ProPack Pro December 2023

People Technology Business

www.propack.pro December 2023

A FOCUS ON:

Industry remembers Lee Gorman

Labelpak’s Lee Gorman was remembered at the recent ProPrint Awards

Labelexpo Asia 2023 Overview

MEDIAPOINT DIVERSIFIES WITH LABELS CONVERSION

The largest show in Asia celebrates its 20th anniversary

NZ Whakatane Mill completes upgrade

Australasia’s only folding box board mill has spent $100m on its upgrade ALSO INSIDE...

2023 Labels State of the Industry Report research

All my clients are sooooo happy with the quality and turnaround times with your printing.

Just a quick THANK YOU to you and your team in getting the report out so fast.

Many thanks!

Deadlines are often “self-imposed” by clients, but in this case it was a real and hard deadline. As usual, you guys nailed it.

Kaz

John

My honest feedback with my experience is that I can’t fault any part of it.

Your team and yourself were extremely helpful and professional and very understanding when I had a late change due to a client decision.

Shipping was extremely fast and easy to track.

Luke

Thanks for the iMag link. It looks great and has gone across to the client for inclusion on their website.

Massive thanks to the HP team for the work on this year’s publication.

Couldn’t pull it off without you all.

Karina

Thank you so much, my client was happy with both quality and high speed of turnaround/ delivery. Will definitely be ordering again.

I just had a call from our customer regarding the digital booklets.

She’s absolutely wrapped and rang us to say a big thank you.

Jacqui

I thought I should pass that thanks on as we didn’t have much to do with it at all!

So... good job!

Sarah

OF OUR NEW CLIENTS ARE REFERRALS YOU CAN SEE WHY...

AUSTRALIA’S BEST TRADE PRINTER

EDITOR’S LETTER

What is the State of the local Labels Industry?

The inaugural Durst Oceania and ProPack 2023 Labels State of the Industry Report was an interesting exploration into the hearts and minds of label converters.

To produce the results for the 2023 Labels State of the Industry Report, ProPack and Durst commissioned an external research agency to conduct a phone survey of Australian and New Zealand label converters with 200 businesses surveyed in Australia and 100 surveyed in New Zealand.

Among the findings were that there are two types of businesses with two different outlooks for the future in the category – we can call them – the haves and the have nots.

There are those that are comfortable and performing well in a slightly positive or flat economic environment and those that are finding the sector very challenging – with some wanting to find a way out of the industry altogether.

The most positive label converters described their business as unaffected by the recent changes to the economy with one saying: “We have not seen any slow down or changes to our business with inflation and interest rates. We are flying”.

Another company was hesitant to share that they were performing well: “We are crazy busy – but maybe we shouldn’t be telling anyone about this.”

At the other end of the scale, there were a number of companies that openly asked for advice about how they could sell their business with one saying: “I just want to retire. Do you want to buy my business?”.

Another company said: “We are just trying to stay alive at the moment – interest rates are killing us and we are probably going to need to consider selling up.”

The survey also found there is a strong appetite for local label converters to upgrade their equipment over the short

James Wells

to medium term with almost half of respondents confirming they “might be” or “will be” upgrading soon.

Interestingly, 16% of respondents had recently completed the purchase of new equipment and were therefore not in the market for further purchases.

Only 39% were not looking for new equipment – which means that six out of every 10 label converters has upgraded or will be looking to upgrade in the short to medium term, if they haven’t done so already.

Whether you are a supplier or a converter, there is plenty to think about from these statistics as we enter the Christmas break.

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to working with you in 2024.

James Wells Publisher

Stay informed… visit www.propack.pro and subscribe to receive the latest packaging industry news and views

ProPack Industry Supporters

Managing Director & Publisher: James Wells Production Manager: Jacqui Cooper Pre-Press Manager: Tony Willson

Design: Sarah Vella Printed by: Hero Print, Alexandria, NSW 2015 Mailed by: D&D Mailing Services

ProPack.pro is published by Printer Media Group, registered in Australia ABN 47 628 473 334. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or in part without the written permission of the publishers. While every care has been taken in the preparation of this magazine, it is a condition of distribution that the publisher does not assume any responsibility or liability for any loss or damage which may result from any inaccuracy or omission in the publication.

ProPack.pro Magazine National Sales Manager Carmen Ciappara +61 2 410 582 450 carmen@proprint.com.au

DISCLAIMER This publication is published by The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd (the “Publisher”). Materials in this publication have been created by a variety of different entities and, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher accepts no liability for materials created by others. All materials should be considered protected by Australian and international intellectual property laws. Unless you are authorised by law or the copyright owner to do so, you may not copy any of the materials.

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Copyright © 2023 — Charted Media Group Pty Ltd

4 ProPack.pro December 2023

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CONTENTS

IN THIS ISSUE...

P14

P8

IVE enters fibre-based packaging with JacPak strategic acquisition P8

Hybrid Software and HP join European webinar to discuss packaging challenges P12

IVE Group Ltd (IVE) has announced that it has signed a binding agreement to acquire 100 per cent of Melbourne-based packaging group, JacPak, for a total purchase consideration of $35 million.

Hybrid Software and HP representatives were among the key executives who joined a European webinar to discuss the future challenges in the packaging category.

Board fined $275,000 over finger injuries P9 Visy Board Pty Ltd has been fined $275,000 (and ordered to pay $8500 in costs) over an incident in which a worker had parts of two fingers severed.

Opal Fibre Packaging Wodonga opens $140 million corrugated packaging facility P10 Opal has invested in Australia’s newest corrugating facility, which will produce packaging for a wide range of fresh produce, food processing, FMCG and manufacturing industries across Australia.

NZ-based Whakatane Mill completes massive paperboard machine upgrade P14 Whakatane Mill Limited (WML) has successfully completed a $100m expansion upgrade of its paper machine and associated groundwood plant in Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty.

Mediapoint crosses over from wide format to labels P16 Labels would not be the first thing that the industry associates with Melbourne-based trade printer – Mediapoint. This wide-format specialist has now invested in a new Durst Tau RSC E label printer to complete a creative crossover.

P16

ProPrint Awards remembers Labelpak’s Lee Gorman P20 The industry recognised the passing of Labelpak’s Lee Gorman at the 2023 ProPrint Awards in Sydney as he was named as one of the finalists in the Industry Achievement Award.

2023 Australian Labels State of the Industry Report P22 ProPack and Durst commissioned an external research agency to conduct a phone survey of the Australasian labels sector.

Labelexpo Asia 2023 celebrates 20th anniversary P24 Labelexpo Asia 2023, the region’s largest label and package printing technology event has celebrated its 20th anniversary recently at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC).

Pack diary

P34

A guide to the upcoming events globally

THIS ISSUE SUPPORTED BY

www.propack.pro

December 2023 ProPack.pro 5

P RO PA C K . P RO ProPack.pro will unveil the inaugural Leaders Forum in the February 2024 edition, featuring the leading executives from the local and international labels and packaging industry.

Compiled and edited in conjunction with the world’s leading freelance labels and packaging journalist, James Quirk, the 2024 ProPack.pro Leaders Forum will examine the key trends from the last 12 months and the important predictions for the year ahead.

The 2024 ProPack.pro Leaders Forum will provide key insights on the trends and industry events from 2023 including Labelexpo in Brussels as well as predictions for 2024 including the upcoming Drupa trade show in Düsseldorf in May and June.

Previewing Highlights from the 2024 Leaders Forum: Insights to appear in the February 2024 Issue of Propack.pro

LEADERS

National Sales Manager 0410 582 450 carmen@proprint.com.au

2024

This is a unique opportunity to unite the industry views from label converters in Australia and New Zealand and globally in conjunction with the leading suppliers and manufacturers in the sector.

Confirmed 2024 participants include: • • • • • •

Philippe Voet, President, Finat and CEO of Etivoet Jules Lejuene , Managing Director, Finat Alex Cruz, Americas Sales Manager, Yupo USA Filip Weymans, Sales and Marketing Director, Xeikon Harveer Sahni, CEO, Weldon Celloplast Thomas Macina, Global Sales Manager Labels & Flexible Packaging, Durst Group

Andy Thomas Strategic Director, Labelexpo Global Series

Christian Menegon Business Development Manager, HP Indigo

“One of the key developments at Labelexpo Europe 2023 was that mid-web flexo presses – which used to be seen as quite specialist – have become a mainstream technology for label converters. The show was a flexo bonanza.

“Sales have recovered after the fall during the pandemic. Asia is a particularly good market for us at the moment. Last year, towards the end of the pandemic, was a great year for us and 2023 seems to be around the same level – so better than pre-Covid, but similar to last year.

“In both digital and flexo we are seeing improvements in automation, efficiency and waste reduction and integration into the wider factory workflow.

To participate contact Carmen Ciappara

FORUM

“Sustainability will continue to evolve. Rather than just looking at using recyclable or recycled materials, for example, there is a new focus on how the label can help the container to be recovered.

“One can’t predict what will happen with the economy. Of course, in difficult times, it is not easy for a converter to sign a cheque for a new machine. But the difficult times also help to make the case for digital. It’s the perfect tool not only for the label converter, in terms of optimising production, quicker turnarounds and reducing waste, but the benefits also transfer to the converter’s customers, the brands. The whole value chain can be positively impacted by the agility brought by digital printing.”

THE INDUSTRY CONFERENCE IN PRINT AND ONLINE, FEBRUARY 2024

People Technology Business

www.propack.pro December 2022

A FOCUS ON:

Part of the

Pack Expo packs in the know how

Australia’s smart packaging powerhouse

People Technology Business

THE REAL COST OF SUPPLY CHAIN WASTE

Visitors at the US show immersed themselves in the tech and trends

www.propack.pro April 2023

A FOCUS ON:

A disruptive digital transformation

Valiani debuts in Australia

Triumphal return of Labelexpo SEA

The second edition of the show hosted people from 84 countries

A modern solution by inke packaging

Fibre-based drives a better future

FPLMA recognises the best in labels

Smart packaging becomes active

The environmental impact of products

AIP conference a big success

Innovations in fibrebased packaging will improve its use

It is gaining pace and adopting new meaning as it promises to disrupt ‘functional’ packaging

At the recent conference, held in Melbourne, sustainability was high on the agenda Scan here to see Open House reel

ALSO INSIDE...

Functional packvertising

www.propack.pro June 2023

The FPLMA conference and awards put the spotlight on labelling

Electronics companies are making all the right moves to enhance their circularity models

ALSO INSIDE...

The HP Indigo 200K Digital Press

People Technology Business

A FOCUS ON:

Durst’s Martin Leitner explains how digital is about to accelerate

The Melbourne-based start-up is disrupting the packaging industry

People Technology Business

www.propack.pro February 2023

People Technology Business

www.propack.pro August 2023

A FOCUS ON:

A FOCUS ON:

Mediapoint installs new Durst Tau

Labelexpo Europe 2023 preview

ALSO INSIDE...

Soft plastics recycling

Sustainable strategies

People Technology Business

www.propack.pro October 2023

A FOCUS ON:

Have you tried our trade only print service?

Mediapoint increases its play in labels and stickers with the install

We deliver high-quality, trade printing services at competitive prices.

