PRESSIdeas October 2021 issue

21 vol-21 Issue- 10 October 2021

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Price in India : Rs.100

Vol.21 Issue 10, 2021

Complete Heidelberg setup at AJB.............06 The need for a Hybrid Printer........................14 HP Smart Tank Printers.....................................18 SaralNFC-InkTech by Saralon.........................22 Numex Blocks wins at GFIA 2021.................26

A monthly Publication from PRESSIdeas Publishing Pvt. Ltd.

Corr Expo 2021....................................................30 Kao Chimigraf inks in India.............................36 Ricoh and 360DPI join hands.........................37

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Cover Picture : Mr.Puneet Datta, Senior Director, Marketing & Sales, Canon India in an exclusive interview - Page 14

Contents FROM THE EDITORS’ DESK .............................................................................................................................................................................................................4 Complete Heidelberg setup for Assam Jatiya Bidyalay ......................................................................................................................................................6 PRINTPACK dates announced! .....................................................................................................................................................................................................8 IPAMA elects new team for 2021-23 term through e-Voting ........................................................................................................................................ 10 New dates for PAMEX to be announced soon .................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Impact of Varying Plate Screening Techniques on Print Quality in Flexography ................................................................................................... 11 Developing Edible Packaging by using BOPP and PP FILM ........................................................................................................................................... 12 Changing Print Industry and the need for a Hybrid Printer, the Communication Specialist ............................................................................. 14 Latest offerings............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 16 HP introduces new Smart tank printers for small businesses and home users ..................................................................................................... 18 Kodak launches range of Innovative new products ......................................................................................................................................................... 19 HP Indigo technology helps Diageo deliver exclusive product experience for connoisseurs .......................................................................... 20 Miraclon wins Pinnacle InterTech for PureFlexo................................................................................................................................................................. 21 SaralNFC – InkTech by Saralon ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 22 DKSH enables flexible packaging printing company boost production .................................................................................................................. 24 Oji acquires 80% stake in Empire Packages ......................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Sean Wu is the new GM of Xeikon for the Greater China region.................................................................................................................................. 25 Miraclon announces winners of the 2021 Global Flexo Innovation Awards ........................................................................................................... 26

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

Numex Blocks India wins at GFIA 2021 Winners ................................................................................................................................................................ 26 DuPont introduces Cyrel Lightning at INFOFLEX 2021 ................................................................................................................................................... 29 A good restart for the industry – India Corr Expo 2021................................................................................................................................................... 30 Seiko Open Week at new Demo Centre in Germany ........................................................................................................................................................ 32 Kongsberg’s workflow integration partnership with PrintFactory .............................................................................................................................. 34 Go beyond T-shirts: print speciality items with new Roland Texart XT-640S ........................................................................................................... 35 Kao Chimigraf brings their Inkjet inks to India ................................................................................................................................................................... 36 Ricoh joins hands with 360DPI to tap Indian inkjet boom ............................................................................................................................................. 37 FCBM concern over raw material price crisis ...................................................................................................................................................................... 38 Printers Supply Company is the new distributor of Grafisk Maskinfabrik in India ................................................................................................ 39

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

PRESSIdeas October 2021 Vol. 21, Issue 10 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.

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October 2021

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FROM THE EDITORS’ DESK Dear Readers, After a long haul of over two years of COVID-19 related hardships – the industry going into hibernation, businesses slowing down, events getting postponed/ rescheduled/ cancelled, staff been restricted to WFH, lockdowns and lot of other things, the world is finally stepping out to work. The recent Corr Expo 2021 happened to be a happy relief for all in the industry – it showed encouraging footfall of visitors, enthusiastic showcase by exhibitors and business going on in full swing. Unlike the Propak of Pragati Maidan a few days back which couldn’t instill the stimulus much needed after a big gap, the Corr Expo presaged progress.

Despite the encouraging events, the hardships don’t seem to end soon. The industry reels under the pressure of unabated price rise of various raw materials. The costs of almost all inputs of the industry have gone up with no hope of respite in near future. The kraft paper prices have harshly hurt the corrugation industry. The fuel prices have engulfed every corner of production and consumption making it unaffordable for producers and consumers to bear the prices. Various industry bodies have regularly urged the authorities to provide adequate relief packages in form of devising more friendly fiscal policies or relaxation in taxes, duties and other levies.

Our young writers this time are Gargi Shah and Shubhangi Chavan, the young students of Printing Technology, writing under the guidance of their respective mentor Professors. The topics dealt are – ‘Impact of Varying Plate Screening Techniques on Print Quality in Flexography’ and ‘Developing Edible Packaging by using BOPP and PP FILM’.

The fast changing print industry has built new norms of business and innovative technology is helping out printers and customers to open new chapters of growth. Mr. Puneet Datta, Senior Director, Marketing & Sales, Canon India, speaks of one such technology – Hybrid Printer, the Communication Specialist in an exclusive interview with PRESSIdeas. Print technologies that allow the user experience to be enriched and maybe blur the boundary of print world and digital world, will see far greater adoption, says Mr. Puneet Datta, as he speaks about the changing landscape of print today.

Find the benefits of classic offline media and modern online applications in a single product - SaralNFC in the inside pages of this issue. Also find the KODAK FLEXCEL NX technology enabled printers from around the world competing for one of industry’s most coveted awards and winning with their perfect creations. India’s Numex Blocks brings laurels as a winner of the Global Flexo Innovation Awards recently announced by Miraclon.

Find all this along with our regulars in this October Issue of the magazine. Don’t miss the latest news about Ricoh & 360DPI, Kao Chimigraf, Seiko Open Week, DuPont Cyrel Lightening, DKSH, HP Smart Tank Printers, Heidelberg’s complete setup at Assam Jatiya Bidyalay and many more. Enjoy Reading!

- Jasvinder Singh, Sub-editor

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October 2021

Complete Heidelberg setup for Assam Jatiya Bidyalay Guwahati based Assam Jatiya Bidyalay installs Heidelberg Speedmaster CS 92, Suprasetter CtP and Stahlfolder.

Thanks to special PU folding rollers with markfree folds, Stahlfolder CH folding machines cover a broad range of folding jobs, from standardized signatures to special applications with a gatefold buckle plate or gluing device.

Educational and socio-economic trust Assam Jatiya Bidyalay has invested in a Heidelberg Speedmaster CS 92 four-colour press along with Suprasetter A 106 CtP, and Stahlfolder CH 66 folding equipment. The complete setup from Heidelberg will further enhance the production capacity for the Guwahati based Assam Jatiya Bidyalay.

“From Suprasetter A 106, Heidelberg Speedmaster CS 92 to Stahlfolder folding equipment along with Saphira consumables gives us the best combination required to achieve our desired print output on time.

Hence, we opted for complete Heidelberg solutions from pre to post-press, and we are now very much satisfied with our decision,” added Dr. Sharma.

Since, its inception, Assam Jatiya Bidyalay has intended to impart quality education in the region’s mother tongue and improve growth at the school level for every student. Founded in 1994, the educational institution has about 2,000 schools that follow their syllabus for textbooks. Education through a vernacular medium is the essence of this institution.

The Heidelberg Speedmaster CS 92 is 50% more productive, thanks to three repeats instead of two for six pages of A4 and 12.5% more productive as it offers nine A4 repeats instead of eight with 1 cm larger print format and not to forget, CS 92 has 20% lower plate costs compared to other competitors in this format. The Heidelberg Speedmaster CS 92 also has a select feature which releases jobs for printing with just two clicks; the press can handle substrates from 0.0079 inches to 0.012 inches with a max sheet size of 25.59 x 37.01 inches.

On the new investment, Dr.Narayan Sharma, Secretary at Assam Jatiya Bidyalay, said, “We were quite impressed with the Heidelberg Speedmaster CS 92 for its quality and reputation which empowers our high production capacity. While we were in the process of finalization, we had a word with multiple printshop owners; the feedback from the industry contacts and market has been excellent on Heidelberg.”

To get a seamless process in pre-press, Assam Jatiya has selected the Suprasetter A 106 CtP, which offers maximum flexibility for plates in mediumsize format range. The patented Intelligent Diode System (IDS) virtually eliminates production losses.

The laser system in the Suprasetter offers not only

Key Notes : > Opted for complete Heidelberg solutions from pre to postpress. > Impressed with the Heidelberg Speedmaster CS 92 for its quality and reputation to match high production capacity. > Suprasetter A 106, Speedmaster CS 92, Stahlfolder and Saphira – the best combination required to achieve desired print output.

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October 2021

Dr. Narayan Sharma and Mr. Dilip Kumar Dutta Choudhary with the Speedmaster CS 92 four-colour press.

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for all standard cutting jobs.

On Heidelberg’s sales & service support, Dr. Narayan Sharma, adds, “Team Heidelberg has been supportive from day one. Due to COVID, there were many challenges and we had to delay the installation. The wait was worth it as Heidelberg is known for its quality and it was well delivered and now, we have started our production in full swing.”

Dr. Narayan Sharma and Mr. Dilip Kumar Dutta Choudhary with the Stahlfolder CH 66 folding equipment

outstanding quality but also a high level of reliability. Heidelberg’s Prinect Production Manager workflow smartly integrates prepress and post-press, thereby drastically reducing make-ready time and wastage. This automation has resulted in production with 100% color quality management.

Dr. Narayan Sharma said, “We have plans to expand our activities towards the development of vocational skills within the schools. The unique quality of our brand is that we have proved that academic excellence can be achieved by learning in one’s own mother tongue.”

For any publishing house, post-press operations are very decisive, and automation of post-press saves time & cost. The Heidelberg Stahlfolder CH 66 takes care of the folding process on books & booklets with

Indukalpa Saikia, Sales Manager- Eastern Region at Heidelberg India, said, “We are very happy to be associated with Assam Jatiya Bidyalay, one of the most prominent educational institutions in the eastern region.

The smart print shop concept along with Heidelberg Speedmaster CS 92, Suprasetter 106 with Proman, Saphira consumables, and Stahlfolder CH 66 is completely fulfilling their in-house printing demand.”

utmost savings.

Stahlfolder CH folding machines boast high reliability; it has stable productivity with constant folding quality. Thanks to special PU folding rollers with mark-free folds, Stahlfolder CH folding machines cover a broad range of folding jobs, from standardized signatures to special applications with a gatefold buckle plate or gluing device. Solidly tried and tested Heidelberg Stahlfolder technology ensures an output of 7,000 to 9,000 sheets per hour and folding quality in the production of 16page A4 signatures. Stahlfolder CH feeder has a flat pile that can take a maximum sheet size of 66 widths × 104 lengths (cm) and a minimum sheet size of 14 widths × 18 lengths (cm).

On the post-press side, the firm also installed a used Polar 137 high-speed cutter which helps in a faster cutting process.

Paper formats up to a diagonal of 1,370 mm can be conveniently turned on with this equipment.

The all-rounder Polar cutting machine comes with an 18.5-inch colour display and touch screen operation and is suitable

The brand-new Heidelberg Suprasetter A 106 installed at the Assam Jatiya Bidyalay printing unit

PRINTPACK dates announced!

IPAMA has announced the dates of PRINTPACK exhibition. The 15th edition of the event takes place from 11 to 15 March 2022. Considering the fall in Covid-19 infections and almost 75% of the eligible population in the country already administered the first dose of vaccine, the organizers have decided to conduct the exhibition in March 2022. The show will be called PRINTPACK AND SIGN & LED EXPO and will be held at the India Exposition Center at Greater Noida. The dates were announced at IPAMA’s governing council meeting that took place recently.

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IPAMA elects new team for 2021-23 term through e-Voting The 120th Meeting of the Governing Council of IPAMA on 22nd October elects office bearers unanimously.

