Fujifilm breaks sales and leads records at Drupa

Fujifilm recorded its best-ever Drupa in 2012, with the largest ever number of sales made during the show and some 7,000 leads taken, also a record for the company.

The Fujifilm stand was split into three distinct zones – Commercial Print Zone, Wide Format Print Zone and Package Print Zone – reflecting the company’s growing portfolio of solutions, along with a central applications area. This central area was used to demonstrate a number of innovative applications that were presented to visitors in the form of an art gallery, café and shop, with all samples printed using Fujifilm technologies. Visitors were able to scan QR codes via dedicated iPads to find out how each sample was produced.

The company said its stand was exceptionally busy for the whole two weeks as Jet Press presentations also drew crowds.

Ryuta Masui (pictured, left), senior vice-president, Graphic Systems business domain at Fujifilm Europe, said: ‘We are delighted with the results we are seeing from Drupa 2012. While overall visitor numbers may be down, the quality of the leads we have taken during the last two weeks prove that the decision makers were out in force and we have completely exceeded our pre-show expectations.

‘In particular, we had huge amounts of interest in our Jet Press 720 B2 digital sheet-fed inkjet press as well as the brand new Jet Press F folding carton press and Jet Press W digital inkjet web press. Our wide format products and our XMF Workflow Production Suite were also key attractions for the show.

‘We have taken numerous orders for wide format products as well as our traditional plate products and are looking forward to following up with many companies around the world in the coming weeks. In addition, we were very satisfied with the number of qualified sales leads for our digital printing solutions, which will be definitely the base of our business activities for the coming years. I am convinced that our well balanced solutions for both offset and digital printing have been widely accepted by the market, and Fujifilm has demonstrated that we are able to provide our customers with the power to succeed in this difficult business environment.’

Read more on Fujifilm here
Read more on Drupa 2012 here

Pamarco moves to push flexo sales in Canada

Pamarco Global Graphics is to open a transportation hub and restructure its internal sales team in eastern Canada this summer, as it looks to better service the Canadian marketplace and support growth in its flexo division.
 
The company said its flexo division has seen significant growth in anilox sales on the East Coast of Canada in the last five years, especially with the introduction of its EFlo series of engravings.
 
Pamarco claims to be the world’s largest anilox supplier, and the leader in technology and innovation for flexible and corrugated printing. Pamarco’s high-performance engraving technologies include ThermaFlo, LaserFlo and EFlo.
 
Pamarco is looking to double its sales within eastern Canada within the next three years and in order to achieve this objective has made some key strategic changes in order to better service the Canadian marketplace and support growth. The company’s focus is based on an even higher level of customer satisfaction, customer service and business support, it said
 
From June 1, 2012 it will be starting a transportation hub for customers to drop off and pickup deliveries of rolls, working in conjunction with Pamarco's partner Totalogistix through a provider, CrossDock, based out of Mississauga, Ontario. Pamarco believe that by setting up this hub they cannot only improve the level of service and deliveries of its products, but also save transportation costs when sending rolls to its five manufacturing sites in the US.
 
The company has also restructured its internal sales team, and the inside customer service representative for Canada is now Glenda McCarty. She has worked with Pamarco for almost 10 years and has extensive knowledge of the print industry, which will play a key part when communicating with customers. She will work closely with Peter Giannandrea, the technical sales manager for Canada, in order to meet customer’s needs.

Read more on Pamarco here
Read more on anilox rolls here

Drupa ‘resounding success’ despite attendance drop

The organizers of Drupa have said the quadrennial printing show, featuring a heavy presence from the packaging market alongside commercial and other printing sectors, showed how print still has potential and the sector is investing heavily in its future, despite the attendance figure shrinking from 2008.
 
Bernhard Schreier, president of Drupa 2012 and board chairman at Heidelberg, said: ‘Drupa was a resounding success for the sector. The trade fair sent out key impulses. Numerous business ideas and innovations were showcased here that all led to high investment.
 
‘What the 1,850 exhibitors presented here over the past two weeks will strengthen the development potential of the print and media industry long-term. Here in Düsseldorf business was done and points were set for the future of the sector.’
 
314,500 visitors from more than 130 countries came to Drupa 2012, 75,500 less than in 2008. Werner Matthias Dornscheidt, president and chief executive officer of Messe Düsseldorf, said: 'This drop does not come as a surprise for us and the sector as a whole. In Germany alone the printing industry lost some 3,900 operations with over 61,000 employees between 2000 and 2011. In the USA over the same period more than 7,700 printing operations closed.
 
‘Against this backdrop it is not surprising that fewer visitors came to Drupa 2012. However – and this is the key point – customers now no longer come to Drupa as large delegations or on group corporate trips; it is much more top managers who travel to Düsseldorf. Drupa is clearly the decision makers’ trade fair and the trade fair for business.’
 

'Offset and digital print solutions complement rather than compete with each other here’

More than 190,000 visitors attended from overseas, with Messe Düsseldorf saying the international focus of Drupa continues at a very high level. Trade visitors from India reached 15,000; the second largest visitor nation after Germany with 123,000.
 
The dominating themes at Drupa 2012 were automation, packaging printing, digital printing, hybrid technologies, web-to-print applications and environmentally sound printing. Some 40 percent of visitors said they were interested in digital printing machinery and digital printing systems.
 
‘Technologically, Drupa 2012 was a fair of superlatives. It demonstrated that printing is more alive than ever,’ said Rolf Schwarz, president of the German print and media association Bundesverband Druck und Medien. ‘There were impressive innovations in all printing processes.

'I was particularly excited by suppliers and machinery manufacturers from upstream supplies, printing and further processing who jointly convinced visitors with workflow and production solutions and outstanding products. Offset and digital print solutions complement rather than compete with each other here.’
 
The next edition of Drupa will be held from June 2-15, 2016.
 