Spotlight on the latest innovations and label and packaging trends Self Adhesive Vinyl

Featured at Dscoop Edge St. Louis World Expo

LabelTec gets new Epson SurePress The NZ company has started its digital journey with the press

Building on Label Line’s success

BRUSSELS EXPO 11 - 14 SEPTEMBER 2023

Banner Mesh

Flex Banner

A Frames

Label Line builds on its momentum with the hire of Jason Brown

James Quirk

Acoustic Panel

interpack 2023 ends on a high note

ALSO INSIDE...

Stickers

Pull Up Banners

Specialty Films

Pride in Print NZ awards industry

LABEL OPEN HOUSE DURST HQ, BRIXEN, ITALY SATURDAY 9 & FRIDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2023

Flexible packaging report

Labels and packaging companies were put in the spotlight at the recent awards ceremony

Wedderburn invests in labels

Currie Group supplies HP and ABG solutions to expand label offering

CNC Cutting Service

ACP

HALL 7 | STAND #7C45

After a six-year break, interpack took place in Germany, bringing the industry together again

Labelexpo Europe returns to Brussels

Some of the innovations that will be on display at the upcoming show

Durst open house event at Brixen HQ

Let us become your trade print partner.

ALSO INSIDE...

‘Outside of the box’ design

Focus on an automated print quality inspection system Hawk Eye and new UV ink series range ALSO INSIDE...

Helio by Orora Beverage

Iban Cid CEO, Barcelona-based label converter Germark

Linnea Kean President, North American Label Industry Association TLMI

Nick Vindel International Sales Director at UK-based Heaford

“As a label converter, the major trend is environmental sustainability. It’s definitely the key focus. Previously, end users were reluctant to pay more for sustainable products – nowadays they realise these products are more expensive and they are willing to pay extra, particularly in high-end markets such as cosmetics, which is one of our main areas of focus.”

“It has been an interesting year for everyone in the supply chain. As we came off the high spike in demand caused by Covid, and all the stockpiling of materials, we were met with inflation and high interest rates. It has been difficult for converters to adapt to the post-Covid norm and underlying trends. The destocking phase has lasted longer than expected as inventories have been depleted throughout the value chain.

“Automation is the key trend. Many converters say it is harder to recruit operators, so they want their equipment to be more automated and as simple to train on and operate as possible.

“We are also beginning a new linerless project for prime labels in the automotive sector, for car oils and lubricants. Linerless labels are becoming more popular because you use less than 50 per cent of the material that you would otherwise need. We have tested the automatic application of these labels and the technology works.”

“What has historically been a very stable and predictable market – the cycles were known, how they lined up with consumer behaviour and where money was being spent throughout the year – is stabilizing but still a bit unpredictable.”

“We think gravure will continue to decline. Job runs are getting smaller, so flexo has the advantage there, and its improvement in quality along with changes in environmental policies in some regions in recent years has also had an impact on gravure.

“The much higher production volumes in the corrugated market will continue.

There is a recent trend towards using more colours in that market, as well as shorter job runs, which necessitates more mounters.”

NEWS

IVE enters fibre-based packaging with JacPak strategic acquisition IVE Group Ltd (IVE) has announced that it has signed a binding agreement to acquire 100 per cent of Melbourne-based packaging group, JacPak, for a total purchase consideration of $35 million.

JacPak is a leading Melbourne based short to medium run length packaging player in the $800m folding cartons segment of the Australian packaging sector.

The strategic acquisition will continue to expand and diversify IVE’s integrated service offering which also includes Creative Services, Data-Driven Communications, e-Commerce, Brand Activations, Premiums & Apparel, Print, 3PL, Household Distribution and Integrated Marketing services.

“Over the last two years we have communicated our strategic intention to enter the short to medium run folding cartons segment of the Australian packaging sector. We are pleased to be acquiring a solid entry point into the sector through the cornerstone acquisition of a business of the calibre of JacPak – a market leading, profitable and very well respected business,” IVE CEO Matt Aitken said.

Former owner of JacPak, Ashley Tomlin, who will remain with the business post completion, said, “This marks a significant

Rising star Abbie Graham joins labels category One of the printing industry’s rising stars, Abbie Graham, who came fourth at the recent 2023 ProPrint Awards, has moved from commercial printing to the labels category.

Graham recently finished working with Kwik Kopy Newcastle and has now joined Pacific Labels which is also based on the Central Coast of New South Wales.

Graham was one of the surprise winners in the 2023 ProPrint Awards, describing winning as “insane”. By coming fourth she was ranked within the top five printers in Australia in the peer-voted awards alongside veteran printers such as Keith Ferrel from Cactus

8 ProPack.pro December 2023

IVE CEO Matt Aitken

and positive new chapter for JacPak; a successful thriving operation that we have grown over the past few decades. I have no doubt that the business will continue its innovative customer-centric approach as part of IVE, and I am genuinely excited about the potential and opportunities that lie ahead for staff and customers.”

After investigating certain segments of the Australian packaging sector, IVE considered fibre-based packaging as being complementary to the Group’s existing product and service offering, and consistent with its long term strategy to continue the diversification of the business into aligned adjacencies. The fragmented structure of this sector also provides an opportunity for IVE to play a leading role in consolidating the sector further, similar to the strategy they have successfully executed in other adjacencies over the last decade.

JacPak will continue to operate as a

Abbie Graham at the 2023 ProPrint Awards

Imaging and Matt Aitken from IVE. Graham is one of the industry’s most high-profile newcomers to the industry, after being recognised in the ProPrint Awards Emerging 50 in 2022 and also winning the LIA NSW Award for Graduate of the Year.

“I really liked working at Kwik Kopy Newcastle, but I was driving more than an hour each day each way to work, so I have joined Pacific Labels in the pre-press team which is also closer to home.

“I have only worked in litho and digital until now, and I wanted to give labels a try. I am currently working with another pre-press

standalone business, with the combined teams working closely together to grow revenue by cross selling IVE’s broad offering into the existing JacPak customer base.

Based on FY23 revenues of $45m, the acquisition is expected to contribute positively to earnings in FY24. Following the realisation of synergies, the business is expected to deliver EBITDA of around $8.4m and NPAT of around $3m, giving rise to EPS accretion of approximately 7 per cent (relative to the mid-point of the Group’s FY24 NPAT guidance). Post the realisation of synergies, this represents a 4.2x multiple on the purchase consideration of $35m (including $4m payable as deferred consideration subject to the achievement of performance hurdles over a 12 month period).

JacPak currently has available capacity of $15m for potential organic revenue growth.

IVE is confident that over the near term this capacity will be utilised through new or expanded customer relationships. Should this capacity be fully utilised, it is expected to deliver a further $3.5m in EBITDA and $2.5m of NPAT. Inclusive of estimated synergies, and assuming current available capacity is utilised, JacPak would generate revenues of circa $60m, EBITDA of around $11.9m, and NPAT of around $5.5m.

Looking ahead, a key success indicator for IVE includes establishing a packaging business capable of generating $150m p.a. of revenue within 3-5 years, that’s aligned with IVE’s sustainability agenda, and also unlocks synergies with IVE’s existing business.

The $800m folding cartons market makes up a core component of the preferred packaging format for large food and beverage customers, with this segment growing around 10 per cent over the last year.

operator, and I haven’t made any flexo plates yet, but I hope to do so in the near future.

“After I finished my apprenticeship at the Department of Customer Service – Spatial Services – in Bathurst where I grew up, I knew a lot about digital printing, but I wanted more skills such as learning to do more binding.

At Kwik Kopy Newcastle, I was able to learn spiral and wire binding and I also had to hand saddle stitch some orders – including some fairly large jobs,” she said.

The four-person team at Kwik Kopy Newcastle used a Konica Minolta AccurioPress C4070 as well as an HP Latex machine.

“At Kwik Kopy, I carried out production and pre-press as well as learned signage including corflutes and billboards as well which is something I never thought I would do.”

Her initial thoughts about label printing are that it is slightly more complex than lithographic printing.

“I am glad I am doing label printing, but it is more complicated than litho and there is definitely more complexity required when it comes to artwork as well.”

www.propack.pro

NEWS

Visy Board fined $275,000 over severed finger injuries Visy Board Pty Ltd has been fined $275,000 (and ordered to pay $8500 in costs) over an incident in which a worker had parts of two fingers severed.

The company pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe work environment and was fined in the Fremantle Magistrates Court.

Visy Board operates a cardboard box factory in O’Connor that produces cardboard packaging products such as cartons, pizza boxes, removal boxes and shoe boxes. In January 2020, employees of the company were operating a machine called a Titan 1 that processes blank corrugated cardboard sheets to create printed, creased and cut sheets to be folded along crease and cut lines to form containers.

Pizza boxes were being made, and it was not uncommon for jams to occur in the feed end of the machine when making pizza boxes. There had been four jams that morning previous to this incident. Following the fifth jam at the feed end, a worker was making adjustments to the machine when his left hand was pulled into the feed rolls, severing two segments of his middle finger and the top segment of his ring finger.

At the time the machine was still running – it had not been stopped as Visy Board’s procedures required. The worker was aware that the machine had not been stopped but had pushed a blank card into the feed gate which had contacted a roller and dragged the card and his hand into the machine. Another

Visy Board pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe work environment and was fined in the Fremantle Magistrates Court.

worker had then hit the machine stop button.

Acting WorkSafe Commissioner Sally North said the case was yet another reminder of the importance of having procedures in place to isolate machinery when clearing blockages and ensuring that these procedures were followed.

“Although Visy Board had written procedures in place, the court heard that the company was not training and assessing the competency of workers in accordance with their own procedures,” North said. “In addition, the Standard Work Procedure for the clearing of blockages or jams in the machine required it to be completely stopped and gave clear instructions on how to achieve this.

“The worker who was primarily responsible for clearing jams and who was working with the injured person had not seen the Standard Work Procedure prior to this incident and had not been subject to a relevant competency assessment as was required by Visy Board.

TMA acquires Presfast after voluntary administration TMA Group of Companies has acquired Presfast Pty Ltd, a large independent printing business specialising in retail communications.

TMA Group executive chairman, Anthony Karam stated, “The acquisition of Presfast provides greater opportunity to extend TMA’s Print Management Point of Sale capabilities.

Presfast will continue to operate from their current site in Revesby.”

www.propack.pro

TMA Group executive chairman, Anthony Karam

Presfast has been in operation for almost 40 years, producing signage and POS displays as well as packaging, kitting, fulfillment and distribution services for a variety of high

“The injured worker had not been specifically trained on how to deal with jams on the feeder end of the Titan 1 but had received general instruction to stop the machine when clearing a jam.

“Following this incident, Visy Board added a plastic strip to the infeed of the machine to reduce the risk of hands entering and installed three engineering or electrical controls to further reduce the risks.

“However the company had previously failed to take reasonably practicable steps to ensure their employees were not exposed to hazards and this resulted in permanent injury to a worker,” added North.

The code of practice Managing risks of plant in the workplace outlines the hazards associated with the moving parts of machinery.

It is available on WorkSafe’s website.

ProPack made several attempts to contact a series of Visy representatives for comment – but there was no response received prior to publication.

profile corporations and creative agencies.