The elections of the Governing Council Members of Indian Printing Packaging & Allied Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (IPAMA), for the term 2021-2023, were conducted through e-Voting on 18th October 2021. The User ID and Passwords were generated by CDSL and sent directly to the eligible Members on their registered Emails and Mobile phones. Mr. Dharmesh Arora of Fair Deal Engineers, Faridabad was nominated as the Returning Officer for the said purpose. After the counting of Votes, the results were declared by the Returning Officer on 19th October, 2021 in the presence of the Candidates and the Staff of IPAMA Secretariat.

Sharma and Mr. Vinay Kumar Gupta.

Ex-Office Bearers: Mr. Dayaker Sripathi, Immediate Past President; Mr. Iqbal Singh, Immediate Past General Secretary; and Mr. Dharampal Rawat, Immediate Past Treasurer.

The 120th Meeting of the Governing Council of IPAMA was held at 5.00 PM on 22nd October 2021 at Hotel Fortune Inn Grazia, Sector-27, Noida in which the following office bearers were elected unanimously: - Mr.

Rakesh K. Sodhi, President; Mr. Jaiveer Singh, Vice President – North; Mr. Harish Bansal, Vice President – South; Mr. Iqbal Singh, Vice President – West; Mr. Vinay Kumar Gupta, General Secretary; Mr. Ravinder Singh, Joint Secretary – West; Mr. D.K. Garg, Joint Secretary – East; and Mr. Gagan Singh, Joint Secretary – South; Mr. R. Suresh Kumar – Treasurer.

Posts of Vice President – East and Jt. Secretary - North are yet to be filled.

The following candidates were elected as Members of the Governing Council for the term 2021-2023: - Mr. Abhay Datta, Mr. Adithya Gupta, Mr. Alpesh Thakar, Mr. D.K. Garg, Mr. Gagan Singh, Mr. Gurpratap Singh, Mr. Harish Bansal, Mr. Jaiveer Singh, Mr. Jaswinder Singh, Mr. Kartar Singh, Mr. Ketan K. Shah, Mr. Kuljeet Singh Maan, Mr. Paramjit Singh, Mr. R. Suresh Kumar, Mr. Rakesh K. Sodhi, Mr. Ravinder Singh, Mr. Shiv Kumar

New dates for PAMEX to be announced soon In view of the Exhibitions still not being allowed by the Maharashtra Government and continuing travel restrictions for International Travelers, AIFMP has decided to postpone the next edition of PAMEX that was scheduled for March 2022. A new date will be announced as soon as the situation becomes clearer.

“We are aware that most of our exhibitors and visitors are keenly awaiting for the next edition of PAMEX. Along with AIFMP, we are continually monitoring the status and would like to organise the exhibition at the first available opportunity. However, we do hold the health and safety of our exhibitors and visitors of paramount importance and will take a careful decision as per the Government guidelines and after consulting all stakeholders,” said, Neetu Arora, Director, Print-Packaging.com Private Limited.

The exhibition industry is coming back to life

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October 2021

after no activity for more than twenty months.

Some exhibitions have been recently held in Greater Noida and Hyderabad. However, the Maharashtra Government has not yet allowed the reopening of this sector.

“While we await the Government notification on the subject, it is amply evident that it would be impossible to hold the PAMEX exhibition on the scheduled dates in March

2022. It has therefore been decided to postpone the exhibition for now,” said Neetu Arora.

Along with All India Federation of Master Printers’ (AIFMP) we are seized of the matter and hope to announce the new dates soon.

Thank you for all your support!

pressideas/ students’ corner

Impact of Varying Plate Screening Techniques on Print Quality in Flexography The effect of selection of appropriate plate screening techniques on the print quality in flexography. a grainy appearance. Smooth transitions from mid-tone to shadow can be difficult to maintain.

Hybrid Screening

Flexographic printing technique uses a flexible printing plate. The inked plates have a raised image area and recess non-image area and rotate at high speeds to transfer the ink through small holes from the anilox roll to the substrate; each colour requires a different printing plate. An important factor in the improvement of flexographic print quality is advances in screening technologies such as AM (Amplitude Modulated), FM (Frequency Modulated) and Hybrid Screening that have a significant impact on flexo print quality.

Screening is converting continuous tone image to the printable image comprised of dots of various shapes and sizes. The selection of screening technique will depend on process and must be optimized.

AM Screening In AM dots are equally spaced and arranged along lines in both directions forming a grid. AM also referred to as conventional screening is dependent on the size (“amplitude”) of the dots. The size of the dots is modulated to create the illusion of different tones. The issues with AM includes loss of detail, moiré, rosette and optical bump. To minimize the moirés effect, CMYK dots are placed at certain angles i.e. C (75°), M (15°), Y (0°), K (45°).

FM Screening In FM, the size of the dot remains the same, but the number (“frequency”) varies. The dots are pseudo randomly placed instead of aligning them along fixed screen angles to avoid causing visual artifacts. FM screening overcomes the issues related to AM screening and has ability to remain stable during run. Flat tint reproduction can have

These technologies take advantage of both FM and AM screening combining them together producing the desired result. FM screen is utilized in the highlighted and shadow areas while AM in mid-tones. Hybrid screening recovers the lost part of the tone range by constraining the size of highlight and shadow dots so they never get smaller than a size that can be held through the plating/printing process. Hybrid AM/XM screens are so called because they leverage a technique borrowed from FM screening.

AM screening provides print stability and less dot gain in mid tone areas due to fixed screen angle, screen ruling and screen shape. Hybrid screening is also called transitional screening and it produces best output and grants better dot gain curve.

The outcome of hybrid screening is better dot reproduction in highlight and shadow area, reduced graininess in the mid tones, reduction of highlight and tone break. There is no requirement of bump curves during the flexo plate-making process; thereby reducing the time required in pre-press. Hybrid screening gives more dot gain as compared to AM. To avoid problems during printing, a minimum dot-size should be previously specified.

As no screen angles are involved in overlapping halftone screens, hence no moire and makes it easy to print four colour over each other. There are no patterns formed by the randomly placed dots. The stochastic screening helps to improve image quality as it has ability to increase ink densities, which in turn helps tonal range and contrast to get better. The small minimum dot-size helps to solve graininess issue and benefit of reproducing sharp images.

Stochastic screening creates a larger gamut as a result of its application to the expanded gamut process. Tonal Value Increase is the issue when using stochastic screening with the flexographic printing process but can

be resolved to a larger extent by Dot Gain Compensation (DGC) curve.

XM screening technology obtains unhampered high-screen frequencies with no detail loss and no extra problems on press as, mostly the intersection between AM and FM is visible easily with the naked eye, and the complicated screening algorithms can slow the pre-press process. XM screening uses FM in the highlight to capture fine details and shadows, and AM in mid-tones to achieve smooth gradations. FM uses smaller dots and are aligned as a continuation of the AM screen angles established in the mid-tones called, XM or cross-modulated screening. The FM areas use smaller dots controlled in FM mode and they are aligned as a continuation of the AM screen angles established in the mid-tones. The result is an entirely new order of screening, called XM. All the screening techniques AM, FM and XM screening are good at rendering details.

The effect of different screening technology on print reproduction. The digital plate with Solid results in lower solid ink density, increased print mottle and pinholes. The print density is improved with Standard Microcell technology, but the presence of pinholes and uneven lay-down of an ink is observed. The Pixel+ solves the density deficiency, reduces print mottle and pinholes with evenness lay-down of an ink on the print. The varying dot size in HD Flexo almost eliminates the rosettes in the highlight areas even with an enlargement of the women‘s eye. This feature smoothens the print appearance in the sensitive highlight areas.

The flexo industry is evolving to meet the challenges of higher print quality demands, shorter lead times and shorter run length jobs. The selection of appropriate plate screening techniques shall significantly impact the print quality in flexography.

By Gargi Shah (Student), under the guidance of Dr. Akshay V. Joshi, Printing Engineering Department, P. V. G’s College of Engineering and Technology & G. K. Pate (Wani) Institute of Management, Pune.

October 2021

11

Students' Corner

Developing Edible Packaging by using BOPP and PP FILM Development of edible/biodegradable films/coatings for effective food packaging has generated considerable interest in recent years.

Edible packaging is intelligent packaging. The films and coatings are very effective systems for the future prospective of food preservation and quality during storage and can be applied where polymer packaging is not feasible.

Key Notes : > Aimed at enhancing food safety, quality and handling properties. > Package as an integral part of the food that can be eaten as a part of the whole food product. > Edible Packaging potentially appears to be an excellent key for future food packaging.

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October 2021

An edible film or coating is simply defined as a thin continuous layer of edible material formed on, placed on, or between the foods or food components. Edible coatings and films belong to an environmentalfriendly technology aimed at enhancing food safety, quality and handling properties by creating a biodegradable semi-permeable barrier protection to water vapour, oxygen and carbon dioxide coming from the external environment. Edible coating is a thin edible substance layer, applied in a liquid form directly on the surface of different food products, mainly fruits and vegetables. Edible films are a thin layer obtained as a solid sheet, which can be applied as a wrapping on the food product. The package is an integral part of the food, which can be eaten as a part of the whole food product. They provide barrier and protection, while enhancing quality and safety of food products. They are not yet meant to replace conventional packaging; in fact, they are currently used with no-edible materials to protect and improve food shelf life. Edible coatings are soluble formulations applied on food surfaces such that a thin layer of edible film is formed directly on the food surface or between different layers of components to prevent the migration of moisture, oxygen, and solute into the food. It plays an important role in packaged foods by desirably interacting with the food. Edible

films and coatings are thin layers that are coated on the surface of food products. Thus, development of edible/biodegradable films/coatings for effective food packaging has generated considerable interest in recent years due to their potential to reduce and/ or replace conventional, non-biodegradable plastics.

Food manufacturers today require packaging

pressideas/ students’ corner

Basic properties for packing food materials

materials to be food grade, maintain/enhance product shelf-life stability and safety and utilize nominal values of packaging.

There are two types of edible packaging – films and coatings. They can be superficial coatings or layers between compartments of the same food product. What is required is that Edible coatings should have acceptable colour, odour, taste, and flavour. They should also be undetectable. It must adhere to the food, but not stick to the packaging materials. It should melt in mouth, but not in hands.

Materials useful for manufacturing the edible packaging Materials which can be used for manufacturing the edible packaging include • •

Protein Based: - Gluten, Soy, Collagen, Zein, Casein & Whey protein.

Lipid Based: - Waxes, Fatty acids & Acylglycerol’s.

These are the main ingredients for edible packaging materials. In addition to them some antimicrobial agents are also used.

Coffee needs packaging that has barrier properties that keep oxygen out to preserve the freshness of coffee. There are many types of film materials that are used for coffee packaging. However, the specific materials that this study addresses are polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), aluminium (Al), polystyrene (PS,) low density polyethylene (LDPE) and nylon. As coffee is sensitive to external factors such as oxygen, moisture, and UV, packaging must have barriers, which usually are a 3-ply or 2-ply

laminates. The problem is, these multi-layer flexible sachets are not currently recycled and have little or no economic value, so they leak into the environment. The BOPP bags are crystal clear polyethylene bags. BOPP bags are largely used for retail packaging.

Polypropylene is common; which is the basic polymer for the manufacturing of these bags. BOPP film is commonly used for applications that require moisture resistance, optical clarity and high tensile strength such as: Food & Beverage Packaging, Medical Packaging & Personal Care Product Packaging.

Drawbacks of Edible Packaging The edible wraps would not be used alone where unsanitary conditions during food handling can occur. They would be used to wrap foods inside a secondary synthetic package during food distribution and storage. The new wraps are more expensive than synthetic packages. However, developers believe the nutritional and environmental advantages will justify the increased cost. Another disadvantage is the development of off flavours.

Ideas for future Edible fruit and vegetable wraps that enhance nutrition for food products could make healthy foods more attractive to consumer. Fruit and vegetable films could also be used to cover leftovers for short term storage in the refrigerator. Edible films could provide new flavour combinations. The food packaging requirements are very stringent.

