sensors are drivers of digitalization industrywide.

March 2022

“The market for printed electronics, especially for sensors, is a future field for Heidelberg,” said Rainer Hundsdörfer, Heidelberg CEO. “With the solutions presented for the automotive industry, we have good opportunities to further expand our business in this segment. We see growth opportunities for us as an operator in the production of high-tech sensors in the two to three-digit million euro range.” Using a car seat developed with RECARO Automotive GmbH, visitors can see how pressure sensor foils can detect occupants and distinguish them from other objects. The information obtained can be used for driver assistance and safety systems, such as reminders to fasten seat belts and deactivation of the airbag when a child seat is detected. The sensor matrix presented also makes it possible to determine which seat position passengers are occupying. This will be particularly important in (partially) autonomous driving for triggering safety systems, as the driver’s position will become much more variable.

Printed sensors for battery cell level data acquisition and range extension of electric vehicles.

ultra-thin pressure and temperature sensors can capture spatially resolved data from individual battery cells that can extend battery life by up to 40%. Printed sensor films are thin enough to fit between individual battery cells and capture detailed pressure and temperature data. This cell-level information provides valuable insights into battery health and performance, helping research and development teams improve their battery designs – including for extending the driving range of electric vehicles. “With the industrial production of sensor-equipped functional films, Heidelberg is opening up a new playing field for digital business models. Each square meter of the film is equipped with up to one million sensors that register the smallest changes in pressure, temperature, or humidity. The data obtained in this way is then processed using AI algorithms

An innovative battery monitoring solution will also be presented. Printed, Heidelberg production of printed electronics at the Wiesloch-Walldorf site.

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and delivers information quality that goes beyond discrete measured variables,” said Dr. Michael Kröger, Managing Director of Heidelberg Printed Electronics GmbH. “In the process, the entire sensor technology is printed in a single pass - including all

conductive tracks, sensors and the interface to digital end devices.”

together with the InnovationLab at booth B0.510.

The LOPEC trade show will be held in Munich from March 22 to 24, 2022. Heidelberg will be exhibiting its range of products and services

In addition, the CEO, Rainer Hundsdörfer, will give a keynote speech at the congress taking place at the same time.

FINAT releases programme for European Label Forum 2022 Executive Summit to address critical issues facing the European label community. FINAT, the European label industry association, has released the programme for its seventh European Label Forum, and its 64th annual conference overall. The event will be held from 1-3 June at the Grand Hotel Dino in Baveno, along the borders of Lago Maggiore (Italy). The 2022 edition of the ‘ELF’ is FINAT’s first live event since June 2019, when Copenhagen hosted the event. The 2020 edition had to be cancelled, while the ELF 2021 had to take place entirely online due to the Covid19 Pandemic. FINAT Managing Director Jules Lejeune is very pleased that FINAT’s flagship event is now back on the road. “Since we launched the new conference format in 2015, the European Label Forum has developed into THE annual executive summit for the European label community, where business leaders from the value chain gather to network, learn and engage in dialogue on matters of strategic importance to the industry.”

Opportunity to reconnect in person “A lot has changed since the Pandemic in the way organisations connect, communicate and collaborate, and FINAT is no exception. But one thing hasn’t changed, and that’s the need for in-person contact to establish and maintain connections, build relationships and develop a mutual understanding. Without networking, informal discussions and non-

verbal communication, the world will always remain a passive 2D experience. After 3 years of forced inactivity, our members are desperate to meet each other again and renew their contacts with peers from around Europe, especially now that Labelexpo Europe has been postponed. We have made sure to select a venue that has proven to provide the right setting to create the conditions for positive business dynamics.”

Critical issues and opportunities facing the label industry The ELF 2022 comes at a time when the European label industry is facing crucial challenges, both in the short and mediumterm. In the early months of the Pandemic back in 2020, the label industry passed the ‘stress test’ of excess demand (for critical products in food, personal care and medical products), combined with disruptions in raw materials supply and workforce availability. In 2021, the sector peaked again, this time because of the rapid economic recovery following the Covid recession. And now, in 2022, the sector is facing an unprecedented ‘perfect storm’ of shortages of components, raw materials and consumables, compounded by local strikes; shortages of skilled labour and talent ready for the digital transformation; accelerated consolidation combined with abundant capital availability and succession challenges; opportunities and challenges associated with changing consumer behaviour and e-commerce; the

challenges of Industry 4.0 and Big Data; the EU Green Deal and its associated tsunami of legislation, regulations and industry guidelines to advance the transition towards the Circular Economy; and, since the end of February, the global political and economic uncertainty associated with the war in Ukraine. Compared to previous editions, this year’s programme brings together no less than six expert panels and numerous expert presentations addressing the above topics and more. Of course, these formats allow for maximum interaction and exchange for all participants. FINAT President Philippe Voet concludes: “The primary role of FINAT has always been to provide a meeting platform for members and to support members by addressing matters that cannot be tackled individually. We are at a crucial turning point, and our industry has to stand together and leverage our collective know-how and expertise and navigate the future of labels. If there was ever a reason to attend the European Label Forum, it is in June 2022. I look forward to seeing everyone in Baveno.”