Presfast entered voluntary administration in October with expressions of interest requested by Monday 6 November.

The company that has been operating for three decades is well known for packaging, point of sale and displays for large clients including Coca-Cola utilising an Onset as well as Heidelberg equipment.

Industry sources have told ProPack they are hopeful the staff will remain employed at the Revesby site.

Trent McMillen, administrator for MaC Insolvency stated, “This is a great outcome for Presfast. MaC Insolvency prides itself on preserving businesses and we look forward to seeing Presfast thrive under TMA’s ownership.”

TMA Group of Companies is an Australian-owned multinational print, print management, technology and logistics company.

December 2023 ProPack.pro 9

NEWS

Opal opens $140 million Wodonga packaging facility Opal has opened its $140 million corrugated cardboard packaging facility in Wodonga.

Stage one of the construction supported 195 construction jobs and once fully operational will support 432 direct and follow-on jobs.

Opal’s Wodonga facility, which utilises the latest advanced, high-speed packaging manufacturing technology, has a total footprint of approximately 55,000 square metres. The facility will process recycled and kraft paper from Opal’s Botany Mill in Sydney and Maryvale Mill in the Latrobe Valley.

Opal has invested in Australia’s newest corrugating facility, which will produce

How does a plastic tax change packaging: report Smithers has released a report analysing the shift in demand for more sustainable packaging designs, particularly for consumer goods packaging driven by the introductions of various plastic taxes.

This article examines the concept of a plastic tax for consumer goods packaging, challenges, and how you can ensure sustainable packaging performs as required throughout complex supply chains.

The plastic tax is an initiative designed to create economic incentives for businesses and consumers to reduce their reliance on singleuse plastics. It encourages manufacturers and brand owners to explore alternative packaging materials for their products.

In the UK for example, you will have to pay the Plastic Packaging Tax if you have manufactured or imported plastic packaging components which contain less than 30% recycled plastic. Fines are introduced pertonne of packaging. This especially impacts medium to large-sized, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies, where fines can quickly amount to significant penalties.

10 ProPack.pro December 2023

Opal has invested in Australia’s newest corrugating facility, which will produce packaging for a wide range of industries.

packaging for a wide range of fresh produce, food processing, FMCG and manufacturing industries across Australia. The facility also features a highly automated materials and waste handling system.

Located at the Logic Wodonga industrial

estate in Victoria, the facility is being constructed in two stages. Stage One will deliver a highly automated, sophisticated 47,000m2 manufacturing site. A future Stage Two would expand the site to increase its production capacity.

When a team develops new packaging, particular consideration must be made to the challenges the pack will face throughout its service life.

The introduction of a plastic tax drives manufacturers and brand owners to investigate redesigning packs with new material compositions, using non-virgin plastics and other alternative materials.

This includes void fill and other protective layers to avoid having to pay fines.

Not only is redesigning packaging a costly process in itself; it also brings about many unknowns around pack performance, quality, functionality and durability.

There are concerns that should a pack not be able to cope with the rigours of the supply chains in which it will need to function, then there is severe risk to the integrity of the product and an increased likelihood that the product would not be saleable in a retail environment.

Manufacturers want to ensure that any redesigns have been validated and performance levels are known before new packaging designs enter the supply chain.

When a team develops new packaging and utilises alternative materials, particular

consideration must be made to the challenges the pack will face throughout its service life.

For example, a premium consumer item such as a new mobile phone will likely be shipped around the globe on shipping containers which can vary dramatically in temperature and humidity throughout a single journey.

Once the pack reaches land, it will likely travel via lorry by roads which can vary in quality. The pack will need to be able to endure vibration and harsh braking loads.

Following this the pack would have to cope with the associated drops and impacts that can occur during manual handling when unloading items at their end-destination.

This journey alone poses many risks to a pack.

Other supply routes can be even more demanding for a pack, such as air freight with pressure and temperature fluctuations, so it is important to have confidence in its capabilities before entering the supply chain.

www.propack.pro

NEWS

Detmold Group invests in solar to cut emissions The Detmold Group is increasing its environmental sustainability focus, with the first of its multiple facilities flicking the switch to solar energy.

The Detmold Group has made a commitment to introduce solar energy to at least one new facility each year for the next three years.

The company has this month installed its first 99 kW 243-panel system at its Regency Park facility, using PV Modules from Australia’s only solar panel manufacturer Tindo Solar. The new solar system at Regency Park is now live.

Detmold Group CEO Sascha Detmold Cox said the Detmold Group was focusing on preserving natural resources, eliminating waste from the environment and reducing emissions as part of its sustainability objectives, which will be measured against six positive impact targets.

“We haven’t just committed to being sustainable, we’re actioning it by putting panels on our roof, saving energy and reducing emissions at every opportunity,” Ms Detmold Cox said.

“We will be expanding our implementation of solar each year as we know this is important not just locally, but in our production facilities across Australia and internationally.”

Ms Detmold Cox said the system would prevent 81 tonnes of carbon dioxide being

•

released each year and cut 35 per cent of the site’s carbon emissions annually.

Ms Detmold Cox said over its lifetime, this initial solar system would reduce emissions equivalent to that produced by 1,724 long haul flights and would have the same environmental benefit as planting 15,485 trees.

“Every effort counts, and we’ll be increasing our use of renewables annually to not only meet or exceed our own sustainability targets, but to contribute to global reductions.”

As part of its sustainability objectives, the Detmold Group has also committed to: • apply Sustainable Packaging Guidelines to all of its products by 2025; • divert 95 per cent of waste from landfill across all production facilities; and

ensure 80 per cent of fibre used will be forestry-certified or contain recycled content.

The Detmold Group will provide the first annual report measuring against these targets at the end of this year.

“Using recycled or renewable materials, particularly in food packaging, is becoming a growing priority for consumers and businesses,” Ms Detmold Cox said.

“The same applies for medical products and other packaging. We are working towards being a market leader in more than just packaging – it’s about how we manufacture our products and present them to markets here and internationally.”

Tindo Solar, based in Mawson Lakes, is the only solar panel manufacturer in Australia, engineering panels that are specifically designed to withstand harsh conditions, humidity and heat.

Tindo Solar CEO Richard Petterson said he was thrilled to collaborate with the Detmold Group on its transition to renewable energy.

“Supporting another great South Australian manufacturer to reduce its carbon emissions and hit its renewable energy targets is an incredibly proud moment for Tindo Solar,” Mr Petterson said.

“Australian Manufacturers have a hard time, with offshore supply chains dominating our industry, it is vital that we also support local jobs and keep manufacturing jobs in Australia.”

With headquarters in South Australia, the Detmold Group is a 75-year-old, thirdgeneration family-owned and operated business, supplying packaging to the world’s largest and most iconic food and retail brands. The Detmold Group operates in 17 countries and has manufacturing facilities in seven countries.

Ashman and FESPA Australia supplier director, sees important synergies in hosting both events together.

“We are very pleased to have the conference co-located with the ProPrint Awards – which has become the event for the print industry in Australia. Be there or be square,” Ashman said.

Early Bird Tickets are now available via www.proprintawards.com.au Sponsorship Packages have already been confirmed for 2024 – if you would like to become a sponsor, contact Carmen Ciappara – 0410 582 450 or email: carmen@proprint.com.au

Detmold Group CEO Sascha Detmold Cox & Tindo Solar CEO Richard Petterson

Save The Date: ProPrint Awards confirmed for 2024 The largest industry event of its kind in Australia – the ProPrint Awards – will return to the Shangri-La Sydney in 2024.

The 2024 ProPrint Awards will be held on Friday 25 October 2024 in the Grand Ballroom at the Shangri-La Sydney.

The FESPA Australia Conference will also be co-located with the ProPrint Awards and will be held during the day at the Shangri-La Sydney on Friday 25 October 2024.

Once again, Durst Oceania has confirmed its Platinum Sponsorship of the ProPrint Awards.

Durst Oceania managing director Matt

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December 2023 ProPack.pro 11

PACKAGING WEBINAR

Hybrid Software and HP join European webinar to discuss global packaging challenges Hybrid Software and HP representatives were among the key executives who joined a recent European webinar to discuss the future challenges in the packaging category.

By Jonathan Siedmann

commented on the growing push towards the recyclability of different materials that are being used in the package along with the importance of technologies such as magnetized inks, recyclable shrink sleeves, and the container itself.

He also advocated for longer, more sustainable runs for packaging to avoid adding more waste to the creation of products.

Tim Sykes (Packaging Europe), Stefan Hilss (Linked2Brands), Christian Menegon (HP), Heath Luetkens (Hybrid Software Group)

O

rganisers and partners of drupa’s ‘touchpoint packaging’ initiative gathered to discuss their visions for the future of the industry ahead of next year’s drupa conference.

– could no longer exist in silos. Rather, Hilss said that these channels had to operate in parallel and correlate with one another, with packaging serving as “a touchpoint connecting the digital and physical spaces”.

The online panel hosted by Packaging Europe titled ‘Exploring Print & Packaging Futures in a Sustainable and Connected World’ shared insights on managing the evolving landscape of brands and retailers.

However, Hilss emphasized that industrial printing still had a place in the sector due to the persisting need for high volume.

He also said that while he did not foresee every single pack carrying its own story, it would still have a digital twin.

Inviting leaders from HP Inc, Hybrid Software, and Linked2Brands, among others, the panel covered a wide range of intersecting topics including the relationship between print and packaging amid increasing digitization, growing sustainability demands, and the increasingly complex connection between pack and consumer.

Among the questions asked were: ‘How is the consumer’s mind changing and how can brands cater to new touchpoints?’; ‘What benefits can virtual prototyping bring for e-commerce?’ and ‘Where are untapped opportunities for brands to improve their sustainability efforts?’.

CEO at Linked2Brands Stefan Hilss spoke about how different areas of packaging – such as point of sale, ecommerce, and traditional commerce

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“Technology is the enabler to make those things possible and it will make the pack again a carrier of information, which maybe in the past wasn’t so relevant because other things disappear,” Hilss said. “Things we thought were absolutely relevant for the pack ten years ago may become obsolete, whereas other things all of a sudden will make it onto the pack.”

The group also addressed the building movement toward sustainability in the printing and packaging industry and what issues digital technologies could – and could not – effectively solve. They argued that digital is one part of sustainability, not a one-stop solution.

Heath Luetkens, Business Manager 3D Graphics, Hybrid Software Group,

“Even beyond just the generic package, we’re a large world, and brands have to adopt the package for that world and the different materials in each area,” Luetkens said.

Christian Menegon, Business Development Manager Industrial products at HP Inc, noted that while digital printing could make a significant contribution towards sustainability, it should not be viewed as a one-stop solution but rather “one aspect in the whole supply chain of a brand”.

A separate section of the webinar discussed the importance of packaging connecting the brand and the consumer.

The speakers addressed the changing role of packaging as moving away from micro-marketing and telling the bold story behind the product, with technology such as QR codes or embedded chips allowing the consumer to acquire the detailed product information online.

Luetkens described the package as “changing into a vessel that allows us to connect”.

Menegon, meanwhile, emphasized how the transition to digital would be gradual, occurring as conventional printing technology plateaued and came to rely on outside or ancillary equipment to extend its capabilities.