BOPP films have many properties that are suitable and advantageous for packing food materials.

The package should be able to protect the nutritional properties of the food till final consumption. Therefore, it is desirable that the package should have sufficient barrier to moisture, gas and light. The package should be cost-effective. The package should be able to enhance the product’s sales appeal on the shelf and also give all the statutory information. Hence, the pack should have good optical properties and printability. BOPP films have excellent clarity, transparency and gloss. BOPP films are transparent bi-oriented polypropylene films designed to offer high performance, great appearance and easy converting for flexible packaging and other applications. Like BOPET film, BOPP is also a Biaxially oriented film with good mechanical and physical properties. It is a clear, flexible, transparent or translucent material produced from PP polymer, a linear, thermoplastic polypropylene resin. BOPP film is available commercially in a range of widths, thicknesses and properties depending upon the end-use requirements.

The food packaging industry demands polymer films possessing a defined barrier against permeation of gases, moisture and flavour. Biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film is film stretched in both machine and transverse directions, producing molecular chain orientation in two directions. It is a widely used process, more common than the tubular process, and a glossy, transparent film is produced.

Biaxial orientation results in increased toughness, increased stiffness, enhanced clarity, improved oil and grease resistance, and enhanced barrier properties to water vapour and oxygen. Impact resistance, low-temperature impact resistance, and flex crack resistance are substantially modified.

The films and coatings are very effective systems for the future prospective of food preservation and quality during storage. They can be applied where polymer packaging is not feasible, that is, Edible packaging is intelligent packaging because they are both active and have infinite potential use.

Consequently, edible packaging potentially appears to be an excellent key for future food packaging.

Written by - Shubhangi Chavan (Student PVG COET), under guidance of Prof Swati V Nahar (Assistant Professor PVG COET)

October 2021

13

digital printing

Changing Print Industry and the need for a Hybrid Printer, the Communication Specialist Print technologies that allow the user experience to be enriched and maybe blur the boundary of print world and digital world, will see far greater adoption, says Mr. Puneet Datta, Canon India, as he speaks about the changing landscape of print today.

The pandemic has impacted the complete ecosystem and dynamics of Indian printing industry. While traditional applications took a severe hit, applications to do with packaging and labels saw an increase. The key concerns facing the industry would be based upon the return to normalcy of segments on which print volumes are dependent upon. As per various studies done within India, no one as of now expects 100% recovery for traditional printing as there will be a new normal that is expected to settle in. Mr. Puneet Datta, Senior Director, Marketing & Sales, Canon India, speaks about the industry, the changing landscape and Canon India, the latest offerings, future scenario and much more in an exclusive interview with PRESSIdeas.

Digital printing in India is establishing itself strongly in many segments of printing be it label or packaging or industrial printing. As hybrid work culture sets in, Canon is developing solutions and capabilities to evolve with the changing culture and print requirements to its customers.

Key Notes : > There will be an ever changing new normal. > Organisations will have to be agile to adopt and change strategies to thrive through it. > The key buzz word is going to be “Digital”.

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October 2021

“The new normal is rapidly evolving with each passing month so it is very hard to state what it would look like,” pictures Puneet Datta, Senior Director, Marketing & Sales, Canon India. “However good sign is that large enterprises who were earlier speaking of work from home culture even post return to normalcy have realised the need for physical presence of staff in offices. Similarly, in the education segment the medical fraternity is pushing for offline classes to balance the mental well being of children although with a cautious approach,” he adds.

“The one parameter that has remained constant through this pandemic, as one to pay the most attention to for all, has been cash flow. If I were to sum up the situation in a sentence, there will be an ever changing new normal, and organisations

pressideas/ digital

will have to be agile to adopt and change strategies to thrive through it. The key buzz word is going to be “Digital” whether it is digital transformation in segments that generate print volumes or closer to our industry, digital printing solves both the agility and cash flow issue when compared to conventional printing,” he explains further about the changing environment vis-à-vis the Covid-19.

The changing demands of the market and new customer expectations During the pandemic the digital economy grew many folds in various domains.

The convenience and safety offered by e-commerce platforms was preferred by most. A big change was seen in terms of video and collaboration platform adoption – be it Zoom / MS Teams/ Google Meet etc. as work from home / education from home became synonymous with day-to-day life.

The spend pattern of the consumer changed drastically with more emphasis on health and savings rather than spending. Major marketing spends shifted overnight from print to digital media.

All the above also have affected the print industry. Office printing virtually stopped in initial phase of pandemic and is now recovering as offices have started opening with state governments relaxing rules. The demand by e-commerce platforms for packaging and healthcare industry for labels of sanitizers and cleaning disinfectants grew very fast. However, printing of visiting cards, letter heads, brochures, catalogues, education books and other marketing collaterals took a nosedive and has hit commercial printers the most.

Mr. Puneet Datta sums up the major trends as: “There are as of now six major trends that we foresee: 1. Conventional printing might not recover 100% 2. There will be increase in digital printing due to inherent advantages of flexibility and print on demand 3. There is increase in investments from Tier II, III & IV cities 4. There might be consolidation of print capacities in Metro & Tier I cities 5. Customers will start looking at more reliable and sustainable investments in print equipment rather than just low value investments

6.

Workflow solutions that offer convenience in terms of monitoring, control and convenience for secure online print submissions and necessary approvals from end customers will be a growth area.

Going forward, print technologies that allow the user experience to be enriched and maybe blur the boundary of print world and digital world, will see far greater adoption.”

Affordability of answering new demands The affordability of answering new demands is a challenge during the pandemic.

“However, as we emerge out from it, the new demands that might emerge will create a need for a hybrid printer to emerge. A hybrid printer would not be only handling one type of printing but rather would either diversify into multiple print equipment infrastructures to cater to different segments or would diversify as a communication specialist rather than just a printer. This could potentially imply not only new investments in print and allied machinery but also in skill development in domains like IT, sales and marketing which as per us could be a bigger challenge to overcome,” infers Mr. Puneet Datta.

“Of course affordability would continue to play a crucial role and the entire ecosystem of printers, their customers and OEMs like us would need to communicate more vigorously to come up with amicable solutions and pricing strategy that cause a win-win approach,” he adds.

The changing perception towards digital printing The printing industry has been at the cusp of a revolution driven by seismic changes in technologies. Industry adoption has been rapidly shifting from traditional to digital

printing. With the onset of the fourth industrial revolution, a new era of individualization and personalization has begun in the professional printing space. “Digitalization remains the key growth driver for the printing industry.

Innovative digital printing products are being adopted at a rapid pace because of their better operational efficiencies, seamless workflows, lower printing costs, and minimal wastage,” says Mr. Puneet Datta.

“With customers becoming more informed and specific (read shorter) with their print turnaround times, the digital printing industry has seen exponential growth in the past few years. Even this year we can witness increased demand from smaller cities although for smaller investment cycles,” continues Mr. Puneet.

We see digital printing in India establishing itself strongly in many segments of printing be it label or packaging or industrial printing.

As hybrid work culture sets in, Canon is developing solutions and capabilities to evolve with the changing culture and print requirements to its customers.

With COVID-19 continuing to cause uncertainty, Canon has adopted the concept of ‘new normal’ intensely across divisions.

The key strategy for the digital solutions provider has been to focus on resource optimization and at the same time-to help businesses to look for operational efficiency, cost reduction, improved turnaround time and serviceability. “Besides, technology infrastructure plays a pivotal role for organizations to adapt to the new work environment and Canon’s business solutions are well equipped to help them in achieving the desired objectives effectively. We have been constantly working towards changing the technology landscape by bringing products and solutions that can help our customers grow effectively. We remained in

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constant touch throughout this time with our partners and customers and kept assuring them that together we will come out stronger from this situation,” explains Mr. Puneet.

being at the helm of world-class technology in the professional printing business and bring forth products and solutions that are a perfect amalgamation of business efficiency and cost reduction,” states Mr. Puneet.

Advantage Digital Print is here to stay. However, what gets printed and how will change. We are in once a century event and no one can predict when or how will this end. Thus, it is difficult to state whether print will completely revive in all shapes and forms. The print volumes are however on revival path.

“Our core target areas for future will be to strengthen our foothold in the cities we are currently operational and at the same time expand to untapped geographies as much as possible, to be able to cover maximum opportunities that present themselves to us,” he envisions.

Digital printing has obvious advantages.

It is less manpower intensive, more environmentally friendly (less power consumption, less carbon footprint, less hazardous) and also budget friendly with lesser learning curve.

Latest offerings

Apart from labels and packaging, there are other growth areas enabled by digital printing that hold promise in the present times.

“During the lockdown we have seen passion for photography increasing a lot amongst our consumers,” shares Mr. Puneet.“We feel that one area that has huge potential in coming future is consumer printing their own designed albums. Apart from the same, personalized printed products could also see an upward trend as marketers make personalization their key play,” he adds.

Canon used such market insights and customer feedback to build product development capabilities during these times.

It helped them unlock the next phase of value creation for their customers. To keep up with the pace of the fast-moving digital printing industry and to match the evolving needs of their customers, Canon has several cuttingedge technologies to offer. “We take pride in

Canon India recently launched innovative products in the professional printing segment – a new range of products in the imagePRESS and imagePROGRAF series.

The newly launched imagePRESS C10010VP, imagePRESS C9010VP, imagePROGRAF TZ 5300 and imagePROGRAF TX 5410 are built on a proven and reliable technology platform with enhanced automation and extensive media-handling capabilities. “To keep up with the pace of the fast-moving digital printing industry and to match the evolving needs of our customers, we have several cutting-edge technologies vide these products to offer.

We take pride in being at the helm of world class technology in the professional printing business and bring forth products and solutions that are a perfect amalgamation of business efficiency and business growth,” says Mr. Puneet Datta.

Canon promotional campaigns For promotional campaigns, traditionally Canon has been actively conducting physical events that have been the key enablers and drivers for all promotional activities.

“We have seen that our audience prefers having the ‘touch and feel’ experience before making any purchase decision. But courtesy the pandemic, we have adopted the phygital marketing strategy – a combination of physical and digital. We have realized that digital is one of the ways forward. Our customers are also continually evolving and adapting to the changes that digitization brings,” discloses Mr. Puneet.

Focus on digital marketing is the one big shift in Canon’s promotional strategy. For example, they have also started demo on wheels services where they are taking the

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smaller foot print products to the customer at their doorstep for them to experience it.

“We believe that digital printing will grow manifold in the coming years and both providers and customers will substantially benefit from this growth. Digital printing has evolved over the years and has opened a whole horizon in the world of printing industry. It has equipped the industry with tools to meet customer expectations and embrace new advancements in printing.

With the onset of the fourth industrial revolution, the line between digital printing and conventional printing methods has begun to blur, thus paving the way for a new era of individualization and personalization,” elucidates Mr. Puneet.

Over the past couple of years, Inkjet technology has taken center stage; and in high speed, high volume printing it is already the preferred choice in the developed countries. A lot of the success of this has to do with the paper manufacturers who have developed suitable paper for the said technology. “We see digital inkjet printing to be more synonymous with book printing, label printing, packaging and even commercial printing in times to come,” reckons Mr. Puneet.

Canon’s competitive advantage comes from amalgamation of man and machine.

“Our printers have genesis in our strong and global R&D team that makes customer value at the core of technologies. We believe our patented technologies and highest

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reliability of our products is a big advantage to our customers. This combined with our customer service team who is highly trained and capable to ensure highest uptime to our customers make it a compelling proposition for long term business association for our customers,” he asserts.

