Certified Workflows Drive Your Potential in Corrugated Packaging

Issue 24 • August • 2016

CERTIFIED WORKFLOWS DRIVE YOUR POTENTIAL IN CORRUGATED PACKAGING.

EFITM Corrugated Packaging Suite

LET US BE THE FUEL

PRINTHEADS COVER STORY COLOUR LABELEXPO A close up look at inkjet Workflows for digital The importance of colour A preview of what will printhead technology packaging production and how to manage it be on show in Chicago

We’re a PERFECT FIT

Our latest product innovations are a perfect fi t to help distinguish your brand. From new thin fi lm products for beer, wine and spirits containers; to clear fi lm labeling solutions for clear packaging; to new developments for personal care, retail and digital printing; we offer something for everyone. And with our strong commitment to sustainability, you’ll fi nd we’re second to none.

Find your inspiration; we have the solution.

Stop by booth #729 during Labelexpo Americas to see how our products are a perfect ﬁ t for the retail shelf and the world of high fashion! CONTENTSCONTENTS 3

19 ConVerting 22 CoVer story maChinery 25 16 my digital Colour journey management

28 printhead teChnology

13 Corrugated presses 31 ConVerting teChnology

04 neWs 63 34 EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE diary Company profile: In this issue, we start a new series of articles. marsh Entitled ‘My digital journey’, this will explore the experience of a number of leading digital label labels and packaging printers in an interview style. For starters, you can read about how Simon Smith moved from the banking world into labels and turned CS Labels into a digital print powerhouse. Here at DL&P towers, we are busy preparing for the third ‘Digital print for brand success’ 38 conference, which returns to London on 24 Case study November. In the news, you can read the latest update on how the programme is taking shape for this not to be missed industry event. And then of course, Labelexpo Americas is 47 upon us. We have included a preview of the labelexpo exhibitors on show in Chicago that is of interest ameriCas 40 to us digital followers. Any omissions will be due preVieW to no material being available at the time paCkaging of going to press. 43 innoVations installation: preVieW Let the fun commence! lotus labels

Neel Madsen, editor

www.dlpmag.com www.dlpmag.com 4 NEWS Epson presses prove popular at drupa Innovation Days to be held by Gallus

Gallus Ferd Rüesch AG will be holding its second Innovation Days on 20–22 September 2016 at its headquarters in St Gallen, in Switzerland. Here the press manufacturer will be unveiling its next generation printing presses. During a world premiere, a pre-series model of the latest Gallus Label Platform will be presented to the industry The first Epson SurePress L-6034VW in the UK has been sold to Superfast Labels for the first time. There will also be live demos of the Epson’s SurePress L-6034VW digital label US and Dubai. new features that have been press made its mark at drupa, said the com- Duncan Ferguson, executive director, added to existing Gallus and pany. Following a successful show, production professional printing and robotics, Epson Heidelberg printing systems. is being increased to meet high demand. Europe, said, ‘This was Epson’s biggest ever Amongst the presses on show The press attracted significant attention showcase for our most complete range of is the Gallus Labelfire 340 with many orders from around Europe. The inkjet printers for pre-press, signage, pho- digital converting system, show press itself was sold to Print-ID in tographic, textile and label applications. The which the company describes Germany, while the first L-6034VW in the UK stand was extremely busy with huge interest as ‘redefining digital labels’. will go to Superfast Labels. The SurePress from visitors from around the globe and we The first Innovation Days L-4033AW press also proved popular, with a are delighted with the high number of signifi- event attracted more than 700 number of global sales made, including to the cant orders generated.’ visitors in 2014.

Top scores for More digital capacity added at Windmill Label Apeel Windmill Tapes & Labels has & Labels first entered the digital ther added to its equipment with a Label Apeel has achieved the installed an HP Indigo WS6800 arena after acquiring Commercial WS6600 in 2013. Today, this side AA Award of the BRC/IoP Global digital label press after signing Label Products in 2010, and fur- of the business accounts for 35% Standard for Packaging and Pack- a deal at drupa. of turnover. aging Materials. The internation- The new press will ‘The 6800 press matches ally recognised standard focuses increase capacity our existing 6600 machine for on ensuring that service providers by 50% according speed, but has the added benefit ‘adopt good manufacturing prac- to the Stockport- of an inline spectrophotometer tice and develop and manufacture based company. for easier colour matching on safe and legal packaging materi- The new press rather than in the studio,’ als.’ It is a leading safety and WS6800 will be said director Andrew Southern. quality certification programme feeding two ABG ‘The 6800 replaces our old used in over 123 countries. Digicon 2 finishing ws4050 and runs at twice the Managing director Amy Cham- lines and is set to speed. Our aim is to increase bers said, ‘AA is something that grow the compa- run lengths and throughput in very few businesses achieve, so it ny’s digital depart- digital as we continue to migrate shows our commitment to quality ment considerably. Andrew Southern seen here at drupa with short run length work from our and compliance.’ Windmill Tapes the new HP Indigo WS6800 press flexo presses.’

www.dlpmag.com NEWS 5

EFI second quarter revenue up 21% RotoMetrics to repeat UK first Strong sales is keeping the firm on Superfast Labels has bought an track to reach its $1 billion annual open house success Epson Surepress revenue target, said CEO, Guy L-6034VW Gecht although profits fell during following Labelexpo Americas. the second quarter of 2016. He Support also comes from FINAT, highlighted the industrial printing the BPIF and EFIA. and productivity software divisions The event was first established as strongly growing segments of in 2012 by Neil Lilly, who has been the business. with RotoMetrics for 24 years. Event ‘EFI delivered a solid quarter Held again in 2014, the two open Innovation Days despite the disruption caused by houses proved such a success that to held by Gallus global events during the last week Mr Lilly was approached at Label- from 20–22 of the quarter,’ said Mr Gecht. expo Europe 2015 and asked by an September ‘EFI’s market position at drupa Suppliers are supporting the Future of Print array of suppliers and customers to validated both our strategy and event in September host again in 2016. Mr Lilly said, product roadmap, and we’re ‘I didn’t take much persuading even particularly encouraged by the Being held on 27 and 28 September, this though the organising of the event exceptional reception to our new year’s open house at RotoMetrics is set to is immense.’ Nozomi platform.’ be another success with registration up by The event this year also boasts key pro- 35% The company reported record 60% over previous years two months ahead fessional speakers from Coca-Cola, Iceland Amount of turno- second quarter revenue of $246 of the event. There are 30 European and Foods and Lakes Distillery, while keynote ver produced by million for the period ending 30 global suppliers taking part in The Future speaker Sir Clive Woodward (OBE) will pre- digital at Windmill June 2016, however, GAAP net of Print event, and they will each be sharing sent on both days. There will also be a raffle Tapes & Labels income fell 32%. their latest technological advancements in support of the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Kao buys Chimigraf and Collins Xerox brings drupa to the UK Under two separate agreements, At an open day held in its Japanese chemical firm Kao has Innovation Centre in Uxbridge, bought two inkjet companies to Xerox reviewed the highlights drive growth. Spanish Chimigraf showcased at drupa and explained produces flexo and inkjet inks, and some of the company’s latest employs 180 staff. Ohio-based projects, including a number of Collins Inkjet specialises in the new packaging innovations. development of inkjet ink and has The 25,000 square foot ‘small a staff of 90. city’ that the company built at The two firms will be integrated drupa had a video camera running into Kao’s specialty chemicals from atop its stand. The ‘massive division as part of a move to com- traffic’ it recorded is ‘a reflection of Printed electronics label mercialise its water-based inkjet the print industry itself,’ said Kevin technology. The company has a O’Donnell, who is the marketing which had six inkjet heads tronic label can collect and store nano-dispersion pigment technol- manager, graphic communications firing ink at a different distance information to determine if a ogy, which uses functional polymers at Xerox Europe. depending on the shape of the product is genuine and how it has to encapsulate nano-sized pigments Key to this is automation and object, which moves up and down been handled during distribution. and enables a water-based ink to be integration. The folding and between the jets. The company Combining printed memory with used for printing films. It has devel- glueing of packaging can take up showed a video of metal water cryptographic security, which oped a printer for this application in to an hour to set up; this can be bottles being decorated and also adds a unique, encrypted printed cooperation with Think Laboratories. reduced to five minutes with a highlighted its application code, creates a secure anti-coun- The current management of semi-automatic set up. Printing for glass objects. terfeit method, particularly useful Collins will remain in place. Collins labels directly onto objects is ‘Smarter packaging’ utilis- for pharmaceutical packaging. will continue to operate out of its also a quick and efficient process. ing Printed Memory is another As well as talks and seminars, facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio, and This was showcased at drupa by application that Xerox is keen the day also included access to the Berlin, Germany. Xerox’s ‘telephone box’ machine to develop. Its printed elec- demonstration centre. www.dlpmag.com RUN

top speed of 30m/min or 98 ft/min

substrate widths up to 330 mm or 13 inches

full rotary printing, variable repeat

true 1200 dpi

FDA food-safe toners

CREATE YOUR ULTIMATE LABEL SUITE with a Xeikon CX3

Combining speed, versatility and quality in a league of its own - have it your way and have everything you need to handle any type of label order and make your business run like never before.

www.xeikon.com

direct. dedicated. digital NEWS 7 Conference set to debate key trends in digital print

Under the theme ‘From concept to Among the speakers is Paul for both the retailers and suppliers, capturing the digital print for pack- execution and the world of pos- Earnshaw, packaging manager at but just telling the customer that aging market. They include Lucie sibilities for labels and packaging’, Tesco, who will be asking, ‘Digital the pack has been printed digitally Tomlin from Pearlfisher, Laura the outline programme for the innovation – why should the or putting their name on it isn’t a Perryman, who is a colour and ma- Digital Print for Brand Success customer care?’ He said, ‘Digital game changer.’ terials trend analyst, Ian Schofield conference has been unveiled. printing offers huge opportunities Experts will discuss key trends of Iceland Foods, and Matthew Daniels, Unilever. The programme will also explore the most recent markets where digital print is making inroads. This includes corrugated packaging and folding cartons. There will also be focus on the benefits of inkjet printing for packaging through a presentation from Springfield Solutions. Looking much further ahead will be The Futurists Panel, which will hear from Alvise Cavallari, who is leading the corporate digital printing initiative at Nestlé, and Stefan Casey from The Retail Institute. The conference takes place on 24 November 2016 at the IET London Savoy Place. To book tickets, please contact The third Digital Print for Brand Success conference will take place at the IET London Savoy Place [email protected].

Sihl presents new MEMS printhead trials water-based coating A new inkjet coating from Sihl success for KM GmbH, optimised for water- based inkjet printing, has been Konica Minolta demonstrated the machines are arrayed introduced. In time for Label- capabilities of its MEMS print- in high density to expo Americas, the company is heads in a first public showing enable both higher expanding its collection of VIP at drupa. The company intends resolution printing coatings for water-based inkjet to build on this positive result and printheads to printing with the addition of the and develop inkjet printheads for be downsized. The XM1. The new coating is char- expanding industrial use. company is develop- acterised by its water, chemical Experts from Konica Minolta ing the technology and abrasion resistance. revealed the company’s new print- for improved com- Currently the XM1 is heads, which are being developed mercial printing and coated on a BOPP film, which is optimal for self-adhesive for its MEMS (Micro Electro Me- label printing, and Yuichi Itoh, assistant manager, component labels for drum labelling. The chanical Systems) technologies. to contribute to the business division, KM inkjet business unit, product PICOFILM O-60 white MEMS form micro-sized mechani- expansion of the with samples produced at drupa cal systems on a silicon or glass industrial inkjet XM1 (grade 8000) carries the substrate, which require highly market and the new ‘The reaction from visitors to these BS5609 (section 3) standard advanced micron-scale fabrication inkjet applications. first trials at drupa was extremely when printed on Primera technologies. Katsuaki Komatsu, group execu- positive and has given us even LX2000e, KyaroD and Epson The nozzles on Konica Minolta’s tive, inkjet business unit, said, more confidence moving forward.’ C-3500 label printers. www.dlpmag.com 8 NEWS Christiansen chooses digital for pre-print liners

Part of the Thimm Group, Christiansen Print terfeit capabilities using invisible embedded Schliep, CEO, Thimm Group. ‘Adding the has chosen an HP PageWide Web Press codes within the inkjet image to track and trace breakthrough T1100S for digital high-volume T1100S for corrugated pre-print of digitally the product. printing is going to provide a paradigm shift printed liners. The new press will be installed ‘The T1100S brings our vision for pre-print for our business as well as a transformation later this year at its facility in Ilsenburg, Lower transformation to the next level,’ said Mathias opportunity for the whole industry.’ Saxony, in Germany. The single pass inkjet press will reduce lead times and project turnaround time by up to 20 days. At 280 cm wide, it can produce up to 30,600 sqm/hr and features HP’s Multi-lane Print Architecture, so different jobs with different box sizes and run lengths can be printed simultaneously. The company will gain the ability to offer end customers more value with ‘box of one’ applications, featuring different high quality An HP digital press will be printing pre-print liners at Christiansen Print by the image content on every box and anti coun- end of the year

Expansion supported by new appointments Screen to use wearable DataLase, which was named Innovator devices for remote service of the Year at The Stationers’ Company Innovation Excellence Awards 2016, has At drupa, Screen GP unveiled engineers and head office ing maintenance type services. made two new appointments to support its that it is in the process of product experts can share In recent years, however, the growth strategy across Europe, the USA a complete revamp of its precise Cloud-based updates use of new technology to and Asia. after-sales service in an effort in real time, effectively provid- monitor the operating status Following a successful two weeks to provide better customer ing customers with support of equipment in real time has at drupa 2016, which generated a satisfaction. The Trust Service by the Screen GP Group’s full been attracting increasing at- multi-billion pound opportunity pipeline, Desk will be available 24/7 to worldwide service team. tention. The Trust Service Desk DataLase said it is keen to keep up the support customers directly via The aftermarket field has combines ‘Internet of Things’ current momentum. Andy Wragg has telephone or network. Field traditionally focused on provid- (IoT) and Cloud-based tech- become chief operating officer for Europe nologies, enabling the and Emma Dixon has been recruited as integrated management finance controller. of information, such as CEO Chris Wyres said, ‘Andy and the logs obtained from Emma join us at an exciting time and equipment and service will play a key role in helping us and our history records of global network of strategic partners build individual customers. on recent success and deliver our game- As part of the changing inline digital printing solutions service, the company to a wider customer base.’ is introducing wearable Andy Wragg has more than 15 years’ devices for remote experience in supplying advanced materi- diagnostics. Through als and solutions to the semiconductor, these ‘smart glasses’ packaging, display and photovoltaic press operators can industries. He joins the company from be guided remotely to Honeywell Electronic Materials (HEM) UK. correct issues on site, Emma Dixon has held previous roles in in real time, without financial management, audit and business Carlo Sammarco, European business manager packaging the need to call out a development. solutions, demonstrates the new wearable technology service engineer.

www.dlpmag.com Your Complete Labeling Solution for GHS & Short-Run Web Press Labels

Printers | Roll-to-Roll Units | Finishing Systems

Our commercial-grade printers and ﬁnishing equipment offer speed, durability, ﬂexibility, and global support. Contact us to learn how you can reduce your cost-per-label and upgrade your equipment as your business grows.

HP PageWide & Global On-Site Support

Extremely Fast Printing up to 20 inches per second

Pigment Ink for Greater UV & Water Resistance

GHS and BS5609 Compliant Labels

Print Widths of 1.5” to 8.5”on Fan-fold, Continuous, and Die-Cut Media

Versatile | Reliable | Affordable One-pass, full-color labels with stunning results IntelliTrax2 AUTOMATED PRESS-SIDE COLOR CONTROL • Maximize productivity, reduce makeready and waste • Consistent color control from first sheet to last • Supports process control standards including M1, M3, G7, PSO and COLOR AS YOU FOGRA 51 and 52 • Accurate spectral target values for corporate and spot colors with IMAGINED IT PantoneLIVE connectivity

© X-Rite, Inc. 2016. All rights reserved. www.xrite.com NEWS 11 Graphtec GB launches Dscoop UK and Ireland new digital die-cutter chapter holds fi rst event Following the formation of a Dscoop UK and Ireland local chapter in June, the group held its Supplier of fl atbed plotter/cutters, Graphtec die-cutting is carried out automatically fi rst event on 4 July at Dorney Lake in Windsor. GB has added the i-Mark automatic digital by the machine, eliminating the need for This included a seminar programme during die-cutter to its product portfolio. Based on users to purchase expensive dies. Depend- the day, followed by a social evening at the the CE6000-40 plotter/cutter and i-Mark ing on the thickness of the material being Windsor Races. Presentations came from HP hardware and software, the new automatic processed, the cutter can handle up to 120 Indigo’s general manager, Alon Bar-Shany, re- digital die-cutter can handle sheets of mate- sheets of material in a continuous cycle. tail guru, Richard Askam, HP’s PrintOS product rial up to 350 gsm, in sizes ranging from A4 The machine allows contour-cutting of manager, Adam Goldthorp, branding agency up to Super A3 (330 x 483 mm). Particu- printed sheets without operator intervention Gyro’s strategy directory, Georgia Bradley, larly suited to short run label printing, the and is equipped with an internal vacuum global Dscoop chairman, Gary Peeling, and compressor. The compact footprint enables Alonzo Romero Lauro, Dscoop EMEA it to be mounted to a table as small as 60 x regional director. 67 cm. Perfect sheet alignment is achieved Along with Pureprint Group’s Aaron Archer via crop mark reading for each individual as chairman, the chapter is run by Andrew sheet, with a camera equipped with i-Mark Dalton from Alphagraphics, Alan Rigglesford technology performing the crop mark from Clicks, John MacDonald from DG3 and adjustments. Software algorithms com- Trevor Smith from Amberley Labels, supported pensate for any distortion from the printing by the central Dscoop team. The group plans process to enable precise cutting with to deliver localised events and initiatives to The i-Mark die-cutter suits short run minimal bleed. Average speed is 30–40 inform, educate, encourage collaboration and label printing seconds per sheet. assist members in growing their businesses.