“With digital printing, we’re still in the ramp up, so we have plenty of room to go before we become a replacement,” Menegon said.

Drupa 2024 will be held from 28 May to 8 June at Messe Düsseldorf, Germany.

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www.gd90.de

PROFILE

Whakatane Mill completes massive paperboard machine upgrade WML’s advancements offer brand owners the opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint and avoid importing packaging. river will also see a significant decrease as a result of the recently installed disc filter.

WML will eliminate circa 200t of plastic by transitioning from plastic to paper wrap for packaging of its finished products.

WML’s advancements offer brand owners the opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint and avoid importing packaging from distant locations like Asia, Europe, Nth and Sth America A recent study of the carbon footprint impact on shipping folding box board into the New Zealand market, showed that a tonne of box board shipped from Asia generated 420% more carbon emissions than a comparative box board tonne shipped from the mill in New Zealand.

A similar tonne shipped from Chile created 450% more carbon emissions than a New Zealand tonne, whilst product shipped from the USA generated 650% more carbon emissions. Similar carbon footprint savings are available for Australian based food manufacturers and packagers by utilising Whakatane Mill supply.

W

hakatane Mill Limited (WML) has successfully completed a $100m expansion upgrade of its paper machine and associated groundwood plant in Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty.

This investment marks the most significant capital expenditure for WML since 2004 and demonstrated a long-term commitment to the paper industry in Australia, New Zealand and internationally.

only folding box board mill in the Australasian geography.

WML is a market leading producer of folding box board for the food and beverage markets. This box board is used as the consumer packaging for items such as cereal boxes, biscuit boxes, multipack soft drink can packaging and alcoholic beverage cartons. It is highly prized for its smoothness, strength and capability to aesthetically print brand owner graphics and messaging on pack.

This expansion will deliver a higher yielding, smoother and whiter board product and 50,000 tonnes of additional capacity annually for the folding box board market, giving the Mill an overall annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes.

The Mill sources renewable fibres responsibly and creates fully recyclable products, supported by a local workforce of 185 people. The Whakatane Mill is the

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The major works completed include the installation of a state-of-the-art shoe press and film sizer, a high speed fully automated winder and a robotised packing line, complemented by an extensive renewal of the heat and condensate system.

Enhanced sustainability Upgrade improvements will deliver per tonne electricity reductions of 30% in the groundwood mill section, while the improved heat recovery system will lead to a 30% reduction in gas consumption.

WML’s water consumption from the local

Additionally, there are significant net working capital benefits due to the shorter production lead-times by sourcing from a local mill.

State-of-the-art equipment The equipment for the Mill upgrade has been sourced from highly specialised manufacturers in Europe. The core equipment for the board machine, specifically the water removal/drying section, has been imported from Germany, while the fully automated paper wrap line originates from Finland, and the crucial heat recovery system has been acquired from Italy.

The Whakatane Mill has a unique place in the paperboard packaging industry as the only box-board manufacturer in Australasia. This local supply capability and intimate knowledge of the Australian and New Zealand market creates a significant local sustainable advantage for local food and beverage manufacturers.

For more information visit www.wml.biz

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High Quality New Zealand Paperboard

Australasia’s only manufacturer of coated paperboard grades for the packaging market.

WML has a proud history of supporting the local and international packaging industry since 1939. Our unquestioned commitment to quality, safety and the environment underpins our success as a local business.

The Formakote product range is perfect for displaying your brand message to your customers. Our board is OBA (optical brightening agent) free, contains no PFAS (per and poly fluoroalkyl substances), and is made with 100% recyclable and renewable virgin fibre.

Formakote is a premium board brand and is suitable for all dry and frozen food, dairy, horticulture, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and wet strength beverage applications.

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For all your paperboard packaging enquiries please contact our experienced sales team Phone 0800 737 331 Email whakatanecustomer.service@wml.biz

COVER STORY

Mediapoint crosses over from wide format to labels category Labels would not be the first thing that the industry associates with Melbourne-based trade printer – Mediapoint.

Jamie Xuereb from trade printer Mediapoint has gone back to the future and has re-entered the label category with a new Durst Tau RSC E

B

ut then again this isn’t the first time that Mediapoint has been in the labels category.

Mediapoint was a front runner in its exploration of the labels and stickers market when they entered the category 12 years ago. But at the time, both the printing and the finishing were not delivering the professional outcomes that the market and Mediapoint wanted.

“When we entered the labels and stickers printing market, we encountered the same pain points that our customers had. We kept searching for the technology to overcome these challenges while also using our existing equipment to meet the market’s needs,” Mediapoint sales director Jamie Xuereb said.

“Although it wasn’t as efficient and the quality wasn’t where we wanted it to be,

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it was the best value-for-money solution at the time. Most of our resell partners and other providers in the market still do the same thing – use their wide format printers, plotters, rulers and Stanley knives to produce these jobs. It’s an inefficient process, especially for volume work,” he said.

So the decision was made to drop out of the label sector, and also become a business purely focusing on trade work and specifically in wide format printing.

“We were doing work for everyone at the beginning and I then realised that 18 of our top 20 clients were trade customers. So, 11 years ago we culled our retail customers and became a business completely focused on trade printing,” Xuereb said.

“We were originally going to re-enter the labels sector in 2020, but Covid put things on ice for us.

“We saw the Tau RSC E at Durst headquarters in Brixen in 2019 and recognised that it was a premium machine that was also upgradable to meet our future needs for additional capacity when the time comes. The capabilities of the Durst Tau during the demonstration were astonishing. The prints at 1200dpi and a two-picolitre drop were the best I had seen and did not expect from an inkjet UV printer. I had not even seen any digital sheetfed prints in the local market that were of that quality. At this point, we knew the print technology was ready for what Mediapoint wanted to achieve.”

As a 330mm-wide advanced solution for digital label printing, the Tau RSC E has a real print speed of 50m/min.

It also guarantees that future increased production capacity requirements are covered with a field upgrade available to 80m/min.

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COVER STORY “So getting back into the labels and rolls market is a bit like going back to the future. The technology has developed in print as well as the cutting and finishing equipment.

“The quality of the Durst Tau is simply phenomenal – and we are receiving a lot of positive feedback from our customers. In certain conditions, we have been able to print 5mm QR codes which scan and 1pt text, which is legible through a loupe,” Xuereb added.

“We wanted to approach the labels category from a different angle to other converters.

“We wanted to offer outdoor durability on uncoated stock – and the Tau UV inks provide a slight raise which all of our customers love and this is a clear point of difference from using toner based or other UV inkjet technologies.

“We have also introduced white ink, which is a very solid white ink, and the benefit is it does not require lamination.

“Compared to toner-based machines, the Durst Tau delivers no variance from page to page which also assists with the cutting aspect of the job. The biggest advantage is turnaround times and consistency, which allows us to pass on these benefits to our customers.

“We wanted to do to labels what we did to trade wide format. We can offer things that no one else in trade printing can offer – ultra-fast turnaround and dispatch in two business days with unique offerings including custom shapes, custom sizes and custom quantities. The biggest problem faced according to our customers was that other label printers were slow to quote and then took an additional one or two weeks in terms of production time.

It is our goal to fix these problems and sort these issues out for our customers and as a result we are seeing some very strong growth.

“The running costs using the Tau UV ink are ultra-low per square metre – compared to the other print we do for the large format sector and the throughput from the machine has been phenomenal since it was installed.

Jamie & Jason Xuereb have re-entered the labels category as they believe the can offer trade customers a point of difference as well as dispatch within two days of receiving an order.

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“We believe the diversification and offering a mix in product range for our customers has been very advantageous when it comes to winning work. A lot of our large format customers have equipment of their own, so it is all about finding the gaps to help our customer base. A lot of customers who use our services may not have equipment like the Durst – so it also makes a lot of sense to purchase equipment at the top end to meet their demands and expectations.

December 2023 ProPack.pro 17

COVER STORY that this can bring to their business and their customers.

“Mediapoint has always been able to simplify their offering to trade customers by making jobs easy to order and quick to turn around. They have also been at the forefront of the onshoring trend which is all about providing reliable local label supply for local Australian businesses.

Jamie Xuereb was convinced to re-enter the labels category when he saw that the technology had improved significantly compared to a decade ago. “The capabilities of the Durst Tau during the demonstration were astonishing. The prints at 1200dpi and a two-picolitre drop were the best I had seen and did not expect from an inkjet UV printer.”

“This is an interesting case study as Mediapoint has been a long standing and successful wide format Durst customer and they have successfully crossed over into the label converter segment. By achieving this transition and expansion to their operations, it has facilitated more diversification and also strengthened their business for the future.

“Based on the feedback we have received from local printers, these businesses are looking for new areas of growth. As a result, there is a huge amount of interest from large format customers as well as label converters who are looking to crossdiversify in many different directions. At Durst, we see it as part of our job to provide solutions in different market segments.

Durst Oceania managing director Matt Ashman says Mediapoint is the first of many large format companies to successfully complete a crossover into labels.

“We are also observing this trend globally, and this is why you would have seen Durst exhibiting with label presses at the wide format trade fair in Europe and also Printing United in the USA. This is a deliberate strategy and also a very successful strategy from Durst.

“Mediapoint were the first Durst wide format customer in the Oceania region to diversify into labels, but since then several others have followed.

“My advice to printers who are looking to diversify in either direction is to first identify the value of the equipment you are investing in and then the size of the market you are targeting – as you may have the opportunity to unlock millions of dollars in potential extra revenue.”

Mediapoint also installed a new Durst P5 350 HS this year emphasising the company’s commitment to both the wide format and labels markets for its trade customers.

Durst Oceania managing director Matt Ashman said the Tau RSC E was the perfect fit for Mediapoint as it caters to all of its needs.

“Durst Oceania has always supported Mediapoint well and as one of our largest users in Australia, it’s great to see the

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business grow from strength to strength and diversify with new technologies,” Ashman said.

“It is extremely refreshing to work with a company like Mediapoint that is so quick to understand and value of new technology and the opportunities

Mediapoint is also known for its strength as a trade printer in the wide format category.

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LEE GORMAN TRIBUTE

ProPrint Awards remembers Labelpak’s Lee Gorman The industry recognised the passing of Labelpak’s Lee Gorman at the 2023 ProPrint Awards in Sydney as he was named as one of the finalists in the Industry Achievement Award. lifetime achievement award to be bestowed upon him and received by his wife who is also a member of the printing family in Australia.

The industry was better for knowing and dealing with Lee. Contributions to industry Lee was a valued member of the judging team for the FPLMA print awards in the label category. His experience and eye for detail meant awards were not given unless they really deserved it.

He was also a mentor to many printers as well as factory workers of all experiences.

In memoriam Lee Gorman

I

n a touching tribute, a biography of Lee’s achievements was shared with the 2023 ProPrint Awards audience:

Lee, who sadly passed away on 23 July 2023, had an outstanding career in the label market segment. He offered 27 years of incredible service, dedication, innovation, and true craftsmanship which saw him become one of the leading lights of the narrow web industry in Australia.

His passion for all things print was unrivalled and his drive to innovate and aspirations to be the best was truly inspirational.