“We strive to improve quality across the entire product lifecycle in order to provide customers with satisfying products. We are also developing a framework throughout the Group to continuously improve quality by sharing appropriate information and customer feedback obtained from the market with divisions in charge of product planning, design, and development. Canon’s safety-conscious standards call for the use of plastics that are more flame resistant than the law requires, and we implement doubleprotection schemes for important safety related components. We regularly revise these standards in light of technological advances as well as the changes in how customers use our products, and changes in customer demands regarding safety,” continues Mr. Puneet.

Canon provides customer friendly support services through utilisation of digital technologies like websites, app and WhattsApp.To achieve even greater customer satisfaction, Canon conducts product evaluations from the customer’s perspective at the development stage and incorporates customer feedback and requests in its development and design processes.

There is an emerging global trend toward the recycling and reusing of resources due to concerns about natural resource

depletion and marine plastic pollution. As a perfect answer to the environmental needs of present time, Canon promotes reductions in resource consumption and product-toproduct recycling with the aim of contributing to the development of a circular economy.

To ensure more efficient use of limited resources and reduce waste, Canon is making products smaller and lighter, and reusing and recycling materials as much as possible. “We also strive to reduce waste consumption and the generation of waste from manufacturing at our operational sites.

Canon has five sites conducting recycling in four regions around the world. We are continuing initiatives aimed at circulating resources within the same regions where they are consumed. Canon operates recycling programs including Toner Cartridge Collection and Recycling Program which enable plastic material to be used repeatedly.

Canon actively works to reduce the amount of waste originating from operational sites and to reuse or recycle waste. For sustainable water use, we strive to improve water-usage efficiency,” sums up Mr. Puneet.

Speaking on the utilization of digital’s full potential, he says, “I think, the ‘personalization’ capabilities of digital have not been utilized to full capacity. However, personal data security laws of each country have a big role to play on how and to what extent data could be used to target a customer. Having said that, personalization is the key to giving each consumer an individualized experience – be it retail, online or print. This is what brands are looking for today in an ever-changing world where each consumer has such low attention span and

digital can play an important role in that space,” he affirms.

Packaging vis-à-vis Digital Printing Digital printing is yet to take steps in packaging industry, according to Mr. Puneet. “Packaging has not yet leveraged the advantages of the digital printing world.

However, as the market evolves and the consumer behavior changes, packaging fraternity will see digital as a big opportunity –in terms of communication with the end consumers and the product positioning.

Packaging is all about taking the mind share of the consumers. Marketeers and packaging developers have started realizing that they need to understand the psyche of consumers and started communicating in a way that connects them with the customers directly.

Packaging is the most evolving segment in the whole printing scenario as of today and digital is going to play a big role as far as packaging is concerned,” he explains.

In absence of industry exhibitions, Canon is regularly hosting live online demonstrations using the latest technology from their CTEC facility in Noida. Online demos are the new normal today, says Mr. Puneet. “The customer can join through the online link and experience what the product looks like and the various features it possesses. They can send us their media and print files in advance, and we can print it live for them and send it back to them to see firsthand. We have also built virtual tools for customers to experience our products in three dimensional space,” he concludes.

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HP introduces new Smart tank printers for small businesses and home users Powered with Smart guided lighting, low ink and paper sensors with mobile alerts that inform users before the ink runs out.

HP India recently introduced a new range of its ink tank printers -HP Smart Tank 700.

Designed to meet the evolving printing demands of families and small business owners, the new smart tank printers are powered with smart guided lighting, low ink and paper sensors with mobile alerts that informs users before the ink runs out. It is the first smart tank printer to offer users the ability to print on both sides of the page. Enabling cost-saving and environment conscious printing, it offers security features like secure boot, write protected memory and pre-set password for work from home requirements.

HP Smart Tank 700 printers allow businesses to do more, save more, and stress less.

Innovated to notch up the premium printing experience, it has a high performance system with a modern user interface, high quality print, and a revolutionary ink tank system.

The security features help maintain privacy and control, including the basic encryption and password control system. The printer ensures that it’s running without known vulnerabilities. While starting, it automatically checks the critical codes and if it’s

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compromised, instinctively stops. It also prevents the introduction of any malicious code while the printer is running.

Announcing the launch of HP Smart Tank 700 series printers, Sunish Raghavan, Senior Director, Printing Systems, HP India Market said, “At HP, we are constantly innovating to deliver utmost ease and a worry-free printing experience to our customers which is also pocket-friendly. HP Smart Tank 700 has been designed to meet the versatile needs of families and small business owners who want an affordable yet high quality printing through a modern and sustainable product.”

Building on the sustainability commitment, HP Smart Tank 700 printers are HP’s first ink tank printer to be made from over 25% recycled plastic. Reaffirming the company’s vision for a closed loop recycling process and reducing the amount of virgin plastic used, the printers’ compatible HP ink bottles can be recycled through HP Planet Partners.

Since saving is a top priority for small business owners and home users, this series comes with two years of ink supply that prints

12000 pages (black) and 8000 pages (color) and saves up to 80% on ink costs, making it an ideal printing solution for users with highvolume need.

Supporting a spill free refill system, the printers enable 50% faster document printing.

Both HP Smart Tank 790 and HP Smart Tank 750 offer a warranty of one year or first 50,000 pages, whichever is earlier. HP Smart Tank 720 offers a warranty of one year or the first 30,000 pages, whichever is earlier.

HP Smart Tank 720 is available at INR 20,049; HP Smart Tank 750 at INR 22,480; and HP Smart Tank 790 wireless at INR 24,910.

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Kodak launches range of Innovative new products Innovative KODAK ASCEND Digital Press takes high-end Packaging and Retail Signage to new heights.

Kodak recently announced a revolutionary new digital press and innovative additions to its comprehensive portfolio of digital and offset solutions.

The new KODAK ASCEND Digital Press aims commercial printers and digital service providers and suits especially those who want to succeed in the growing Retail/POP and Packaging markets. The KODAK ASCEND Digital Press is the first electrophotographic (EP) press designed to print heavy weight substrates at long lengths with eye-catching, high-margin CMYK and flat foil embellishments in one pass. Offering more flexibility than traditional presses its productivity exceeds flatbed inkjet systems with production speeds reaching 572 sqm/ hour (5280 sqft/hour). Its large sheet length of up to 122 cm (48 inches) allows the press to offer 23% more print area than a B2 sheet. The new press enables printers to deliver sustainably recyclable print by using environmentally friendly KODACHROME Dry Inks, which are Indirect Food Contact rated. Kodak’s new press is a more costeffective solution for producing Retail/POP and Packaging applications than traditional presses or flatbed inkjet devices.

security and the scalability the PRINERGY On Demand Platform is known for. PRINERGY On Demand Access includes preflight, colour management, file management, backup and routing as well as built-in KODAK INSITE Prepress Portal functionality for file submission, remote customer collaboration and online approvals.

The new KODAK PROSPER Digital Varnish is a water-based varnish that can be jetted as an area or spot coat to printed packages using KODAK PROSPER S-Series or KODAK PROSPER Plus Imprinting Systems. The eco-friendly PROSPER Digital Varnish can be applied in perfect register with design elements and creates a matte protective layer providing rub and water resistance to paperbased packaging applications.

As PROSPER Digital Varnish is applied only where needed and doesn’t require plate making for spot coating, it helps printers eliminate the costs, effort, waste and environmental impact associated with traditional post-coating methods. The new varnish provides an environmentally friendly, water-based alternative to solvents and UV coatings.

The KODAK Mobile CTP Control App is an app that allows remote control and monitoring of up to 10 KODAK CTP Platesetters, reducing a dependency on onsite labour for managing jobs in queue, status updates, and more. The enhanced version of this one-of-a-kind app provides access to real-time and historical data with customizable reporting to save time on data analysis, help prioritize actions, and improve plate-making efficiency. The new version of KODAK Mobile CTP Control App is now available worldwide to download for Android and iOS mobile operating system.

“The innovations announced today reflect Kodak’s continued commitment to developing breakthrough solutions that enable our customers to improve their productivity and profitability and successfully expand their customer base,” said Jim Continenza, Kodak’s Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “With innovations like the KODAK ASCEND Digital Press, we are opening up new profitable application opportunities for printers. We continue to deliver on our promise to provide a complete range of solutions that offer Print that Pays.”

With PRINERGY On Demand Access, Kodak has introduced a costeffective expansion of its cloud-based PRINERGY On Demand Platform.

This new option makes it an absolutely secure and high performing software platform affordable for more printers of any size, with or without digital presses.

The new SaaS solution provides full connectivity to digital presses, Microsoft Azure-backed

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HP Indigo technology helps Diageo deliver exclusive product experience for connoisseurs Launch of limited-edition whisky – an exclusive batch of 2,000 numbered bottles, another first for the country!

When India’s leading beverage company Diageo India set out to launch India’s first small-batch, artisanal craft, 100% rice whisky in just 80 days, it knew it wasn’t only the blend that had to be flawless.

“This was an opportunity to create a luxury whisky in India and a key part of our company’s premiumization strategy,” recalls Vikram Damodaran, Diageo India’s Chief Innovation Officer. “So, there was enormous pressure to get every detail – from the flavour to the packaging and product experience – perfect.”

The beautiful golden liquid blend is like no other whisky in India as it’s made of locally-sourced rice from the northern frontiers of Punjab, which then travels over 2,000 kms to be matured in Goa in

To emphasize the exclusivity of its whisky, Diageo India called on Trigon Digital’s expertise and the cutting-edge HP Indigo 25K Digital Press to help it create individually numbered bottles.

Key Notes : > Cutting-edge digital print technology from HP Indigo and Diageo deliver exclusive product. > HP Indigo’s customized printing brings to life India’s first artisanal whisky with Diageo. > An exclusive product experience for connoisseurs of Diageo’s limitededition whisky.

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bourbon casks over 3 years, and then finished in PX Sherry and Cherrywood casks in a 50-year-old warehouse. This limited-edition whisky has been launched in an exclusive batch of 2,000 numbered bottles, another first for the country!

To emphasize the exclusivity of its whisky, Diageo India called on Trigon Digital’s expertise and the cutting-edge HP Indigo 25K Digital Press to help it create individually numbered bottles.

Delivering small-batch and variable printing at speed “Due to the small batch size and variable printing needed, we knew it wasn’t going to be possible to use conventional printing technology here,” says

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Hiren Dedhia, Diageo India’s Design Head.

“We also needed a fast turnaround if we were to meet our extremely ambitious timeline for launching the brand—which was just 80 days.”

After weighing up the options, the team at Diageo India recognized that Trigon’s HP Indigo 6900 Digital Press would be much the best choice for its job. As digital printing doesn’t require printing plates, the HP Indigo 6900 Digital Press enables Trigon to offer its customers print runs with no minimum size, greater flexibility, and shorter lead times. It also allows Trigon to automate more production processes, helping them to deliver jobs with maximum efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

The printer’s variable data printing feature, used in combination with HP SmartStream Designer software, meant Trigon was able to easily accommodate Diageo India’s request

for each bottle to feature its own unique number.

Providing exceptional colour matching capabilities

the perfect colour match we were after,” says Dedhia. “The team at our design agency Butterfly Canon was amazed at how good it was.”

For Diageo India’s design team, HP Indigo’s ability to print on a huge range of substrates – from plastic films and foils to glass and wood – and exceptional colour matching capabilities were also significant advantages.

With the HP Indigo 6900 Digital Press, Trigon was also able to turn the job around quickly without compromising on quality, helping the company to meet its tight timeline for completing the project.

“Even though each bottle was different, we needed our branding and the rest of the packaging to be consistent across the whole print run,” says Dedhia.

“Using the HP Indigo Press enabled us to realize our goal of giving each bottle of our limited-edition whisky its own unique number,” says Damodaran. “By doing so, we’ve been able to create an exclusive product experience that will delight whisky connoisseurs, collectors of artisanal liquors and younger generations of whisky enthusiasts who particularly appreciate hyper-personalized experiences. This approach is also helping to bolster our position as a leader in the premium alcoholic beverage market.”