Kyocera develops tiny printhead Filler retires from Screen Europe for barcode printers Screen GP industry,’ said Mr Europe president Filler. ‘Over the Kyocera has developed the world’s in these facilities use portable Brian Filler will years I have worked smallest ﬂ at-type thermal print- batteries – there is an increasing retire at the end with an excellent head for barcode printers. The new demand for smaller, more energy- September after team and have KMS Series consumes 20% less efﬁ cient printheads for use in next 35 years with the made a great many power and its compact structure is generation printers. company. One friends throughout 40% smaller compared to conven- In previous models, the driver of the industry’s the industry. It is a tional products. IC was mounted on the ceramic best-known and good time to leave This has been developed to substrate in the conventional most respected when there is a real meet the demand for portable structure. In the new design, it is suppliers, Mr feeling of optimism Filler will leave in our industry.’ printers for barcode shipping mounted on the circuit substrate. Brian Filler labels, which has grown as ware- By changing the attachment after 50 years Mr Filler joined houses and distribution centers’ method of the substrate and spent working in Screen UK in 1981, volumes have increased glob- driver IC to wire bonding, the new print. He will be succeeded by becoming managing director in ally. With the need for compact product features a smaller depth of Takanori Kakita, currently chair- 2000. He was appointed senior sizes and a reduction in power 9.9 mm, reduced from 16.3 mm in man of Screen GP Europe. vice-president of Screen Europe consumption – as most printers conventional models. ‘I shall be sad to leave the in 2010 and president in 2013.

ENHANCE THE QUALITY, VIBRANCY AND DURABILITY OF DIGITAL PRINTING WITH PRINTRITE™ PRETREATMENTS DIGITAL PRINT Visit www.lubrizol.com/digitalprint 12 ADVERTORIAL

IIJ: riding on the crest of the inkjet wave Packaging and label printers around the world are turning to Industrial Inkjet Ltd’s hybrid inkjet/flexo solutions for a range of variable data applications.

ndustrial Inkjet Ltd (IIJ) is experiencing growth around the world as packaging and label manufacturers start to surf the inkjet wave. The fast expanding Cambridge-based company, which manufac- Itures highly-reliable digital print engines based on Konica Minolta inkjet print heads, expects to double its turnover in 2016. Visitors to Labelexpo Americas 2016 in Rosemont, Illinois, will be able to discuss potential applications for IIJ’s technology at its booth 5801 and find out at first-hand what manufacturers across the USA, Europe, Asia, and South Africa have been experiencing this year: that IIJ has both colour and mono inkjet technology that can be integrated with existing analogue presses to make high quality, variable data packaging and labels applications commercially viable. “A number of companies in the market have been promoting ‘Hy- brid’ inkjet/flexo machines as if this is something new, but we’ve been operating this model for years,” said John Corrall, Managing Director and founder of IIJ. “We’ve got unparalleled experience and expertise

The MonoPrint MP500i uses the latest inkjet print heads from Konica Minolta.

Top of the range is the MonoPrint XPi, which can deliver variable data at 300 metres per minute. IIJ says this model is making real inroads with packaging markets. A range of alternative MonoPrint, and indeed ColourPrint, modules support this system, delivering options for customers in terms of speed, resolution and colours. Whatever option is chosen, these inkjet modules use the latest print heads from Konica Minolta, and can achieve high standards of print quality, reliability and longevity at high speed. Among recent customer deals have been the installation of the first five MP72XPi systems of what could total over 100 systems in a major packaging company in Asia, a 200-metres-per-minute MonoPrint HiQ 600 dpi label printer going into a South African label printer, and multiple 562mm-wide machines going into a security printer in Thailand. It is operating in a number of diverse markets – security, packaging, labels, pharma – all of which are growing, and all of which IIJ’s new high speed mono systems can print at up to 300 metres are embracing inkjet printing technology. per minute. All of this follows on from IIJ’s success at drupa 2016, where it was in this field and customers really see the benefits of working with us.” part of the Konica Minolta stand and picked up hundreds of good In particular, IIJ’s high speed mono systems, which can print at up quality opportunities, simply though discussing the use of inkjet with to 300 metres per minute, are beginning to gain real traction in the visitors and providing deep technical advice. market. The IIJ MonoPrint print engine is ideal for high quality, late “Inkjet is expanding rapidly into new markets and applications,” stage label and packaging customisation. As with all IIJ digital mod- said John Corrall, “and each of these brings its own requirements that ules, the MonoPrint unit can be integrated onto most flexo presses customers are determined to find out more about. Konica Minolta with no more difficulty than existing analogue technology. and IIJ provide an open-minded attitude to new It is suitable for a wide range of applications, including variable projects, and a willingness to give straight text and barcodes, low migration ink, white ink, spot varnish and technical advice without sales pressure.” security inks (IR-readable, or UV-fluorescent). It has a low capital cost compared to an inkjet press, and significantly lower cost of ownership than comparable systems. This is driven by high reliability, long last- Contact: http://www.industrialij.com ing print heads and the use of high quality inks to reduce ink usage. +44 (0) 1954 232 023

www.dlpmag.com CORRUGATED 13 Boxes, boxes, boxes

Digital print technology has made significant inroads in the last couple of years into folding cartons and flexible packaging. Now comes the turn of the vast corrugated sector, and this was one of the biggest themes at drupa this year. By Neel Madsen.

s if by magic, one press manufacturer after another announced at drupa that they had Adeveloped new technology for digital printing of corrugated substrates, more specifically single- pass inkjet post-print applications using water-based inks. While there have been options for printing on corrugated substrates on the market for quite some time, with flatbed printers from HP Scitex, Xanté and Inca Digital, we now see a swathe of industrial-sized sheetfed presses entering the arena. The demands for reduced lead times and just-in- time delivery are impacting all areas of the packaging chain. This is combined with changing consumer buying patterns and the need to respond quickly to new trends, which means that brands are constantly looking Durst introduced the Rho 130 SPC press for corrugated printing at drupa to gain advantage and stand out on shelf. Internet retailing has put a different spin on the job of the cor- cause boards to warp. rugated box, as has the rise in the use of shelf-ready packaging. The press offers a productivity of up to 8100 sqm/hr and can print At the same time, high print quality is of the essence. on boards up to 1.8 x 3 m in size. A double-lane printing feature on the ‘The corrugated board market is one of the largest untapped opportu- press increases throughput up to 9000 80 x 60 cm boards per hour. nities available for our customers,’ said G Scott Wood, senior product Mr Scott said, ‘At EFI, we estimate that the total addressable market for manager, EFI Inkjet. ‘Overall corrugated packaging has a value of about inkjet printers and ink in the corrugated board space is north of $9 billion $130 billion. Very little of that is digitally printed today and there is a lot per year. That makes it one of the largest market segments we reach of room for growth, because brands will ultimately want the advantages across the entire company. Further, it allows the traditional flexo, screen digital brings with more affordable versioning and multi-SKU applica- and litho lam producers access to the lucrative segments of versioned, tions and efficient, just-in-time supply chain strategies.’ personalised and just-in-time print at high volumes. In other words, what was once a 10,000-piece run of the same material could now be Fast bullet five 2000 piece runs targeted at a geographic, demographic, or chain of Ahead of drupa, EFI had already spoken of its intention to make its mark stores with additional margin added in for the value.’ in corrugated, and of the fact that this would be using a new water-based UV ink technology, enabled in part by the recent acquisition of colourant Filling the gap specialist Rialco in the UK. Following its launch last year of the PageWide T1100s press for pre- Named after the Japanese bullet train, the Nozomi C18000 draws on print liner, HP had made no secret of its intention to fill the final gap in EFI’s single-pass inkjet imaging system from its Jetrion narrow web packaging applications by introducing a press for post-print too. And presses and Cretaprint ceramic printers. It also utilises the material edge thus at drupa, the company presented another new concept employing its guides (MEG) developed for the company’s VUTEk GS and HS hybrid PageWide technology, the C500, also a sheetfed single-pass press. printer models. The MEGs hold boards in place as they run through the The inkjet press uses newly developed water-based HP inks and the

press and its ‘cool’ LED curing technology eliminates heat, which can company’s Corrugated Grip technology, to handle a wide range of media q www.dlpmag.com 14 CORRUGATED

from micro-flute to the double-wall board. ‘We are delighted to forge this cooperation with Promising a wide colour gamut, the inks are BHS,’ said Tsuneo Baba, president, Screen GP. designed for printing on the non-food contact ‘By combining our digital printing technologies surface of paperboard packaging to comply with BHS’s equally advanced technologies we with global food safety regulations and industry aim to trigger major innovation in the corrugated guidelines, including the FDA, EuPIA and industry.’ the Swiss Ordinance, to produce food compliant packaging. Award winner HP is planning to start testing the HP Bobst was one of the first to market with its Digital PageWide C500 press at customer sites in Press for Corrugated Board, which incorporates 2017, and it is expected to be commercially Kodak’s Stream inkjet technology and won the available in 2018. A strategic collaboration 2016 European Digital Press Association (EDP) between HP and Smurfit Kappa is part of the award in the category Best corrugated printer/ further development of the C500. In the UK, solution in June. This has been in beta testing Cepac, which has four sites and is part of the for some time now and is producing live jobs HAS Group, signed up for the press in June. for customers of Model AG, in Switzerland, and Durst also moved into the post-print sector Schumacher Packaging, in Germany. A CorrStream Series 66 press has been installed with the introduction of the Rho 130 SPC at HSG Packaging in Bradford ‘The first Bobst digital presses for corrugated (Single Pass Corrugated) inkjet pressline. This board are under testing and evaluation at selected uses Durst Water Technology inks and can be sites in Europe. They are already producing configured with four to six colours to print corrugated board sizes of max customer orders with these machines. Bobst will communicate the wider 1300 x 2500 mm in up 12 mm thickness, at speeds up 120 m/min (this availability of these presses in due time. In our view digital print for is equivalent to 9350 sqm/hr). It uses drop on demand printhead technol- corrugated will not replace analogue printing, it will be complementary ogy producing a resolution of up to 800 dpi. both in the near future and also further down the line,’ commented Paul The company said that the press offers the industrial productivity level Stoudmann, group business development at Bobst. required to transform this industry. It allows shelving and sales packaging in small and medium-sized job runs to be produced economically, Sun in Bradford and also makes it possible to create samples, customisation and version- Baltimore-based Sun Automation first introduced its CorrStream range of ing on demand. single pass, water-based presses for corrugated post-print two years ago. The company has just announced that HSG Packaging, in the The corrugated board market is one of the UK, has successfully completed beta testing of a CorrStream largest untapped opportunities available. Series 66 press at its facility in Bradford. ‘Everyone knew digital was coming to our industry and we G Scott Wood, EFI Inkjet ‘ were ready to invest in tomorrow’s technology today,’ said Ben ’Ginesi, HSG’s managing director. ‘We’ve always been motivated to do Rethinking the box plant things differently and to try change the status quo. After meeting with Sun Screen came to drupa to announce its cooperation with German BHS and learning more about their technology and market expertise, we felt Corrugated, the world’s leading manufacturer of corrugators with a 50% confident their new digital offerings would allow us to offer customers share of the global market and a turnover of €€373 million in 2015. The entirely new print services.’ two companies have worked together to develop a full roll to sheet pro- HSG entered beta testing in its production environment in January duction line for box plants by combining Screen’s inkjet technology with this year. Sun Automation worked closely with the printing company to BHS’ expertise in this particular market. This can also be retrofitted as an resolve any machine kinks and get the printer running real-world upgrade to existing BHS corrugating lines. applications. By March, HSG was running special corrugated The development of the print engine technology will be done by Screen orders successfully. GP IJC Ltd, a new company set up to include Screen subsidiary Inca Mr Ginesi added, ‘This technology allows you to put the power of Digital and take advantage of its competency in inkjet technology. Print- choice back into the customers’ hands. The possibilities are endless and ing at widths up to 2.8 m with water-based inks, the 300 m/min inline we are very pleased with where the CorrStream is today and the potential inkjet printing system is likely to take three years to come to market. it has in the near future.’ •

www.dlpmag.com The world’s fastest semi-rotary die cutting system

Off the grid at DscoopIsrael & USA… Showcased at Drupa… Next pitstop Label Expo USA…

For more details email: [email protected] See it on Booth www.abgint.com International Patent Application PCT/GB2016/000102 3223

ABG FastTrack Advert USA Labelexpo 2016a.indd 1 07/06/2016 10:57 16 COLOUR MANAGEMENT All about the colour

Printers invariably use quality as a key competitive factor, with accurate reproduction of brand colours the most important aspect. With the latest colour management solutions, spot colours are spectrally defined and controlled – guaranteeing customer satisfaction. BySean Smyth.

rands know the appearance of their products is important. They Colour systems spend a lot of money on the design and the brand colour is key, to There are many solutions available; the drupa catalogue listed 42 the extent of Heinz trademarking their turquoise colour. Unsur- B providers with some press suppliers in the mix as well. These take prisingly they spend a lot of time, effort and money in ensuring brand measurements, create profiles and manage colours as part of the work- consistency on labels, cartons, flexibles, cans and corrugated, printed flow, automatically optimising colour quality. Service providers supply across the world on many substrates using all processes. complete systems and the necessary training, including independent It is strange to see totally wrong colours on a pack; customers take a certification of the colour quality system. Suppliers are able to prove they rather dim view, hence the growing interest and use of colour manage- can match internationally agreed colour standards providing reassurance ment, which may involve several functions. for print buyers. In process colour printing any press can print a range of colours, Systems include colour measuring instruments, such as integrated from 0 to 100% of cyan, magenta, yellow and black, or an extended on-press closed loop colour quality equipment, software and colour set. Printing a suitable calibration test that has the full range of communication tools. Esko’s Color Engine is designed to enable colour pure and overprinting colour patches, under normal press conditions on management across the packaging and print supply chain. There are standard substrates, will characterise the achievable colours. Measuring tools that will allow digital press users to match the colour and patches with a spectrophotometer and processing the result provides a appearance of flexo. Changing a job to a digital press can provide profile, defining the colour profile of the print engine. This device profile accurate colour matching as long as the spot colour falls within the mathematically defines the colour that will result from any combination of gamut of the digital device, but a screened result may not guarantee the colour values in a file. same appearance as that of a solid. Converters will experiment to gener- Colour management systems use the data to optimise the quality ate the flattest results from tints. The Color Engine is a central colour of an image by adjusting it to maximise the colour range that can be database that maintains the specifications, connected directly with the reproduced. This approach adjusts picture images, and it defines colour PantoneLive! system (Esko and Pantone are both owned by Danaher), values. When a measured brand spot colour is defined, the profile can allowing easy colour communication. provide the closest mix of colour values to reproduce the desired result. Mellow Colour provides a range of colour standardisation tools and support for implementing controlled colour, while MyPressExpert sells and supports ColorLogic GmbH’s products. These include high-quality monitor calibration, profiling and DeviceLink tools up to an automated colour server, the ZePrA. It can be integrated into existing workflows to handle colour space conversion and spot colour transforms on the fly. A properly configured colour server handles the colour transforms off line, feeding proofing and digital press with optimised images that minimise the

Packaging colours are key metrics for customers to identify and select a product; it can be disconcerting RIPing time on a digital press while seeing wrong ones (source SSS – apologies to the brand police!) boosting quality.

www.dlpmag.com COLOUR MANAGEMENT 17

Closed loop control In the US, CGS, operating its Oris brand, has been pushing CxF for years. One successful user is Diageo, which characterised several limited Colour measuring tools have improved and come down in price, while edition premium bourbon labels that were digitally printed onto a range of training has made implementation relatively straightforward. Many of the natural wood finish substrates. Kevin Chop, principal packaging graphics new digital presses contain integrated colour measurement, with closed director of Diageo Innovation R&D in the USA, said, ‘Using CxF greatly loop feedback to guarantee consistency throughout a run, and between simplified the approval cycle and gave us confidence that the demanding reprints. Using such systems allow converters to improve customer satis- light pastel shades would be faithfully reproduced to the satisfaction of faction through reassurance, removing subjectivity using spectrophoto- our design team, which was indeed the meters, which means there is no dependence case.’ CxF data can be included at the on individuals as quality arbiters. We see a Pantone book as creation stage and exported to PDF 2.0 One successful user is Berkshire Labels, files that can be distributed across the which is using GMG’s ColorServer to gener- a thing of the past. supply chain, ensuring the exact brand ate certified Fogra contract proofs, with all Paul Roscoe, Berkshire Labels ‘ colour is used, not a guide. presses and substrates profiled to Fogra 39L ’ for coated stocks or 47L for uncoated. Jobs are scanned into X-Rite IQC software to ensure the process colour set Strategy hits ISO density and colour readings. Spot colours are matched to Colour communication is a critical part of labels and packaging, and with Digital Pantone to a maximum Delta E of 2.0 utilising X-Rite eXact the rise in digital there are many factors that must be implemented. This spectrophotometers. involves making sure colours match between different processes, as well The company has made significant investment in colour systems, as different jobs. Digital presses mostly use process colours and this can crucial as it works towards achieving ISO 12647-6 standard for flexo and be problematic when the job is to match an existing flexo or litho print 12647-7 for digital. Managing director Paul Roscoe reports success, job that includes spot colours. commenting, ‘Retail customers want to know we are hitting the cor- There are several approaches to transforming files to optimise colour. rect criteria, which is uploaded to them as soon as the job is passed to Whichever is chosen for a digital press must be good at converting spot run. Having a closed loop colour management system means all of our colours into digital process sets. customers can get on with their own jobs, safe in the knowledge that we HP Indigo presses can print spot colours, with special mixes available, are meeting all of their required criteria with consistent repeatability. The but other technology has to make spot colours from the process set used. number customers attending press passes has greatly reduced, as they The achievable colour quality is a great strength of HP presses and the all receive certified contract proofs and we have demonstrated that all our company has developed the functionality to include three-colour capabil- knowledge in colour management and profiling will ensure the delivered ity in the enhanced productivity mode that uses colour management labels are an exact match. We see a Pantone book as a thing of the past!’ techniques that were boosted in the latest releases. It is not just the equipment that is needed to implement a colour man- Getting the measure agement strategy. All parts of the company must buy in to a systematic, While most companies still rely on physical colour standards, Pantone consistent approach of measurement and calibration. The colour system has developed a virtual cloud-based system, PantoneLive!, aimed at providers will support companies to develop their systems, showing how achieving the correct colour across various substrates and print pro- to profile presses and set up proofing, and they can introduce independ- cesses. It stores colour assets in the Cloud, allowing access across the ent third-party certification organisations. supply chain to the data. Spot colour inks are measured at a range of film Independent bodies push alternative standards that define printing weights on a several substrates including black to determine transpar- conditions, including Gracol/SWOP in North America, 3DAP in Australia, ency to provide full spectral characterisation, rather than a single Fogra and the ISO with its 12647 series is gaining ground in Europe. ISO L*a*b* measurement. 12647 specifies the technical properties of half-tone printing covering While the L*a*b* colour model provides a colour definition, there screening method, dot gain, the colours of solids, overprints are limitations, particularly under different viewing conditions and for and substrate. tints of the solid. The CxF standard delivers appearance and metameric Conforming to the specified values for proof and on press result in a guarantees. ISO 17972-4 defines a subset of CxF for spot colours that in- good visual match; measuring and recording proves consistency through volves a full spectral characterisation by measuring 11 tint patches on the a run. Pass sheets will be measured against a ‘traffic light’ system to the substrate and over black. Spectral data provides metamerism information, standard. Printing consistently to recognised standards is a growing important as retailers use a range of light sources that do not conform trend and a good way for companies to keep ahead of the pack and offer with graphic standards. more to their customers. It also helps boost productivity. • www.dlpmag.com Tau330E-A4-L&L.indd 1 11.07.16 08:51 FINISHING 19 To convert or not to convert

In digital, the real difference to quality is created before a job goes on press in the repro department, while the added value comes during the finishing process.Neel Madsen looks at some of the many converting machinery options available.

here is a plethora of converting machinery on the market that will add foiling effect, varnish and laminate the print, and cut the Tsubstrate into the shape needed, to name but a few of the processes on offer. Machine formats are changing and there are many new options for both narrow and wider web digital printing. Labelexpo Americas is adding a new Digital Finishing Experience feature to the show. This will see Delta ModTech demonstrate its Spectrum converting systems, while Xeikon will be giving its FDU Flatbed Die-cut unit for folding cartons its US debut.