Following in the footsteps of his father, Lee stepped into print at just 16 years of age. The fire in his belly drove him up through the ranks as he conquered print technology after technology – from letterpress, flexography through to digital.

He was a true master of the art of label production, always ensuring the businesses he was working for were producing the very highest quality, and driving his teams to become the best, fastest, well regarded and respected within our industry.

Lee started his career in print as an apprentice and is believed to be the youngest apprentice in the Australian print industry. His passion started at a young age when his father, who was a printer himself, took Lee to his workplace – Perbricks in Richmond.

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Role in improving the industry Starting as an apprentice at Red Labels, Lee quickly moved through the ranks to become print manager. He joined to start United Labels, and during his time there learned to set up and run the factory floor, gain experience on letter press machines, and learn and conquer the art of flexography.

The business adapted to, and lead the way, in efficient operations right up until Lee left the business in late 2022. Throughout this period, he tried technologies and processes, and provided suppliers with opportunities to prove their products.

Before his passing, Lee was looking at venturing out with his partner Liz to be an owner of his own business in print, which we believe would have been a successful venture, due to his knowledge and experience.

Lee’s vibrant and successful future was cut short this year when he was called to lead the way in the ‘great print shop above’.

He was not only a loved family man, but also recognised as one of the icons of the label industry for his decades of innovation and craftsmanship. Dedicated to his family and friends, Lee supported them all.

Attention to detail, skill, determination are only a few of his attributes.

His legacy within this industry market is assured and it would be fitting for Lee to be recognised with the honour of this

Over the course of his career at Red Labels and United Labels, Lee continuously learned new techniques and found better ways of doing things for himself. He passed this knowledge and skill set to many apprentices, as well as printers with experience, to assist them in becoming better people and operators. Some have taken this knowledge with them into their new roles, assisting more businesses to become more efficient.

Support of print In Lee’s passing, many of his suppliers, competitors (all of which are his friends) are continuing his legacy to be kind, be fair and be productive!

Major lifetime personal and professional achievements Lee successfully contributed to growing a humble label company into an industry icon, giving everyone from suppliers to workers with an opportunity. He simply wanted to help all those he could and provide opportunities to those willing to learn.

Apart from his other industry achievements, Lee’s biggest achievement was his family, his partner Liz, son Harvey, sister Alicia, mother, Judy and father, Mick.

Providing a ‘time zone’ themed garage for Harvey, along with more Leggo sets than Myers was a goal that he well and truly achieved over time.

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Simplifying label production LABEL SOLUTIONS BY BOBST BOBST, one of the world’s leading suppliers of printing equipment for the label industry, simplifies label production with highly automated and modular digital and flexo solutions. Interested?

BOBST authorized agent for Australia and New Zealand: Print & Pack Australia Pty Ltd https://www.printandpack.com.au/ info.au@printandpack.com.au

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INDUSTRY RESEARCH

2023 Australasian Labels State of the Industry Report ProPack and Durst commissioned an external research agency to conduct a phone survey of the Australasian labels sector.

T

he results of the survey shows a category with two types of businesses – those that are comfortable and performing well in a slightly positive or flat economic environment and those that are finding the sector very challenging – with some wanting to find a way out of the industry altogether.

In addition to asking companies about their business performance, companies were also asked about their intentions to buy new equipment in the short and long term.

It was agreed the participants of the survey would be free to share their thoughts and feelings about their business and the industry – on the basis of anonymity. But for the purposes of transparency and authenticity, we have published direct quotes from the survey.

The survey was conducted with over 200 labels companies in Australia and 100 in New Zealand. The findings of the survey published in this edition of ProPack, are from the Australian participants only.

HOW IS YOUR COMPANY PERFORMING IN THE CURRENT BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT? Extremely Busy – 8% Comments: • We have not seen any slow down or changes to our business with inflation and interest rates. We are flying • We are crazy busy – but maybe we shouldn’t be telling anyone about this Busy – 17% Comments: • Our business is travelling very well and we have busy period, but the material increases are having an impact on profitability • We have recently upgraded our

•

equipment and we own all of our equipment, so we are travelling quite well at the moment We have not experienced many issues and things are travelling well from a sales perspective as well which is nice

Going Ok – 36% Comments: • The current economic environment is indirectly affecting our business. When it affects our clients, then there is direct impact on orders and the performance of our company • I feel as though the government is making life very hard for us and for small businesses in general. Things could always be better, but we are doing fine • Business has been tougher since July, but our business is holding up Challenging – 33% Comments: • We have found business to be tough and challenging to bounce back since Covid three years ago – we have not recovered to the same level since preCovid • Since the beginning of the new financial year, we have seen a reduction in work and a reduction in run-lengths • There seems to be the same overall number of clients, but lower runs and more spread out and not as frequent • We are located in an isolated state, and we are finding the business very challenging at the moment • We are doing it very tough and I think that everyone is doing it tough as well Help! We Need To Sell – 6% Comments: • We are just trying to stay alive at the moment – interest rates are killing us and we are probably going to need to consider selling up

2023 Australasian Labels State Of The Industry Report — proudly sponsored by Durst

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ARE YOU LIKELY TO BE UPGRADING YOUR EQUIPMENT IN THE SHORT TO MEDIUM TERM? We Will Be Upgrading Soon – 24% Comments: • More than likely – we are always looking for new equipment • Yes, but we are not looking at high end expensive equipment necessarily • Yes, we are looking at purchasing some new digital label equipment • Yes, we work in flexo and we would need additional converting and finishing equipment • I am currently in the market for a digital label printer, and I would be interested in financial support and pricing We Might Be Upgrading Soon – 21% Comments: • Yes. But we are looking at some second hand equipment • We need to get approval from the big bosses before we can upgrade – this is likely • We are likely to be upgrading within the next 18 months • I wasn’t planning on it, but if I was given the right offer then I would consider it We Have Just Upgraded – 16% Comments: • We have just purchased some new finishing equipment, so we will not be upgrading for a little while now • We upgraded our equipment three months ago • We bought a Durst machine very recently, so we are ok for now • We have just bought an Epson • We invested in some new HP equipment recently No. We Will Not Be Upgrading Soon – 39% Comments: • I am planning to retire shortly, so I will not be buying any new equipment • Not planning on it, we need the cash for other parts of our business • I just want to retire. Do you want to buy my business?

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INDUSTRY RESEARCH

6%

8%

33%

% 17

Extremely Busy - 8% Busy - 17% Going Ok - 36% Challenging - 33% Help! We Need To Sell - 6%

HOW IS YOUR COMPANY PERFORMING IN THE CURRENT BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT?

36%

24

39%

% ARE YOU LIKELY TO BE UPGRADING YOUR EQUIPMENT IN THE SHORT TO MEDIUM TERM?

21 %

We Will Be Upgrading Soon - 24% We Might Be Upgrading Soon - 21% We Have Just Upgraded - 16% No. We Will Not Be Upgrading Soon - 39%

16% www.propack.pro

December 2023 ProPack.pro 23

Labelexpo Asia 2023 celebrates 20th anniversary in Shanghai Labelexpo Asia 2023, the region’s largest label and package printing technology event, has celebrated its 20th anniversary at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC) at the beginning of December.

Arojet label series digital inkjet equipment

V

isitors to Labelexpo Asia has delivered the continued integration of labels and flexible packaging, labels and folding cartons, the latest technological achievements in RFID, material innovations, and cutting-edge technologies and products related to intelligent manufacturing.

Labelexpo Asia 2023 also provided a platform for shared learning throughout the label and packaging industry by jointly hosting the International Label Printing Summit with the China Packaging Federation.

The show also had a strong focus on RFID through the Smart Label Trail, giving converters insight into the RFID technology trends and practical applications and how they can set up their own RFID converting operation. China is the main producer of ultra-high frequency RFID labels, with production accounting for approximately 80 per cent of the global market share. In 2021, the production of ultra-high frequency labels in China reached 16.8 billion pieces.

Another key show feature focused on short-run flexible packaging. The trend towards short-run flexible packaging has brought new opportunities for label converters to expand into this new business area. This is the reason for bringing the new Digital Pouch Factory zone to Labelexpo Asia 2023.

The Digital Pouch Factory is centered on an HP Indigo 25K mid-web digital press along with a Zhoutai AMD350LMSC solventless lamination machine, and

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AMD350LMSC bag-making machine with workflow software provided by Hybrid Software.

The Digital Pouch Factory demonstrated the complete process of prepress workflow, printing, lamination, and manufacturing of the final flexible packaging product, including pillow-type packaging and standup pouches.

Below is an A-Z preview of the technology that appeared on the Labelexpo Asia show floor.

AKO showed its Alpha 540 Plus, a fully automated one-pass label converting system including printing, die cutting and turret rewinding.

The Alpha 540 runs at up to 150m/min and can be worked by a single operator.

It is configured with a butt splicer for non-stop unwinding, a servo-driven printing station, horizontal heavy-duty die-cutting station and a non-stop turret rewinder. It includes a patented crush knife waste matrix removal system with waste taken automatically to a compactor. At the end of the line is an automatic roll-closing system with an integrated labeler.

Arojet demonstrated a range of digital inkjet printing, decorating and converting systems. The GT-3 is a digital spot varnishing and bronzing machine using UV inkjet technology. It is capable of printing tactile variable data including high-build Braille, along with digital bronzing and other high-value-added special effects.

The GT-3 can be supplied in a variety of print widths including A3 and B2 formats. It is equipped with a CCD visual positioning system allowing high-precision overprinting of pre-printed webs. The GT-3 can handle a wide variety of substrates including labels, paper, card, plastics, offset prints and films, including coated or laminated prints.

The Arojet ES-6700 is designed for personalized printing at speeds up to 50m/min. It can print variable information using Chinese and English, numbers, oneand two-dimensional barcodes, quantum cloud codes, variable pictures and anticounterfeiting codes. The ES-6700 uses MEMS imaging technology and can be used offline or inline with gravure or flexo presses. The equipment is used across the food, medical, wine, metal, building materials, pipes and related industries.

Avery Dennison demonstrated its latest sustainable products, including labeling materials with a lower carbon footprint, and products that enable packaging recycling or reuse. There will be live demonstrations of the company’s Cloudbased digital supply chain solutions and how intelligent labels enable consumer interaction and end-to-end transparency.

Avery Dennison also unveiled its new range of VI and decorative linerless labels. These solutions eliminate the need for a liner, thereby reducing material use and waste.

In addition, Avery Dennison showcased a variety of adhesive technologies to solve current labeling challenges such as removability in recycling systems.

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self-adhesive tamper-evident adhesive materials, anti-counterfeiting tape, security seals and special composite materials. Once torn, the materials leave words such as VOID, or a company logo, small squares, and other hidden information.

Durst demonstrated its Tau RSC-E digital press at Labelexpo Asia 2023. This is the entry-level press to the Tau range with the same print engine imaging at 1200 x 1200dpi. The press comes as standard with CMYK+ high opacity White, but can be upgraded to CMYK+OVG+W.

Baoding Special Light Source showed its energy-curing equipment for offset, flexography, screen printing, metal nameplates and coating lines and more.

Brotech launched its iDM 330 Digital Embellishment System - a multifunctional machine that supports digital white, digital metalization and high-build digital varnish including braille capability.