Experimenting with an uncoated substrate for the first time meant the stakes were even higher for the company.

“It was a risk but HP Indigo’s ability to produce consistently amazing print quality regardless of the substrate meant we got

Miraclon wins Pinnacle InterTech for PureFlexo Fifth Pinnacle InterTech Award by Miraclon shows its commitment to innovation in game-changing flexo technology for the packaging industry.

Miraclon, home of KODAK FLEXCEL Solutions, has received a Pinnacle InterTech Award for PureFlexo Printing, a new technology that was launched earlier this year. Accessed through the FLEXCEL NX Print Suite for Flexible Packaging, the technology addresses and controls unwanted ink spread to allow a wider operating window; maximizing efficiency, repeatability, and overall performance on press. The award, sponsored by PRINTING United Alliance and bestowed for truly innovative technologies likely to have a significant impact on the printing and graphics industry, is the fifth commendation from PRINTING United Alliance for awardwinning KODAK FLEXCEL NX Technology.

“Advances in flexo technology have raised print efficiency and quality over the years and Miraclon’s innovation raises it even further,” said James Workman, Vice President, Technology and Research, PRINTING United Alliance. “The judges recognized the production benefits that the advanced multi-functional surface patterning delivered through PureFlexo Printing brings to the

press room.”

PureFlexo Printing utilizes patented Miraclon technology created by the same R&D team responsible for the invention of the proven FLEXCEL NX System launched in 2008, building upon the innovation Miraclon has brought to the market over the past 13 years.

Unique to the KODAK FLEXCEL NX System, PureFlexo Printing brings a wider operational window regardless of line screen, with compound savings from fewer unscheduled press stops each day, reduced downtime and delays, and faster color setups.

Designed specifically for wide web solvent ink on film applications, PureFlexo Printing maximizes press efficiency, repeatability and overall performance while enabling printers and prepress providers to experience cleaner print, stable color, and a better bottom line for their business.

“This esteemed award, which represents the complete graphics industry, underscores our commitment to continue developing technology that can enable the flexo printing industry to drive its transformation into a

sophisticated manufacturing process,” comments Dr John Anderson, Director of Advanced Print Applications at Miraclon.

“PureFlexo Printing allows printers to reset the quality-efficiency balance, which has been under pressure due to ever-expanding graphics demands. By addressing the root cause of issues that result in unscheduled press stops, this technology will not only enable users to push their own bottom line, but to also push the boundaries of flexo printing as it’s known today.”

PRINTING United Alliance has also presented the Pinnacle Intertech Award for previous innovations: the KODAK FLEXCEL NX System (2008), KODAK DIGICAP NX Patterning Technology (2010), KODAK NX Advantage Technology (2015) and KODAK Ultra Clean Technology (2019).

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SaralNFC – InkTech by Saralon The benefits of classic offline media and modern online applications in a single product – SaralNFC. Printed Electronics simplified through InkTech – Saralon is providing Ink & production technology for sustainable electronics to enable print houses to produce interactive applications inhouse.

The combination of Printed Electronics with NFC technology can substantially lower the cost of products.

Contactless payment by smartphone is becoming increasingly popular during the corona pandemic.

This is enabled by NFC (Near Field Communication) – a technology that can now be used in marketing and allows you to enhance your analogue products with digital features to create an unprecedented customer experience. It is a technological milestone for the marketing of physical products and other offline media.

With SaralNFC LightPaper, NFC-enabled smartphones trigger illuminating designs on paper and open specific links on their displays, e.g. online

Saralon is working to simplify the production of NFC-related products so that printing companies can produce them using existing printing machines.

Key Notes : > Solutions for interactive packaging and print media. > Light and NFC technologies add digital features to products. > The TouchPaper offers various printed buttons with which different content can be played.

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stores, surveys or social media profiles. No app is required.

With SaralNFC TouchPaper, touching various sensors within the paper triggers online content to be displayed on the device. One can integrate up to 9 links to websites, files, pictures, videos or even audio files. No app is required.

Saralon solutions are being provided by Kunal Enterprise in India.

“It is challenging to convince the customers - the brand owners themselves or the agencies - of what is possible,” says Steve Paschky, CMO of Saralon. “It is not that easy to reach the brands. And when the path to the brand owner leads through an agency, you are faced with the task of presenting the technology and its possibilities in such a way that they fit into creative concepts that under circumstances already exist.”

Saralon’s core business is the development of

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to manufacture new products that are individually tailored to the customer and are therefore perceived as special in the market,” describes Steve Paschky.

The two approaches work in principle in the same way: If you put a NFC enabled smartphone on the sensor advertising spots or product, information appears on the display depending on what is stored on the sensor. While a digital link, for example a video, and a light design are automatically activated with the Saral NFC LightPaper, the TouchPaper also offers various printed buttons with which different content can be played. The sensor does not need batteries, and neither does an app.

functional inks for screen and flexographic printing systems. The manufacturer is currently focusing on the development of various solutions for interactive packaging and print media, as well as new types of light and NFC technologies. The abbreviation NFC stands for Near Field Communication; it is a data transmission standard. To illustrate the functions, Saralon has developed two approaches and is looking for partners, printing companies. These are the Saral NFC LightPaper and TouchPaper.

Saralon is looking for print shops as partners.

The “print shop as partner” concept includes Saralon supplying the functional inks. At the same time, the company must guarantee a certain transfer of technology. Hence, it offers technical trainings. “Print shops should be able to use our new technologies

Packaging, mailings, interactive cards and retail applications are the core target markets that Saralon is currently addressing.

Brands are fighting more than ever for the attention of customers; they have been using high-quality papers and cardboard, special varnishes or embossing for this. So, you rely on the power of haptics, which has been proven to bring something. However, there is a risk that the success is too low because the competition is doing the same.

In autumn 2020 Saralon used its new SaralNFC technology for one customer who wanted some digital features to be added to their packaging. “The client was from tobacco industry where they have fewer advertising opportunities than other industries. Such a situation naturally forces you to take new measures. With this project the marketer hopes to bring the technology to the masses. The demand for special, highquality packaging is great. By adding new interactive functionalities brands can engage and communicate through emotions, which is better with a video than with a photo in a brochure.

is simply not enough. And if a video should be out of date, the sensors can be reprogrammed afterwards.

The two papers create a bridge between printed and digital world and address customers multisensory.

“It is also important that the SaralNFC technologies allow the level of awareness of campaigns to be measured. Classic post mailing cannot deliver that. And that in turn can convince customers. You have to develop new customer groups, even though it requires high effort technology and marketing as a team,” says Steve Paschky.

The impact of NFC technology is well known. Printed Electronics has the potential to amplify the impact of NFC on our daily lives. Saralon is working to simplify the production of NFC-related products so that printing companies can produce them using existing printing machines. With SaralNFC LightPaper, bringing a smartphone close to the paper can switch on light from paper and simultaneously open a weblink on the smartphone. Using SaralNFC TouchPaper, once a smartphone is placed on the paper, the paper becomes interactive, multiple weblinks can be opened by touching paper at predefined positions.

“Just remember that with the TouchPaper, a sales representative no longer has to lug around the 200-page catalogue, but can present more interactive content on the smartphone with a brochure to a lesser extent.”

The idea of being able to create e-learning documents goes in a completely different direction. One can fill print documents, with which one can certainly learn well, with digital content in the places where analogue

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DKSH enables flexible packaging printing company boost production South Korean flexible packaging printing company boosts production with advanced automated slitting machine. automatic knife/blade positioning that ensure quick and precise knife setting to automatic laser core guiding, the system also features four-shaft turret systems that provide fully automatic job change over and non-stop operation.

One of the leading flexible packaging printing companies of South Korea has increased production output with the help of DKSH’s printing solutions featuring an advanced automated slitting machine.

and highly automated slitting machine to help them increase operation productivity at their plant. They also needed a solution that could deliver high-quality printing tasks while reducing job loading time.

Terawin Printing has been producing snack packaging printing for leading food and beverage brands in South Korea for the past four decades. Based in Seoul, its services and products extend to markets like Canada, Germany, Singapore and the United Kingdom. Flexible packaging printing company boost production with advanced automated slitting machine.

Soma Engineering’s Venus III 1350 Turret proved a perfect solution for them. The machine’s advanced capabilities were able to provide their customer with the highly automated slitting machine needed to improve their production output and increase productivity.

Other features crucial to meet the customer’s requirements include automatic tape application, shaft-less unwinding, splicing table, unloading mechanism, recipe system and automatic cross slitting.

Besides being easy to operate, the machine is designed especially for large converting companies that need multiple slitting of medium diameter rolls. With features like

The machine has been in operation since it got successfully installed at the customer’s premises. Since then, Terawin Printing has recorded faster production time and achieved higher cost savings due to improved overall efficiency.

As its production demand was growing, Terawin Printing needed a more advanced

DKSH is also working with them on future flexible packaging solutions for their operations.

“We needed a new machine and solutions to help us increase our operational productivity and at the same time, speed up processing time and increase overall efficiency. DKSH’s solutions and automated slitting machine is proving to be the perfect fit for us,” says a Representative of Terawin Printing.

Oji acquires 80% stake in Empire Packages Japanese company Oji Holding Corporation

has acquired a majority 80% shares in

Punjab-based Empire Packages Private Limited. Oji, one of the leading global paper and packaging player, has acquired the provider of services to several fortune 500 companies and large FMCG companies in north India.

Oji Holdings subsidiary Oji India Packaging has already established several corrugate units across India and this acquisition provides access to the entire northern region.

Empire will be Oji group’s 35th corrugated container plant in South East Asia, India and Oceania. Recently in June 2021, they stopped manufacturing of heavy duty packaging material in Uttar Pradesh plant and consolidated to the existing plant in Rajasthan.

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Sean Wu is the new GM of Xeikon for the Greater China region - Brings a wealth of expertise and proven management skills.

Xeikon has appointed Sean Wu General Manager for Greater China, signalling the company’s increasing presence in the region. In his new role, Wu is tasked with managing the significant growth in interest for Xeikon’s digital solutions in China, particularly from label and packaging printers and converters working with the high demands from brand owners and designers, creating unusual, unique and high-end products to meet ever-evolving consumer demand. Wu will also manage and coordinate Xeikon’s new warehousing facility at its Technical Innovation Center in Shanghai, where the company can now provide sameday consumables and parts delivery and technical support.

Wu says: “I am pleased to be a part of Xeikon’s future plans in China. The Xeikon family is a great community of innovation and forward-thinking. I have long admired Xeikon’s technology, and with the huge growth we are seeing in the labels and packaging sectors in China, it is exciting for me to present Xeikon’s innovative solutions to these markets. With the new warehousing facility now open in Shanghai, we are able to quickly respond with technical help and 24hr delivery service on parts and consumables. I have been working in the IT sector for almost

30 years – for Hitachi, EMC and IBM. I also worked for many years as General Manager at InfoPrint where I was in charge of selling Continuous Print solutions. My new role is a big opportunity and I now hope to bring my IT and management skills to support Xeikon.”

Shainghai Innovation Center Xeikon’s Innovation Center in Shanghai is designed to house the latest Xeikon equipment to support the expanding Chinese markets. The hands-on centre of digital printing excellence is a welcome place of interaction where visitors and customers can test a variety of applications and options for new revenue streams and business growth.

With this new state-of-the-art warehousing facility, Xeikon is now able to deliver a sameday response to its customers across the whole of Greater China.

Xeikon designed its Innovation Center in Shanghai to be a benchmark of excellence.

Printing and converting companies are invited to discuss their business strategies and compare results on Xeikon equipment.

Wu continues: “We are also able to provide customers with the full suite of Xeikon services, including training and support as well as our online and comprehensive advisory service Transform with its

hotline for advice and guidance on digital transformation. With the new warehouse in operation, we can also efficiently handle all our customers’ enquiries with a very fast response and a 24hr delivery”.