The Digicon 3000 was the result of a partnership between AB Graphic The full spectrum and Edale Based on its modular technology, hence the name ModTech, and designed to precise specifications, Delta ModTech systems provide flexible debut two years ago when the HP Indigo 20000 was also launched. Key platforms for web converting, packaging, finishing and coating. ‘The to the unit’s appeal is its modular concept, which gives flexibility for a difference with Delta ModTech is in the level of automation and the speed variety of substrates and mid web finishing applications. Configura- and reliability of the machines,’ said a producer of medical and cosmetic tion for flexible packaging include water- and solvent-based dry bond products. ‘Although the machines are customised, we can still add capa- lamination, thermal lamination, electron beam coating and lamination, bility or change part of a process. Their engineers understand our needs registered flexo and gravure, cold seal and slitting amongst others. For and developing a new process with them is very interactive.’ pressure-sensitive labels, options include semi-rotary flexo, semi-rotary The advantages in productivity and flexibility have meant growth die-cutting, foiling, slitting and dual rewind. The variety of applica- for many customers. ‘Delta ModTech lets us offer things we’ve never tions possible means that no two units in the field are identical, said the been able to offer before,’ said one label customer, whose business has company, and pointed to the rapid format change, which is facilitated increased three-fold over five years. by automating processes wherever possible. These include pre-register The high speed Spectrum finishing system, which will be in focus print, pre-register die-cut, auto die load, and auto set slitting systems. in the new feature area at Labelexpo, offers tight tolerance semi-rotary The combination of ABG’s fully modular digital converting, inspection die-cutting, high speed output and fast changeovers. This customised rewinding and turret rewinding equipment and Edale’s expertise in narrow finishing machine has been optimised to do automatic changeover on to mid web flexo and digital printing presses, and converting equipment, a continuous printed web through the use of the Intelli-Mod control has made this machine a success. system, multiple semi-rotary die-cutting stations and auto-adjusting ‘The HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press and the Digicon 3000 epitomise slitting knifes. the fast changing pace of the digital market,’ said Tony Bell, sales director for AB Graphic. ‘We originally anticipated a high level of interest from Power of partnerships the flexible packaging market, but have been pleasantly surprised at the Meanwhile back in June at drupa, AB Graphic and Edale put focus on uptake for label applications.’ long term partnerships, and how they are delivering the solutions for the digital market, by demonstrating the Digicon 3000 finishing line. This Varnish ahead was on show in the HP hall in two configurations, inline and offline, Steinemann Technology AG of St Gallen, in Switzerland, announced its alongside the HP Indigo 20000 digital press. new dmax range of digital varnishing machines ahead of drupa. It showed

Co-developed by ABG with Edale, the Digicon 3000 first made its the first edition of the offline varnishing machines on stand. The dmax q www.dlpmag.com 20 FINISHING

76c entry level model for sheet sizes up to 76 x 76 cm has a capacity of and sales far exceeded our expectations.’ up to 6000 sheets/hr, but the company offers an upgrade that will take Lewis Evans, product manager, added, ‘Demonstrations of the foiling this to 10,000 sheets/hr as demands increase. and spot UV-style effects on our Matrix Systems were high in demand. All dmax systems will be available with high-speed cameras, permit- Explaining the process to achieve these finishes was straight-forward and ting sheet detection without special print marks and electronic register visitors were amazed at how quickly and cost-effectively they can correction. The bigger dmax models, still under development, can be be created.’ equipped with a variety of options, also available by retrofitting. These in- The show also saw Vivid launch its new Boss Premium Foil range, clude a roller-type unit for full-flood varnishing with standard varnishes, which adds metallised effects to prints. The foiling and over-printable offering customers the possibility of flexibly choosing between digital coloured foils work by combining the Matrix and a digital printer. spot varnishing and full-flood varnish application. For packaging printing, there are modules with bar code printers and camera systems, as Solutions for short runs well as additional varnishing heads for the application of Braille lettering. Kama reported a successful launch of its folder-gluer for short run folding Another upgrade allows printing of variable data at high speeds. cartons at drupa. The Dresden-based machine manufacturer closed 10 ‘Our developers and design engineers are currently working flat out on deals totalling €3.5 million. integrating our new dfoil technology into the big dmax systems. In future, ‘Our concept, to be one of the first manufacturers to present solutions this option will allow the application of foils and simultaneous spot for short runs, which is a mega trend in the industry, has been highly varnishing in a single pass. The first system with dfoil technology will be successful,’ said CEO Marcus Tralau. ‘Our innovations, which bring installed at a customer’s premises in mid 2017,’ announced CEO Christof greater efficiency to the finishing of small and mid-sized runs, including Stürm in June. small runs for digital packaging printing, have been very successful in the market. The three-year development phase for the FF 52i is now paying off.’ He continued, ‘Together with the die-cutting and stamping machine DC 76 ASB, which thanks to its AutoRegister is able to finish digitally printed sheets with tenth of a millimetre precision, we cover the entire post-printing folding carton production workflow. Fast changeover is the key to profitable short runs. Folding cartons, individualised and with various designs, will soon be setting new accents in the packaging market.’ The complete inline workflow for folding carton production was shown with printing carried out on an HP Indigo 30000 with Tresu’s varnishing module iCoat 30000, the die-cutting, creasing, stripping and blanking done on the Kama DC 76 ASB, and folding and gluing on the Kama FF 52i. Vivid Laminating Technologies’ stand at drupa To finish For effect DPR Srl joined Advanced Digital Research (ADR) at drupa this year to Vivid Laminating Technologies, which is based in Leicester in the UK, of- show a new digital finishing system in the Scorpio range. The SCR35PL fers the Matrix multifunctional system, which has been further developed is a roll to roll system that provides digital cutting, lamination, matrix to create foil print effects, holograms and spot UV-style finishes. It is removal and slitting. The cutter management tool works with a camera to a cost-effective way of adding extra sparkle to packaging applications. form an integrated optical registration system, making it possible to cut Richard Marlow, sales director, said, ‘The Matrix can achieve these effects any label shape on the fly without dies. Cutter files can be created due to the adjustable pressure from the pneumatic rollers. It’s a really in Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw, and cutting speeds go up to quick and easy set up without the need for expensive blocks or dies.’ 600 mm/sec. The company reported a record number of sales, new distribution Fitting a maximum web width of up to 355 mm, the Scorpio SCR35PL partnerships and ‘incredible reactions’ to its new products introduced at is an offline finishing system for roll to roll inkjet and digital printers. drupa. ‘We took a huge number of orders for both the award-winning Ma- The web width and ease of use of this finisher makes it possible for trix and Easymount Laminating Systems,’ said Mr Marlow. ‘Since the last users to raise their level of output by finishing pre-printed rolls with drupa, the Matrix in particular has evolved into a multifunctional system multi-up graphics. •

www.dlpmag.com Dear Printer,

I can offer you higher yields and increased revenue.

Sincerely,

TM Proven Reliability Superior Performance The Leader in LED Curing Innovative Technology

Visit us at Labelexpo Americas Booth #3712 22 ADVERTORIAL - COVER STORY

Integrated Workflows for the Future of Digital Packaging Production Just about every other kind of print, packaging and label converting are facing growing demand for shorter runs, faster turnaround and more flexible production options as their marketing potential is increasingly exploited.

horter runs mean that relatively there is more non-production overhead per job. This overhead Scovers the processes that have to occur whether the run is one hundred units or one million: estimating, booking in, receiving and checking artwork, schedul- ing production and checking inventory, packing, shipping, collating the costs, issuing and chasing invoices. Running more short-run jobs therefore only multiplies this problem. The more that end-to-end job management process can be integrated with pre-press and production and all of it automated, the more the overhead costs – and the potential for error – of all those manual processes can be minimised. Doing this requires more than just implementing an MIS (management information system) or ERP (enterprise resource planning) solution. It calls for tight integration right across the print sale and delivery process, from estimat- Corrugated board packaging produced on the EFI Nozomi C18000 LED inkjet press ing and job acquisition or creation via web-to-print portals, through pre-press This approach is now being developed further in partnership with and print production, with job tracking via shop floor data collection Esko. As announced at drupa, the two companies have signed a letter and machine interfaces, to shipping and transport, with live status of intent to develop and bring to market a combined workflow solu- reporting within the print service provider (and possibly to its tion that will enable companies to produce packaging with a single customers), to automatic cost allocation and invoicing, monitoring seamless and integrated workflow that will support digitally printed and analysis. packaging as well as conventional analogue print. Getting all of those things to work together seamlessly is no small Corrugated board production represents another great opportunity achievement. Today, label and packaging producers with hybrid ana- in the analogue to digital transformation in print, with several major logue and digital production environments are tackling this challenge vendors, including EFI, introducing new corrugated inkjet produc- by using the EFI Packaging Suite of certified end-to-end workflows. tion technologies at drupa. To specifically meet corrugated produc- The recently announced version 4 of the EFI Packaging Suite tion workflow needs, EFI also launched a new Corrugated Packaging includes 20 certified workflows designed to bring previously una- Suite – the first end-to-end digital corrugated software offering in the vailable levels of business and production automation to label and market covering full business and production workflow needs in the packaging converters. The certified workflows are based around corrugated space. The Suite provides a scalable functional platform the EFI Radius ERP software, integrated with a variety of modular with integrated dashboards to provide real time status on all areas of components from EFI and from third parties, such as Esko’s Automa- the corrugated packaging business. It also has proven Manufactur- tion Engine, enabling converters to configure their Packaging Suite ing Execution System (MES) technologies at its core, leveraging the workflows to meet their specific needs. software and components from CTI, the corrugated MES software

www.dlpmag.com COVER STORY - ADVERTORIAL 23

developer EFI acquired used to automatically create a job workfl ow in 2015. when a customer order arrives. This may involve pricing and producing a com- The digital difference bination of different items in the most EFI’s Suite approach equally sup- cost-effi cient manner, taking into account ports both analogue and digi- not only prepress and print production tally printed labels and packaging. capacity constraints but stock availabil- What’s different about the digital ity and operator resources in fi nishing, packaging production model isn’t dispatch and shipping. just the obvious production at- tributes of a digital press in terms Demanding times for DFEs of needing no plates to be made or The DFE is therefore a critical link in this processed, producing no waste on production chain, and the new genera- start-up, and offering support for tion of ultra-high speed inkjet presses very short runs and personalised being introduced for packaging and other work; the fact that it’s a digital press high volume applications puts consider- means that it’s driven by a digital able additional demands on it. The EFI front end (DFE). This means that Fiery XB DFE platform was launched at two-way communication with the drupa particularly to address these types rest of the production and manage- of tasks, driving digital presses at engine ment system can be continued right speeds of up to 100 metres per minute of through print production, continu- 1.8 metre-wide corrugated boards or more ously capturing machine status and than 13,000 data on job progress and use of con- B1 sheets per hour. sumables. This increases the degree of Built on blade-based hardware, the Fiery automation possible in both production XB platform is highly scalable to address eve- and monitoring compared to the manual The new EFI Fiery XB DFE platform addresses rything from conventional ‘RIP-once, print processes involved in plate imaging and processing demands of the new generation of ultra- many’ book production to versioned B1 mounting on press and the potential high-speed inkjet production presses, including packaging output, through the use of pro- lack of data capture from the press itself new packaging presses from Landa and EFI prietary caching and variable data manage- in analogue converting facilities. ment techniques. Particularly pertinent to The extended EFI/Esko collabora- packaging, where matching brand colours tion will connect EFI Fiery digital front ends (DFEs), Esko pre-press is a common imperative, the Fiery XB platform supports requirements workfl ows and EFI MIS/ERP platforms to create a unifi ed production beyond standard CMYK with a scalable extended colour gamut and ecosystem. The combined offering will also be integrated with EFI’s the ability to support up to seven primary ink colours, plus specials web-to-print solutions with the aim of offering a seamless workfl ow and applications such as white inks. from design to delivery. Planned for release at the end of 2016, the integration between Esko workfl ow users will be able to prepare jobs once for output Esko Automation Engine, EFI Packaging Productivity Suite and Fiery and use EFI’s optimisation tools to gang and route them to Fiery-driv- will be followed in 2017 by the combination of the Fiery DFE with en production devices, such as the EFI Nozomi press for corrugated the Esko automation platform and additional integration into EFI’s board or the forthcoming Landa folding carton press, both of which Productivity Suite. will be driven by Fiery DFEs. The combined workfl ow allows production ‘items’ to be defi ned once, in terms of both the necessary fi le For more information about automated, integrated preparation and pre-press operations and the metadata for production digital packaging workfl ows, visit www.eﬁ .com. management and pricing purposes. These pre-defi ned items are then

EFI’s Corrugated Packaging Suite is the ﬁ rst end-to-end digital corrugated software offering in the market covering full business and production workfl ow needs of sheet feeders, sheet plants and full converting box plants. www.dlpmag.com See us at

final UV curing Booth 6445 (drying) UV LED pinning printing width modularity up to 330 mm unique inline production speed UV-inkjet primer maximum range up to 35 m/min of substrates

1 mio m2 per year (in one shift) > 90% colour gamut in-house CMYK, Orange highest optical produced inks & Violet density digital white DSI® modular UV-inkjet printer for labels and packaging.

As inventor of rotary screen printing and driving force behind industrial inkjet printing, we have unparalleled application know-how in both the graphics and textile printing industries. That’s why, together with printers and manufacturers worldwide, we enable the highest-quality solutions for labels and packaging, home deco and fashion. For more information please visit www.spgprints.com

www.spgprints.com

2 DSI-lijntjes LabelExpo ad 2016 A4.indd 1 20-07-16 12:38 INTERVIEW 25

BANKING ON A BETTER BUSINESS

Interview with managing director of CS Labels, Simon Smith.

ing us to adopt digital rethought its marketing strategy and moved its business away. The timing couldn’t have been much worse; in fact, in its first week the press ran just one job. However, that accelerated our realisation that we had to go out and sell its capabilities in a different way; clearly something we’ve achieved, as we bought the next press just 11 months later and haven’t looked back since. One of the big criticisms that I had of this industry in those early days was that nobody talked to one another. We had no contact with any other flexo printer, so I basically had to rely on suppliers to teach me how to run a print shop. In contrast, when digital came along no one knew what they When Simon Smith first joined CS Labels, the company was were doing, so there was no alternative other than to share screen-printing Wellies knowledge and experience. That’s something we still do, for example, by hosting Xeikon Café events.

ost printers will face the future with greater confi- And what have been the main gains? dence sure in the knowledge of enjoying the back- Being a Xeikon centre of excellence means that a lot of peo- ing of their bank manager. But CS Labels’ managing ple are drawn to us by word of mouth; the reputation and Mdirector, Simon Smith, must surely be unique in actually profile we have in the business is enormous. In 2000, turno- having been one – a job he quit at the turn of the century to ver was below £1 million. It’s now in excess of £4 million, rescue a struggling family-owned screen printing business almost exclusively earned via our five Xeikon presses. We’re in the Black Country, which he subsequently converted into consistently growing the business by 15 to 20% per an- the UK’s largest manufacturer of digitally printed labels. It num. Indeed, our problem is not so much about generating is a remarkable achievement by any standard, let alone by business as how to accommodate it within our existing set someone who has only been a printer for the past 16 years. up. Post-Brexit there’s likely to be some challenges ahead, Des King charts Simon Smith’s digital journey. but our balance sheet is relatively strong – we have good liquidity, we’ve got good margin. We’re probably re-investing When and why did you extend into digital print? around £500,000 into the business each year. We’ll typi- We bought our first digital press (a Xeikon 330) in 2007. cally trade in a press after five or six years rather than run When I came into the business in 2000 our biggest earner it into the ground over a longer period, simply because the was screen - printing cartoon character transfers onto Wel- technology is moving on so quickly. In the meantime, we’d lington boots – a revenue stream that eventually migrated expect to achieve full ROI within three years of installation. to China, reducing our turnover by over one-third. Although we were also knocking out one or two colour flexo jobs for How has customer awareness of digital developed a very locally-sited customer base, we decided to focus on meeting the emerging demand for short run work rather than over the years? Brand owners are becoming much more commercially competing on a commoditised volume/price basis. Digital aware of what the opportunities are that digital presents to was still relatively new and whilst it wasn’t perfect, it gave us them, but there’s still a huge learning curve for everyone an invaluable point of difference. to go through to understand that there are limitations with digital technology in terms of quality. Historically, a lot of What were the main challenges you had to customers will take a flexo label and say I want to produce address? that in digital; invariably they end up by being disappointed No sooner had we installed our first Xeikon press than the because of the colour gamut and various issues like that.

customer who’d been the most instrumental in encourag- Likewise, they’re beginning to understand that it’s not just a q

www.dlpmag.com 26 INTERVIEW

matter of ‘is digital going to be cheaper than flexo?’; it could you’ll see is the type of people coming into the industry will be but often it’s more expensive. be very different than they were previously. The digital operators will be young people in their early twenties who are more proficient on an iPad than with nuts and bolts. And how has digital helped you and them to This is an industry that’s shifting from engineering to mar- develop your businesses? keting in its focus. What digital has to beware of is selling to How we go about selling digital is by finding out what the the lowest common denominator as flexo has – it shouldn’t customer is trying to do with the product and what they’re be frightened of making a profit. Whilst that will inevitably hoping to achieve with their brand development. We’re not happen for certain types of work, it’s something that we’ve selling on price; we’re selling digital on the basis of where studiously avoided and will continue to do so.