The Brotech SDF Plus employs a modular platform-based design and can be switched to run from left to right or right to left.

The SDF Plus can be flexibly configured with multiple flexo printing units and diecutting units on the same platform, while a rail mounting system can accommodate units such as the cold foil, turn bar and waste removal.

BST will demonstrated its range of inspection and web guiding equipment.

The Tubescan 100 per cent inspection system is capable of operating on reflective surfaces, embossed structures, security features, clear-on-clear, barcodes and variable print data.

BST ProView is a modular video web monitoring system for both narrow and wide web applications. The BST CompactGuide web guiding system is designed for narrow web machines.

Caisheng launched its latest CS-JQ350G-6C letterpress machine.

The 6-colour, 350mm-wide press width, has two working modes, intermittent and full rotary mode, which can be quickly changed at the press of a button. The press prints at 60m/min in intermittent mode and 160m/min in full rotary mode.

CoolUV Technology demonstrated its latest UV-LED and radiation curing technology.

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The SuperCure series is specially developed for labels and narrow web products where the irradiation distance is usually less than 10mm. It is suitable for various printing technologies such as flexo, offset, relief, screen and inkjet.

The UltraCure series is developed for sheetfed and coating applications, which has an output in the range of 10-120nm.

Cron exhibited the HDI-400 platemaking system specially designed for high-quality narrow web and label printing. The Cron HDI Flexo 600 is a compact flexo plate imager designed for small format and narrow web applications such as labels, stickers and tags, handling a minimum plate size of 100 x 100 mm. The system includes semi-automatic plate loading and a head and tail clamp, making it possible to image on a wide range of plate materials including thermal film, digital polyesterbacked flexo and letterpress plates, thermal offset plates and dry offset metalback plates. This design eliminates the need for operators to secure the plates with tape.

Cron HDI-2000 series is designed for high-volume flexo trade shops and corrugated converters. The Cron HDI-2000 is compatible with all 50x80cm size flexo plates.

Dangs showed its Dawnsens synthetic paper material made of high-density polyethylene. The unique material combines the advantages of paper, fabric and film. It is lightweight but strong, with a unique tactile feel. The material is fully recyclable and can be printed with all narrow web print technologies.

Dongguan Sening showed its new tamper-evident packaging and printing materials. Its products include special

Evonik launched its first product in the Chinese market from its next-generation Tego RC products, Tego RC 2000 LCF. Manufactured from recycled silicone feedstocks, the new single-component, ready-to-use release coating can be cured with UV LED or traditional UV arc lamps.

It delivers easy-to-control release performance, good curing, anchorage properties, and excellent aging stability.

Fedrigoni launched the Polytex range of garment labels products tailored to a wide range of textile applications including linen, canvas to silk and satin.

The company also showed metalized labels in 60g and 70g weights with a variety of adhesive options. Metalized papers typically have a weight of 80g. Fedrigoni’s AP999 adhesive meets the requirements for labeling narrow necked bottles. The label series has high opacity and is resistant to moisture and ice bucket applications.

Re-Play is a new range of self-adhesive materials manufactured using upcycled siliconized liner waste. The first of these products are four white papers with 10 per cent glassine content, available in natural, embossed, pearl and neck label versions.

All papers carry a certificate specifying their composition and their value as a recycled and sustainable product.

Re-Play’s final carbon footprint is claimed half that of a virgin paper-based product with the same performance features. This is a genuine revolution, a tangible example of upcycling, where the final material has a higher value than the original material.

Flora launched its J-350 Pro digital label press at Labelexpo Asia 2023.

Flora J-350 Pro digital label press

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The Flora J-350 Pro prints in CMYK, which covers around 85 per cent of the Pantone colour gamut. The six-channel configuration includes dual white channels, supporting both pre and post-white for printing on transparent materials.

A digital varnish is also available.

Compared to the previous generation, the J-330S, the new J-350 Pro supports the addition of flexo units for applications including coating, varnishing and laminating. The press also features modules for registration control, corona treatment, web cleaning and anti-static, all of which significantly enhance print quality.

In terms of software, the Flora J-350 Pro includes a new interface with Industry 4.0 capabilities allowing for real-time analysis of the number of completed orders, printed area and ink consumption. This will allow converters to optimize production and reduce waste while meeting the demands of customers for flexible small-batch production.

General Inkjet Printing showed its Label Smart 216s digital press designed for smallformat digital printing and personalized full-colour inkjet coding. The Label Smart 216S features an integrated Agfa Apogee prepress workflow system and is suitable for a variety of materials including film, label stock, tube laminates and papers.

Maximum print width is 216mm.

Heshuofeng showed its PWAR top-coated Ultra White BOPP Film with 30 per cent PCR content.

This material has thickness of 58, 60, 65µm, using a base film with 30 per cent PCR resin, claimed to demonstrate excellent gloss and whiteness, high yield, good stiffness, good die cutting and high-speed automatic label dispensing.

Applications will include beauty and healthcare, food and beverage industries.

The PCR base film can be matched with a range of face materials and adhesives, including PCR matte synthetic paper and PCR direct thermal PP. Hebei Wanjie launched its WJPS-450 shaftless offset intermittent/full rotary label press, which allows intermittent and full rotary modes to be combined in the same machine.

GMG showed its colour management technology at Labelexpo Asia 2023.

Gold FAI Machiner showed its GF-4021 3C flexo press, GF-4000SF flexo press and GF-2068BG automatic label cutting machine at the show.

The press machine can also be configured with flexo, screen printing, gravure, hot stamping, cold stamping and variable information modules.

Guangzhou Nickel unvieled its FS350/520 and FDH300/350 presses.

Hongsheng Machinery showed the HSR-340, the company’s first inline flexo press, available in widths from 340mm to 650mm with a maximum speed of up to 200m/min. A wide range of materials including 12-micron Pet, PVC, BOPP, aluminum, paper and paperboard material can be handled.

The servo-driven FDH300/350 intermittent letterpress includes web guiding, preregister system and automated inking system along with auto-register.

Haotian showed its latest HTS series digital press using Kyocera printheads capable of resolutions up to 600 x 2400dpi printing at 50m/min on materials from 0.01-0.8mm.

This new machine uses the company’s independently developed RIP system.

The press can be configured with four to nine colours.

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King Label showed its products for textile labeling applications made from waste yarn and reprocessed polyester bottle waste. The labels have received OEKO-TEX standard 100 certification and are suitable for a variety of printing methods, such as thermal transfer printing, flexo, inkjet and screen printing. These labels are widely used in clothing, collar labels, tags and home textiles.

KingT launched its new generation industrial-grade digital label press, the L-Press 330s. The KingT label press 330s is a single pass digital inkjet printer using Samba printheads, available in 330 mm print width with a native resolution of 1200x1200 dpi, 2pl minimum ink drop and reaching speeds of 80 m/min. It can print 95 per cent of the Pantone colour range.

Each printing unit consists of 11 servo motors, which makes ink delivery and materials handling smoother and more accurate compared to shaft-driven technology. Each printing unit has a chill drum which allows a wide range of film and heat-sensitive materials to be run.

The press can run in both intermittent and full rotary mode. If the machine runs in full rotary mode, speeds can reach up to 200m/ min, making it easy to handle long-run jobs.

If the machine runs in intermittent mode, one set of print cylinders is sufficient to run any job format. This method is the best choice for small and medium-sized orders.

The servo-driven FS350/520 intermittent offset press is built with 19 inking rollers (including four form rollers) and four alcohol damping rollers. Each printing unit includes auto register adjustment in lateral and machine directions.

along with 12-micron PET for printing and lamination.

The HSR-340 is Hongsheng’s first inline flexo press

Inkstar showed its full range of TT ribbons that were on display.

Jiangsu Shuangxin showed its 40-50micron PVC and PETG shrink flim, and the 45 micron TC base film for TTR

KingT L-Press 330s high-speed digital press

L-Press 330s can cover a wide range of label and flexible packaging applications, including coated and uncoated paper, white and transparent film, PET/PVC/PP/ PE/BOPP film and aluminum foil.

The press includes a constant temperature control system, corona treatment, RIP, automatic nozzle compensation function and full-colour variable data printing capability as standard.

HanGlobal demonstrated its LabStar 330S hybrid UV inkjet press running at 50m/min in 7 colours at a resolution of 600DPI. The press can be configured with flexo precoating, inkjet varnishing, embossing and hotfoil stamping module, cold foil, flexo varnishing and semi-rotary die-cutting.

The press is run from a single HMI. Hontec showcased its new FlexiCon 8C flexo technology, specifically designed for printing on shrink sleeves as well as standard label materials.

The machine is fully servo-driven and CE certified and has additional options including cold-foil, hot-stamping, re-lam/ de-lam and turn bars.

Additionally, Hontec presented a live demo of the MPX350 in-line finishing

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platform, configured with hot foiling and embossing, screen printing and flexo varnishing, making it particularly suitable for wine labels. The line can include semirotary and flatbed die cutting.

HP showcased two digital presses, the HP Indigo 6K and 25K, at booth O47 and on the Digital Pouch Factory on booth P39.

HP also held a new product launch event

supplies complete packages including digital machine modules, transfer coatings, customized inks and efficiencyboosting software.

Labelmaster Machinery launched the LM350 intermittent offset press configured with an unwind module with integrated tension control and web guiding and offset print units with UV curing followed by rewinding. The machine can optionally be configured with flexo varnish station, inspection, cold foiling, rotary die-cutting, waste rewinding and slitting.

Kesheng exhibited its slitting machine range at Labelexpo Asia.

Shanghai Labelmaster Machinery LM350 intermittent offset press

Label Source demonstrate its fully servo-driven Inline flexo press with automatic pre-registration and running register control. The press includes inline non-stop unwinding and rewinding to save waste and improve productivity.

Lecco showed its Suncrown self-adhesive materials at this show.

Konica Minolta AccurioLabel 400

Also on display was the established AccurioLabel 230 4-colour digital label press, launched by Konica Minolta in 2019.

The press prints at 23.4 m/min at 3,600x1,200dpi resolution.

Kurz demonstrated its digital transfer metalization systems. The company Kurz demonstrated its digital transfer metalisation systems.

Lecco offers over 1000 types of selfdeveloped self-adhesive label materials, including basic paper, basic films and specialty labels.

Suncrown ultra transparent lamination film series have solvent-base and waterbase, suitable for various printing needs.

Operating from its Maxcess (Zhuhai) APAC HQ, Maxcess Group brands, RotoMetrics, Fife and Tidland, launched new products at Labelexpo Asia 2023, including RotoMetrics’s new flexible die portfolio and modular adjustable anvil systems, Tidland’s RD AutoScore scoring system, Fife’s Fife-500Maz guiding system and Maxcess Vision Systems for tag & label application.

The RotoMetrics RotoAdjust die station automation system includes job storage and recall and advanced IOT software that monitors die station performance and alerts operators for critical maintenance.

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Meech showed its static control and web cleaning systems, including ionizing bars, blowers, guns and nozzles, as well as ionizing air curtains and measuring equipment.