Read exhibitor feedback here
Read more about Drupa here

Drupa 2012: Exhibitor feedback

Exhibitors give their feedback on Drupa 2012, which took place in Düsseldorf, Germany from May 3-16.



Atlantic Zeiser – Marcus Geigle, communications manager:
‘We didn't have very big expectations about the number of visitors but never the less those that came were of a very high quality and that is the most important thing to us. For Atlantic Zeiser it enables us to really see if our product offering hits the right point for our key industry sectors in packaging – pharmaceutical and cosmetics – and we have. The second big point is the topic of hybrid printing and for the first time we are showing a solution on the KBA Rapida 105 using our Delta system. This is proof that digital print solutions are now able to cover the same high speed and quality as offset. We are now showing that it is a reality.’

CIP4 Organization – Jim Harvey, executive director:
‘You can get more done in one day at Drupa than in a month at the office. I’ve visited most of our over 90 members around Drupa and in the dip, and everyone reports a high volume of visitors and high levels of interest. With the recent troubles over the past few years, it’s nice to see the smiles on the faces both printers and vendors here at Drupa and sense a positive attitude about the industry throughout Drupa.’

EskoArtwork – Jef Stoffels, director of corporate marketing:
‘EskoArtwork had a great Drupa. Not only did we over-achieve our targets for sales and leads, but also received confirmation that our long-term strategy for integrated end-to-end solutions integrating with other business systems is the right one. At this 'all-digital' Drupa, our industry searches for powerful solutions to become more efficient, consistent and productive. Visitors to our booth reacted very positively to Esko's enterprise solutions, and how they help to improve customer design, pre-press and production workflows.’

Flexocleaners.com – David Mausolf, chief executive officer:
‘A very good show, attendance has been excellent. Being in the dip’s Green Printing Park was a bonus, we are busy with meetings and writing orders.’

Heidelberger – Bernhard Schreier, chairman:
‘Drupa has once again clearly demonstrated its importance as a major industry trade show. As for Heidelberg, our expectations of the trade show have been more than satisfied. The fact that we have remained true to our development projects over recent years, some of which have not been easy, has been rewarded. We can now also look to the future with optimism.’

Highcon – Aviv Ratzman, chief executive officer:
‘Drupa was an excellent platform for launching the Highcon Euclid (pictured, below), the direct-to-pack concept and the company’s many partnerships. Heavy stand traffic and a standing-room-only press conference demonstrated that Drupa is still the place to be. We reached agreements with key distribution channels, gained leads from all over the world and secured a considerable amount of business, exceeding our best estimates and expectations. This was an exceptional company and product launch and we would like to thank all those companies who visited us during the show.’















HP Graphic Solutions Business – Francois Martin, worldwide marketing director:
‘Drupa 2012 has been an incredible show for HP. We came with transformative innovations and customers responded very positively enabling us to exceed our sales target for the show very early on. We also enjoyed outstanding individual product successes, especially with the new B2 HP Indigo 10000 for which we doubled our sales target. The new HP Indigo 5600 and HP Indigo 7600 also sold in huge numbers, and our labels and packaging presses did very well too. Drupa 2012 proved itself this year to be a show for all print markets where visitors come to do business around commercially available solutions. While HP clearly showed its continued commitment and investment in these markets, I wish to thank all HP customers including dscoop members for their confidence and support, and the incredible effort of the HP Drupa team which facilitated this success.’

Kodak – Antonio Perez (pictured, below), chairman and chief executive officer:
‘Drupa has been an extraordinary show on many fronts – for our industry, our customers and for Kodak. I am very excited about how our customers are embracing change and adding new solutions to create higher value pages for their clients. They have shared with me many examples of how Kodak hybrid products and solutions are the catalyst for this change.’













KBA – Claus Bolza-Schünemann, president and chief executive officer:
‘We have signed many deals with existing and new customers. However, we and the other exhibitors can only pronounce a serious verdict on Drupa 2012 in a few weeks or months when we have received down-payments from our customers.’

Kolbus – Kai Büntemeyer, chief executive:
‘For Kolbus Drupa 2012 has been one of the best so far. In terms of concrete business deals we kicked off the trade fair with cautious optimism – and I can say: our expectations have been far exceeded. We were particularly surprised at the great interest from Brazil and India. We were also pleasantly surprised by the number of concrete business deals with customers from France and the UK. To my mind, Drupa 2012 showed one thing very clearly: smart investments that increase productivity are the key to business success. For us as machine builders it could not have gone any better.’

Landa - Benny Landa, founder, chairman and chief executive officer:
‘I imagined that we would have a big impact, but what really overwhelmed me is how customers have responded so amazingly to our message, technology and strategy of partnering with industry leaders. Their response to the opportunity that Landa Nanographic Printing (pictured, below) brings with its potential to transform mainstream commercial, packaging and publishing markets has been staggering. We have received unprecedented levels of interest and orders (letters of Intent with deposit) for our family of sheet-fed and web presses, with the Landa S10 Nanographic Printing press, with its B1 format, the clear winner. Throughout the show, our stand has been packed with visitors and our theatre presentation entitled “Nano. Bigger than you think” has been fully booked days in advance.’


 
MGI Digital Graphic Technology - Victor Abergel, executive vice president and managing director:
‘This is our fifth Drupa and we have never had such a success like 2012. All our main customers were at our stand and we were able to conclude good business deals over the entire 14 days and even on the last two days. We welcomed to our stand top notch trade visitors from over 50 countries, especially from Asia, the USA and the Middle East and Africa. We are so happy with our trade fair success that we have already agreed to participation at Drupa 2016. Drupa is simply a good place to do business.’