How do you see the future for digital print for packaging? As a Xeikon house we don’t want to be going to our customers with a muddled message, namely ‘we can offer you inkjet’, ‘we can offer you dry toner’, etc. However, although we bought that Xeikon CX3 at drupa, we looked very, very closely at buying an inkjet press, and I can see us investing in that technology in the future. I think it has developed enormously. It’s a simpler process and the quality has improved immeasurably. Screen has been very aggressive in the UK in terms of its pricing with the Truepress Jet L350UV running at 50 m/min in CMYK mode with a white on, and as a result has certainly Innovative peel & reveal label with metallic for Northern Monk beer managed to gain a foothold in the home inkjet market. The quality two or three years ago and how it can take the product forward. We’ve developed was nowhere near as good as the Xeikon – along with the technology, we understand how to utilise it now it’s close enough so that most people couldn’t tell the and we are prepared to push at the boundaries and be in- difference. Whereas you were looking at a price for inks at novative. Better to be the best than the cheapest. That’s the around €130 per kilo two or three years ago, it is now about way in which we differentiate ourselves as a company. For half that. If you’re selling into sections of the market that example, the way in which we’re extending the potential of are more price sensitive, I think that inkjet is now more than the peel & reveal labelling format, and the lead we’ve taken commercially acceptable. in refreshing the stand up pouch through the addition of My takeaway from this drupa is that I now see digital customised digitally printed messaging on pack. as being industrialised. For many companies, it has now We’ve not even scratched the surface of what we can do reached a point in its development at which they are ready with the technology – but to get the full advantage from it to make an investment on a very significant scale. Whilst I there has to be a realisation amongst brands that they might might be pondering about the purchase of my next press, have to spend a little bit more money on their labels. some of these companies are ready to install 20 of them. And that’s the way digital will go – industrialised by scaling

it up. • Looking back is there anything you wish you’d

done differently? Far from being risk averse, what the training at the bank has given me is to understand and analyse it to turn it around and make sure it works for me. That’s how I’ve been able to ‘ grow the business without taking unacceptable commercial risk. But that said, I’d perhaps have been a bit more cava- lier and invested in digital technology more quickly. We’ve not even scratched the surface of what we can What advice would you give to anyone adopting digital now? do with the technology. Come into it with an open mind. Look at it in a different way. ‘ I don’t wish to be critical of people within the industry but to be honest there’s too many printers – certainly, not enough with the right sort of commercial experience. The other thing

www.dlpmag.com Take a closer look d-Flex... Digital Inkjet System

DIGITAL INKJET SYSTEM

> Integrated converting solution > Print & supply on demand > Reduced waste & single pass > High end print driver software & RIP > Variable information printing > Four colours & White option > No click charges > Only pay for ink you actually use > Ink available from variety of sources > Synthetic & paper substrates (coated) > Combined digital & flexo printing > Re-register option for pre-printed webs > Stand alone flexo printing, converting & coating press

Focus Label Machinery Ltd: Kendryl Park • Chapel Lane • Bingham Nottingham • NG13 8GF • England • Telephone: +44 (0) 1949 836223 • Fax: +44 (0) 1949 836542 E-mail: [email protected] • Web: www.focuslabel.com

Live from 01.09.2016 28 INKJET Printhead technology explained by the expert

Inkjet label and packaging presses contain expensive printheads, maybe hundreds in big presses. Heads are critical components, making long life and consistent performance vital. The variety of mechanisms and suppliers means competition to push the sector forward. By Sean Smyth.

Array of Fujifilm Dimatix Samba inkjet heads in Heidelberg’s Primefire 106 carton press

here are two categories of inkjet printhead. Continuous means ink environments where machines may be operated intermittently, on shifts is always passing through the nozzle, it breaks into drops with a printing onto many substrates. In fixed-head configurations some nozzles Tmechanism to separate non-printing drops, leaving others to build may not be required on some small format jobs. Heads tend to run into up the image. The alternative is drop on demand (DOD) that generates a problems when nozzles are not regularly used. Water and solvent inks printing drop as needed, using either a piezo or thermal actuator. There may dry in the head, blocking nozzles, which can result in noticeable are benefits and drawbacks to each type and equipment designers select lines in the print, but suppliers use several strategies to overcome heads they believe will provide the right mix of performance, quality such artefacts. and cost. All heads comprise nozzles, ink delivery, temperature control and Nozzles and drops electrical connectors to the driver. Head performance is determined by the HP designs multiple rows of nozzles and incorporates redundancy into its ink and the front end, the head has to ensure every signal to print results heads. If one nozzle is blocked, the head uses another to deliver the drop. in an identical drop of ink being ejected. Slight variations in the dimen- Other suppliers will increase the size of dots adjacent to the blockage. sions of ink channel or nozzle may lead to changes in drop formation, or When there is a stop the head can be cleaned, unblocking the clogged give rise to satellites. Some of these effects can be compensated for with nozzle. There has to be a detection system for lines and missing nozzles, a waveform specific to the individual head that can adjust the voltage to and many presses use cameras to detect defects and rectify them. each nozzle, while calibrations on different substrates are required. In 2015 HP announced the launch of its HDNA (high definition nozzle The ideal head performs consistently over many years, in production architecture) heads, offering a native 2400 dpi resolution with dual-size

www.dlpmag.com INKJET 29

ink drops that improves print quality at 122 m/min. In fl at tints it provides while tints and solid areas must be smooth. White should be smooth with very good smoothness, which will be useful to reproduce brand spot maximum opacity, process sets may be augmented with orange, violet colours accurately. The new heads contain 21,120 nozzles in the same and green to maximise colour gamut. Most heads offer greyscale capa- body as earlier heads, allowing existing inkjet machines to be upgraded bilities, where different sized drops are printed, with component droplets in the fi eld. coalescing at the generation stage or in fl ight. The alternative is binary Kodak’s Stream continuous technology provides a signifi cant benefi t printing, where fi xed size drops are either printed, or not. The benefi t of to water-based inks. Because ink continuously passes through nozzles, greyscale printing is improved quality at the same native resolution, the there is no problem of drying in operation, so the ink does not contain as drawback is higher data load to drive the head. much surfactant and humectant as DOD inks, which are not useful when ink hits the print surface. Stream heads form 11 pl drops and tiny nozzle Next generation heaters create smaller 4.75 pl drops. Laminar airfl ow across the head The recirculating Xaar 1003 greyscale heads are widely used in labels blows the smaller drops into a recirculator, leaving only the larger print and the fast developing direct to pack sector where the high reliability in drops. Ultrastream develops the process using an electrostatic mecha- hostile environments is a major benefi t. The ink is constantly moving, nism that uses smaller drops to print. Each nozzle can deliver 400,000 preventing even heavily pigmented white settling out. Heads can be drops per second at of 600 dpi across the web and 1800 dpi in machine aligned either horizontally or in vertical ‘skyscraper’ modes, making direction, giving high quality up to 300 m/min. them compatible with handling systems on bottling and fi lling Epson, Fujifi lm, HP, Kodak and Ricoh manufacture the heads in their production lines. equipment, while others will select heads from the competing vendors, often using different types of head across their equipment. HP does not sell its thermal heads to third parties although it does rebadge third-party MEMS technology piezo heads in some machines, currently the latest Epson heads are only Manufacturing high volumes of consistent heads is not easy used in its equipment. using mechanical precision engineering cutting, gluing and assembly. The latest heads from Xaar and Konica Minolta will Heads on the market be manufactured using MEMS (micro engineered mechanical The table lists the currently available and announced heads. Most models system) techniques. These methods were developed by computer are a family of products, tuned with different drop sizes and suitability chip manufacturers to fabricate complex powerful silicon wafer for various ink types. Over time the head makers improve the design and processors. The methods have spread to other sectors, including manufacturing methods of their products and introduce new models. inkjet heads from Epson, Fujifi lm Dimatix, HP, Kodak, Memjet and Ricoh. MEMS takes a silicon wafer and etches it selectively creating a structure, then deposits materials to produce components. In inkjet well defi ned small details are engineered consistently, including the jetting orifi ce and ink chamber with very thin, regular walls. Suppliers can increase nozzle density while improving durability using tough, stable silicon, to boost head life with many ink types. For piezo heads techniques of depositing thin layers of piezo material in position onto the chamber have improved, leading to the ‘Thin fi lm’ heads with walls under 10 microns thick in use. The methods allow improved head design, then manufacturing to be more consistent and predictable. Investment in a MEMS inkjet head manufacturing facility is signifi cant, certainly in the tens of millions of dollars, but the reward is high yield, consist- Figure 1 Available printheads ent high volume production. It leads to economies of scale, with manufacturing cost falling as more capacity comes on line. As Printhead design balances image quality with speed and cost. In packag- piezo heads can cost up to several thousand pounds, so this will ing there may be confl icting requirements. Text must be clear and sharp, be a signifi cant driver to further inkjet adoption. barcodes must be legible, image smoothness and detail is important,  www.dlpmag.com 30 INKJET

Scalable arrays Head suppliers are working to improve quality, speed and reliability. For some packaging applications large drop sizes to lay down heavy coverage of white or coatings are needed, while image and text quality require small drop, high resolution capability. Manufacturers are making heads more compact, and easy to produce scalable arrays that can be integrated into press and converting lines. Analogue press suppliers are learning how to integrate single pass arrays into their machines to deliver high performance, high quality print systems. Initial launch speed of many of these systems New generation MEMS Xaar 5601 3p0 printhead is lower than the manufacturers are promising to Xaar announced its next generation MEMS heads at drupa, the 5601 deliver, showing that they are steadily working to series that handle water-based inks. Each head has over 5600 nozzles deliver the full capability of the printheads. featuring a native resolution of 1200 dpi at eight grey levels. The Xaar It is difficult switching to a new head even if it is identical in size and 5601 3p0 is the first launch at the end of 2016. It has four sets of nozzles shape. The fast developing sector means this will be increasingly neces- arranged in a Z-configuration to deliver 115 mm print width and Xaar is sary to reassure early adopters, however. The growth in the supply base, highlighting carton printing as a key application. It recirculates ink past bringing new engineering approaches and development budgets will see the back of the nozzle at all times even during drop ejection, a feature that new head technology coming to the market to boost the adoption of inkjet has made the 1003 series of heads so reliable. in packaging, with upgradability a key feature. • CONVERTING 31 Pouch potential

Digital narrow web printing has until recently been restricted to labels and small format packaging, but as these markets are becoming increasingly competitive, converters are looking at new opportunities in flexible packaging applications.

ne of the most challenging, said, ‘This addition to our pouch and a potentially very lucrative, platform, combined with the latest Oapplication is in pouches, which lamination and pouch making traditionally has been the domain of technology now available for narrow conventional printing technologies. and digitally printed webs, opens up Stand up pouches are increasingly our customer base dramatically for making their mark on the supermarket potential converters of stand shelf, with major brands switching well- up pouches. known product lines to this packaging ‘The capability for variably format, offering different portion sizes, printed data, images and smart print introducing high end products and pouches can really be exploited by improving the bottom line. Examples brands wishing to launch or test The Pack Ready Karlville laminator was introduced at drupa include Twinings Loose Leaf Pyramid products at minimal cost and achieve teabags and Kellogg’s Ancient Legends an even faster route to market.’ granola. Not only does the pouch lend a feel of luxury to these brands, it also offers savings in the supply chain with reduced transport costs All in the film and less shelf space taken up compared to the traditional bag-in-the-box HP’s new Pack Ready concept helps label printers who are not familiar cartons. Added features, such as resealablity, also mean the product will with lamination technology move into making new flexible packaging ap- last longer in the consumer’s home after opening. plications, including pouches. This post-print converting process creates an instant and strong bond between HP Indigo digitally printed substrates Move over and a special lamination film with no added curing time. Until very recently, few pouches have been digitally printed and the Introduced at drupa, the laminating machine for this concept has been market has been dominated by wide web conventional production, but developed by Karlville to run at up to 100 m/min converting films in the introduction of the KJ-DR-SUP 400 pouch-making machine from widths between 300 and 762 mm. The printed film can be any off-the- Karlville now opens up this sector to digital narrow web printers. The shelf material suitable for the digital press, which is then bonded with new machine features a back to front print re-register system allowing a lamination structure that consists of a film with a special resin. The converters to print two webs up to 400 mm wide and re-register the process involves no solvents, adding to its environmental credentials. printed front and back webs in the pouch machine to make a three-sided Pack Ready film suppliers include Polifilm, Toray, KDX, Cosmo Films, sealed or stand up pouch. The machine can produce up to a maximum of Jindal Films and Polyplex. 100 pouches per minute. ‘The HP Indigo Pack Ready Laminator by Karlville opens new op- At just over 8 metres in length, the machine is designed for minimal portunities for HP Indigo narrow web customers to extend their busi- web path length, keeping set up waste to a minimum and is ideal for very nesses into the flexible packaging market,’ said Alon Bar Shany, general short runs, perfectly positioned to take full advantage of all the strengths manager, HP Indigo division. ‘The new offering enables high performance of digital print: shortest time to market, just-in-time delivery, endless ver- flexible packaging applications such as retort – a dream of many digital sioning and/or personalisation, no tooling costs and high quality print. flexible packaging converters for many years.’ Alan Lewis, managing director of ShrinkPack, Karlville agent in the John Price, president of Karlville, commented, ‘The Pack Ready Lami- UK and Ireland, said that he sees the future growth of alternative pouch nator will enable HP Indigo customers to produce almost any kind of formats to replace many types of rigid packaging as ‘an exciting area digitally printed flexible packaging with minimal waste and complexity of future incremental growth within the flexible packaging market.’ He versus traditional lamination systems.’ •

www.dlpmag.com Visit GM at LABELEXPO AMERICAS 2016 13 - 15 SEPTEMBER in Chicago, USA. find us at booth 6111

DC330FB Combination print finishing

Digital print, short runs and flexibility are key to success in The first module on the line is a servo-driven flatbed Hotstamp Most tools can be made in-house or locally, and existing tooling labelling. The GM ( ) combines Danish www.gm.dk DC330FB unit with 30 tons of pressure, ensuring perfect registration with from older flatbed equipment can be also be used. The line can Web width: 50mm - 330mm / 2” - 13” technology with 40 years’ experience to meet the demand for equal pressure and impression time at all speeds. A built-in foil produce a large range of labels, from simple to complex, with speed, quality and flexibility. saver reduces foil waste and cost. flexo, lamination, cold foiling and semi-rotary die cutting at up to Substrate: 60gsm - 200gsm 45 m/min. With the ability to hot foil, stamp and emboss. Ideal for producing premium spirit & wine labels the DC330FB An optional 90 degree rotating foil tower adds the ability to apply Dimensions (WxDxH): 6.0m x 1.3m x 1.7m offers semi-rotary die cutting, flatbed screen-printing and hot foil across the web (as well as standard with-the-web direction), At GM, we deliver innovative solutions that Make Converting Optional Modules: Automatic knifebox, Laser die cutter, foil stamping and embossing. allowing multiple foils and simultaneous embossing and foiling. Easy. Our experience in the industry makes us an ideal strategic partner to help our clients move forward. Visit us at Labelexpo Corona System, sheeting module, extra flexo units. The semi rotary (digital) die station is servo-driven. It comes A smart “slide-in/out” plate loading design permits plates to be (Booth 6111) in Chicago, September 13-15, to see the foremost standard with a 25” mag. cylinder with a repeat range of 2” – changed when running and in the hot state; no waiting for plates equipment, vendors and solutions in the labeling industry. 22”. A built-in dispro software feature allows plates from other to cool. Grafisk Maskinfabrik, Converting made easy machines to be used on the GM unit. www.gm.dk

Detailed combination label with screen and hot foil. Easy change system for hot state plate swap. Flat bed screen unit with pneumatic frame lock. Flexo unit for flood varnish or cold foil.

www.dlpmag.com Visit GM at LABELEXPO AMERICAS 2016 13 - 15 SEPTEMBER in Chicago, USA. find us at booth 6111

DC330FB Combination print finishing

Detailed combination label with screen and hot foil. Easy change system for hot state plate swap. Flat bed screen unit with pneumatic frame lock. Flexo unit for flood varnish or cold foil.

www.dlpmag.com 34 COMPANY PROFILE The big gamble that paid off

Marsh Labels is somewhat unusual in that it has never gone down the flexo route, but made the jump straight into digital colour label printing from being a niche hot foiling specialist. Neel Madsen went to visit the company to hear how digital has transformed this small family business completely and offered it the capability to print longer runs.