Nanjing Jiaxu showed its XS-HDFQ-13001700C5-6 high-speed slitting machine, available in 1300-1700mm widths and operating at 400mm/min with 1200mm unwind diameter and 600mm rewind diameter. Applications include slitting of films and aluminum rolls.

for the Indigo 200K medium format digital press, marking the first showing of this press since Labelexpo Europe 2023.

Konica Minolta launched in the China market its AccurioLabel 400 new generation full colour digital label press, now with additional white station (CMYK+W). The machine prints at up to 39.9 m/min with a print resolution of 3,600 x 2,400dpi. It is fitted with automated colour management and the IQ-520 automatic intelligent quality monitoring system.

RD AutoScore offers automatic and repeatable positioning and cut-depth tuning of score blades, eliminating blade damage during setup. The Fife-500 Max web guiding system improves performance through added networking and communication, responding to web movement even at high line speeds.

Maxcess Vision Systems for Tag and Label applications utilizes cutting-edge technology to detect defects like colour variations, misprints and plate issues, while enhancing overall product quality and reducing waste.

Omet (Suzhou) showed its KFlex flexo press at the show. The modular KFlex incorporates the Switch module exchange system which allows the press to be rapidly reconfigured for different production tasks.

The press features an independent servo drive of impression roll and plate cylinder.

The press can be used for double pass overprinting and reverse printing without requiring a web turn bar, effectively avoiding damage to the material.

The KFlex inherits the on-the-fly instant pre-register system from the Omet X6, with photocell reading of the master marks, and servo-driven plate cylinder alignment in real-time without operator intervention.

The press can be equipped with an extended hot air drying unit for waterbased White, primer or other large areas of print coverage, running speeds up to 120m/min.

Piaozhihua showed its self-adhesive paper and film labels and release papers and films.

Precision Machinery showed its DMS digital decoration machine at Labelexpo Asia. DMS has two product lines for sheets and rolls covering labels, flexible packaging, pouches and folding paper boxes. DMS equipment can apply Spot UV, 3D embossing, cast cure, hologram, braille and other features without requiring a plate.

Pulisi showed its DPIM-330F digital press, available in widths of 220mm-520mm.

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The press can be configured with a flexographic printing module before the digital print engine, along with cold foil, post-digital flexo unit, lamination, die cutting and waste stripping and web inspection with defect detection.

Re showed its web viewing, web guiding and tension control systems.

The web viewing system features 16x lossless zoom HD sensor, field of view up to 130×110mm, and can operate at web speeds of 1200m/min with image capture up to 4 fps.

Rhyguan showed its Plus-330 machine designed to finish digitally-printed labels with high-quality embellishments.

The finishing machine incorporates a digitally-controlled flatbed Screen unit, with servo-driven web tension, step-andrepeat and movement axes making the results repeatable and stable. The modular Plus-330 can be combined with Rhyguan’s silkscreen rotary foiling and lamination units. The application of a thicker screenbased adhesive for the transfer of foil onto the substrate creates a 3D effect without the disadvantages of hot foil/embossing and is also suitable for some doming applications.

The machine line is also configured with digital varnish and digital cold foil applications for ultra-short run jobs and personalized labels or high-end security applications.

Rhyguan showed its X1 roll-to-roll printing system, built around Ricoh piezoelectric UV inkjet printheads.

Print resolution is adjustable from 200dpi to 1200dpi. The equipment can be customized with various add-on processing modules.

Reborn will exhibit its modular RBJ-350 multi-function die-cutting equipment including intermittent flexo printing, screen printing, hot stamping and die cutting.

Rheintacho Messtechnik will launch its RT Strobe 5000 LED (A6-5200 Stroboscope) at Labelexpo Asia.

Equipped with 120 high-performance LEDs, the RT Strobe 5000 LED delivers strong light intensity even in difficult light conditions, making the system suitable for a wide range of measurement, observation and inspection functions.

Rocky Adhesives showed its special adhesives products for security labels, thermal sensitive paper labels, removable labels and tire labels.

Ruian Lianhua showed its high-speed automatic slitting machines with

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applications in slitting paper rolls, self-adhesive papers, flexible packaging, plastic film, aluminum foil and composite materials.

SEI Laser introduced its latest version of its Labelmaster converting system, available in roll widths of 350mm and 600mm.

This is a fully modular system suitable for roll-to-roll and roll-to-sheet converting, laser die-cutting and finishing. The machine has a wide range of applications including the production of self-adhesive labels and flexible packaging. QR/barcode reading systems allow instant jobs, eliminating setup time.

This fourth-generation Labelmaster will be equipped with a KyoJet digital printer system and four laser heads, giving a maximum speed of up to 100m/min, matching the productivity of traditional die-cutting and finishing systems.

Shenzen Minrui launched different security face stocks at the show.

Its white security facestock prevent is widely used to secure high-end goods such as mobile phones, telephones, computer accessories and medicines.

The transparent security facestock is used in the sealing of wine labels, bottled water labels and high-grade cosmetics.

The laser-writable facestock is mainly used for securing high-end products.

Shuanglin showed its series of coated and non-coated fabric labels to meet a range of requirements including as flame retardant, dye-resistant, yellowingresistant and stonewash tested.

Siliconature showed its range of release films based on rPET, PET, PP and PE substrates, with a wide range of applications including self-adhesive labels, optical clear adhesives and coating layer for lithium-ion battery electrodes. A range of special coating are exhibited such as double-sided anti-static and anti-scratch.

Soontomax introduced its hot melt adhesives formulated to meet the requirements of the logistics industry and other applications with high adhesion requirements. The company launched an anti-freeze adhesive to meet the low-temperature requirements of cold chains and a UV adhesive for special requirements such as removable, whitening resistance when in contact with moisture and stronger wear resistance.

The company also showed its sustainable acrylic adhesives with FDA certification.

Breakthrough improvements have also been made in top coatings, which can meet a variety of traditional and digital printing requirements.

Spande focused on promoting its AC-series wide web flexo packaging production line at Labelexpo Asia 2023.

The AC series will be displayed in hall E3 booth M6&N8.

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The AC series press is based on Spande’s established S7 flexographic technology.

It is available in widths of 700mm and 800mm, with a maximum printing speed of 250m/min. The press is designed to handle a wide range of packaging materials between 12-800 microns with a maximum tension of 100 kg, including shrink sleeves labels, coated paper, folding cartons and plastic boxes.

The four rolls on each AC-series printing unit are servo-driven with fully automatic pressure-setting, totaling up to nine sets of servo motors per print unit. The AC series production line can be configured for both roll-to-roll and roll-to-sheet production. It is a modular platform and interchangeable modules include gravure, offset, silk screen, hot stamping/ embossing, die cutting, and a range of post-processing units.

The press can be configured with UV curing or with hot air dryers for water- and solventbased inks. High-power hot air dryers can be shared by both flexographic and gravure printing units. The UV curing units are positioned away from the print units, avoiding temperature buildup and facilitating the use of a common UV system for flexographic, offset and screen printing.

Super Colour exhibited its range of LED-UV flexographic inks and digital inkjet inks at Labelexpo Asia. The company’s range of inks includes light-resistant inks, inks for shrink sleeves, inks for selfadhesive labels, and low migration odorless inks. There was also a wide range of flexo varnishes, adhesives and primers.

The LED-UV digital inkjet inks are suitable for the nozzles of Kyocera, Ricoh, Samba, Epson, XAAR and Omega, with high ink purity, high colour strength and good adhesion properties, according to the company.

Suzhou Mingyi demonstrated its range of static neutralizing equipment and static charging equipment used to achieve

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DISCOVER PRINT PERFECTION Labelexpo Asia, the region’s largest label and package printing show returns to Shanghai.

Across four days, you will witness hundreds of live demonstrations of the latest pioneering technology and discover the industry’s most exciting trends.

Meet leading suppliers who will help you business a competitive advantage.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the show promises to excite, educate, and inspire you to deliver more for your clients and help you achieve your perfect print.

4 DAYS | 350 EXHIBITORS | 5 – 8 DECEMBER 2023 | SNIEC LABEL ACADEMY MASTERCLASSES | SMART LABEL TRAIL

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temporary adhesion, fixation and positioning of special materials.

Symbio showed its range of UL-certified label materials. The labels demonstrate chemical resistance and high temperature resistance and include traceability elements. Key end use markets include electronics components, medical and pharmaceutical materials, automotive components, security seals and specialist adhesives for low temperature resistance.

Taiyo Kikai demonstrated its fully servodriven STF-340/440 inline flexo press platform, equipped with chill drums to handle a wide range of materials from paper and PS labels to label film and tube composites from 20-300 microns. Printing repeat is from 5.5in to 26in. The press is equipped with rail-mounted cold stamping and laminating unit, turnbar and rotary screen unit. Optional equipment includes rotary die cut unit, sheet cut unit, back side slitting, folding unit and inkjet print module.

Todaytec showed its TDR345 and TDM202 ribbon solutions. TDR345 is a resin ribbon with high alcohol resistance and TDM202 a general wax-resin ribbon with strong scratch resistance.

Troika Systems showed its 2D and 3D scanning microscopes for the printing, embossing and coating markets, with systems including the AniCAM HD and SurfaceCAM HD 3D scanning microscopes.

Tuxian Software showed its ERP systems, which now include a mobile app to manage the entire factory, as well as integrating robotic logistics and automated warehousing. A module connects the ERP to a customer relationship management system, and an SCRM module connects with suppliers for collaborative supply chain management.

United Imatek exhibited its waterproof inkjet printing paper.

with every printing unit driven by multiple independent servo motors – there are 23 servo motors in total for an 8-colour machine, which ensures accurate registration during high-speed running.

The press uses a plate sleeve system which is light, easy to handle, convenient and fast to change. This type of design improves printing quality and reduces maintenance.

Wacker demonstrated its Dehesive 985 CN silicone release agent developed in China, optimized for a wide range of substrates.

In addition, Wacker showed its sustainable emulsion-based release products.

Weigang showed its latest flexo press,

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Jingle Blue JZ-320C fully automatic dual servo unit flexo printer

Chilled anvil rolls make the press well equipped to handle film materials including PET, OPP, CPP and PP. Weigang also launched its new digital press, which can be configured with flexo print units for pre-coating, printing solid colours and varnishing up to a full hybrid configuration including inline die cutting.

Wuxi Linqi showed its range of release liner materials, including glassine and CCK grades

Zhongheng Yongchuang launched its YC-FJ370-2Q-2J2S inspection machine designed to detect defects in paper and film-based labels between 10μm and 50μm thickness.

Xianmen Delish showed its range of slitting machines.

Xianmen Otto showed its inking parts manufactured from a special polyurethane (PU) formulation with high corrosion resistance and longevity. This material has better performance with UV detergent than conventional polyurethane materials in terms of solvent resistance.

Youhua New Material showed its range of PS label materials including 54 and 75 micron synthetic label material and 60 micron white BOPP film suitable for highquality household chemical, personal care label and industrial label applications. In addition labels are shown with durability and moisture-proof properties targeted at the retail printing market and logisticssupply chain.

Yutian showed its HTS digital press, built using Kyocera printheads with workflow software – including VDP capability developed by Guangzhou Yutian.

Vorey brought its VD3350II Max intelligent digital label die-cutting machine and Colorjet H3 wide format digital press to Labelexpo Asia.