Klaus Nielsen, Director & General Manager APAC, concludes: “We are delighted that Sean Wu has joined Xeikon as General Manager for Greater China. He brings a wealth of expertise and proven management skills. The Chinese market continues to expand, and this appointment is the next step in our G2M strategy for this region. In his newly established role, Sean will further develop and strengthen Xeikon business in Greater China.”

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Miraclon announces winners of the 2021 Global Flexo Innovation Awards Print process conversion to flexo, fixed-colour palette printing, improved efficiencies in print production workflow and sustainable print observed as key trends in the flexo printing industry.

Miraclon announced the 13 winners of the Global Flexo Innovation Awards, which recognize businesses that are driving the transformation of the flexo industry with the help of KODAK FLEXCEL NX Technology.

Over 200 entries from 24 countries were judged by an independent panel of eight flexo industry experts during a hybrid session that saw the judges convene both in person and through digital collaboration applications.

processes,” comments Grant Blewett, Chief Commercial Director, Miraclon. “The high conversion rates from other printing processes to flexo, focus on fixed colour

With high quality a pre-condition of entry, submissions were evaluated on four criteria: the efficiency of the company’s workflow, conversion from other print processes to flexo, the degree of creativity in the graphic design and the level of sustainable business practices in the project. Excellence in two categories received a silver award (seven winners), in three categories a gold award (five winners) and in all four categories a platinum award, demonstrating to the industry and to the winner’s customers a commitment to the highest level of print production. This year, Lorytex (Uruguay) became the first winner ever to receive the platinum commendation. The judges also awarded Highest Honors to four of the winners that they believed demonstrated the biggest impact on advancing the flexo printing process.

For many skin care products, the label or sleeve is typically printed on plastic-based substrates and then applied to the tube.

This involves additional production steps and adds complexity and challenges at the recycling stage because the labels and sleeves have to be separated from the tube. Creative Stylo Pack wanted to explore a ‘direct-to-tube’ workflow to remove the variability in recycling and eliminate a manufacturing step.

Using FLEXCEL NX Plates, excellent results were achieved at 150 lpi and a production speed of 130 tubes per minute.

As most jobs were eight colours, Numex had detailed discussions with printer and brand to establish how best to improve colours or textures, including the choice of varnish.

Numex Blocks India won SILVER – highlighting conversion from other print processes and commitment to sustainable print – at the coveted award.

“At a time where all of us were experiencing the additional challenges because of the pandemic, these winners prove that we’re not only part of an incredibly resilient industry, but one that continues to innovate with companies that drive creativity and efficient, consistent and sustainable manufacturing

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palette printing, and efforts to maximize on-press productivity and efficiency that also contribute to sustainability that we have seen in so many of the entries, all demonstrate

Numex Blocks India wins at GFIA 2021 Winners Winners selected from a competitive field of 208 entries submitted from 24 countries.

For the new materials, Creative Stylo invested in a 13-colour Omso press. The tubes were of standard PE coextruded construction and were challenging to print on, but using FLEXCEL NX plates excellent results were achieved at 150lpi and a production speed of 130 tubes per minute.

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how much the flexo industry is set to become the print process of choice for packaging.”

The full roll of honour is as follows:

Out of the top 13 companies, seven winners are based in Latin America, three in Europe, two in North America, and one in the Asia Pacific region. “We’re pleased to see companies from around the world innovating and being creative in growing their businesses as well as driving the transformation of the flexo printing industry,” continues Grant. “Each one of the winners, as well as the companies that received special mentions, demonstrated incredible commitment to the advancement of flexo and set great examples of what can be achieved when fully utilizing the tools and technology at their disposal; it should motivate the rest of the industry to do the same.”

Highest Honors Winners (in alphabetical order) Bosisio SA, Celomat SA & Mondelez SA, Argentina (Joint Entry) – Gold Bosisio SA and Celomat worked together to prove flexo a cost-effective and high-quality alternative to gravure for Mondelez, meeting their need for shorter turnaround times and lower costs. This included Expanded Color Gamut (ECG) implementation.

Fathom Optics, Grace Label Inc and Confluence Brewing Company, United States (Joint Entry) – Gold

In what the judges described as “a really impressive innovation,” Grace Label and Fathom Optics created a striking 3D multidimensional moving image on a standard flexo press without any additional steps – an achievement the judges had not seen before.

Mega Embalagens, Multipack & Pontyn, Brazil (Joint Entry) – Silver Mega Embalagens combined the Extended Color Gamut (ECG) process with the Flexcel NX printing matrices to combine four different jobs, resulting in a saving of three printing setups and 23 plates in addition to the 40% reduction in setup time.

Sunshine FPC & Trisoft Graphics, United States (Joint Entry) – Gold

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consumption translates into significant cost savings.

U. Günther GmbH & Flexo-Service Cl. Jaehde GmbH, Germany (Joint Entry) U. Günther’s Impulse Screen technology and FLEXCEL NX Plates enable older flexo presses and aniloxes to print at higher standard resolutions — up to 269 lpi instead of 150 lpi — matching, and often exceeding, the results possible with gravure. Other benefits recorded include resolution two times finer than gravure; ink savings of up to 15% per job; and speed increases of up to 25% per run.

California-based Sunshine FPC, as vertically integrated manufacturer, and prepress trade shop, Trisoft, converted a gravure job imported from overseas, thus yielding freight and time savings as well as improved quality control. By printing on a sustainable plant-based substrate, Sunshine reduced the total gauge, size and dimension of the package, eliminating a lamination process and reducing waste and power consumption.

Platinum: Lorytex, Uruguay Lorytex became the first-ever GFIA Platinum winner with an outstanding allround performance. Transforming flexible packaging that was previously gravure

printed in China to local flexo production, the entry demonstrated exceptional cooperation between Lorytex, the converter and the brand to overcome several technical challenges and implement an ECG workflow.

Gold: Cromograf & Strong SA, Uruguay (Joint Entry) The four-colour Expanded Color Gamut (ECG) workflow implemented by Cromograf and Strong delivers considerable savings in plates, mounting tapes, special inks and solvents, as well as faster press set-up.

The entry also showed design innovations, including moving press marks inside the print; the resulting 1% reduction in substrate

Silver: Litoplas Colombia This gravure to flexo conversion highlights what is possible when the converter and brand work together closely. The three jobs entered are all examples of Expanded Color Gamut (ECG) projects. Litoplas Colombia did an excellent job of implementing the workflow and demonstrating the company could achieve the savings and quality levels required by a major global brand.

Tadam & Gruppo Sada spa, Italy (Joint Entry) Tadam’s customer Sada proposed converting from offset to flexo to streamline the production workflow, and as a result shortened the production time from 20 working days to six hours. The job was printed using FLEXCEL NXC Plates and DIGICAP NX Advanced Patterning, achieving a minimum dot hold of 1%.

Technofilms, Guatemala Technofilms reduced the spot colours used in this job from four to two, translating into a 22% reduction in set-up times. In another job, the company used new packaging materials manufactured from more sustainable polyethylene foam films to reduce weight – by 11% in this case – and enable more efficient packing for transit.

Teruel – Papeis Amalia Ltd, Brazil Teruel worked with three brands to adapt and create packaging designs and new substrates that not only matched the quality of the product when previously produced gravure, but also enhanced sustainability credentials and eliminated steps in the post-print process to significantly shorten production times.

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Victory Graphics & Caps Cases, United Kingdom (Joint Entry) Produced for luxury fashion brand The Rake, Victory and Caps used a single FLEXCEL NX Plate to create the photographic-quality image with its challenging mix of highlights and dark shadows. Printed inside the box, the image created an enhanced ‘unboxing’ experience for consumers in a highly efficient manner — the post-print cost 30% less than litho, and flexo post-print also significantly reduces lead time for re-orders.

In addition to the 13 winners, the judges highlighted the contributions of the following entrants with a special recognition: CR Serigrafia Srl & Esbe Srl, Italy, (Joint Entry) produced an excellent example of direct printing onto rigid packaging.

Mondi Halle GmbH, Werner & Mertz GmbH, Knecht GmbH & Flexicon AG, Germany (Joint Entry), worked together to create

a genuinely innovative pouch design to improve recyclability and sustainability.

Papierfabrik Palm, site plant Seyfert, Reichenbach an der Fils, and D&W FlexoManufaktur GmbH & Co. KG, Osterwieck, Germany (Joint Entry), cooperated to create an impactful and novel packaging design — a cardboard bag that can easily be transformed into a cardboard box.

The independent judging panel for the Global Flexo Innovation Awards comprised experts in the packaging value chain from design to print production and sustainability. The members were: 1.

2.

3.

Rotoplast d.o.o., Croatia, converted a job from gravure to flexo by creating a ten-colour design with a paper-touch varnish finishing effect — something previously the preserve of gravure and a novel achievement using flexo.

4.

5.

6.

Z Due, Italy, impressed judges with an excellent collection of work converted from offset and gravure to flexo, enhanced using the company’s own BlueEdge screening technology.

7.

8.

Christopher Horton (USA): Graphic Services Consultant (Lead Judge) Laurel Brunner (UK): Journalist and Consultant, Verdigris Stefano d’Andrea (Italy): Flexo & Industrial Graphic Expert Dr. Kai Lankinen (Finland/Germany): Chairman & Co-owner, Marvaco Ltd Sebastian Longo (Argentina): President & Managing Director, Fotograbados Longo S.A. Ken McGuire (USA): Research Fellow, Procter & Gamble Jason Goode (Australia): Packaging Design and Development Professional Dr. Chip Tonkin (USA): Chair – Department of Graphic Communications, Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design & Graphics.

DuPont introduces Cyrel Lightning at INFOFLEX 2021 The new Cyrel Lightning plate family by DuPont Cyrel Solutions is optimized for UV-LED exposure systems such as Esko XPS Crystal.

DuPont Cyrel Solutions introduced the new Cyrel Lightning plate family at the FTA’s Fall Conference (October 03-06) in Frisco, TX. These new printing plates are optimized for UV-LED exposure systems, such as the Esko XPS Crystal, to make full use of these systems’ 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. Cyrel Lightning plates challenge this as they were formulated from the ground up with UV-LED exposure characteristics in mind.

“Cyrel Lightning plates use chemistries with tailored UV profiles to achieve tunability between surface- and through-cures. This innovation enables a balanced cure that can be tailored to the unique dynamics of a scanned LED exposure sequence. At the same time, it provides sufficient through-cure using a finely tuned UV absorption profile,” says Suniti Moudgil, Global Technology

Cyrel LSH is the first of the new range of photopolymers plates and will be available in 045 and 067 gauges; it is solvent processable and comes with certified exposure recipes in the latest software of the Esko XPS Crystal units.

talk about driving process optimization.

So, having a plate that is tuned for LED exposures, driving throughput, not having the exposure be a bottleneck with LED technology, while still delivering the printing quality that we expect, was a great benefit to our business” said Kevin Bourquin, Vice President at Cyber Graphics.

Cyber Graphics, a tradeshop from Memphis Tennessee, was one of the pioneers in adapting UV-LED technology in their prepress operation and has been involved early during the external evaluation of the new photopolymer. “In flexo, we constantly

Cyrel LSH is a hard durometer plate with smooth surface, ideally suited for advanced surface screenings and optimized for a broad range of substrates and clean press runs in flexible packaging, tag & label and paper printing applications.

Leader at DuPont.

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A good restart for the industry – India Corr Expo 2021 Industry meets at India Corr Expo 2021.

It was an exciting moment after a gap of over 2 years to meet people from our industry at a common platform under one roof, this time at the recent India Corr Expo 2021 (India Expo Mart, Hall 14, Greater Noida). We see the industry is waking up and trying to find its feet in the new normal post pandemic.