t has certainly been a big challenge and a very exciting rollercoaster, digital route. We do very short runs – I describe them as ‘micro runs’ – this digital adventure,’ said managing director Gary Burnley, who to- and flexo would not have been the right option for us. When other people ‘Igether with his sister and fellow director, Alison Welch, runs Marsh talk about short runs, I look at them thinking, ‘Wow that’s actually a pretty Labels. This is said with a big smile on his face, however, as he clearly decent job!’ Digital offered us the opportunity to do longer runs than what likes challenges. And who can blame him? The company’s HP Indigo we were used to, but with a very fast turnaround.’ digital label presses have helped it grow turnover from £400,000 to in ex- The gamble paid dividends and a second HP Indigo press, a ws4600, cess of £1.4 million in just seven years. The success is further evidenced was added in 2010. This was replaced last year, after Mr Burnley shook by its recent move into new premises on the Mill Road industrial estate in hands on a deal for the WS6800 model HP Indigo press at Labelexpo in Portslade, near Brighton; a space that is more than three times the size of Brussels. The 6800 was chosen for its inline, closed loop colour man- its previous site. agement system and higher productivity, which will help the company progress even further. The inventory at Marsh also includes two Digicon Lite finishing machines from AB Graphic for converting the printed labels. These compact machines offer excellent varnishing and die-cutting facilities, but Mr Burnley is looking at expanding the finishing department with more technically complex equipment to keep up with demand. In the family The family business was established by Gary’s father, Barrie Burnley, and his business partner Ron Marsh in 1983, a few miles down the road from the new home of Marsh Labels. It was a very small operation using small desktop printers with lead type and paste inks, later moving into very short run, hot foil labels in a limited number of colours. Gary himself grew up learning the trade first hand, and of-

Managing director Gary Burnley with the new WS6800 ficially joined the business in 1993 when the staff counted just seven, including the family. Until the move nine months ago, the label printing company was Digital for longer runs spread over two sites, but needed to consolidate and also add more The first investment in 2009 in an HP Indigo ws4050 set Marsh Labels space to accommodate its continued growth. The new building had to on a completely new and unknown path; a major turning point for the go through a complete overhaul, and is now a light and airy space with company which up until then had specialised in hot foil labels produced plenty of room for more machinery. Mr Burnley said, ‘The new place on a bank of Newfoil machines, a side of the business which is still active gives us a bit more elbow room and I’m looking at different options for today. The foiling jobs usually involve a very small number of labels, so the future.’ the capabilities of the new digital press opened up the opportunity to take Industries supplied with labels cover most sectors, including retail, on bigger jobs. cosmetic, healthcare, food, beverage, security and industrial. The vast Mr Burnley explained, ‘Our customers were increasingly asking for full majority, some 80%, is supplied to label trade, and most of the rest to colour labels, and after a lot of investigation, we opted for going down the other resellers. This was not initially a conscious plan, but the company

www.dlpmag.com COMPANY PROFILE 35

discovered that the demand was there. Mr Burnley said, ‘We had done a little bit of trade work before The big gamble that paid off in hot foil, and when we asked those customers if they might want digital colour labels too, the answer was overwhelmingly positive. That’s how we got started, then after the press came in, word got around about our digital work and it just exploded from there.’ Today the company has some 11,000 customers on the books and aims to ship orders with 24 to 48 hours from approval of proofs. The day before I visited, the company had booked orders for some 356,000 labels, and 93,000 of those had already The new production hall at Marsh Labels been shipped when we got chatting the next morning about the advantages of the Cerm management information system that knits together the whole operation. Some 19,000 different products are shipped in a year, with the average job length being The real challenge came in the around 3500 labels. second year after we installed the Managing information ‘ first digital label press. As is most often the case, the digital learning curve has been steep for Gary Burnley, managing director Marsh Labels. The press itself is in many ways the ‘easy’ bit, and as Gary ’ Burnley and the team soon came to realise, getting the processes around it, and particularly the workflow, is vital. made. Mr Burnley said, ‘Our Cerm management information system is ‘The real challenge came in the second year after we installed the first invaluable and of huge importance to us in the day to day running of digital label press,’ said Mr Burnley. ‘We actually invested more during the company. We quote in excess of 100 jobs per day in house and our that second year than we had on the press itself as we just hadn’t taken customers do the same using our web portal. Proof approval is also done on board all that came with moving into digital printing.’ online through the system, saving us a lot of time and effort.’ Juggling this huge amount of data requires having the right software The staff level has grown during this time, and now numbers 18, four in place, and an MIS was one of the larger investments that had to be of whom work in the in-house studio. Both here and in the pressroom, double shifts have been implemented to keep up with demand, although they are essentially feeding only one press, the WS6800 as the ws4050 is mainly used as a back up. Mr Burnley said, ‘When we talk about digital, the real printing is done in the repro department not on press. That’s where we can make a difference. And if there is an issue on press, the job has to go back to the studio to get sorted out.’ The personal touch When I asked Mr Burnley why he thought Marsh Labels had been so successful in digital, he said, ‘I strongly believe that it is all about relationships. You have to build up the trust with your customer; they need us and all the advice and support we can offer, as much as we need them in this business. At the end of the day, the digital press is the same wherever it is or whoever is operating it, and yes, we can make a bit of a difference in repro to the print quality, but customer service is key and that is what makes people come back.’ He concluded, ‘It has been an interesting and bumpy ride, but we took Digicon Lite finishing machine the plunge and opted for digital and it has certainly paid off.’ •

www.dlpmag.com See the Next Generation of Dynamic Packaging Solutions

FA FA

Your Flexo Line for Your Flexo Line for Optimised Performance Innovative Flexible Packaging

Your Complete Digital Solution

at Nilpeter in Hall B, Booth Nos 3105 and 3205 LabelExpo Americas 2016

nilpeter.com

NILPETER A/S • Denmark • Phone: +45 5850 1166 • e-mail: [email protected] • nilpeter.com NILPETER LTD. • United Kingdom • Phone: +44 1482629600 • e-mail: [email protected]

2016082_ Nilpeter_Pre_LAbelExpo_GB_210x297_ L&L.indd 1 24/06/16 11:35 DEBATE 37 Finding growth areas

Personalisation and convenience will drive future packaging growth, said experts at drupa 2016 during a debate organised by Asia Pulp & Paper (APP). More must be done if packaging industry is to break $1 trillion global sales mark.

he ability of printers and packaging manufacturers to keep pace that it not only opens up affordable short and mid-length print runs, but with changing customer demand, whether for the personalised that it offers the prospect of individually unique prints on a large scale Tpackages unlocked by digital printing, or demand for luxury and and in the packaging market. That could take personalised packaging, sustainable materials, will be the key to the long term success of the something we’ve seen Coca-Cola experimenting with, from niche market- industry. That was the view of an expert panel convened by APP at drupa ing stunt into the mainstream.’ 2016, where discussion revolved around how the global industry can She concluded that a major driver of current growth is booming de- break through the $1 trillion in global sales mark by 2020. mand for more convenient food. ‘We could be looking at more than 9 billion consumers on the planet by 2050 and more people than ever before will be living in cities with busy, time-precious lives. That’s going to lead to more demand for out of home food service as well as on-the-go packaging, savvy brands will be looking at how to establish their reputations in these areas in the years ahead.’

Luxury and sustainability All the panellists agreed that the luxury market will be a major contributor, with expected growth of 19% in value terms through to 2019, creating a market worth $17.6 billion. Growth across Asia-Pacific and South & Central America is expected to reach as high as 6% and 9% per annum respectively as a new generation of consumers begin to access luxury packaging, while the established

APP hosted a seminar on the future of packaging at drupa in June markets of Western Europe and North America will also enjoy healthy growth of 3% per annum, largely driven by an increase Key drivers in personalised packaging sectors such as the premium alcoholic Speaking at the debate, Dr Liz Wilks of APP, Dominic Cakebread, packag- drinks market. ing consultant at Smithers Pira, and Michael Tobin, managing director of Mr Cakebread added to this by suggesting one area of future growth W Hinderer Gmbh, were invited to outline their views on the key drivers could be through greater collaboration between traditional rivals from behind future growth in demand for packaging products. the plastics and paper industries. He said, ‘Biodegradable plastics have Dr Wilks, European director sustainability and stakeholder engage- been around for quite a long time, but they haven’t found that many ment for APP, explained the increased role of the luxury market in driving applications. There is, however, a growing concern about the amount of growth while also emphasising the importance of a sustainable approach waste created by the food service sector. Moving forward, one area of to packaging. She said, ‘You need to think about the end of life of a innovation could be through greater collaboration between the paper and product right at the start of the process. What we’re seeing with luxury plastics industry to tackle such challenges’. packaging is growth in paper and board and that’s being driven by a Mr Tobin concluded the discussion by suggesting that the industry number of things, from the look and feel, to its suitability for a variety of could target demand for more sustainable packaging by making better printing techniques, through to its sustainability credentials.’ use of biodegradable coatings, ‘Whilst PE coatings are recoverable dur- Dr Wilks explained that digital printing will also open up a range of ing recycling, there is some level of concern from consumers that these new and exciting print applications. ‘If you look around the show here at products are being directed to landfill. There is I think a huge opportunity drupa, then it’s obvious the headway that digital printing is making into for the industry to start investigating how the use of biodegradable coat- what it still a very offset dominated industry. What’s exciting about this is ings alongside PE could help to meet consumer demand.’ • www.dlpmag.com 38 CASE STUDY Chocolates company chooses Epson

Chocolate and confectionery importer, hf Chocolates, in Milton Keynes in the UK, has invested in an Epson ColorWorks C7500 Series colour label printer to meet its in house bespoke labelling needs.

amed after founder Hans Flatauer, who set up the company in TFP line printheads, which has been developed for use in the commer- 1957 to import and distribute German chocolate, hf Chocolates cial-grade, industrial labelling market and lasts for the lifetime of the Ntoday imports chocolate and confectionery products in bulk from printer. This ensures the ability to print 600 x 1200 dpi quality labels on suppliers all over Europe and the US. The company supplies the products a wide variety of materials, including matte, gloss and synthetic media, as they are or re-packaged to the retail trade – mainly the independent or in formats up to four inches wide, printing at 300 mm/sec, with Variable specialist sector – and wholesalers. It also offers an own label design and Sized Droplet Technology (VSDT) which produces ink droplets in a range print service to customers who require low quantities of items with their of precisely controlled sizes. Nozzle Verification Technology and dot own logos and branding. substitution helps prevent misprints and dead pixels. Gaining flexibility Game changer Based in Milton Keynes, hf Chocolates The new printer was set up in a day, produces colour labels in a wide range with very little disruption to the of shapes and sizes. Prior to investing company’s day to day production. in the ColorWorks C7500 printer, the Mr Ambrose said that it has been a company was using a desktop vinyl game changer for the business. ‘On printer and cutter for very short runs, our previous printer we could print but bought in printed labels for large around 98 labels in 45 minutes. On volume product orders. the C7500 we’re producing 200+ Ambrose Boyd, commercial manag- labels in a few minutes. It’s now very er, said, ‘For us, being able to produce This C7500 printer from Epson’s ColorWorks range is now easy for us to produce short runs of bespoke labels on demand was really printing labels on demand at hf Chocolates customised labels, and because of about gaining flexibility and the ability its speed, all labels can be printed to respond to market quickly as buying pre-printed labels was simply as and when needed so we don’t need to hold large quantities of stock. too cumbersome and not at all cost effective, unless huge volumes were Printing on demand has also eliminated the risk of packaging error, such involved. We had a clear idea of what we needed – a fast printer that as using the wrong pre-printed labels. The whole production workflow is could print high quality consistently and was cost effective, not just from much smoother and more cost-effective.’ a purchasing point of view, but also running costs and manning levels.’ One of the largest jobs in terms of volume of labels that hf Chocolates Other key requirements from the printer included precise alignment produces on the printer is for the Candy Cables confectionery bags – of circular label graphics throughout the run and high capacity ink with an average volume of around 10,000 of the 70 x 70 mm round labels cartridges, which would cut production time and wastage. being output per month. The labels are all applied manually using a The ColorWorks C7500 was supplied by Epson Colour +Plus Gold printed template for the different bag sizes. Partner KTEC Group. ‘We have worked with KTEC for a number of years The company is now looking to expand its range of labels produced so they know our business well,’ said Mr Boyd. ‘We looked at other using the C7500. Mr Ambrose said, ‘We’re currently looking at what jobs machines but nothing else came close to the speed. Our main focus was can be moved over to the new printer. It makes perfect sense that the printing on circular labels as we had many problems doing this previ- more labels we can run through it the better, not only from a speed ously. This printer passed the test!’ point of view, but it also cuts our staffing and production costs The compact label printer incorporates Epson’s PrecisionCore Micro considerably.’ •

www.dlpmag.com Success and Security for the Labelprinter.

Gallus Innovation Days 2016 20 – 22 September St.Gallen, Switzerland

Come attend the world premiere … Register now! … of the newest generation of Gallus machines in a completely new platform, designed to meet any individual demand. In addition, this event will provide insight to the latest additions to the Gallus’ product and service portfolio.

For more information visit: www.gallus-group.com/gallus/events

Gallus Ferd. Rüesch AG, Harzbüchelstrasse 34, 9016 St.Gallen/Switzerland Tel. +41 71 242 86 86, [email protected], www.gallus-group.com Member of the Heidelberg Group 40 SHOW PREVIEW Momentum builds for London’s only packaging show

Packaging Innovations and Luxury Packaging London 2016, which returns to Olympia London on 14 and 15 September, will play host to more than 170 industry leading suppliers, many of whom will be launching new products and services to the UK market.

he two-day event will enable buyers to discover new and innovative ent design agency that has been creating branded packaging solutions for ways to produce their labels and packaging, improve the appear- over 20 years. Tance of their products, advance their packaging’s digital presence Following the relocation and major investment in digital printing ca- and reduce environmental impact. pabilities, Glasgow-based Elanders Packaging (G50), with its strong Gerry Sherwood, event director for the Easyfairs’ packaging portfolio, heritage in the Scottish whisky market, specialises in digitally printed commented, ‘Each year we strive to improve the show, keeping it at the tube wraps, cartons and labels for the drinks sector. forefront of the latest packaging trends and movements. With this in Falconer Print & Packaging (F12) will show its new capabilities mind, we are delighted and proud to be partnering with The Dieline to following the installation of a Bobst Foil Blocking machine, which means host the UK’s first Dieline design conference collaborating with some of it can offer intricate designs and embellishments to folding cartons. the greatest minds and most talented designers in the design industry, HAVI Global Solutions (G40) will be on hand to offer its experi- featuring best practices and case studies which will undoubtedly take ence, global reach, expert competencies and capabilities in packaging, your branding expertise to the next level.’ promotions, analytics, supply chain, sustainability, recycling and waste solu- Take a look at ... tions to guide clients. There is much to see for visitors interested in KTEC Group (E6) will be displaying labels and packaging printing, with printers and the Primera LX500e Color Label Printer; suppliers to the industry setting out their stalls at its newest and most affordable desktop Olympia. Innovative products, design and func- colour label and tag printer, which offers tionality are at the heart of this year’s show. 2.5 times the print speed and even better API Foils (A34) will demonstrate how its print quality than its previous model. foils, laminates and holographics can add special Having recently installed a Durst Tau effects to packaging to enhance shelf appeal and 330 digital label press, Label-Form add impact. Its TA range of cold foils is available KTEC Group will have this desktop Ltd (G18) will be on stand to talk in nine shades and took over three years label printer among the kit on show at Olympia to visitors about all their label to develop. requirements. Abbey Labels (C22) will be exhibiting a range of self-adhesive QuickLabel Systems (E16) will be exhibiting its full range of labels including specialist labels such as scratch-off, five page peel & colour label printers for in-house, just-in-time, label production. These reveal and its own enhanced range of food, drink and cosmetic labels. label printers allow manufacturers the freedom to print as few labels as Advanced Labelling Systems (E24) offers a wide range of auto- they need, and escape the minimum order quantities of the commercial matic labelling systems and product handling equipment, including label presses. This affords manufacturers the flexibility to trial new products, applicators, print & apply, RFID systems, printers, barcode scanners launch seasonal ranges and design bespoke own-brand produce. and software. Trade printer specialists, Revolution Digital (A22), will be show- Returning to the show is carton packaging manufacturer Alexir casing its Roland UV printers, which enable customers to proof packag- Packaging (E8), which produces around 150 million cartons a year, ing on final materials, as well flatbed cutters and desk top foiling. mostly for the FMCG market. Its in-house design studio is an independ- Royston Labels (E34) will be presenting its range of self-adhesive

www.dlpmag.com SHOW PREVIEW 41

labels, which deliver a value-adding option to help make products stand citrus fruits, grapes, cherries, lavender, corn, olives, coffee, kiwi fruits, out on shelf. The company employs 100% digital inspection on all of the hazelnuts and almonds are the natural raw materials that are saved from Momentum builds for London’s labels it produces, ensuring its products are consistent. landfill and used to make these distinctively tactile papers. Vivid Laminating Technologies (H6) will show its Boss special Italian company, Gruppo Cordenons (G28) will be debuting its high effect films and foils, which can be used on the Matrix Pneumatic & quality graphic paper AstroKing to the UK market. An ideal packaging so- only packaging show Duplex Systems to open up new revenue streams and add ‘wow’ factor to lution for creative projects due to its luxurious matt finish that is similar print and packaging. As well as laminating, the Matrix can also create foil to the soft texture of precious garments. finishes and spot UV-style effects. Specialists in covering materials ideal for luxury and premium packag- VIPColor Technologies (F74) offers desktop label printing ing, Winter & Company (J50) will show its product range of papers, systems, including the VP485 for producing colour labels in house and textiles, fine leather and high touch materials. on demand; the VP495 printer, which uses VIPColor Durable Ink Printing Technology, which can deliver printouts with great durability; and the More content VP700 which offers a speed of 18 m/min. More than just an exhibition, the show has more content than ever before. Zünd Plotting Systems UK (D2) will demonstrate its digital cutting In addition to The Dieline Conference, show favourites such as The Great tables and finishing options. Innovation Debate, The Drinks and Beauty Symposiums, and The Innova- tion Wall be returning. Bacardi International and Daemon & Genius, a packaging and branding agency, will be headlining The Drinks Sympo- sium, which will see three leading drinks brands take to the stage in order to share their knowledge and experience on how packaging can help to win the hearts and minds of the consumer. Kicking things off will be Catherine Monahan, founder and CEO at Daemon & Genius, who will be presenting ‘Bricks vs. Clicks: Brand Experience > Brand Exposure’. Ms Monahan, who has worked for both Sainsbury’s and Tesco, will be talking about how brands that provide consumers with deep experi- The Learnshop theatres will provide seminars and presentations ences of their product, manage to generate an emotional experience of ownership, and win at the point of purchase. On paper She said, ‘I’ve been in the retail and wine industry since 2000, and Substrates suppliers abound all showing the latest in paper and board for there are still a few things that continue to fascinate me. There is a fear to producing high quality packaging. Antalis (H26) will show the Creative innovate on shelf within grocery, because of financial targets set for year Papers range of fashion led colours, metallics and translucents, modern on year performance and the risk associated with replacing known prod- textures and finishes have been developed to help customers find the ucts/trusted brands with new/innovative products. This leaves innovation creative solutions for all types of luxury packaging. Iggesund Paper- in the hands of the big boys and whilst yes, they do provide that to a board (G30) will show its solid bleached board (SBB) Invercote and degree, it often removes the entrepreneurship type of innovation coming folding box board (FBB) Incada ranges. Invercote G, Invercote Creato, in from start ups, new brand builders and so on. Incada Silk, Incada Exel and Invercote are suitable for digital print and ‘There are tens of thousands of wineries in the world, all desperate to stocked in the UK by Antalis. Independent paper merchant Denmaur sell their wines, but unless they understand how to tell a great and unique Independent Papers (F51) will be at the show with its offering of story, with meaning, with cause-based marketing for the millennials, with papers for litho and digital printing. innovation of product giving consumers a reason to buy and to repeat Specially designed for digital printing, Derprosa-IT (J52) offers the purchase, then the future will not be easy for them.’ Digi-Stick glossy, matte, Soft Touch and anti-scratch gloss and matte The show will also feature three seminar theatres, including an opening range of BOPP films. Developed for jobs that require extra adhesion, it is keynote presentation from Mark Pawsey, MP and chair of the All Party recommended for paper and cardboard thicker than 250 gsm. Parliamentary Packaging Group, and big names such as Harrods and On the Favini stand (H62), visitors can see the Crush range of Britvic. And finally, the Packaging Consultancy Clinic will offer visi- eco-friendly papers made using the process residues from organic tors one-to-one advice from expert professionals on any aspect of their products to replace up to 15% of the virgin tree pulp. By-products from packaging dilemmas. •

www.dlpmag.com Thought foiling and spot UV was expensive? Think again...