Mimaki Europe – Mike Horsten, marketing manager;
‘It's hard to believe Drupa 2012 has come to an end already. At Mimaki we're proud to have been part of this milestone Drupa session. For us Drupa represented the introduction of JFX500 series, a next-generation high-speed UV-LED flatbed inkjet printer, the new JV400-LX, a wide-format printer equipped with latex ink, and the new JV400-SUV, an inkjet printer equipped with solvent UV ink. We've also received great responses to the new Easy Direct Print System, an automatic misalignment adjustment system for the UJF304 series printers. The Drupa revelation was the Landa nanographic printing system. Mimaki proudly contributed to the show's success. The dancer's colourful clothes were printed on Mimaki printers - hence the liveliness of the act.’

Ricoh Europe – Peter Williams, vice president, head of the production printing business group:
‘Drupa 2012 has been an outstanding success for Ricoh. Visitor numbers to our booth far surpassed Drupa 2008 as have the number of new contacts we have made and sales orders that were placed. The show was the perfect platform to showcase our entire, expanded proposition. We have been delighted to demonstrate everything we can offer professional print businesses – in print, and beyond. So, besides strong interest in our various new products, our innovation and environmental zones were always busy as decision makers in production printing learned more about our leading position in these fields. And how we can guide them along the transformation path that is right for them. Drupa 2012 enabled Ricoh to send out a very strong signal that the future is bright for Ricoh, and, above all, our clients.’

Toray – Izabela Batko, sales and marketing:
‘For Toray Drupa 2012 has been the best show ever with the highest attendance at Toray booth to date. The number of leads have more than doubled compared to those generated at previous Drupa exhibitions with serious customer prospects asking for technical support to convert to waterless has been higher than previous exhibitions. We had hoped for higher interest due to our live demonstrations of the clear advantages in on demand printing, but the result even exceeded our expectations with hundreds of spectators. It is obvious that printers realise that they have to diversify and broaden their product spectrum to remain competitive as printing on paper is reduced. However, many were not previously aware of the versatility and efficiency waterless UV offers, such as immediate finishing and shipping of the print jobs. Due to our live demos and kit with high-quality print samples we also had higher interest from educational institutions interested to learn about the waterless printing technology and its advantages compared to other printing methods.’
 
Xeikon – Wim Maes, chief executive officer:
‘Before Drupa I was thinking this was a huge expense and every four years was the right timing, now seeing our results I think it should be every two years.’

Xerox Corporation – John Ahlman, senior director of global experiential marketing:
‘We expected Drupa 2012 to be a great buying show, and it’s delivered. Drupa provides Xerox with a unique opportunity to build winning strategies with our customers so they can focus on their real business objectives. We bring customers from around the world to Drupa because it is the “Olympics of Printing. Our stand attracted around 100,000 visitors – one in every four Drupa attendees – and our exclusive Cirque du Soleil performances added something unique and special to the Drupa 2012 experience. Drupa is great for the industry, our customers and for Xerox.’

Read more on Drupa 2012 here

Drupa marks turning point for Kodak

Eastman Kodak’s chairman and chief executive officer Antonio Perez has hailed Drupa 2012 as ‘extraordinary’, for the company, its customers and the entire industry.

In a statement, Kodak said Drupa 2012 marked a “major turning point for the industry and for Kodak”, and that the print, publishing and packaging markets are undergoing dynamic change. Over the course of the show, Kodak exceeded its sales goals and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees around the world, the company said.

It added that a significant increase in orders for Kodak equipment from customers around the world underscores the rapid growth of print in emerging markets, including the rapid rise of consumer packaged goods in Greater Russia and Eastern Europe that resulted in a large number of orders for Kodak Flexcel NX systems.

Earlier in the show, Perez had outlined the importance of packaging to the future of Kodak, and sought to correct misconceptions about the reasons for, and result of, Kodak’s US operations seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Commenting on the last day of the show (May 16), Perez (pictured, top) said: ‘Drupa has been an extraordinary event on many fronts – for our industry, our customers and for Kodak. I am very excited about how our customers are embracing change and adding new solutions to create higher value printed products for their clients.

‘They have shared with me many examples of how Kodak products and solutions are the catalyst for this change and how they are staking their futures on the unique, market-leading applications we enable.

‘Our expertise in imaging and materials science, combined with our intimate knowledge of the markets we serve, drives everything we do,’ added Perez. ‘We leverage our presence at industry events around the world to learn more from our customers and ensure we are designing and delivering digital solutions on which they can build and grow.’

Read more on Kodak here
Read more on Drupa 2012 here

Flint intros EkoCure for UV LED curing

In response to the increasing need for improved sustainable print solutions, Flint Group Narrow Web is introducing a series of ink technologies for UV LED curing under the EkoCure brand.

Flint said EkoCure will be the first commercially available inks designed for combination print formulated specifically for UV LED curing. EkoCure is developed using specially selected photoinitiators that match the narrow and targeted wavelength area that is typical for UV LED lamp output.

UV LED curing offers ecological benefits as energy is saved, and lamps are ozone and mercury-free. In addition, EkoCure is formulated on bio-renewable resources. The process also offers economic benefits as energy consumption is significantly reduced, manufacturing space is reduced and UV LED lamps are nearly maintenance-free.

‘We have partnered with Phoseon Technology UV LED lamps, and have tested our inks using their FirePower 16W per sq cm on our Mark Andy 4150 press in our Center for Technical Excellence in Plymouth, Minnesota,’ said Tom Hammer, product manager for narrow web North America at Flint Group.

‘With the FirePower units on our press we have been able to experiment and test inks on several types of substrates, and in many print combinations. We have found success and have been able to run a “first-ever” true UV LED combination print – using our newly developed four-color flexo process inks in combination with UV rotary screen white.

‘We have witnessed great advantages with UV LED lamps as the surface temperature is so much lower; we have been able to run heat sensitive substrates, such as shrink films, without any problem on a press without any special heat management. This we believe is a true added value for many converters, as it is not possible with conventional UV lamps without having special web cooling systems in place.’