March 2022

Koenig & Bauer Durst’s third SPC Open House Converters from across mainland Europe were welcomed to the Durst Innovation Center East in Lienz, Austria. Introducing paper weight reductions to reduce costs and consumption are powerful arguments for converters to continue to shift production towards digital packaging, particularly double-digit price rises hitting companies in the past few months. Converters from across mainland Europe were welcomed to the Durst Innovation Center East in Lienz, Austria, for an event described as a ‘real eyeopener’ by Robert Posch, Operations Manager at Rondo Ganahl in St. Ruprecht, which is experiencing annual growth in digital volumes of between 25-30% a year. Rondo has never looked back since becoming one of the early adopters of the Delta SPC 130 single pass press from Koenig & Bauer Durst.

Paper prices and shortages, varnishing topics and how brands are driving digital production forward in corrugated markets were all among headline topics in Koenig & Bauer Durst’s third SPC Open House.

“Run lengths are getting smaller and smaller. The world is changing to digital production – there is no doubt about that,” said Mr Posch. “Right from the beginning, we started moving shorter existing runs from offset and flexo to digital printing, which has had many benefits. First, it is easy to print on uncoated paper, and it is also possible to run 80 to 120 linear metres a minute – with no scratches. There are no quality challenges or defects at all with production jobs run on our Delta SPC 130. We find that uncoated media works better for us in digital than flexo, and we need no primer.”

Mr Posch added: “The decision to print digitally is based on speed, more precisely the cycle time through the plant, because brands increasingly need to get products to the markets quicker, as opposed to waiting 7 to 14 days with conventional production. Our target is always to be with the customer within one week, often it is even within only a few days. An example of customers benefiting from digital corrugated board production is our long-running, exclusive partnership with Lindt Sprüngli for its seasonally varying displays in Austria.” Robert Stabler, Managing Director of Koenig & Bauer Durst, said: “It was a privilege to be able to discuss with converters firsthand the challenges they are facing with paper shortages, price increases and potential mitigation strategies. The level of paper price increases would have been unimaginable two years ago, with one converter experiencing a 15 to 20% price increase since December last year.” “The other major insight for me from our SPC Open House is that with a totally non-crush process, top feeding of boards, ink jetted primer, inkjet printing and no overprint varnish (OPV) required, converters believe they can reduce topliner paper weight with the digital process on our Delta SPC 130 single pass press for corrugated markets.”

Key Notes : > Corrugated markets ripe for digital production. > Sustainability requirements together with paper prices and shortages are powerful arguments for change. > Brand owner insights helping to shape future direction of packaging.

March 2022

The Durst Innovation Center East in Lienz – venue for the SPC Open House

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Mr Stabler added: “Digital printing, in essence only printing what you want, when you need it, has always been a technology with strong sustainability credentials and an opportunity to reduce paper consumption. Now adding paper weight reductions to further lower cost and consumption is very powerful.” Koenig & Bauer Durst’s next SPC Open House in Lienz on 12 May 2022 will also feature customer experiences and a forum debate. Koenig & Bauer Durst is a young company in the digital printing systems market. The two parent companies Koenig & Bauer and Durst Phototechnik each hold 50 percent of the shares in the joint venture founded in 2019. The company develops, manufactures and markets single-pass digital printing presses for folding box and corrugated board production. It brings together the technological focus and market expertise of the two parent companies - both in the development of digital printing systems and in mechanical and plant engineering. Rondo Ganahl AG, headquartered in Frastanz (Vorarlberg, Austria), specialises

The panelists – Rondo Ganahl’s Robert Posch (left), Robert Stabler and Wolfgang Knotz, Head of Development Department, Durst Lienz

in recycling waste paper, the production of corrugated board base paper, individual corrugated board packaging and moulded pulp. The roots of the traditional Austrian family business go back to 1797. Rondo currently employs more than 1,700 people at several locations in Austria (Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Styria) as well as in Germany, Hungary,

Romania and Turkey. The company promotes the considerate use of resources and, therefore, also collects, sorts and presses waste paper and cardboard as raw material for its own corrugated board base papers. This is how Rondo manages to close the recycling chain within the group of companies.