• Create incredible print effects, in-house, without set-up charges and block foiling • Laminate, foil and spot UV on 1 system • Ideal for short-run, bespoke labels & packaging • Winner of Top Product award in U.S.

The award-winning Matrix Systems can laminate, foil and add spot UV-style print effects for a fraction of the cost compared to outsourcing.

Variable pneumatic air pressure controls the laminating rollers, allowing the creation of incredible foil and metallic effects, without any expensive set-up charges or traditional block foiling required.

With foils in over 10 colours and laminates available in soft touch, gloss, matt, anti-scratch and more, the Matrix saves you time and money on luxury packaging, labels and many other bespoke print jobs.

STAND C20 vivid-online.com STAND H6

Digital Labels Matrix Full Page Foiling SeptOct 16 Print Packaging Show.indd 1 29/07/2016 14:02 INSTALLATION 43 Meeting growing demand

As a new entrant to the digital label printing market, Lotus Labels has recently invested in a Xeikon 3300 press. The company is part of Dynamic Systems Group in Germany and has plans to use the new set up to grow the business as well as serve its existing customer base. Neel Madsen went to Eastbourne to speak to managing director Andreas Schillinger.

stablished over 30 years ago, Lotus Labels is going through a major transformation. The company is part of the German Dynamic ESystems Group and is headed up by managing director Andreas Schillinger, who came to the business from Muller Martini UK. The well-established label printing company has a staff of 15 and is aiming to grown its annual turnover from £1.28 million in 2015 to £1.35 million this year following the new investment, which also includes a GM DC330 finishing line. Clients include Alton Towers, Yo Sushi, Jaguar and Fen- wick department stores, as well as smaller, local businesses. It has also built up a significant niche in supplying labels to ethnic food distributors in London, particularly for the African and Asian communities. The company not only offers flexo and digitally printed colour labels, it is also a reseller of desktop label printers, printer ribbons and inks, label software and accessories, and handheld label applicators for pricing, date marking, batch numbering, barcoding and product identification. Its in- Managing director Andreas Schillinger with the new Xeikon press at house design studio can help customers create labels from scratch and Lotus Labels offer artwork support as needed. to a productivity level of 380 square metres per hour. The web-fed press Many facets uses Xeikon’s QA-I food safe dry toner and has five colour stations, four The new Xeikon 3300 digital label press, together with the DC330 finish- for the standard CMYK process set and the fifth for spot colours to extend ing line, was financed through a £200,000 funding package from HSBC. the gamut or printing opaque white amongst others. Mr Schillinger said, ‘This new, highly advanced equipment means we Working nearline converting the printed labels is a new finishing line have one of the most developed, cutting-edge factories in our sector. Not from Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM). The DC330 Label Converter comes with only does it help us meet the necessary requirements for our clients, it servo-driven web tension control and encompasses corona treatment, a also allows us to offer a greater variety and flexibility with design flexo printing station for flood and spot varnishing and coating, as well as and packaging.’ lamination and cold foiling. It has been fitted with a 25 inch semi-rotary Victoria Mutter, HSBC’s area director of business banking in Gatwick die-cutting unit instead of the standard 15 inch. & East Sussex, said, ‘With technology developing at such a rapid rate, To add another facet and expand its reach, Lotus became a reseller Lotus Labels needed to upgrade its machinery to continue to meet its of a range of Epson desktop label printers a year ago. These are sold to clients’ needs. Our team has worked closely with the business over the small manufacturers or brands which need low-cost, in-house printing years to support its growth and development, and our latest equipment of pre-cut labels for very short runs, test runs or prototyping. Printers finance loan has allowed for the purchase of industry-leading technology, include the Epson ColorWorks TM-C7500G and the smaller TM-C3500. which will enable Lotus to remain ahead of the competition and broaden This initiative was a strategic move to introduce new customers to the its customer base.’ concept of just-in-time printing, which can then be transferred to the Xei- The new Xeikon 3300 press runs at speeds up to 19.2 m/min printing kon press as the needs of the customer grows. Mr Schillinger said, ‘Our web widths between 200 to 330 mm in a resolution of 1200 x 3600 dpi Epson printers offers the opportunity for customers to cover some of their

on a variety of substrates without the need for pre-coating. That equates initial printing needs in house. Then as their business grows and their q

www.dlpmag.com 44 INSTALLATION label printing requirements outgrow the desktop printers, we can support them with our industrial scale printing capabilities.’ Group effort Lotus Labels was bought in 2014 by Mr Schillinger and his business partner Dr Harald Lossau of Dynamic Systems GmbH when the current owners wanted to retire. It now operates as the commercial label printing arm of the Ger- man group of companies, which also includes Schwarz Druck GmbH, a specialist in value and security printing. This gives the company many avenues to explore with the new capabilities of the Xeikon press, and Mr Schillinger is looking to expand into new markets whilst also taking The new digital department also features a GM finishing line advantage of the vast knowledge of the group. Established in 1993, Dynamic Systems GmbH produces industrial labelling solutions for a Ger- ments. Having originally dipped its toe in digital label utilising a small man-speaking customer base from its facility near Munich, in Germany. It Memjet-based device, it was clear to the company that it was time to take took over Schwarz Druck in 2010, which enabled it to launch its products the next logical step. Demand for digital was growing, run lengths were into China via the Shanghai office of the new acquisition. The next step getting shorter and its flexo presses were struggling to produce the col- was to look for a label printing company for the consumer markets and our jobs that were coming in. Mr Schillinger said, ‘To offer the quality and after some searching the Lotus Labels business was acquired. the speed, you have to be part of digital to grow your business today, and Today the Eastbourne business has 15 staff – most of whom have the Xeikon press was definitely the best choice for us. It will help grow worked for the business for many years – but is looking to expand that the business as we move into new and exciting markets over the next number, particularly in the sales department, following the new invest- few years.’ •

True digital ﬁ nishing with LasX

Job title: Sales Account Manager Location, based in: Eastbourne, East Sussex

Following our recent investment in additional digital printing capacity in the UK we are expanding our sales team. We are looking for Visit us at candidates with proven track records in these areas:

Labelexpo · Providing strong lead-generation and sales results Booth 3635 in a manufacturing related environment. · Managing key-accounts by acting as their central contact, consultant and solution provider. · Planning and executing marketing campaigns.

The compensation package consists of xed and

❱ Perforating ❱ Complete digital workﬂ ow result-related elements and is commensurate with this ❱ Cutting ❱ Barcode driven, creasing, important role in the company. ❱ Kiss-cutting cutting sorting and stacking ❱ Slitting ❱ B2-Format and ❱ Etching B1-Format available Lotus Labels (www.lotuslabels.com) is the trading name for ❱ Scoring ❱ Up to 3.000 sheets per hour the UK-based label printing operation of Dynamic Systems In a single pass with no tooling or setup costs. Group, headquartered in Munich, Germany.

We invite you to send your detailed CV to: [email protected] or by post , marked con dential to: Andreas Schillinger MD,

LasX Europe GmbH · Bohlenweg 8 · D-30853 Langenhagen · www.lasx.eu · Phone +49 511 51 54 11 90 1 Park View, Alder Close, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 6QE. DIGITAL PRINT

FOR BRAND SUCCESS CONFERENCE 2016 24 November 2016 • IET London • Savoy Place • London

This conference will showcase excellent case studies, and discuss the best print and fi nishing technologies to help steer your business towards a profi table future. Extended Early bird! Highlights! 1 delegate: £299 (full price £450) 2 delegates: £499 (full price £650) KEYNOTE SPEAKER Offer ends 31 August 2016 • Packaging design and purchasing desire: the neuroscience To book Visit of sales success digitalbrandconf.com Dr. David Lewis, founder, Mindlab International • Digital Innovation – why should the customer care? Paul Earnshaw, packaging manager, Tesco • Key trends capturing the digital print for packaging market Lucie Tomlin, senior technical project manager, Pearlfi sher Laura Perryman, colour and materials trend analyst, Colour of Saying Ian Schofi eld, own label & packaging manager, Iceland Foods

Matthew Daniels, intelligent packaging and decorations

leader, Unilever • The inkjet innovators The annual digital print conference‘ Dennis Ebeltoft and Matt Dass, joint managing directors, ‘serves as a great reference point as Springﬁ eld Solutions to where the trends are going. Ian Schoﬁ eld, Iceland Foods

For more information and to book visit digitalbrandconf.com or Call Chloe +44 (0)1892 779599 email [email protected] @DigitalLPack

Headline sponsors Sponsors Partners Media partners

digitalprinter Fast and Flexible Label Production

Stand 6410

CX1200e Color Label Press FX1200e Digital Finishing System » delivers short-run, full-colour digital label » performs label finishing steps printing that opens up new markets (laminate, die-cut, remove waste » simple cost-effective solution and add-on matrix, slit and rewind) in a single, with 5m print speed per minute integrated and automated process » GHS and BS5609 compliant » cut any size or shape without dies

For more information visit: dlp.primera.eu LABELEXPO PREVIEW 47 Labels and packaging possibilities on show in Chicago

Held at the Donald E Stephens Centre in Chicago, Labelexpo Americas will be opening its doors again on 13 to 15 September. This 15th edition promises to be even bigger, and here we preview what awaits visitors interested in digital labels and packaging printing. By Neel Madsen.

abelexpo Americas was first held in 1989, and in 2014, just over 16,000 Lvisitors came to Chicago to see what more than 400 exhibitors had in store for them. This year, the show organisers are promising an even greater focus on packaging, and in particular on digital printing. There will also be a conference programme, in-depth master classes and a workshop on offer. The latter will focus on shrink sleeves, while the three master classes will highlight conventional label printing processes, design and origination, and digital label and package printing. Visitors will also be able to follow the inaugural Linerless Trail, while a new Digital Finishing Experience area makes its debut, with daily presentations taking place Packaging and digital printing will be two of the focus areas at Labelexpo Americas over the three days. The Shrink Sleeve Workshop will provide a clear understanding of de- offers and giving them first-rate accessibility to all the products, services sign and origination requirements, cover substrates and inks, and review and solutions that can help keep their businesses up to speed and the different printing processes available. Presentations will be given by competitive.’ experts from Accraply, Esko, Flint Group and Klöckner Pentaplast. The Covering nearly 200,000 square feet of floor space, the show is again Digital Label and Package Printing master class will be fronted by Mike heavily supported and endorsed by official bodies, including the TLMI, Fairley, director, strategic development, Labelexpo Global Series. Spe- FSEA, AMETIQ, Acoban, AIMCAL and AIPIA. cialists from AB Graphic International, Avery Dennison, Domino, Esko, HP Indigo and Xeikon will outline the different presses, materials and On show: A–Z finishing solutions, and discuss the key considerations when running a AB Graphic International (3223) will show its converting lines. ‘The digital printing operation. label and packaging market has changed a lot in recent years and we Tasha Ventimiglia, event director, commented, ‘We’ve seen from our monitor it closely, trying to predict what will help label converters grow other shows, such as Labelexpo Europe, how increasingly important their businesses,’ said sales director Tony Bell. ‘Since the launch of the having a digital and a package printing capacity has become for label Digicon Series 3 two years ago, we have seen phenomenal uptake for this producers, so this year’s show really reflects that move with its exhibitor technology, in particular high end specifications with emphasis being profile and educational content. As usual, we will be seeking to empower placed on time saving automation modules.’ the buyers visiting the show by bringing them up to speed on emerging The company will show the newly launched FAST Track die, which runs

trends, showcasing the newest developments this fast moving market at 150 m/min. ‘The original concept was born to create a semi-rotary die q

www.dlpmag.com 48 LABELEXPO PREVIEW that could run inline with faster digital print engines. Once we started can print on substrates that are up to 6 mm thick and 228 mm wide, for designing it, we discovered we could achieve much higher speeds and short runs of product images and logos on corrugated, cartons, padded we are incredibly proud of this world first,’ said Mr Bell. envelopes, bags and letterheads. Also on show will be the DLP-2000 A full beverage specification of the Digicon Series 3 with a Big Foot digital label press which has the L801 included. 50 ton hot foiling and embossing module will also be shown. This will API Foils (815) is focusing on its new brand enhancement creative demonstrate the full range of automation modules, including Auto die- service and holographic foils. Bob Almer, vice president sales, and mem- load/unload, Autoslit and Iscore, plus a second hot foil unit and flatbed bers of the API team will be on hand to demonstrate the latest techniques screen printing unit. A JDF/JMF management information system that and product examples, and explain how the company works with its cus- can supply job information to the machine from pre-press and relay tomers to assist them in finding the ideal pack enhancement effects that add value to their brands. API’s development of holographic and other highly visual optical foil solutions can be seen in its custom decorative holography service, Holonique Boutique. The stand will also show other technologies, such as the Fresnel Lens PET Laminate, which combines the depth and kinetic focus of a lens with print pack and design. Its micro structures provide an optically correct lens which both transmits and reflects the light. Also on display will be the TA cold foil range, which provides fine detail down to a 3 point font, together with the capability to cover large solid areas and achieve high quality gloss effects for text and graphics. ABG Digicon Series 3 with fully automated Avery Dennison (119) will show its wide range of label and integrated glueless turret rewinder materials for digital printing, both toner and inkjet, along with a number of innovations for increased productivity and shelf job information back into the customer’s MIS will be shown both on a appeal. To meet demands for sustainable production, it has expanded Digicon 3 and a Digilase laser die-cutting unit. A Digicon Lite 3 compact the CleanFlake Portfolio with added paper facestocks and enhanced digital finishing solution will also be demonstrated. proprietary adhesive. The portfolio now offers a total solution for convert- Advanced Vision Technology (AVT) (711) will premier the Helios ers to meet the growing need for pressure-sensitive (PS) labels that are D, an automatic, 100% print inspection solution designed specifically for compatible with the PET recycling process. digital printing. This supports all stages of digital production workflow, Collins Inkjet (6524) will display the latest advances in inkjet including identifying missing nozzles, ink dripping spots and colour chemistry for high speed, single pass printing, including water-based, changes in real time. oil-based, solvent-based, UV-, LED- and EB-curable inks. The chemis- The company will also showcase partner-specific solutions, such as tries and curing technologies used for inkjet applications are developing its Helios S Turbo, which is integrated onto an HP Indigo 8000 narrow rapidly, which is creating new opportunities, like electron beam. web press and Apollo 20K integrated onto an HP Indigo 20000 wide The company sees EB inkjet as an ideal solution for consumer goods, web press. Incorporated into the rewind section, both systems support packaging, labelling, films, medical devices, heat-sensitive materials and inspection of any material, surface or reverse print. any application where health and safety are paramount. Its EB-curable For inkjet press vendors AVT offers the Jet-IQ, a closed loop quality inks pass FDA migration standards and all of the EB inkjet components engine that works in synergy with press controllers to maintain print are listed on The Swiss Ordinance and the Nestlé Guidance Note on quality, offering full connectivity to all steps and solutions of digital inkjet packaging inks. printing. Another US debut is iCenter, a cloud-based web application Colordyne Technologies (6145) will be running demonstrations of for setting quality standards and automation of workflow process across the 1600 Series bench top printer, 2600 Series Mini Press, and the 3600 multiple sites. Series Laser Pro and 3600 Series Retrofit. Afinia Label (6015) will have three new products on show: the L301 New is the 3600 Series Retrofit, a digital conversion programme that Label Printer, the DLF-1100 Digital Label Finisher and the CP950 Carton allows converters to turn their existing flexo press into a hybrid digital Printer. Priced below the $2000 mark, the HP-powered L301 produces web press. The 3600 Series offers a combination of high print quality, labels up to 215 mm wide and features an optional, motorised label fast job production, and low equipment and running costs. The 3600 unwinder. The DLF-1100 is a desktop label finisher that can laminate, Series Retrofit is an ideal label and packaging production solution for

plotter-cut, slit and roll pre-printed labels. The memjet-powered CP950 converters looking to add full colour digital inkjet printing to their exist- q

www.dlpmag.com Digital retrofit for your flexo press See how easy it is to add high resolution, high speed, four color process inkjet to your existing flexo press or converting equipment.