Niklas Olsson, global brand manager at Flint Group, said: ‘The UV Flexo ink series we have developed is based on bio-renewable resin technology as an added effort to address sustainability. Bio-renewable resins for UV products are a new development that will increase in use in the future; by combining this aspect with lower energy consuming UV LED lamps, it was a natural fit to brand this technology as EkoCure.

‘With the launch of EkoCure we are following our historical track record of many innovations in being first in the market. We have taken this initiative and believe that UV LED printing is the future technology as it offers so many positive attributes.’

Read more on Flint Group here
Read more on inks and coatings here

Turkish package printer to work with basysPrint VLF platesetter

Turkey-based packaging printer Denba Ambalaj is to start using the basysPrint VLF computer-to-plate (CtP) platesetter.
 
The VLF platesetter was launched at Drupa 2012, which closed yesterday. The large format, 2,400dpi printing quality and high speed offered by the new VLF platesetter provides Denba Ambalaj the opportunity to expand its business, while enabling the company to offer its clients much faster turnaround times and higher levels of printing quality, basysPrint said.
 
The new basysPrint VLF series of CtP UV platesetters is capable of exposing offset printing plates from 200 x 200mm (7.8 x 7.8in) right up to 1,485 x 2,100mm (58 x 82in). Incorporating state-of-the-art optical modules, the new VLF family delivers unsurpassed exposure quality with resolutions of up to 2,400dpi.
 
The series comprises three models; manual (M), semi-automatic (SA) and automatic (MCA), each equipped with the new flEXpo (flexible exposure) option, offering customers the possibility of loading and unloading one 8-up plate (or smaller) while simultaneously imaging another 8-up (or smaller) plate.
 
The new series also features three-point alignment and/or an integrated punch, offering fast, reliable and register-accurate, customer-specific punching of the plates before exposure. Just like the new Series 460x and Series 860x UV setters, the new basysPrint VLF platform offers flexibility in terms of substrates. Since the UV-Setters operate in the 405 nanometer wavelength range, operators are free to choose which UV-sensitive offset printing plates they wish to use. Over 60 plates from over 15 suppliers are already tested and approved with the new VLF series.
 
The sale, which was completed at Drupa 2012, added to more than 40 other basysPrint machines already sold during the show.
 
Located in Denizli in the heart of Turkey, Denba Ambalaj is a packaging printer specializing in the food and textile markets, and also serves the general industrial carton packaging market. With a team of more than 250 people, the company serves clients across Turkey, as well as its neighboring countries.
 
With a base turnover of more than US$1.1 million per month (about US$20 million per year), the company is looking to grow and expand by over 50 percent this year.
 
The investment in the new basysPrint VLF platesetter is strategic to developing new business activities and in achieving this ambitious growth target.
 
‘We spent over a year researching the market for a large format machine,’ said Hatati Ata, owner at Denba Ambalaj. ‘We visited basysPrint and compared their products with other offerings on the market including both CTPC and thermal.
 
‘High quality level, speed and performance were all key criteria and basysPrint came out on top on all three fronts. The fact that our sister company, ATA Offset, was already very happy with the two smaller basysPrint machines they purchased two years ago further reinforced our decision to go for the VLF machine of basysPrint.’
 
Christophe Lievens, director of sales and marketing at basysPrint, said: ‘It’s good to know that Denba Ambalaj took their time to make the decision. They were able to compare quality, speed, price and service – all key values that we put high in our customer approach list.’
 
Another key selling point for the basysPrint machine was the level of local support provided by ARAS, basysPrint’s dealer on the ground in Turkey.
 
Ata added: ‘The support team at ARAS is highly skilled and very responsive. This level of on-the-ground support provides us with confidence and peace of mind just in case we need technical assistance moving forward.’
 
Hamid Kaymak, from ARAS said: ‘It is a pleasure for us to distribute the full range of basysPrint machines here in Turkey. There is a high level of trust in both the company and their products.’
 
Pictured (from left to right): Christophe Lievens, basysPrint Belgium; Hamdi Kaymak and Burhan Kuturman from ARAS Turkey

Read more on basysPrint here
Read more on plates and platemaking here
Read more on Drupa here

INX Digital moves into packaging

After successfully launching its Prodigy range of ink last year, INX Digital International continues to help conventional printers switch to digital printing, and showed its technology at Drupa 2012, where president Ken Kisner said the Bergstein and Neolt printers used Xaar and Kyocera print head technology with INX Digital inks and fluids to create various showcase applications.
 
‘Our relationship with print head manufacturers has been instrumental to our success because it allows for a fast and accurate path to market. Our R&D division has provided us with technology that will allow an application to be printed digitally when it was not possible before,’ he commented.
 
Recently, Prodigy was used to help with new opportunities in the packaging market, including test marketing, prototyping, serialization and mass customization. Much of the investment in Prodigy is now being commercialized, and it continues to enjoy rapid growth in new and markets, according to Kisner.
 
‘For example, digital package printing is a market we are excited about. We have a number of UV, curable, water based and solvent based inkjet solutions with special applications for packaging and other types of printing. Our products are extremely flexible and offer excellent adhesion to a wide variety of substrates. In today’s printing world, you need to be different. Prodigy will help a printer’s business stand out in their market,’ he concluded.
 
Read more on Drupa 2012 here
Read more on inks and coatings here

Reflex to invest further in Landa nanography

Reflex Labels sees its initial investment in the new Landa nanographic printing process as the first step in a ‘multi-unit opportunity’ across the company.

Reflex is a UK-based operation, with six manufacturing sites supplying a range of products, from flexible packaging and tray cards to linerless and self-adhesive labels, to the UK, Europe and the US.

The company’s Will Parker travelled to the recent Drupa tradeshow, where industry name Benny Landa launched his new nanographic printing process, and signed up to be the first to order one of the new presses that are based on the water-based NanoInk technology and feature touchscreen controls for an intuitive operator user interface (pictured, below).





