We saw a general rejuvenated feeling in the participants and visitors who looked very excited about the gradual normalization of the situation though masks were an essential part of wear.

Though there were only a couple of ‘running’ machines, we noticed a sense of relief writ large on the face of participants as well as visitors. Only recently the Propak at Pragati Maidan had dampened our feelings for low industry response. IndiaCorr Expo 2021, on the other hand, came as a welcome relief for all in the industry.

Ample Graphics, representative of various Chinese brands of machinery for the corrugating industry, looked excited at the show and announced the sale of a folder gluer with an inline finished box strapping unit to a leading corrugator from Jaipur. “We are pleasantly surprised by the response at the show, considering the pandemic has just started curbing its wings and visitors are showing great interest to explore the latest,” said Mr.Rajeev Jagga. “It is as always a pleasure to meet and greet visitors at the show. We can clearly see the difference between physical and virtual shows,” gleams Mr.Sachin Kala.

Mr.Ajay Bhardwaj, Sales Manager at BHS Corrugated India, an exhibitor at the show, was also happy about situation and

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comments, “The worst hopefully has passed and let us look forward to a rewarding year ahead.” BHS is one of the top 100 mid-tier companies in Germany and has a strong presence in many countries with technology of the future, which is ‘a few years ahead of time – The box Plant 2025’, adds Ajay.

A casual visitor to the show, Mr.Vishwas Dharam of Novurania SPA found the show to be an outlet for all the industry associates to actually break the bounds and enhance the bonds. “Really happy to see many visitors to the show and it seems we can possibly see normalcy returning to our industry,” Vishwas shared.

Creative Graphics, a Noida based prepress

house for the flexo industry with presence in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai as well as in Baddi (Himachal Pradesh) was at the show showing their prowess in flexo plate making. With machines from DuPont and Software from Esko, Creative is a fast growing progressive company under MD, Mr.Deepanshu Goel. At their stall, on display were special stereos for high-ink-transfer with shore hardness which helps the printer to achieve the best solid ink transfer without compromising on the box strength.

Robus India, one of the very fast growing companies, with many installations of machines in the industry had in their stall for display – an inline/offline Braille machine specifically for the pharma and

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food packaging market. We saw sizeable crowd interacting with the Robus team at the exhibition too. They announced the sale of an automatic Diecutting Machine with Stripping to Ruchira Printing & Packaging.

CGSASP was available at the show with Mr.Arun Gandhi in attendance with a plethora of products from their principals like CITO, Policart, Renova, Leadedge, Sandon and Movirol to name a few. “Good to see people from the industry visiting the show making me believe in the revival and restructuring of everything in general and to meet pals from the industry and enquire welfare,” said Arun.

Alpna Visual Packaging Aids was available at their stall with their very successful MCURE brand of Retrofit UV systems. “It was a very enriching show for us with many visitors to our stall giving us a chance to explain the nuances of our products and the benefits one can reap out of it,” said Kapil Dev, Head of Sales of the company.

their flexographic printing plates for the corrugation industry. “Glad to be here for one of the first physical shows after a bit and I feel excited about our industry in general,” he beamed.

Other exhibitors included ACME Rolltech, Allespack Systems, Apex International, Arjun Industries, Baumer, Bobst, Erhardt + Leimer, Xinguang, HIC Machinery Co., Natraj Industries, Senior Packaging Machinery, Suba Solutions, Valco Melton, Zonke India, to name a few.

There were a few industry software vendors too like Samadhan & Finsys, catering to the industry needs. Overall a good show and hopefully leading to a more vibrant and effervescent corrugated packaging industry and related shows.

The show had a conference too running parallel by ICCMA, focusing on the theme “The Changing Landscape – Adapting to the New Normal” which was well attended.

Unico Tech Solution, a recently formed company too was present at the show with their hardware – software hybrid productivity enhancing system which can be installed on any machine to calculate the actual productivity of a machine (fully automatic, semi or even manual) vis-a-vis what the manufacturers claim what the productivity should be and all this without any human intervention.

Vee Pee Graphic Solutions from Bengaluru along with its team displayed

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Seiko Open Week at new Demo Centre in Germany The diversity of industrial inkjet printing – holistic solutions for a perfect customized industrial application.

At the end of July, Seiko Instruments invited visitors to their Open Week in their new demo centre in Neu-Isenburg, Germany and, together with their partners, devoted themselves extensively to the umpteen facets and possibilities of industrial inkjet printing. There were a lot of discussions about holistic solutions, the challenge of the perfect interlocking of all relevant components for a perfect customised industrial inkjet application.

After the forced break due to the Covid-19 restrictions, Seiko Instruments could finally open its new demo centre and laboratory in Neu-Isenburg for customers and other interested parties.

During the Open Week, 12 different printing stations for packaging, textiles, ceramics, wood, coding and marking were on display – printing with oil, UV and water-based inks, depending on the application, as well as UV and water-based varnish printing.

Last summer, Seiko Instruments decided to relocate its demo centre and laboratory from France to Germany. In Neu-Isenburg, near Frankfurt am Main, the company now has the optimal premises and equipment to be able to comprehensively demonstrate the diversity of its industrial inkjet solutions.

Of course, due to the pandemic, the classic opening ceremony in autumn last year was cancelled, but there was now enough time with selected, competent partners from the areas of ink development, drying and printing and integrators to demonstrate a wide range of applications, to set up machine configurations that give visitors an insight into the extensive potential of industrial inkjet printing based on the high-performance Seiko Instruments printheads.

Seiko’s printheads serve a wide variety of purposes,

Key Notes : > Neu-Isenburg demo centre holds open week. > To comprehensively demonstrate the diversity of Seiko’s industrial inkjet solutions. > Insight into extensive potential of industrial inkjet printing by highperformance Seiko printheads.

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including ceramic tiles, heavy textiles, home textiles, apparel, wood, glass, corrugated, high-speed marking and coding, labelling, coating, signage, and additive manufacturing (3D).

Robust and highly accurate, they enable the most flexible printing directions – downwards, vertical and horizontal.

During the Open Week, 12 different printing stations for packaging, textiles, ceramics, wood, coding and marking were on display, printing with oil, UV and water-based inks, depending on the application, as well as UV and water-based varnish printing. But the configurations shown here were only meant to be a creative push to show what is possible. Seiko also took the opportunity to talk to end-users about future strategic directions and possible new applications to bring competent partners on board.

Seiko also discussed with industry partners the properties of products including special inks to work with its inkjet printheads for specific application.

Seiko was delighted at the positive response to the Open Week which attracted around 150 people from over 60 companies and 12 different countries.

Traditionally, Seiko Instruments has successfully provided solutions for ceramics, coding and marking segments. The ceramic printing market has been well served with the popular RC1536 recirculation printhead series which enabled a market share of 35 to 40 percent. With the industry having already adopted digital production, many old machines are

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being replaced by new and more powerful lines. It is a fast growing market and Seiko is well placed to tap the potential here, especially armed with its innovative inkjet printhead technology. The robust industrial technology by Seiko is very well placed to be an attractive choice for new as well as customers considering re-investments in this area.

Coding and Marking segment is the first market segment Seiko Instruments entered in Europe. In this segment, Seiko printhead is the only solution that can print horizontally at a distance of 2 to 3 cm. the clearly outlined precise dots by these printheads create a unique selling point for them.

Seiko competes in this market on the one hand with systems based on thermal inkjet technology and on the other hand with

classic label machines. For users who have relied on thermal inkjet technology to date, even smaller print heads have now been developed that are perfectly suited to these fields of application. To replace labels, direct printing on brown cardboard requires an appropriate amount of ink so that the black remains black and is not simply absorbed.

Alternatively, UV-based inks are used and a white layer is printed first so that black can be printed afterwards.

Another important market for Seiko is corrugated digital single pass printing. With a considerable market share, Seiko has an upper hand due to advantages offered for printing on cardboard. RC1536 strongly serves the market with its robust design.

This versatile printhead covers a wide range of inks and fluids. The constant ink flow within the circulation structure removes air bubbles and contaminants and prevents sedimentation of inks with large pigments.

The high flow rate within the circulation structure ensures that the ink is constantly moving at high speed immediately behind the nozzles. This automatically regenerates the nozzles and prevents deposits, eliminating the need for routine nozzle cleaning during operation and significantly

reducing ink consumption. Ink constantly circulates, eliminating the need for pre-filling or flushing before printing.

Seiko is eyeing the coatings segment with its highly placed printhead technology.

The application of an even layer on a large surface can be realised relatively easily in a professional manner with Seiko printbars. In the label market, it is possible to equip an analogue press with an additional printbar in order to be able to apply finishes. Coatings are also an important topic in the textile market. Think, for example, of breathable sportswear or the criterion of low flammability of fabrics. In order to achieve this, despite all the expertise surrounding the formulation, it is ultimately also a matter of applying a liquid for coating - and Seiko’s print heads in the coating sector do exactly that.

The biggest challenge is certainly to find the appropriate ink formulation for the requirements of the different industries.

And ensure that customers get the best combination of technologies, Seiko has created an extensive platform in NeuIsenburg with its demo centre, and the Open Week proved a perfect curtain raiser.

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Kongsberg’s workflow integration partnership with PrintFactory Kongsberg PCS-PrintFactory partnership – integrated production suite specifically tailored for Kongsberg cutting tables.

Production Console (IPC) to allow pre-press corrections to original files in almost any format.”

Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems (Kongsberg PCS) has signed a new partnership agreement with software supplier PrintFactory, with an integrated production suite specifically tailored for innovative Kongsberg cutting tables.

“This is a very exciting announcement for us as it marks the first software agreement we’ve entered into since becoming a standalone business earlier this year,” said Stuart Fox, President of Kongsberg PCS. “At that time, we declared our intention to work with other leaders in the field, and this is the first of what we expect to be numerous such partnerships that will further deliver

excellence to our customers around the world.”

PrintFactory is a production suite for the print and finishing industry, comprising workflow software that handles repetitive tasks using network apps, smart tools and XML instructions to increase production speed.

“PrintFactory achieves this while also being focused on color management with their smarter RIP, powered by a world-class color engine, for perfect large format digital prints,” said Stuart. “With Editor, Layout, Printstation, just-in-time tools and cloud components, the new integrated software can be used in combination with the Kongsberg i-cut

Erik Strik, CEO of PrintFactory, said that with the Editor tool, fonts, colour corrections and layout changes can be made without the need for expensive third-party design apps.

“Access to PrintFactory Layout means that manufacturers can now print and cut, nest and create double-sided jobs. It handles white generation and specialty colours and includes special tools for various segments - all-in-one tool for preparing jobs,” he said. “Printstation helps with workload balancing and gives teams more control over production, making distributing the load easier, while the Just-in-Time Nesting tool allows users to make smart, automatic changes or manual adjustments to jobs up to the last second, without slowing down production.”

The new integrated software includes several features specific to Kongsberg users, including: • Ability to export files as zipped JDF (Job Definition Format) for cutting • QR code support for automated workflow in Kongsberg’s iPC • Offset to first registration mark for automatic production and correct cut file orientation • Substrate name is included in the cut file for ‘Material is key’ function in iPC “This is just the first stage of integration between this leading workflow solution and our own iPC,” said Stuart. “We have plans to work with PrintFactory on a number of additional features in the coming months, to further enhance the quality of production that customers can expect from their Kongsberg cutting tables and tools.”

Erik Strik added: “We are delighted to have partnered with Kongsberg PCS to ensure our production suite integrates with their state-ofthe-art cutting solutions, and we look forward to making PrintFactory workflow software available to even more customers around the world.”

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Go beyond T-shirts: print speciality items with new Roland Texart XT-640S Roland DGA introduces new Texart XT-640S Direct-to-Garment Printer featuring sliding baseplate and platen flatbed operation.