Durst Expo 2022 to happen on April 26-29 Durst Group invites guests to Durst Expo 2022: Label - an international inhouse event from April 26-29, 2022, at Durst headquarters, Brixen, Italy. Global Inkjet label printing solutions provider Durst Group together with AB Graphics, Actega, Avery Dennison, Fedrigoni, OMET, UPM Raflatac and many other leading companies has invited guests to an international in-house event from April 26 to 29 at Durst headquarters. Converters, press representatives and those interested in high-quality label production will have the opportunity to experience the latest innovations from participating companies as well as the Tau RSC printer portfolio. “After the cancellation of Labelexpo Europe 2022, we immediately agreed to still offer our existing and future customers the opportunity to experience live the full range of our globally well-established label printing solutions and all innovations during this time. That’s why we are organizing Durst Expo 2022: Label together with many industry-

leading companies at Durst’s headquarters in Brixen, Italy,” said Martin Leitner, Durst Product Manager Label & Flexible Packaging. Over three and a half days, the event will feature a varied programme of Tau RSC live demonstrations, panel discussions, inspiring keynote speeches and presentations from participating companies and customers. The Italian coffee bar at the Durst Lounge also provides a setting for an intense exchange of ideas in a relaxed atmosphere.

“The event is open to all label converters from around the world. We look forward to meeting you in the beautiful city of Brixen,” adds Thomas Macina, Global Sales Director Label & Flexible Packaging.

Since the best ideas and projects are often born out of the box, guided e-bike tours into the surrounding mountains and guided tours through the historic city center of Brixen with tastings of regional products round off the program.

March 2022

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Paper crisis can have severe repercussions for all economic markets: Intergraf Shortage of paper causes chaos among printers and their customers. Intergraf warns that the current paper crisis will be further aggravated with severe repercussions in the supply of print products for all economic markets. This constitutes a threat not only to the graphic industry but endangers its support function for all sectors and the much needed rebound of the European economy. The graphic industry experiences a paper supply shortage it has never experienced before. The print industry with its manifold products serves citizens and businesses throughout Europe every day. We produce schoolbooks, labels for food or pharmaceutical products, advertising, packaging of all kinds as well as printed media such as books, magazines and newspapers. The continuous supply of these products is in real danger. For over 6 months, the sector is experiencing an unprecedented crisis. Paper prices have been registered a growth rate of 45% on average in the last 6 months, even up to 80% for newsprint paper used to produce newspapers. These soaring prices, mainly due to increasing energy costs, are now accompanied by a major shortage of paper and board across Europe. The lack of paper and board will shortly have major implication for the European economy as vital products like food, medicines but also newspapers and schoolbooks face supply chain disruptions. The recent and still ongoing strike in Nordic paper mills – now set to last until the end of March or even April- aggravates the situation for the supply of paper and board in Europe in the very short term. The stocks of printing companies will not last until the strike has been settled. The current war in the Ukraine will have impacts not only on the energy prices, but also on the supply of wood and pulp for European paper makers. This will further tighten supplies in the middle to long term, which are a major concern for the future of our industry.

March 2022

The combined effects of a reduction in graphic paper capacities in Europe (in the last 5 years (2016-2021), a total of 25.8% of European graphic paper capacity closed), the reduced availability of recovered paper and the increased competition for wood fibres from several other sectors like construction, textile, or energy, are creating uncertainty for the continuous supply of wood fibres for European sectors. While the European printing industry acknowledges that we all have little influence on several of these factors, there are some concrete actions that can be taken by involved economic operators and authorities. We therefore call for: •

•

an immediate stop or a significant reduction of exports of pulp and paper to third countries to safeguard the autonomy of Europe’s printing and publishing industries. in the short term, that both sides involved in ongoing strike in Nordic paper mills find a common path towards a solution to guarantee the availability of necessary paper and board on the European market.

•

in the longer term, securing of a European autonomy on wood, pulp and paper supplies for all economic sectors, by ensuring a sufficient supply of raw material and production capacity in Europe.