The launch at Drupa, which drew large audiences throughout the 14-day show with sold-out presentations of the technology on the Landa stand, included sheet- and web-fed presses. The three sheet-fed presses, respectively S5, S7 and S10, are all available in four to eight colors, range from B3 (20in) to B1 (41in) in format, and have stock capability from 60 to 400gsm. Crucially, for the package printing market, the S10 can print at 6,500 sheets per hour on virgin or recycled board up to 1,000 microns, or plastic foils.

The three web-fed presses, W5, W10 and W50, have web widths of 560mm, 1,020mm and 560mm respectively, with the W10 aimed at packaging printers with its 200m/min speed on 12 – 250-micron film, or paper stock up to 300 microns. The W5 is suited to label stock, tube stock, aluminium foil and paper as well as plastic films and shrink sleeve applications.















Reflex Labels’ initial order is for a 560mm W5 press (pictured, above), but Parker said: ‘We don’t see this as a single unit purchase. It’s a multi-unit opportunity across the group.

‘We don’t want to pigeonhole what the machine will do as it’s not something you want to do. It will evolve and there will be expansions to the technology, and we don’t want to constrain our thoughts.

‘It’s beacon technology, and we want to invest in it more. It won’t replace any of the existing presses we have but will be complementary technology that allows us to do new things, added-value work and take on special projects.’

Parker said Reflex has been somewhat of a digital sceptic as the technology has ebbed and flowed over the years, with the ‘shock and awe fading away’.

‘I bought the first Indigo press in Europe 17 years ago,’ said Parker. ‘We’ve had a long, and sometimes painful, introduction to digital technology. A lot of what we’ve seen, as Ian Kendall [owner of Reflex Labels] has said, has been a refinement of 1990s technology. We’ve been waiting for the next step.

‘This technology is that step, offering speed, versatility and ecological benefits. It’s a no-brainer.'

Ecology is a big part of the Reflex Labels business strategy. Reflex states that it uses green, carbon neutral energy supplies for the majority of its sites, compostable eco films and inks that are free from benzophenone and ITX3.

The green benefits of the water-based NanoInk were a key element in the decision to invest. NanoInk is to be delivered as a concentrate and diluted on-site by end users. Reflex has said it will use rainwater in this process, and Parker said: ‘Water-based ink is a good thing as there is a big focus on ink migration, ablation and safety in general at the moment. The cost per page is also excellent, and it’s very fast.’















The press will be delivered to Reflex sometime in the next 18 months, giving the company time to assess the optimum location and geography in which to install the W5. ‘There will be a lot of interest from big companies wanting to see it,’ said Parker.

‘A lot of people are asking if this is a publicity stunt but once the machine is operational, it will be there for people to see.

‘We are a simple company and we make money to invest money. We’re investing in our core business; we’ve recently bought an MPS press, invested in coaters and reinvested in UV. We’re also planning to move one of our locations into new premises, which will double the size of the premises.

‘You can’t stand still as a business. This is “bleeding edge” technology, so we expect some issues, but the payback is that we are regarded as innovative and leading the market.

‘Benny Landa is recognized as having moved the industry forward [when he launched Indigo], and he has done it again’; said Parker.















Read more on the Landa nanographic digital printing process here
Read more on Drupa 2012 here
Read more on digital technology here

Boxpak takes UK’s latest Bobst folder gluer

Boxpak of Newtownabbey, County Antrim, has taken delivery of the 20^th Bobst folder gluer in the UK and Ireland over the past 18 months.
 
The new Expertfold at Boxpak is a 110 A2 version, designed for straight-line, crash-lock, and 4/6 corner cartons. It is fitted with a Baumer hhs gluing system, which includes code reading and glue line detection.
 
Robert Parkinson, managing director at Boxpak, said: ‘The machine is performing well, exceeding the estimated performance figures, and giving the extra productivity and production capabilities that we required.’
 
Bobst said sales of folder gluers for microflute and corrugated applications have been very strong recently as companies look to benefit from the growth of shelf-ready packaging. The more complex nature of this packaging requires speciality gluers capable of processing crash-lock and, often, 4/6 corner boxes.
 
Craig Moran, sales manager for Bobst in the area said: ‘These recent sales highlight the benefits of having reliable, clever and, above all, highly productive machines. Folder gluers like the Expertfold make difficult jobs easy, and increase the margins converters can achieve on all sorts of work.
 
‘As brand owners demand more complex boxes to help their products stand out on the shelf, or to be more functional in the store, the box maker needs more capable machines to fold and glue them. Features like the Accufeed, blank aligners and QA systems on Bobst gluers mean that it's easier for box makers to achieve the quality that brand owners want, and still make a profit.

Read more Bobst here
Read more on finishing equipment here

Beta LaserMike makes double appointment

Precision measurement and control systems specialist Beta LaserMike has made a double appointment to lead sales growth.

Stuart Manser (pictured, top) has been named as the company’s new sales director for the Asia region. Manser replaces Ken Wright, president of Beta LaserMike, who has been assuming the role of sales director in Asia. 
 
Manser will be responsible for overseeing the Asia-Pacific sales strategy and implementation, as well as working closely Beta LaserMike’s channel partner network to increase the company’s presence and delivery of measurement and control solutions in China, Japan, Korea and South-east Asia.
 
He takes up the position on July 1, and will be relocating to Shanghai, China from California.
 
Manser has been with Beta LaserMike since 1990 and has held a number of key positions such as the UK & Ireland sales manager, general manager of Beta LaserMike Ltd (UK) and, most recently, as western USA district sales manager. Prior to Beta LaserMike, Manser developed extensive experience in the field of metrology. He spent his early career as an engineering metrologist for Rolls-Royce Aero Engines.
 
He said: ‘I am honored to be stepping into the role of director of sales for Asia.  Asia is maturing and catching up with the West in its use of sophisticated non-contact measurement and control systems for increasing manufacturing productivity, improving product quality and realizing savings.
 
‘This is an exciting time for the region and I am thrilled to be participating in this development.’
 