Roland DGA has launched Texart XT-640S, its new multi-station direct-to-garment printer.

With its innovative design, cutting-edge features, and specialized RIP software, the XT-640S claims to have multiple DTG printers in one device, making it easy for users to maximize production while minimizing overall costs. The printer promises delivering productivity, versatility, and flexibility comparable to high-volume industrial DTG machines that too at a much lower price.

The XT-640S opens short-run avenues for screen printing operations that want the ability to ramp up production during busier times. It’s is also a profitable solution for graphics apparel businesses looking to expand their product offerings by integrating an advanced “print what you want” solution.

The easy to use direct-to-garment printer is a device that screen printing shops and other print providers can add to their current production workflow with minimal operator training.

The unique design and features of the XT-640S enable screen printers and other print providers go way beyond printing

T-shirts. A sliding baseplate and platen flatbed operation give users the flexibility to customize a wide variety of cotton and cotton-blend products, including specialty apparel items, accessories, gifts, interior décor, and more. The XT-640S offers an intuitive digital workflow with pre-defined print environments – advanced machine features that adapt seamlessly with existing production software systems for the ultimate web-to-print solution. A separate control tower with touchpad controls, user-friendly CADlink Digital Factory Apparel Software, and innovations like customer barcode reading, allow for easy integration into current production workflows.

The XT-640S delivers the kind of production results that match those from more expensive, industrial print machines. In addition, the versatility of this state-of-theart printer provides distinct advantages by increasing the print opportunities for users.

Not only can the XT-640S print on multiple T-shirts at a time, its 63” x 54” flatbed with a Z height of eight inches lets you customize items like towels, blankets, jeans, jackets, décor, and more. The printer’s rail-based

system, multiple stations, sliding baseplate, and docking platen operation optimize efficiency and productivity. While one set of product platens is in production, users can pre-treat and set up platens for the next print job.

The XT-640S uses CMYK and high-density White INKU Eco Passport Certified DTG inks, which are specially formulated to achieve vibrant graphics on white or coloured garments – all with a natural look and feel as well as outstanding wash durability.

“Our new Texart XT-640S direct-to-garment printer fulfills a truly unique market niche,” said Roland DGA Senior Product Manager Lily Hunter. “This versatile, easy-to-use machine not only enables users to print directly on a wide variety of apparel and accessory items, it also allows screen print businesses and other types of operations to accept a broader range of jobs. They can print small batches quickly with low operational costs, but they also have the continuous printing capabilities to accommodate larger production runs. And, regardless of the type of job, users can depend on XT-640S to deliver high quality, customer-pleasing output.”

While the XT-640S can typically be integrated into a business’s own production management software, it comes bundled with CADlink Digital Factory Apparel Software, which can be used as a standalone system and offers a host of powerful tools and features. This advanced, easy-to-use RIP boasts high-fidelity colour printing, job preparation, and web-to-print management tools designed to streamline production workflow. This includes integration and reading of customer barcodes for automatic job sorting, tools for simple image placement on garments, White ink management features that produce automated underbases based on graphic transparency, a tab-based queue system with full preview for garments of all colours, sizes and types, an out-of-the-box colour profile, colour adjustment tools, and more.

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Kao Chimigraf brings their Inkjet inks to India Highly successful European series ATOMIC and CYCLONE to drive growth for Indian customers.

Kao Chimigraf has brought their two main LED curable inks for wide format applications for the Indian signage market. The European success – ATOMIC and CYCLONE series are among the top UV LED inks for printheads used in top brands such as Ricoh, Konica Minolta and more.

Made from the best eco-friendly UV LED raw materials, this ink is in compliance with all European regulations. CYCLONE is a flexible ink used in roll-to-roll UV LED machines.

Displaying the highest quality standards, both CYCLONE and ATOMIC have been introduced in the Indian market keeping in view its needs and growth potential in the segment.

FRANÇOIS AGUILAR, Chief Commercial Officer says, Kao has a worldwide presence with a range of solutions for the Coding & marking industry. From solvent, oil based to water based inks, Kao has a strong presence in the Indian market – both in the Piezo or the TIJ technology. The company is stepping in the WFG market in view of the fast growing UV market. “In view of the present new developments happening in India, we see India as a great market. We look forward to offering our Indian customers great solutions from the bucket of our products,” says FRANÇOIS AGUILAR. The other inks Kao will be offering to the Indian customers include solvent and eco solvent inks to be used with almost all the Inkjet technologies. The Kao solvent inks are high in quality pigments, best colorimetry to ensure a perfect gamut, specifically for red colours. Kao Chimigraf would be working with Indian OEM’s to look for innovative ecofriendly ink solutions.

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Kao Chimigraf has a European and American inkjet market presence of over 15 years. With their vast experience of printing, increasing printing output and customer service, Kao is all set to provide the Indian customers quality and robust inks through its strong supply chain.

MARC GRANERO, Inkjet Sales Manager says “Our range of products and our services are designed to deliver the best solutions adapted to each printing job thanks to our

quality, high performance materials. This enables us to give our customer real value.

Kao Chimigraf did not gain this expertise because they have the best and biggest team in the world, but they got this expertise by travelling to the customer site and visiting them. This is what they call in Japanese, Genba-ism.”

Kao Chimigraf will be presenting its latest solutions at the upcoming MEDIA EXPO Delhi from 18 to 20 November.

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Ricoh joins hands with 360DPI to tap Indian inkjet boom Ricoh and 360DPI to offer trusted technical know-how and expertise and bring industrial inkjet innovation to Indian market.

Ricoh is taking a significant step towards further strengthening its supply of industrial inkjet printheads to the Indian market, while developing its support of inkjet printer OEMs and integrators.

The direction of India’s digital print industry, combined with the scale and growth prospects of the local economy, requires a new focus to meet the needs of India’s printer manufacturers. Ricoh has joined forces with 360DPI, an exciting and innovative local business founded less than two years ago, to support the domestic demand for industrial printers and expertise ahead of India’s anticipated role as an active exporter. 360DPI facilitate the availability of all Ricoh printheads to OEMs in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, providing detailed assistance on printer engineering, as well as printhead capabilities, selection, and integration. All of these are directly connected to and supplied by Ricoh.

The partnership also includes development and supply of drive electronics and software –designed and made in India – with developer support and the capability to create waveforms for optimal printhead drop ejection. It also provides customers with fast-track, direct access to Ricoh’s UK-based Global Inkjet Technical Centre, which is the company’s centre for industrial inkjet application expertise, testing fluid compatibility. Experts at the centre engineer printer systems and conduct testing to optimise performance and reliability with best possible printhead life expectancy.

Europe, says: “Specifying the combinations of detailed technology components such as printheads and ink is critical to supporting the establishment of India as a design and manufacturing powerhouse. This requires expert knowledge sharing and support, both technical and commercial. Commercial support starts at validating the concept for development to set a path for an end-product that the industry can use. Technical support in the integration process is commonly the difference between a bad printer and a good printer, one that suffers functional, performance, reliability and life expectancy issues versus a fully supported printer designed to be optimum in all these aspects.

Many factors combine to provide this support, from advice on drive electronics and fluid supply systems to compatibility testing and specific waveform development for inks that are to run in printers.”

Abhishek Verma, CEO, 360DPI, comments: “We’re very proud to work with Ricoh and are delighted by the possibilities to apply Ricoh’s range of printheads and technology for printers to be developed and made in India.

The UK-based team at Ricoh offers wonderful support and in-depth application knowledge.

This will be an exciting and rewarding journey.”

Kennedy adds: “Ricoh is a global leader in inkjet printhead technology, addressing a vast array of applications from entry-level to some of the most productive industrial printing equipment in the world. Working with 360DPI, we aim to enable OEMs to use Ricoh for first-class engineering of inkjet systems in India, to deliver reliable, high-performing printers to the market.”

360DPI is managing several new developments using Ricoh printheads with partners throughout India and will be exhibiting at the Media Expo show in Delhi on 18 November.

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

Graham Kennedy, Director, Industrial Printing Group, Ricoh 360DPI drive electronics for Ricoh printheads.

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FCBM concern over raw material price crisis The crisis looms large over Corrugated packaging industry already suffering for various global factors.

FCBM (Federation of Corrugated Box Manufacturers of India) has expressed concern over rising prices of raw materials for the Corrugated packaging industry. Kraft paper, the chief raw material of the industry, showed yet again an unabated increase in its prices for at least a week to press the federation to express its concerned over the bad impact on the industry. There was a sharp price increase of Rs 5000 per tonne of kraft paper during the first 10 days of October. What’s more, the mills say that this is not the end and expect further increase in the coming days.

The increasing price of Coal has been a chief factor affecting the prices of kaft paper. Since Coal is the main source of energy for paper mills, and the prices of Coal has increased

from Rs 5000 per tonne to Rs 15000 per tone, the cost of production of paper mills also shot up by about Rs 3500- 4000 per tonne.

With energy crisis in China, the problem has further aggravated. Freight charges globally have added fuel to fire by almost seven-fold increase. Nothing has gone in favour of imported waste paper price spike so far. The price of starch too increased by about Rs 4000 per tonne in less than a month. Nothing to mention about the diesel price increase, which has contributed to a widespread increase in all incoming and outgoing freight costs.

Credit periods for various inputs, especially coal, have totally disrupted the cash flow of

mills. Mills, consequently have been forced to cut all credit terms to corrugators creating a domino effect. It is estimated that all these factors have increased the cost burden of corrugators by Rs 1500 to 2000 per tonne.

On one hand members of FCBM having striven hard to improve the quality standards of corrugated packaging in India to meet the global supply chain demands, this spiraling increase in input costs will throw a spanner in the works.

The recent move of the Centre to increase the GST levied on corrugated boxes from 12% to 18% has killed the encouragement for shift of plastic to eco-friendly paper in majority of consumer sectors. Governments need to incentivize the adoption of ecofriendly packaging and replacement of plastic by lowering the GST for these sectors, thereby providing an incentive for shifting mindsets towards paper-based packaging.

The industry has urged the government to take immediate steps to, if not reduce GST on corrugated packaging for these sectors at least roll back the increase affected earlier this month.

Industry experts believe this volatility is here to stay. FCBM has therefore appealed to all stakeholders including the government to take necessary steps to help this industry out of this crisis and enable its survival.

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Printers Supply Company is the new distributor of Grafisk Maskinfabrik in India Printers Supply Company (PSC) is the new distributor of Grafisk Maskinfabrik in India.

PSC has been serving the narrow web flexographic printing and converting industry for the past ten years. The service-oriented organization has been serving the needs of the label printing market.

Amitabh Luthra, Managing Director at PSC says: “Our core value is ’Add Profits by Adding Value’– so the discerning eye will

realize that only the best of products are accepted into our product portfolio, before being offered to our valued customers and friends.”

“The various agencies we work with and the products we represent are all bound together by one common thread of quality and service - therefore the GM products are a natural extension of our product offerings.”

Grafisk Maskinfabrik, commonly known as GM, is a global player in the labelling market providing advanced solutions for the self-adhesive label converting, finishing and flexible packaging industry. They produce and deliver a vast array of machines including complete automated converting lines, hot foil stamping, screen printing, die cutters, laser die cutters, slitter-rewinders, roll lifters, sheeters and core cutters.

Events Calendar 15th Printpack India

mediaexpo 2022

Date: 11 MAR -22 to 15 MAR - 22 Venue: India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, NCR Delhi

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

SIGN & LED EXPO

Labelexpo India 2022

Date: 11 MAR -22 to 15 MAR - 22 Venue: India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, NCR Delhi

Date: 9 NOV -22 to 12 NOV-22 Venue: Expo Centre & Mart Greater Noida - Delhi NCR

Screen Print India 2022

PAMEX 2022 - Postponed

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

(New Dates to be announced soon)

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.

October 2021

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