The European printing industry supports all economic activities with their products, be it for information, news, entertainment, education, advertising or packaging. Print plays a huge role in everyday life – so much so that it is frequently overlooked. Our sector supplies the packaging for goods at the supermarket, the books, newspapers and magazines we read as well as the boxes our digitally ordered food, clothing, gadgets and much more are packaged in. These products are produced by 112,000 printing companies all over Europe that employ 640,000 people and generate a turnover of 82 billion EUR (EU27 + UK, Switzerland, and Norway). The industry throughout Europe consists mainly of small enterprises, as 90% of them employ fewer than 20 persons. Intergraf is a Brussels-based European printing industry umbrella association with 20 members in 19 countries.

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eProductivity Software makes its EMEA debut ePS showcases Escada corrugated control system at CCE International Corrugated Exhibition. eProductivity Software (ePS), formerly the Productivity Software business unit of EFI, made its EMEA debut at CCE International Corrugated Exhibition. The fifth CCE International exhibition for the corrugated and folding carton industry took place in Munich, Germany, March 14- 17, 2022. ePS showcased its Escada corrugated control system, end-to-end Corrugated Suite that includes both transformational technology and powerful industry-enabling point solutions. Visitors were able to engage ePS industry experts to learn about the new features of the Escada corrugator control systems, such as the eagerly anticipated Smart Setpoint’ Process Control extension. This revolutionary corrugator process set points management system automatically selects the best process recipes and configurations based on multiple predefined factors to manufacture the best quality corrugated board.

In addition, ePS showcased its latest improvements in the Corrugated Packaging Suite. The suite offers a range of highly flexible, modular software solutions that optimize corrugator efficiency and converting performance while reducing paper waste throughout the entire converting and manufacturing process. Rounding out the ePS Corrugated ecosystem is the industry-enabling data collection point solution, Auto-Count 4D. AC4D empowers corrugated businesses to make timely, data-driven, cost-effective decisions that can result in faster speeds, greater accuracy, and higher quality—anytime, anywhere, and from any device. The open technology of ePS point solutions are designed to meet the unique needs of corrugators while seamlessly integrating with existing technology- regardless of what Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution the company uses.

Aleks Zlatic, General Manager for Packaging at ePS notes, “We are extremely excited to be at CCE as an independent company. This next chapter in our journey allows us to accelerate investments in developing transformational technology that will empower our customers and the entire industry. These past few years have taught us that to succeed in unpredictable conditions, your technology roadmap must be agile, scalable, and future proof.” They showcased their end-to-end corrugated solutions in Munich.

Highcon Euclid 5C at Box Genie Box Genie introduces Highcon to support its growing e-commerce platform for corrugated packaging. Box Genie, an on-demand e-commerce platform for corrugated packaging, has begun full production on the Highcon Euclid 5C digital converting system. The Highcon Euclid is installed at the Box Genie’s facility in Kansas City, MO to support a complete digital workflow from print to finished product. After less than two weeks following installation, Box Genie has already started full production. Box Genie, founded by a third-generation family-owned packaging manufacturer, began production in 2021 as an e-commerce packaging provider specializing in corrugated packaging for small to medium size businesses. The company specializes in custom mailer boxes of varying shapes, colors, sizes, and designs. Box Genie chose the Highcon for its ability to reduce tooling costs and shorten lead times without sacrificing quality. “Box Genie was particularly interested in

shortening lead-times to better serve small-to mid-size orders and meet our customers’ needs for custom boxes,” said James Beard, COO Box Genie.” Highcon digital finishing allows us to increase throughput and cutting capacity as well as the ability to run custom boxes and displays and gang multiple jobs to improve efficiency.” In addition to expanding its capacity, Beard said that Box Genie expects to be able to go after new business as a result of the purchase. “We bought the Highcon because we wanted more capacity and shorter lead times,” he added. “We were very pleased with the Highcon installation process and the dedicated onboard and training staff.”

of whom are experiencing the benefits of adding Highcon digital converting to their production capabilities. Streamlining the workflow and optimizing production with an end-to-end digital manufacturing process helps our clients stay ahead of the competition while adding incremental value to their customers. Box Genie is joining a growing group of customers that are leading the Web to Pack market transformation.” The Highcon Euclid installed at the Box Genie’s facility in Kansas City, MO supports a complete digital workflow from print to finished product.