262-784-1932 | colordynetech.com

Advanced Thinking Makes For INNOVATIVE INKING

CONTACT US 513 • 948 • 9000 www.collinsinkjet.com 50 LABELEXPO PREVIEW ing flexographic press, and make use of their tooling inventory. the Domino stand, a Domino K600i double-white print bar integrated on Also new this year from Colordyne, all 3600 Series Products are now a Spectrum finishing system will be demonstrated. capable of printing at speeds up to 500 ft/min (150 m/min), compared to Domino Printing Sciences (6523, 6545) will be introducing the previous top speed of 335 ft/min (102 m/min) announced at Label- ‘Textures by Domino’ to the US market and also debuting the K600i expo 2015. This improvement in print speed is made possible through double-white bar digital UV inkjet printer. technical advancements in software and printhead technology. The new ‘Textures by Domino’ is a new inkjet capability of the Domino N610i print speed capabilities are targeted for secondary label and packaging digital UV inkjet label press, first launched at Labelexpo 2015. It allows applications, and high volume digital printing. The printing platforms label printers to produce tactile, three-dimensional digitally printed deliver a resolution of 1600 dpi. textured labels that enhance shelf presence. Ideal for a variety of sectors, Daco Solutions (5435) will be at the show to talk about its wide including wine and beer, and cosmetics and beauty, this technique range of label and narrow web converting machines. Its experts will also represents a cost-effective way to create labels with high visual and be available to offer free advice on any bespoke solutions for businesses tactile appeal. of all sizes. Domino will have two N610i presses on stand, one shown with ABG DantexRBCor (535). Following the launch of Dantex Digital in 2015, inline finishing, and the other printing roll to roll. The press offers a na- the company will be introducing the Dantex PicoColour digital label tive resolution of 600 x 600 dpi running at a minimum of 164 ft/min. press to the US market. With a printing width of 210 mm and running ca- The debuting K600i double-white bar UV inkjet printer will be integrated pacity of 35 m/min, the PicoColour is a versatile and productive printing on a Delta ModTech finishing system, to print specialty marketing system, which that works with UV-based inks and is available with CMYK applications. + white. There will be daily live demonstrations of the press on stand. The N610i integration module will also be shown on partner stands, Delta ModTech (3523) will feature its Flex Edge laser technology including MPS (911) and Converting Equipment International (CEI) with a new on the fly changeover demonstration. This is a flexible laser (817). Printed labels can also be seen at Delta ModTech (3523) and platform that can be used inline or offline with various configurations to Domino K600i Cold Foil at Gonderflex (3629). allow for production and R&D use in both roll to roll and sheetfed. DPR Labelling (6614) will be showing two new products that A portable piece of equipment, it can be bolted inline directly to an exist- expand its line of digital finishing equipment. The first is the Taurus, a ing Delta ModTech machine, connected to an existing converting line digital label cutter and laminator capable of converting 225 mm pre- using the telescoping arm to connect to an open station or be run as a printed rolls into die-cut labels. Powered by an air-cooled CO2 100 Watt standalone unit. It has been developed for high flexibility, fast job set up laser source, the finishing unit laminates, removes the waste matrix, slits with the ability to recall saved products to speed up changeovers. The and rewinds pre-printed labels into applicator-ready rolls. stand will also feature a Crusader Converter with tight tolerance, preci- The second product being introduced is the Gemini, a cut sheet digital sion cutting. die-cutter. This desktop-style cutter is capable of handling various types The company will be present in the new Digital Finishing Experience of material with different thicknesses and sheet sizes ranging from A4 to feature area, where a Spectrum finishing system will be running, while on A3 format. Durst Image Technology (5901) will, amongst others, show its new single pass Tau 330 E UV inkjet digital label press. The Tau 330 E, specially designed for small and medium-sized label converters, utilises Durst’s latest high pigment UV inks for reduced ink consumption, and incorporates new imaging capabilities to enhance Tau efficiency and versatility. More announcement are due to be unveiled at the show. Epson America (5813) will be showcasing its full line of commercial label printing solutions, from the ColorWorks on-demand colour label printers to the SurePress short run label press. The SurePress L-6034VW is Epson’s first single pass industrial press and the first to use the company’s new LED-cured UV ink with inline digital varnishing technology. The L-6034VW enables high speed printing for short ‘Textures by Domino’ adds tactile finish to digital labels to medium length jobs, producing labels with high scratch

www.dlpmag.com LABELEXPO PREVIEW 51

prising mercury arc systems, LED systems and hybrid systems, together with the associated fully hybrid Rhino ArcLED electronic power supply. The company will be launching a new aircooled UV LED curing system lamphead, the LA1. In the development phase, special consideration was given to the enhanced airflow design to ensure effective heat dissipation at high power levels. The LA1 is built around the same proven cassette- based design as the E2C and LW1 lampheads and is fully compatible with existing ArcLED systems without the need for external chillers, pipes or coolant or any other modification. The LA1 is a UV LED curing solution that is able to perform without the heavy infrastructure and maintenance required by water-cooled LEDs, while enjoying the benefits of the efficiency, reliability and extended life cycles of LEDs. This will also be the first showing in North America of the new multi- point inline UV monitor. The UV monitor consists of calibrated sensors positioned along the length of the lamp to continuously measure the UV intensity in a UV curing system. A dose monitor is set to alert the operator before the wrong dose can have an impact on production. GMG Americas (6512) will be showcasing its most advanced tech- The Flex Edge laser cutting platform from Delta ModTech nology to manage colour and produce consistent proofs. The company will present label and packaging proofs on a wide range of materials, and weather resistance. The ColorWorks C7500G is ideal for print shops, including transparent film, focusing on the GMG FlexoProof and GMG providing advanced flexibility and workflow with continuous media print- OpenColor products. ing and a bundled Wasatch RIP software that allows for precise colour ‘GMG has been a leader in providing colour management solutions control with high image quality to meet stringent customer requirements. for packaging for many years. In the past year, GMG has advanced our will feature the newest version of the Packaging Produc- EFI (6423) unique, accurate colour management and proofing solutions,’ said presi- tivity Suite, an ERP workflow for label and packaging converting offering, dent Joseph Varone. ‘GMG is being adopted by many label printers and which has been expanded to include 20 certified workflows. Each certified brand owners who require matching colours on any substrate. We look workflow combines the core EFI Radius ERP software with modular, forward to advising printers how to achieve accurate, repeatable colour integrated components from the company’s own portfolio, as well as with for labels, no matter the workflow or print process.’ key third party technologies, such as Esko’s Automation Engine. Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM) (6111) will show its full range of This will be the North American premiere of the new Auto-Count 4D finishing equipment. The DC330FB flatbed beverage line with hot stamp- (AC4D) shop floor production intelligence platform. Integrated as a ing and screen printing will be on display together with a Laser-Hybrid component of the Packaging Suite workflow, this features a streamlined DC330 and DC330mini line. The compact Mini can be combined with an interface and gives converters the ability automatically collect accurate, automatic knifebox and digital vanish/inkjet digital enrichment modules. up to the minute production data including counts, press status, speed The GM ETV sheeter and PNT automatic core cutter range will also be and other critical information directly from production equipment in shown in action. real time. The company reports that it has had a lot of interest in the machines Also presented will be EFI’s Dynamic Intelligent Estimating and that will be exhibited and is encouraging visitors to pre-book demonstra- Planning software components, plus a new Workbench that provides a tions and meetings well in advance of the show. centralised collection of role-based widgets that are defined by user type. Grafotronic AB (3118) is a 2016 finalists for the award for Innova- Two presses will be shown: the Jetrion 4950LX narrow web LED inkjet tion for companies under 300 employees at the Label Industry Global press and the H1625 LED wide format hybrid roll/flatbed production Awards, which take place during the show. On its stand will be its range printer. The 330 mm wide Jetrion press prints at speeds up to 48 of inspection, slitting and die-cutting machines. m/min, has a maximum 720 x 720 dpi resolution, and is available with HP (3226, 3429) is demonstrating its labels and packaging print a complete set of modular, inline finishing components. The H1625 is a portfolio, featuring the latest HP Indigo technology. On display, the HP 1.65 m wide printer that can be used for high quality label proofing and Indigo 8000 Digital Press is designed to handle even the longest and packaging prototyping applications. most demanding jobs. The economics of the 8000 enable converters to will show its range of UV curing systems com- GEW (3500, 3505) reshape their business and move towards full digital production. Also on q www.dlpmag.com VISIT US BOOTH 5923

13 – 15 SEPT. 2016 CHICAGO

THE CHALLENGE: SAFE AS ALWAYS THE RESULT: FAR MORE EFFICIENT UV printing inks for food packaging

Leading the way in migration optimized printing inks Outstanding results The demands on UV printing inks are high for food packaging: Siegwerk has an extensive UV ink range for all printing technologies maximum product safety with minimal risk of migration is demanded including offset, flexographic, inkjet and screen inks and print results at all times, with optimal efficiency and minimal production time. are always the same – outstanding low migration properties, optimal Challenges which Siegwerk more than fulfills as a pioneer in the curing results, safe fulfillment of legal requirements, and no sensory production of migration optimized printing inks. impact. Optimal ink performance in response to high demands.

www.siegwerk.com

Siegwerk Druckfarben AG & Co. KGaA · Alfred-Keller-Str. 55 · 53721 Siegburg · Germany · Phone +49 (0) 2241 304 - 0 · [email protected] LABELEXPO PREVIEW 53 show will be the HP Indigo WS6800 for high volume label and packaging bizhub Press C71cf on stand. The toner-based printer runs at 13.5 m/min production. Bringing digital printing advantages to embellishment print- with a maximum web width of 330 mm and 1200 x 1200 dpi resolution ing, the company’s new fully integrated, single pass digital combination (with optical resolution of 3600 dpi). There will also be an MGI JetVar- print process will be shown as part of a WS6800. nish 3DW +Foil converting line running, showing it capabilities in spot For packaging, the wider web HP Indigo 20000 will be shown. This varnishing and foiling, as well as die-cutting and slitting. offers the freedom to produce nearly any packaging application, including Label Traxx MIS (5920) will be launching three new modules as flexible packaging, labels and shrink sleeves on film or paper. part of the roll out of version 8 of its software. These include an API Impression Technology Europe (ITE) (6412) will be highlighting Module, which enables users to share data with many other systems that the Eclipse LF350 label cutter, which has a 5.1 m/min output, allowing support HTTP and SOAP protocols. The API module can be used to link for a 800 mm wide label capability alongside a digital cutting capability to CRM systems or labelling software for example. Business Metrixx is of up to 350 mm. a new dashboard module for viewing data generated a business in new Demonstrations will display the efficiency of the LF350 compared to ways. Users can monitor and manage key trends and make informed other models. It was designed as a compact machine with simple loading decisions about the future direction of the business. The Financial Center and unloading in label work environments, and is supported by software module offers a new solution for managing financial accounting within a and a user friendly control panel. multi-plant business. As mergers and acquisitions continue to trend in INX International (3010) will show the NW210 inkjet UV digital narrow web press, which features UV LED advanced curing technology. It delivers single pass output on any label stock at speeds up to 80 ft/min, combining printing and conversion to produce colour printed labels at a maximum printing width of 210 mm. It also incorporates a Spartanics laser die-cutting station and Xaar patented technology with multiple drop sizes and color ink channels. iSys Label (6413) will reveal the Luna 850 desktop cut sheet printer designed specifically for wine and beverage labels. Fitting 8.5 x 11 inches (215.9 x 279.4 mm) sheets of die-cut wine label material, the printer brings beverage label printing in house for small and large wineries alike. It comes with iSys2Print software and a Harlequin RIP for full colour management and precise The NW210 UV inkjet press from INX incorporates a Spartanics laser die-cutting station colour matching. Labels can be printed and applied within minutes, making the need for outsourcing a thing of the past. iSys Label the packaging industry, this new module allows remote locations to send will also be showcasing variations of the Edge 850 printer, one printing their financial data securely to a central or main location for reporting. roll to roll using white toner and the other performing roll to cut using New consolidated reporting features allow management to view data by BS5609-compliant material for the chemical and drum labelling market. location or combined as a single entity. Jindal Films Americas (829) has been short-listed in the In- Other key developments include a new two-way communication with novation category for companies with over 300 employees at the Label Xeikon presses. Label Traxx has also modified its financials to ensure Industry Global Awards 2016. The company, which invested $180 million that the software is fully compliant with the Mexican Government Tax in new national headquarters and an R&D centre in Georgia last year, will Authority (SAT) requirements for electronic accounting records known be showing its range of BOPP films. as Anexo 24. Karlville (3126) will showcase shrinksleeve, pouch and flexible Mark Andy (319) will launch Digital One, an entry level digital and packaging converting solutions for narrow and mid web print industry. converting label press designed to print short run prime labels with Lamination and slitting converting solutions for entry level label printers inline converting at a modest investment level. The compact press offers looking to expand their flexible packaging offering will be highlighted on CMYK at 1200 x 1200 dpi resolution with a single flexo station for inline the stand. converting. It has been developed to free up capacity on flexo production Konica Minolta (5413) will show the latest innovations in label and presses and bring greater efficiency to short run, fast turnaround work.

packaging applications. The company will have its digital label press, the Martin Automatic (811) will introduce the MLSW Splicer for non- q www.dlpmag.com 54 LABELEXPO PREVIEW

allows user access to ink level control, roll radius measurement, temperature and cli- mate control, automatic consumables alert and ink consumption levels. The software is automatically included, so the machine is ready for the next stage of upgrade if the user wishes to add the NS-F finisher to the workflow. For the heavyweight user, the NS F22 turns the NS PRO into an all-in-one printer, cutter and finisher. It can also be used as a stand-alone finisher. The NS Multi is a digital printer for wide format labelling and packaging. Included in the workflow is a high-powered PC allowing users to install variable data software and alternative RIP solutions as Labels can connect the customer and the brand via mobile technology business needs develop and grow. With a stop roll change of self-wound overlaminate films. The compact design variable print width up to 42 inches wide, allows for installation above a new or existing narrow web press. Visitors the NS Multi is also driven by memjet print technology. will also see running demonstrations of the latest MBS automatic butt Nilpeter (3105, 3205) will introduce its digital press line, the splicer and LRD automatic transfer rewinder. Versatile with a range of Panorama to the US for the first time. The Panorama is highly reliable, substrates, the standard MBS will run materials from pressure-sensitive with an average uptime above 90%, fast and easy start up, and high label stock to flexible packaging. The LRD non-stop rewinder changes print engine stability. The smart workflow management system ensures and then unloads rolls automatically, without any need for handling carts typeface optimisation, provides automated step and repeat functions, or other equipment. The MBS-F splicer (F for film) and LRD rewinder on and outstanding colour matching. The ease of use enables the user to working display in Chicago have been sold to one of the world’s leading respond to any customer requests – printing the exact quantity required label converters for installation following the show. with no minimum, no waste, fast turnaround and a low cost per label. Meech (551) will show its range of contact and non-contact web Primera Technology (6410) will be performing continuous live cleaning technologies, including the CyClean and the TakClean systems, demonstrations of its CX1200/FX1200 (CX1200e/FX1200e in Europe) as well as the Hyperion anti-static bars. ‘The need to minimise wastage digital label production system. This offers a way of starting to print digi- and achieve higher levels of productivity is a key priority for label printers tal at low upfront cost, which allows a label house to take on small runs and converters, who often struggle to determine the best solution for for current and new customers without having to take the risk of spending removing contamination from their web process,’ said Matt Fyffe, too much up front and not receiving the ROI expected. VP/general manager at Meech USA. Also on the stand will be Primera’s LX-series desktop colour label Narrow web presses used by label converters traditionally adopt tacky printers and AP-series semi-automatic label applicators. The LX2000 roller contact systems like Meech’s TakClean to efficiently remove contamination. For substrates carrying higher contamination levels, non-contact systems are used. The CyClean system is capable of removing 0.5 micron contaminants and will deliver higher levels of cleanliness for label printing applications. New Solutions (6150) will showcase its range of digital label printers and finishing solutions for the first time in the US. This includes the NS PRO flagship product, the NS F22 finishing machine and the wide format multi-functioning board and label printer, the NS Multi, all under the company’s ‘All-In’ price model. The NS PRO is a high speed single pass inkjet printer for labels and packaging. Based on memjet Sirius technology, it features a continuous ink cleaning system and bespoke software, which GM will demonstrate the DC330FB converting line

www.dlpmag.com MA_Digital_Brain_130x185_LX16_Press.pdf 1 6/18/16 10:43 AM

(LX2000e in Europe) Color Label Printer, the Serious Brainpower. company’s newest model, will be featured. LX2000/LX2000e has highly durable Serious Business. pigmented inks, prints at up to 6 inches per second, has a maximum label width of 8.25 What happens when you challenge the world’s brightest digital engineers inches and includes both USB 2.0 and wired/ to build upon 70 years of flexo innovation? You infuse digital printing with wireless Ethernet interfaces. Ravenwood Packaging (5213) will be hybrid performance, maximum versatility and true production speeds. You showcasing its complete package of convert- develop superb print quality at the lowest total cost per label. You create ing and labelling technology. Its ‘less-waste serious new opportunities. That’s the Mark Andy Digital Series. packaging’ display will highlight coating and labelling in action, along with the develop- C ment of new materials and adhesives to M Change the way produce seamless linerless lines. A comic Y you think about book style ‘International Linerless to the CM digital printing. Rescue’ story of how the company developedMY markandy.com/rethinkdigital the linerless label alongside leading materi- CY als suppliers will be told via a big screen. CMY Ravenwood will also be part of the Linerless K Trail feature of the show. Managing director Paul Beamish said, ‘The label and package printing sector is now seeing that the easiest trail to sustainability is linerless. This has moved from niche packaging to mainstream in a very short time. And it’s here to stay. We are now moving into the ready meals market, one that is showing unstoppable growth in every country year on year.’ Screen USA (3005) will have the Truepress Jet L350UV inkjet label press LIVE AT centre stage. ‘The L350UV is the ideal printer STAND 319 for label operations that need high quality, repeatable production that is quick and cost effective. Its robust features give label produc- printheads emit Screen’s vibrant, high-definition CMYK + white UV inks ers an optimal level of quality achieving the smoothest gradations and with a minimum droplet size of 3 pl. It will be complemented on stand by sharpest detail with the thinnest ink lay a JetConverter L350 finishing machine. down of any label printing solution,’ Siegwerk’s presence (5923) will be a touch point for discussions said product manager Sean Cummins. and conversations about future trends and current solutions for pack- The label press will also be in action aging and label printing. This includes digital, and in particular inkjet on Anderson & Vreeland’s stand (929), printing, which the company believes will be one of the leading topics highlighting the recent joint distribu- over the next few years. tion venture between the Ohio-based Siegwerk is committed to providing high quality inkjet inks for the company and Screen Americas. labels and packaging market. In a dedicated laboratory at its Technical The press produces photorealistic Center in France, it is developing new ink solutions, first for labels and quality at a top speed of 173.2 sqf/ as a next step for packaging applications. The company sees growing min at web widths up to 13.7 inches demand for application-driven ink systems and inkjet ink customisation with a maximum imaging area of 12.6 in particular. It combines its longtime formulation knowledge, compre- GM will demonstrate the DC330FB converting line inches. Single pass grayscale piezo hensive application know-how and expertise in food packaging regula- q