Wright added: ‘Stuart brings excellent knowledge, experience and leadership to this key role for our organization. He has a solid track record in sales and understands the importance of developing close relationships with customers and partners.
 
‘We see great opportunities in Asia and think that Stuart will be an important part of our overall efforts for growing Beta LaserMike’s presence in this region and to reflect our market position as the pre-eminent measurement systems solutions provider.’
 
Manser is passing the responsibilities for the western USA district to Ethem Erdas (pictured, left), who has been appointed as sales manager for the area with Manser taking over in the Asia region.
 
In his position as western USA district sales manager, Erdas will be responsible for the market penetration of Beta LaserMike’s products and services with key customer accounts and target market segments. The company said a key role will be working with channel partners to drive continued sales growth in the western USA region. This involves the delivery of the company’s non-contact measurement and control solutions and services across a range of industries, such as wire and cable, metals, pipe and tube, converting and metrology-related applications. He will be based in California.
 
Erdas has been with Beta LaserMike for 22 years and has held various technical and managerial roles including final test group leader, service manager for European operations, and most recent, product manager for the company’s wire and cable, and extrusion markets. Erdas has also been actively involved in numerous customer projects where his technical expertise and consultation played a significant role in winning sales orders, Beta LaserMike said
 
‘Ethem brings a comprehensive skill set and expertise to our existing and potential customers across the western part of the USA,’ said Bob Stockholm, director of sales for the Americas at Beta LaserMike. ‘His deep knowledge of the company’s measurement and control products and industrial markets are in line with his new position.
 
‘Ethem’s years with Beta LaserMike have trained him to focus on the customer’s needs and managing the deployment of solutions. This will be integral to our success in this region.’
 
Erdas said: ‘The opportunity to lead the sales initiative in the western US at a time when a number of key industries are moving towards a significant solution-shift to non-contact measurement is extremely exciting. I look forward to working closely with our agents to deliver valuable expert alliances, integrated system solutions and improved manufacturing efficiencies to best serve the needs of our customers.’

Read more on Beta LaserMike here
Read more on measurement and control here

KBA remains confident of 2012 performance

German press manufacturer KBA has reaffirmed its targets for 2012, fuelled by better-than-expected performance at Drupa 2012.
 
In its first quarter figures for the 2012 financial year, KBA saw sales up four percent compared to the first quarter of 2011, with web and special presses growing nearly 28 percent although sheet-fed offset press sales were down 20 percent.
 
Overall order intake was down 45.2 percent year-on-year in Q1, with sheet-fed offset press order intake up 8.1 percent and web and special presses down 71.1 percent. Order backlog sat at €798.8 million, up 28.9 percent in Q1 2012 over Q1 2011, with both sheet-fed offset and web and special press figures higher at March 31, 2012, growing 12.8 and 355.4 percent respectively.
 
For the first quarter, KBA saw an operating loss of €1.8 million in 2011 become an operating profit of €2 million this year. Earnings before taxes also swung from a loss of €3.9 million to a gain of €200,000, while the net loss figure shrank from €5.8 million to €800,000 year-on-year.

'We’ll continue to exploit the strategic options offered by consolidation in the sector'

 
KBA management has reaffirmed its projected targets for 2012 of an increase in sales to over €1.2 billion and higher pre-tax earnings compared to 2011. These projections are based on the sizeable order backlog, which includes a large proportion of high-margin products, and on an anticipated business stimulus from Drupa in the second and third quarters. Given the unsettled market climate management is unwilling to offer a more detailed prognosis until the summer, when the figures for the trade fair will have been finalised and post-Drupa business can be assessed more accurately.
 
KBA president and chief executive officer Claus Bolza-Schünemann (pictured, top) said: ‘We have signed a lot of contracts with both existing and new customers. But it will be weeks, or even months, before all the financing has been clarified, customer prepayments have been received and we and other exhibitors can assess our true performance at Drupa 2012.’
 
Bolza-Schünemann said he is confident that ‘a sound financial base and healthy balance sheet, a uniquely diverse portfolio and innovative products enjoying a high level of market acceptance will enable the Group to consolidate its standing as the world’s second-largest press vendor.
 
‘We’ll continue to exploit the strategic options offered by consolidation in the sector. We have already introduced measures to strengthen our international sales and service network in markets where we see growth potential for KBA.
 
‘We are also vigorously pursuing our strategic goal of expanding our product range for the key Chinese market by acquiring a stake in a domestic manufacturer,’ Bolza-Schünemann said.

Read more on KBA here

KBA: 2012 'significant year'

KBA president and CEO Claus Bolza-Schünemann shares his views on the market and the company’s performance in 2012 in a letter to shareholders

'2012 is a significant year for KBA, German press manufacturers and the global print media industry.
 
'On May 3, Drupa, the sector's definitive trade fair, opened in Düsseldorf and we are all hoping that it will stimulate demand following some troubled years. But to what extent these hopes will be realized in today’s fraught economic and political climate is hard to predict.
 
'The show is taking place at the right time. The spread of online services not withstanding, print is still the second most popular vehicle for information and advertising, after television. This message has been swamped in recent years by media coverage focusing almost exclusively on the issues confronting the sector. For two weeks every four years, Drupa, which attracts around 400,000 visitors from all over the world, turns the public spotlight on the economic significance and diversity of print. The plethora of innovations unveiled at the fair proves that the sector is squaring up to the challenges posed by media transitions, and in doing so is creating new business applications.
 
'With a raft of new products and processes in just about every segment of our diverse portfolio, our appearance at Drupa could scarcely be more upbeat. We are showing new sheet-fed offset presses boasting some unique features for all the formats we offer, and new web presses for newspapers and commercial applications. Our new digital inkjet press, the RotaJET 76, and KBA-MePrint's new Varius 80 for printing flexible packaging address expanding markets we previously had not targeted. Insofar as we, as an exhibitor, can influence the outcome, we have set the stage for a successful fair generating plenty of orders.
 