Highcon General Manager and VP Sales, Americas, Michael Ciaramella, said, “It is our pleasure to welcome Box Genie to the ranks of our innovative customers, many

March 2022

signage printing

Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Electronics and IT and Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State in Electronics and IT release “National Strategy on Additive Manufacturing” To cater next-generation digital manufacturing and mitigate immediate disabilities of local industries, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology, Communications & Railways and Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship released a “National Strategy on Additive Manufacturing” on Thursday 24th February 2022. Shri Ajay Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) and Shri Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Departments of Industry & Commerce and Information Technology, Telangana Government attended the event along with senior officials from MeitY. On this occasion Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology, Communications & Railways, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, stated, “We have taken some very clearly defined goals in this strategy and I think that this is a very important characteristic of many programmes which have been defined in the last seven years. We are targeting 50 India specific technologies, 100 new start-ups, 500 products, 10 existing & new manufacturing sectors & 1 Lakh new skilled manpower. With this kind of goal-making approach & collaboration among Centre, State, Industry & other stakeholders, I am sure that we will achieve a lot of success through this policy. My colleague, Mr. Chandrashekar is also holding the portfolio for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship & is doing a fantastic work there, which brings synergies between the two ministries.” Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar stated, “I am pleased that after several public consultations, consultation with stakeholders & internal discussions within the ministry, we are going to launch this very important

March 2022

document, which I believe is a leap into a very strategic area for the nation & indeed the economy, which is Additive Manufacturing. Manufacturing sector is an important part of our Prime Minister’s vision for $1 trillion Digital Economy. Additive Manufacturing is next generation of digital manufacturing allows the intersection of Computing Electronics, Imaging & the emerging areas of Artificial Intelligence, Pattern Recognition & will create Intellectual Property & export opportunities. Next wave of startups will emerge in this area”. Additive Manufacturing (AM) has immense potential to revolutionize India’s manufacturing and industrial production landscape through digital processes, communication, imaging, architecture and engineering. With the release of the Strategy by Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Innovation and R&D ecosystem will be encouraged in PPP mode to transform existing research knowledgebase to develop Additive Manufacturing grade materials, 3D printer machines and printed indigenous products for vast domestic and international market in various sectors including

electronics, photonics, medical device, agro and food processing etc. The national strategy would postulate the tenets of ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ that advocate self-reliance through technological transformation of the production paradigm, which will be realized through a dedicated National Centre with the participation of all stakeholders. This centre will act as an aggregator of knowledge and resources to accelerate technology adoption and advancement. The sector specific Centres will also be created to infuse indigenous AM technology to offer Indian manufactures an edge over global peers. The Strategy aspires to achieve 5% of Global AM market share and thereto add nearly US$ 1Bn to the GDP by 2025. This will create ecosystem for creation of nearly 100 new Startups, 10 AM sectors and 1 lakh new skilled manpower, besides, development of 500 AM products and 50 Indian AM technologies on material, machine, process and software. In addition, awareness for adoption of AM products to facilitate this growth will be created.

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DPA Celebrates Printers’ Day Plays host to people at Bhagwat Dham Dharmarth Varishth Nagrik Awas by serving buffet lunch and sharing good time.

Delhi Printers’ Association (DPA) celebrated its Golden Jubilee in the year 2004 since when it has been observing Printers’ Day on 24th February every year. Printers’ Day is being celebrated on this day since the year 2003 on the call of AIFMP (All India Federation of Master Printers). This year too DPA celebrated the February 24 by organising various philanthropic activities for the needy people of the society. Earlier too the association has been organizing such events like Free General Health Care like organizing medical check-up camps in association with reputed hospitals and specialist doctors. Hundreds of needy patients attended the camps and got tested, received medicines, spectacles and even benefited through cataract operations that were done there. DPA has also celebrated

the day at some occasions by serving meals to orphanages and old age homes. The Printers’ Day this year was celebrated by DPA by serving lunch to the inmates and staff of a well-known old age home known as Bhagwat Dham Dharmarth Varishth Nagrik Awas in Mayur Vihar, Delhi. DPA’s Jt. Secretary Mr. Puneet Talwar also distributed Pulse Oximeter devices to the inmates.

At the lunch that followed, the inmates freely interacted with the people from the association and keenly learnt about the affairs and activities of the association. They, many of them in their 80s and 90s, cheerfully mingled with the hosts and fully enjoyed their day. With happiness written large on their faces, they introduced themselves as variously as retired businessmen and senior government officials getting regular pensions.

The President of Noida Offset Printers Association and Vice President (North) of AIFMP Mr. Tarun Aneja was the Chief Guest. DPA’s Office Bearers, Executive Committee members and former Presidents graced the event with their presence. DPA President Mr. Sunil Jain felicitated Mr. Tarun Aneja by presenting him a shawl.

Events Calendar Screen Print India 2022

Labelexpo Asia 2022

drupa 2024

Date: 21 APR -22 to 23 APR-22 Venue: Bombay Exhibition Center Mumbai

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

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

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, 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