www.dlpmag.com

LABELEXPO PREVIEW 57 tions with digital printing process requirements to deliver customised inkjet solutions for demanding food, pharma and hygiene applications. All inkjet inks comply with relevant legislations in terms of product safety requirements for the specific market segments. The company will also continue to support its customers by providing high quality primers and lacquers for electrophotographic printing. Spartanics (5718) has partnered with Smag Graphique to show its core technologies to further enhance the capabilities of effective label production. Visitors will be able to see on-demand demonstrations of the Digital Galaxie Converting System, which will feature a 400 W Spartanics laser die-cutting module, Spartanics Laser Optimization Software, a Visitors will get up close and personal with digital presses semi-rotary UV flexo printing station, a full rotary/semi-rotary die-cutting station, slitting Pantone colour gamut, opaque white with industry-leading 93% optical station and dual rewind rollers. density and digital primer. In-house formulated inks offer high chemical, By combining semi-rotary tooling and laser die-cutting, label manufac- scratch and sunlight resistance. turers are able to take advantage of greater flexibility in cut geometries Vetaphone North America (5605) will be exhibiting examples of and reduce costs for tooling while achieving comfortable running speeds its latest technology. Claiming an 80% share of the narrow web market of 30–50 m/min. The modular design of the Digital Galaxie allows label worldwide, the Danish company brings more than 60 years of surface converters to experience automation through the combined flexibility treatment expertise to the label and flexible packaging markets. of a modular semi-rotary system and the power of Spartanics laser On static display on its own stand will be an iCorona generator and cutting technology. two VE1A corona treaters with ceramic electrodes (UL approved), while Spartanics’ laser technology will also be featured in the NW210-E UV the company will have its units working on the stands of partners ABG Inkjet Printer at INX International’s stand (3010). International, Bobst Firenze, Domino, ETI, HP, Nilpeter, Omet, Screen, SPGPrints (6445) will be running live demonstrations to provide SPGPrints and Werosys. real-time appreciation of the simplicity, quality and productivity of its VIPColor Technologies USA (5800) will show its range of desktop DSI digital UV inkjet workflow. The 13 inch (330 mm) wide DSI UV inkjet printers, which are powered by memjet thermal inkjet technology. The press is custom built as a standalone with many options. Intermediate VP700 prints at up to 18 m/min and requires minimum maintenance. inline LED pinning stations and chill drum are standard, ensuring crisp- Aaron Szteinbaum, technical marketing manager, said, ‘VIPColor Tech- ness and stability on plastic and paper. In addition to CMYK, the press nologies has been a leading provider of printing solutions since 1998. can feature up to six extra stations: orange and violet, making 90% of the The VP700 prints high quality colour labels at blazing speeds allowing you to print thousands of labels on-demand in minutes!’ Xeikon (6125) will be showcasing the CX3 press with finishing including the PMS large buffer, DCoat converting line and new Fusion Technology. A Xeikon 3030 will be complemented by a mini DCoat machine and what the company enticingly calls ‘a little surprise’, while in Labelexpo’s new feature area dedicated to finishing, the new FDU Flatbed The DSI UV inkjet press from SPGPrints will be on show Die-cut unit will be on show. • www.dlpmag.com 14 & 15 September 2016 | Olympia, LONDON

14 & 15 September 2016 | Olympia, LONDON

The UK’s leading event for packaging

Show feature highlights

There are plenty of 180 leading suppliers new innovations at 100s of product launches

“ the show this year the dieline conference the packaging consultancy clinic especially in the print “ arena. I really like the inspirational seminars new venue this year, networking events it’s a great space. the luxury packaging awards the starpack awards Mary Boyd, Packaging the great innovation debate Development, the drinks symposium Bakkavor the beauty symposium

93% of visitors found their visit worthwile

OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER: SHOW SPONSORS: GOLD PARTNERS:

SHOW SUPPORTERS:

PILondon2016VisMoreContent.indd 1 25/07/2016 11:31:26 EVENT 59 Value creation and innovation

FINAT’s ‘fast track’ to a successful future programme for the label industry was presented to attendees at the second European Label Forum held in Amsterdam in June.

reviously known as the FINAT salesperson. ‘Experiment. Do something Congress, the European Label dangerous… and be patient.’ And, of PForum (ELF) was convened by the course, he underlined that adventurous international label association FINAT. customers are the key factor in such an The event has a strong focus on two innovation agenda. topics that can create differentiation in this age of multiple product decoration, Industry status packaging and presentation techniques, Delegates were brought back from namely value creation and innovation. the future to the present day, and an Held for the second year in Amsterdam, evaluation of trends and developments the forum attracted industry business F1 specialist Mark Gallagher spoke at the ELF in Amsterdam identified in FINAT’s quarterly Euro- leaders from all aspects of the value pean labelstock statistics analysis and chain to brainstorm, network and gain inspiration from a programme in-depth research for the six-monthly FINAT Radar newsletter. FINAT designed to put the label industry on a fast track to a successful future. managing director Jules Lejeune identified continuing buoyant growth in Proceedings began with welcome cocktails around the extensive the industry since 2012, annually in excess of 5% on average, and well supplier tabletop exhibition, followed by the presentations to the winning above GDP. companies in this year’s FINAT Label Competition and Recycling Awards. In 2015, demand for labelstocks reached 6.77 billion square metres, This was accompanied by a programme of spectacular wheel gymnastics with the top 10 EU label markets accounting for 75% of the total – a performed by the Wheel Sensation duo – themselves gold medallists in strong indication that there is still huge growth potential in those coun- their sport. The evening continued in social mode with a buffet and plenty tries that are below the European average. Print run lengths are reducing of opportunities for delegates to get to know each other and network. – a reflection of the requirement for just-in-time delivery; and research shows that a significant percentage of label printers are now active in, The future – today or seriously looking at, technologies other than traditional label print, Next morning, FINAT president Thomas Hagmaier welcomed delegates including sleeving, flexible packaging and in-mould labels. In terms of to two very full days of industry-relevant presentations and participa- end-use markets, pharmaceuticals, health and beauty, and food were the tory sessions, kickstarted by a keynote presentation from international strongest performers in 2015. futurologist and trendspotter Magnus Lindqvist, who sketched out an Mr Lejeune concluded by reiterating FINAT’s commitment to its key inspirational future pathway for the label industry that was both relevant role – maintaining an up to the minute knowledge base on critical techni- and down to earth. He encouraged delegates to develop new ways of cal, legislative, and end-use market topics, and encouraging ongoing looking at their businesses, emphasising that change in that area is an interaction and collaboration across the value chain. essential factor today, although most companies’ philosophy embodies Nancy Sinatra’s words ‘You keep saming when you ought to be changing!’ The Buzzmaster debate In past centuries, he reminded the audience, if you had power you Next, it was time for the ELF 2016 Buzzmaster debate – an innovative could simply pass it on to your children. Today if you have power, approach to interactive communication across the floor using new media. someone wants to take it from you. ‘There are,’ he said, ‘generally three Chaired by Rens de Jong, a popular radio talk show host who was voted ways to do business – lie and cheat, be honest, or rely on luck – but it Moderator of the Year in the Netherlands, the debate brought together really is time to change that state of affairs. ‘Incremental improvement a panel of experts from different aspects of the supply chain to answer delivers excremental results.’ The solution is ‘to avoid trends – and questions from the entire European Label Forum delegate base – via

look for secrets …’ In other words, focus on the engineer, not on the an app. q

www.dlpmag.com 60 EVENT

This was a lively session, with delegate questions posted on screen drupa download and answered by a panel of experts, which included end users Tesco and As the European Label Forum took place only days after drupa closed its Nutricia, as well as leading designers and industry research and busi- doors, it was apposite that the programme should include an expert ses- ness consultants. Topics such as on-pack promotions, adding value and sion on highlights of interest in the context of label and packaging print. sustainability, raised thought-provoking responses from panellists; and Herbert Knott, representing the German label association VskE, took on Rens de Jong’s initial questioning of delegates established an interesting this particular challenge, describing his paper as ‘technology takeaways’ portfolio of viewpoints on the label industry’s profile today and expecta- from the event. He gave a comprehensive, expert assessment of advances tions for tomorrow. in every aspect of printing, from analogue, hybrid and digital printing presses to web cleaning, printing plates, doctor blades, LED and UV drying, software, inks and print substrates. Commenting on the amazing variety of digital technologies on show, he predicted, ‘Liquid toner, dry toner, and inkjet systems will determine the future. The printing industry is changing to a ‘colour sprayer’ industry!’ Closing keynote The European Label Forum’s closing keynote featured lessons from the world of Formula One racing – ‘but,’ said speaker Mark Gallagher, ‘my storytelling is not going to be about F1 racing. It’s about growth through innovation in an incredibly competitive environment.’ With many years in the F1 arena, in a variety of senior executive positions in such teams as Jordan and Red Bull, Mark Gallagher was, indeed, well-placed to The delegates had two days of industry-relevant presentations and provide enlightening insights into what it takes to build winning teams, participatory sessions compete at a world level and keep ahead of the competition in terms of innovation. Better business The changing face of the F1 scene – where the main revenue source The Forum’s agenda continued with two parallel business learning ses- and business model has been moved from team sponsorship by tobacco sions. The first a workshop on creating and capturing more value from companies, to global sports event organisation and management – a current business platform led by Phil Allen, CEO of Customer Value demonstrates significant parallels with the label industry today. The two Management GmbH. He explored customer needs and value drivers, and sectors share the same priorities: safety, quality, compliance and innova- routes to achieving business benefits and value, with workshop partici- tion; and, like the label supply chain, said Mr Gallagher, ‘We don’t do pants engaged in roundtable discussions on related major topics. everything in house’; and, in Formula One, he said, ‘One thing we don’t Innovating for future profitable business growth was the subject of the want with suppliers is a transactional relationship. We want our sup- second workshop. Gordon Crichton, director of the Institut du Manage- pliers to say ‘we can help you innovate!’’ He illustrated this by showing ment de l’Achat International, making a welcome return to a FINAT event, examples of how such collaboration and partnership have contributed to led a team brainstorm that took delegates through the process of identify- key F1 improvements. ing various steps in successfully designing, organising and promoting innovation. Closing comments Following the keynote, FINAT president Thomas Hagmaier formally The Label Masters challenge closed the conference, thanking delegates, sponsors and the secretariat Next morning delegates were challenged again – this time on their for the part they had played. in-depth knowledge of the technology within their industry. The Label Echoing delegates’ enthusiastic response to the event, FINAT managing Masters Challenge was led by Mike Fairley, director, Labels & Labeling director Jules Lejeune reflected that the event had, indeed, met its goal of Consultancy, and quizmaster Niklas Olsson of Flint Group. Delegates, in delivering ‘an interactive, engaging and business-oriented meeting forum. teams of eight, were required to complete papers covering four rounds The challenge for the ELF programme committee and the programme of 20 questions on specialist aspects of labelling, based on the content director will be to continue the agenda of change, and raise the bar even of existing modules in the new and developing Label Academy – a major further for the next edition.’ online professional training scheme for label printers in which FINAT is a The 2017 FINAT European Label Forum will be held in development partner. Berlin, on 15–17 June. •

www.dlpmag.com LumiForte The matt paper with high performance

LumiForte by Stora Enso is a woodfree, coated matt paper with a non-reflective surface that maintains the whiteness and brightness characteristics shared by all LUMI products.

The word ‘forte’ in LumiForte literally communicates the strength and endurance of the paper. Its stiffness enables impressive runnability which guarantees outstanding productivity and profitability on the most modern presses and it also functions with complex digital printing technologies.

Thanks to its high bulk and stability, LumiForte’s surface not only needs less ink and dries fast enabling rabid post processing but is also pleasant to touch. And good opacity level makes the use of lower grammages possible.

LumiForte is a versatile paper which combines great pressing features, perfect colour repetition and thinness. These are useful features especially in high volume products like brochures, inserts, catalogues and direct mail material.

EU Ecolabel (FI/11/02) FSC® trademark license code: FSC® C015932 PEFC™ trademark license code: PEFC™/02-31-86

You can find out more at: www.storaenso.com Stora Enso UK – Lumi Paper Phone 01449 767007 E-mail: [email protected] 42 CLASSIFIED

UV LED CURING DIGITAL PRINT FINISHING INDUSTRIAL INKJET

The Leader in UV LED Curing

Superior Performance Integrated Control Rugged & Reliable

DIGITAL INKJET SYSTEMS DIGITAL PRINT FINISHING DIGITAL LABEL Heading Heading Heading PRINTING SYSTEMS

PRINT LABELS DIGITALLY. FINISH THEM Digital Printing and DIGITALLY, TOO! Converting Solutions STREAMLINE PRODUCTION AND LOWER COSTS. • High Speed The EFI™ Jetrion® 4900 digital • 4 Colours label production system comes with optimized inks, robust • Digital & Flexo prepress software, insightful • In line finishing MIS/ERP software and business building Web-to-Print services. Work smarter, faster and more productively on every job, every day. Visit efi.com/4900launch18 today or call +44 1246 298000 for details.

DIGITAL LABELS INDUSTRIAL INKJET UV LED CURING

Leaders in high quality label printing The Leader in Digital - Flexo - Litho - Letterpress - Foiling With over 35 years in business Anglia Labels are UV LED Curing a major player in the label industry. We are a privately owned specialist label printer located Superior Performance in the heart of East Anglia. We have the speed to meet customer demands, and the quality to Integrated Control exceed expectations at competitive prices. Rugged & Reliable

High quality labels, tags and thermal wristbands. Any quantity, or size on a wide range of substrates. For further information, a sample pack or a comparison quotation please contact us on:

44 (0) 1787 379118 www.anglialabels.co.uk Telephone Internet

44 (0) 1787 378840 [email protected] Contact us today: Fax E-mail www.phoseon.com Ian Woodhead Bull Lane, Acton, Sudbury [email protected] Contacts Managing Director Address Su olk, CO10 0BD DIARY 63

Diary dates

Labelexpo Americas The Inkjet Conference InPrint Donald E Stephens Convention Center Swissôtel Düsseldorf/Neuss MiCo, Milan, Italy Chicago 5–6 October 2016 15–17 November 2016 13–15 September 2016 FlexoTech International Print & Digital Print for Brand Packaging Innovations & Innovation Awards Success Conference Luxury Packaging The Hilton London Metropole IET London Savoy Place Olympia London 13 October 2016 24 November 2016 14–15 September 2016 Digital Printer Awards Digital Labels & Packaging RotoMetrics European Open Event Mariott London, Grosvenor Square Issue 24 • August 2016 Walsall Business Park, Alridge 10 November 2016 27–28 September 2016 Contacts

Neel Madsen Advertising Marie Rushton Editor 01892 514991 Publisher [email protected] [email protected] 01892 779590 Lindsey Pearson Sales director Rob Mulligan Rebecca Gibbs [email protected] Managing director News editor 01892 779595 [email protected] [email protected] 01892 779592 Chris Newhouse 01892 541105 Advertising manager Contributors [email protected] Sean Smyth Sean Smyth 01892 779596 Technical editor Des King [email protected] Adrian Jackson No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any Chloë Ward Production manager [email protected] form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, Marketing manager photographic, recording or otherwise, without the [email protected] 01892 779598 prior permission of the publisher. Digital Labels 01892 779599 & Packaging is a controlled circulation magazine, Jamie Bristow published four times a year, but is also available Chloë Robins Production assistant on subscription. Rates: four issues 2016 + monthly [email protected] e-newsletter UK: £66, rest of Europe: £90,Rest of Circulation manager the world: £130 01892 779598 [email protected] ISSN 2044-0685 01892 779597

Printed and bound by: Text: Lumi Art 100 gsm We know you like to keep this Whitmar Publications Buxton Press, Buxton, Derbyshire. Cover: Lumi Art 200 gsm magazine, but when you have 30 London Road Repro by: Whitmar Publications Supplied by: StoraEnso ﬁ nished with it, please dispose Tunbridge Wells Online version: www.dlpmag.com of it responsibly. Kent TN4 ORE, UK

YOU WANT TO OFFER NEW ADDED-VALUE AND WE MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDE SOLUTIONS WHICH FOR BRAND OWNERS WIDEN YOUR CAPABILITY TO PROVIDE AN ENHANCED LEVEL OF SERVICE

The bizhub Press C71cf – experience a new world of digital label printing

Digital offers label converters the ability to:

• Meet the changing market, technology and production demands and requirements of your customers. • Be more innovative and to offer customers new added-value marketing solutions that may include multiple versions, personalisation and brand protection features. • Widen the converter’s capability and provide an enhanced level of service and solutions to customers such as short-run proofing or test marketing.

Partnering with Konica Minolta leverages the power of our cutting-edge innovations in digital production.

TO BOOK A MEETING OR TO EXPLORE YOUR OWN JOURNEY PLEASE CONTACT US: www.konicaminolta.uk/c71cf [email protected] #enableyourbusiness 0800 833 864