'There was a distinct contrast in the performance of our two divisions at the beginning of the year. While there was some evidence of the customary pre-Drupa watching brief among potential buyers, our sheet-fed offset division booked a modest lift in new orders compared to 12 months earlier. But as we had expected, orders for web and special presses were well below the record level of 2011, which was boosted by some major contracts. The Group order intake of just over €236 million for the first quarter thus fell short of our annualized target. Having said that, we are confident that Drupa will have a positive impact in the second and third quarters. And the order backlog of some €800 million at the end of March was around 29 percent above the high prior-year figure.
 
'When it came to sales the situation was reversed, with the web and special press division posting an increase of almost 28 percent and the sheet-fed offset division a drop of some 20 percent on the corresponding period the previous year. This was not unforeseen, and will balance out in the course of the year. As a result Group sales in the first three months were 4 percent up on 2011. What is more important, despite a substantial extraordinary outlay for Drupa, Group pre-tax earnings (EBT) improved to €0.2 million following a €3 million loss the year before.
 
'We shall continue to focus firmly on our objectives for 2012. While growth in the press engineering sector slowed after the first three months, our targeted increase in Group sales to over €1.2 billion remains realistic, as does a better pre-tax result than last year.
 
'We wish to thank you, our shareholders, for the confidence and trust you have placed in us, and shall make every effort to fulfill your expectations.'
 
Claus Bolza-Schünemann, president and chief executive officer of Koenig & Bauer AG
 
Read more on KBA here

Toray starts work on Czech plate plant

Toray Industries is to meet higher global demand for its waterless plates with a new printing plate factory in the Czech Republic.
 
Encompassing both coating and converting capabilities, the new Czech production facility will meet the needs of printers across Europe, the Middle East and North America.
 
The Japanese specialist expects the facility to be operational in early 2014. Field testing of products from the new plant is expected to begin in late 2013 and commercial sales to the local market will commence in January 2014. This capital investment follows the 2003 development of a modern coating facility in Toray’s industrial complex in Okazaki, Japan, where both letterpress and waterless offset plates are currently produced.
 
Toshimitsu Matsumoto, general manager of Toray’s graphics division, said: ‘The project to establish European manufacturing capacity for waterless plates is proceeding on schedule and the engineering phase is now substantially completed.


 
‘Site preparation in Prostejov is in the final stages and the erection of the building that will house the new production line for Toray waterless CtP plates will begin this summer.
 
‘Toray is investing more than US$50 million to respond to the growing demand for waterless plates. We think our commitment will send a clear signal to the newspaper industry and encourage further investment in the best available technology for newspaper and semi-commercial production.’
 
The move will improve technical support to customers as well as reduce costs through simplified process flow and logistics. Matsumoto adds: ‘The European manufacturing site will also enable us to offer an attractive price level for waterless plates in the future.’

Read more on Toray here
Read more on plates and platemaking here

Comexi commits to innovation with new center

Comexi Group, a specialist in the manufacture of machinery for the flexible packaging converting industry, has inaugurated the Manel Xifra Boada Technological Centre at the company’s main headquarters in Riudellots de la Selva, Girona, Spain.
 
Named in honor of the company’s founder, Manel Xifra Boada, the space is intended to become an innovation and development centre for the flexible packaging converting sector. One of the centre's first major successes has been the presentation of a worldwide innovation at Drupa, in collaboration with BASF.
 
Open to private companies in addition to researchers and training centers, the Manel Xifra Boada Technological Centre has a team specializing in production processes connected with flexible packaging in the field of printing, operational efficiency and post-production lamination and slitting processes.
 
Read more on Comexi here
Read more on BASF here
Read more on Drupa 2012 here

Dave’s blog – Landa’s legacy

I’m writing this after experiencing my first ever day at a Drupa show, the first of many I’m sure.

What an experience it was too. I’ve become accustomed to tradeshows in Germany; whether materials or construction machinery focused, they are always, without fail, humongous. However, Drupa 2012 is by far and away the largest I’ve ever been to.

I only managed to get inside a couple of halls, as the first day was jammed with press conferences, but as the first was hall 1, the “Heidelberg Hall”, I’m awestruck at the size and scale of the global printing industry present in Dusseldorf. Perhaps those of you who have been to previous Drupas down the years will remember others more fondly, but let me tell you that as a first-timer I was very impressed.

Perhaps those of you who have been here before will also remember previous years when Benny Landa was hailed as the star of the show. Again, as a first-timer, I’m very impressed with the buzz he has created around the nanographic digital printing process in 2012.

News of deals with Heidelberg, manroland sheetfed and Komori have already made the headlines, but the process was mentioned in every conversation I was involved with on the opening day, showing just how much of a buzz has been created by his launch.

Maybe the buzz will die back after a few days, not only as the show moves on into week two but also as I was part of more than one conversation on the opening day that ended with cautious praise towards the technology, its place in the market and how it will develop in the near-future.

On the other hand, I also heard people welcome it with open arms and glowing praise, so perhaps 2012 will be remembered as another Benny Landa year, when his nanographic digital printing process further evolved the market and when his legacy in the printing industry as an innovator was assured.

Dave’s blog – Drupa word cloud

There’s a swirl of launches, information, meetings and schmoozing set to take place at Drupa over the coming weeks, and preparations are coming to a head.
 
As my first Drupa, it’s shaping up to be quite a daunting prospect, with so much to see. Even though there’s a full fortnight to see it, there’s the potential that it could be information overload when I emerge from the other side.
 