VD3350II Max is an intelligent high-speed label die cutting machine with dual stations and 12 cutting blades that achieves fast job change in 10 seconds at a cutting speed of 18m/m. The Colorjet H3 is a high-resolution wide format inkjet press printing at 10m/min.

The rubber metering roller runs at a low speed during press stop to prevent water drying out on the roller.

Zonten SMART-420560680 Multi-function Web Printing Press

Zonten exhibited three presses at Labelexpo Asia 2023.

The Smart-420/560/680 offers 4-12 colours, 410-635mm print width and up to 150m/min print speed.

The machine adopts a modular design, and each unit can be changed between offset, flexo, screen, cold foil, varnish and lamination, according to customized needs. The machine is servo-driven, equipped with an automatic registration system and pre-registration system. Substrate range is from 0.04 to 0.35mm thickness, including paper, film and metallic foil, PS labels and flexible packaging.

The ZTJ-330/520/680 is a servo-driven intermittent offset press with automatic register control in both lateral and machine directions with plate cylinder pre-positioning.

Yutian HTS Series

Zheijang Jingle Blue Printing Machinery Company showed its JZ-320C inline flexo press, with dual servo motors on each print station and automatic registration. The press is fitted with IR dryers for water-based inks, with UV dryers available as options.

The ZTR-330/430/560/680 multi-functional flexo press uses German Rexroth servo control drives and each unit is driven by an independent servo motor. An 8-colour machine has a total of 20 servo motors. The press has chilled rollers for printing film materials under UV curing.

The press is equipped with corona, double-sided web cleaning and electrostatic removal system, along with a BST inspection system.

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VISUAL MEDIA ASSOCIATION

Respect@Work Report Released Sexual harassment in all its forms is not acceptable. There is no place for such conduct in workplaces and it has been specifically unlawful since the 1980’s. Sexual harassment is a known workplace hazard that can cause psychological and physical harm. Unfortunately, it still permeates within workplaces. holder within a business, is compliant with its positive duty. This power also permits the AHRC to obtain information, documentation and examine witnesses, potentially including related businesses, such as clients, if it deems necessary.

If the `AHRC find that a business is not complying with its positive duty, it is empowered to enter into enforceable undertakings, and issue compliance notices. If a business acts in a recalcitrant manner on the findings of the AHRC, it can then get the Federal Court to enforce compliance.

Compliance So, what are reasonable and proportionate measures so as to ensure compliance with the new and additional requirements?

The legislative amendments do not entirely clarify and there is no one size fits all approach. The exact nature of reasonable and proportionate measures depends upon the size of the business and available resources.

The AHRC proposes businesses follow a particular set of guiding principles and standards including:

I

n 2020 the Australian Human Rights Commission released its Respect@ Work report resulting from the extensive national inquiry into sexual harassment in workplaces. Unfortunately, that report evidences it remains a significant workplace issue whereby one in three workers experiences some form of workplace sexual harassment.

reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate the following behaviours as far as possible:

On the back of the recommendations contained within that report, the current and previous federal governments determined to implement legislative amendment that focuses on prevention rather than reaction. The resulting Respect@Work legislation is now in place and affects all businesses.

•

Positive Duty The primary issue for all businesses in the industry is the enactment of what has been called a “positive duty”. This new duty requires employers to take all

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• • •

•

Discrimination on the ground of sex in a work context.

Sexual harassment in connection with work.

Sex-based harassment in connection with work.

Conduct creating a workplace environment that is hostile on the ground of sex.

Related acts of victimisation.

This positive duty applies not only applies to employers, but also its employees.

AHRC enforcement The legislative amendments give the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) various new related powers, and particularly a power of inquiry to investigate whether an employer, or a duty

•

• •

Taking a consultative approach with your workforce so as to determine what they need to have a safe and respectful workplace.

Aim to achieve equal rights, rewards and opportunities being available regardless of gender.

Acknowledging workers can have different intersecting identities and that may compound their experience of discrimination in a workplace.

The related framework of standards that should be applied include: • • • • •

Strong leadership and organisational commitment to preventing sexual harassment.

Risk identification, control and elimination.

Developing an appropriate workplace culture.

Related knowledge and education in the workplace.

Appropriate processes and procedures for managing the issues.

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To Do List From a practical perspective, and beyond considering the previously listed points, the VMA recommend businesses consider the following steps.

1. Look at this issue from a prevention rather than response perspective.

2. Assess your workplace and identify any potential related risk areas.

3. Review your workplace culture and determine whether improvements are needed.

4. Consider whether your current workplace policies and procedures are appropriate for handling related issues.

5. Consult and communicate with employees, and consider their feedback and how it may create improvements.

How is VMA assisting members in compliance?

Apart from a recent webinar on the issue, the VMA have provided various proactive tools and resources to members to assist in their compliance on this issue. This includes related policies and procedures, leadership statements, and a workplace checklist to identify any potential risks and specific actions needed to ensure an inclusive, safe and respectful workplace.

Further, members are able to speak with the VMA Workplace Relations team to manage company specific issues.

benefit a business and its workers.

Relevant research and data evidences that a poor workplace culture that doesn’t take accountability and steps to prevent underlying and overt harassment and victimisation has negative consequences for businesses. It results in decreased productivity, higher absenteeism, increased employee turnover, and reputational damage.

Like with all undertakings the journey begins with the first steps, and we always advise those steps should be diarised and evidence based for future reference if necessary. However, beyond baseline compliance, creating an inclusive, safe and respectful workplace, is ethically right and makes for sound business practice.

This article is of a general nature and guidance only and does not constitute legal advice.

About Visual Media Association The Visual Media Association (VMA) is the recognised peak industry body for the paper, print, mail, publishing, packaging,

graphic design, distribution, and media technology industries across Australia.

Operating for over 141 years, the VMA is a registered organisation with direct signatory to the nine (9) Awards across our industry and membership. VMA offers an end-to-end industry association solution that is relevant in all that it undertakes: advocating the relevance of the established media – print – that we all belong to; developing global partnerships and translating to regional requirements; awarding excellence; investing in products; and arming our industry with sales tools, sustainability collateral, industrial relations representation and more.

The VMA is the largest print industry body, committed to building a stronger united leadership to deliver the goals of our members. United we lead strong advocacy, government advisory, skills and training programs, protection, and promotion of our industry channels and more to ensure our members’ businesses operate within a future-proofed strategy for success.

Benefits to business Having a cultural intolerance to sexual harassment and victimisation can only

FRIDAY 25 OCTOBER, 2024 | 6.45 pm, Shangri-La Sydney If you would like to become a valued sponsor, please contact Carmen Ciappara | 0410 582 450 | carmen@proprint.com.au

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December 2023 ProPack.pro 33

PACK DIARY

UPCOMING INDUSTRY EVENTS People in Print Awards

March, 2023 Auckland, New Zealand newzealandprinter.co.nz drupa

May 28-June 7, 2024 Dusseldorf, Germany drupa.com Labelexpo Americas

September 10-12, 2024 Chicago, US labelexpo-americas.com/ 2024 ProPrint Awards

October 25, 2024 Sydney, Australia proprintawards.com.au

Got an event? Send an email to james@intermedia.com.au with all the details and we will put your event on the page.

Print awards recognise excellence in print media and are an important way to showcase outstanding work in the field.

They represent a celebration of creativity, innovation, and technical skill, as well as a way to distinguish oneself in a crowded marketplace.

This year we are collaborating with LIA, working together to unify our approach within the industry.

PROUD MEDIA PARTNERS

34 ProPack.pro December 2023

Winning a print award can be a significant achievement that helps to build credibility and reputation, attract new clients or customers, and increase exposure and visibility. Whether you are an individual or a company, participating in print award competitions can be a valuable experience that drives you to push the boundaries of what is possible.

Our entry categories range from Flexible Packaging, Gravure, Offset and Digital.

Start to collect and put the print samples aside in time to submit them by Tuesday 30 April 2024.

www.propack.pro

PACKAGING AND DISPLAY EQUIPMENT

Wonderjet Digital Printing for Packaging Since 2011 The In-line specialist solutions for print, coating, slotting and die cutting rotary or flatbed.

HARNESS THE POWER OF THE BRAND NEW

BX Motion Pro

A ground up redesign is at the heart of this brand new generation modular boxmaker from KOLBUS. It allows custom specification for each module to meet your exact needs, including: ■

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Heavy Duty box making In line digital or flexo printing In line gluing Single person operation Waste management system

In short, the BX Motion Pro is your very own personalised boxmaking solution.

Call your local agent now to arrange a demonstration.

THE HOME OF BOXMAKING Tel. +49 (0)5771 710 | info@kolbus.com | www.kolbus.com

Graffica Pty Ltd Phone +61 477 200 854 I Email grafficapl@bigpond.com I Visit Us www.graffica.com.au

Breathing new life into A1-plus size printing

Introducing the RMGT 970

with Skeleton Transfer System

970ST-6+C LED-UV with Skeleton Transfer

A1-Plus Size 6-Colour Offset Press with LED-UV and Skeleton Transfer

Why LED-UV LED-UV??

No odor No Ozone No spray powder No set-off No loss time

Max. 0.8mm (0.03I”)

High-value-added packaging printing on a wide range of substrates

• Instant dry • Instant ON/OFF irradiation

Reduce CO2 emission No large peripheral equipment No need for overprint varnishing Reduce electrical consumption • Up to 91%

No VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) Reduce heat generation Long life span • Up to 15 times

Printing on film and cardboard Just like your conventional offset press ...without the cons.

Sydney

A skeleton transfer cylinder will be offered as an option for 970 model A1-plus size straight offset presses. The cylinder mechanism leverages the technology of RMGT’s flagship 10 series, which boasts a solid reputation in the packaging industry.

This newly added feature will enable the press to handle a wide range of sheet thicknesses from 0.04 to 0.8mm, expanding business opportunities by flexibly printing not only commercial and publication products but also packaging and speciality items.

Handles sheet thickness of up to 0.8mm to meet the demands of packaging printing.

Maximim sheet size of 650 x 965mm allows flexible handling of a wide variety of multi-up printing work.

Low-cost heavy-stock printing enhances competiveness (Approx. 20% lower plate costs and 18% lower power consumption versus a B1-size press)

Sydney - Rob Crough 0423 337 788 Melbourne - Greg Knight 0411 338 855 Brisbane - Peter Erskine 0432 663 322 Perth - Alan Strugnell 0418 955 512 New Zealand - Paul Hilleard (64) 21 191 6548 Malaysia - Tel: (60) 3 7955 1668 (Kuala Lumpur) Indonesia - Tel: (62) 21 2555 8924 Tel: (60) 7 598 0771/2 (Senai, Johor) Vietnam - Tel: (84) 9 0938 9468

: 38 Victoria Street, Beaconsfield, NSW 2015 Australia Tel: (61) 2 9318 0099 Fax: (61) 2 9318 0399 New Zealand : Unit 22, Ground Floor, 6 Ken Browne Drive, Te Rapa, Hamilton 3200, New Zealand Tel: (64) 7 949 7722 sales@cyber1976.com www.cyber1976.com

Singapore - Tel: (65) 6272 8936 Thailand - Tel: (66) 2 682 3411-4