We’ve got a fairly comprehensive editorial diary in place, ensuring we’ll be on hand for key announcements and presentations during the show which will for sure shape the future of the package printing market in the coming years. But to help me personally, I’ve started to compile a word cloud, reminding me of just some of the important companies/technologies I want to see:
 
Digital printing – digital finishing – HP Indigo – Highcon Euclid – nanography – Landa – UV – Ultrachem – used machinery – collaboration – manroland – Goss – Sunday Vpak – inkjet – sheet-fed – Titan – innovation – finishing and converting – added-value- environment –recycling
 
I’ve got a personal word cloud on the go as well:
 
Dusseldorf – Cologne – currywurst – pretzel roll – photos – video – blog – shoes – plasters – paracetamol
 
These word clouds are in no way complete, and will evolve as the show progresses, but it’s a useful way to help me remember what is in my diary.

Dave’s blog – Drupa excitement

If I wasn’t already intrigued and excited about the prospect of my first Drupa, I most certainly am now having compiled an exhibitor preview for the next issue of PPW.
 
There’s already plenty of momentum being built from the amount of information disseminated by EskoArtwork on its launches at the show, as well as the appearance of the Goss International Sunday Vpak packaging press, the commercial and newspaper printing stalwart’s first move into this space.  
 
Drupa itself has posted out copies of its latest report, which includes a cover letter detailing the extent to which packaging will form an integral part of this edition of the show. The report also includes an interview with Mike Fairley, PPW’s own international publishing director, on the state of the packaging and label markets, and where they’re both headed.
 
Today’s news about the launches from HP Indigo add to the anticipation of what should definitely be a huge show, both in scale and potential for the package printing market.

Dave’s Blog – remember the barcode battles?

I was where I have most of my good ideas (in the shower) this morning when, out of nowhere, I remembered Barcode Battler, a rudimentary handheld gaming system from the early 1990s that allowed gamers to use barcodes to create additional characters and power-ups.
 
The actual system itself wasn’t really that popular outside of its Japanese homeland, struggling against Nintendo’s Game Boy and Sega’s Game Gear, but could be seen to be a very early precursor to today’s QR codes and snap tags.
 
While modern-day marketers and brand owners are puzzling over how to maximize the interaction between consumers and product packaging, the Barcode Battler system actively encouraged users to take barcodes from everyday food, healthcare and cleaning products, and use them to add to their existing gaming experience. This captured the imagination of some in the 1990s’ gaming market, and were it not for the poor user-game interaction, bad graphics and lack of sound effects or control, may well have faired better against more-advanced rivals.
 
How to capture the imagination of today’s consumers, who are fed a constant stream of information and media, is a key question facing brands and retail chains, and is an area in which printed packaging can most definitely provide a solution as a physical link between consumers and the increasingly important and powerful digital world.
 
It’s one reason why European carton association Pro Carton is using “Packaging in a Digital World” as the theme for its next congress, running April 18-19 in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Dave’s Blog - surreal cereal (packaging)

London’s free morning newspaper Metro had an interesting piece on its p3 today about food brand Kellogg and its production of a one-off cereal for musician Tim Burgess, frontman of English alternative rock band The Charlatans.
 
Burgess had tweeted to his 25,000 followers on Twitter that he’d like to create a breakfast cereal all of his own. Kellogg spotted this, and duly obliged, creating a mix of its own Coco Pops Rocks cereal, marshmallow, shortbread pieces and raisins. 
 
While the idea of all that sugar that early in the morning maybe too much for some, Kellogg even produced a special box for the creation, featuring a cartoon version of Burgess himself.
 
While an extreme example, the one-off packaging adequately illustrates the potential for highly specialized, short-run printed packaging. It’s not the first time Kellogg has dabbled in bespoke foodstuffs in highly specialized printed packaging, having produced Calvin Flakes for hit UK DJ Calvin Harris.






























Kellogg also created 23 individual personalized packets of cereal for the England team at the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa. This included Wayne Rooney inspired ‘Kai Kai Pops’, Frank Lampard themed “Lamp Flakes”, Ashley Cole “Cole Cole Pops”, Rio Ferdinand “Ri-o-cicles”, Emile Heskey “Rice Heskeys”, Gareth Barry “Special K Red Barry’s”, John Terry “Special J-T” and Peter Crouch “Crunchy Nut Crouch”.

Midfielder Steven Gerrard played the role of Tony the Tiger on his very own pack of Frosties cereal, with the catchphrase: “They’re Gerr-rrr-ards!”. Teammate Glen Johnson munched on a pack of "Kellogg’s Just Right-Back" and Ledley King enjoyed a box of "Rice Kingies".

FYI, Burgess’ breakfast creation is called “Totes Amazeballs” (a term used in place of “totally amazing”) and is set to be available at the Kendall Calling Festival taking place July 27-29 in the UK’s Lake District in order to raise funds for the David Lynch Foundation.

Carol's Blog - use QR codes correctly

ComQi, a provider of digital signage and display technology, recently launched five new place-based mobile applications interacting with digital signage displays in a retail venue. As industry expert Mike Fairley says: ‘It’s one thing to link with digital signage in store, but if the consumer wants to follow-up at home then the communication link will also have to be with the label.’

We have recently seen a surge of QR codes being used on labels to add value and extend the consumer’s experience online; to websites, quizzes, games, social networks and purchase incentives such as money-off tokens. However, the wrong use of QR codes – for example, links to poorly executed websites – could be putting consumers off using them altogether.

At the moment QR codes are still a novelty. But as we become accustomed to seeing them on increasing numbers of products, brands need to do more to ensure the correct, beneficial usage. One good example is US retailer Sam’s Club using QR codes on every bottle of its Simply Right vitamins to lead consumers to videos by naturopathic physician, Dr Andrew Myers.

Some wine producers have also caught on: restaurant diners can scan the code on their bottle of wine to find out more about the vineyard, grape and how to order, instead of trying to remember the name for the next time they are shopping.

Mobile network operator Verizon increased sales by 200 percent by encouraging in-store customers to scan a QR code that shared a competition on social networking sites. If a friend used the link to buy a Verizon mobile, the original customer won a smart phone. The company gained a 35,000 dollars return on a 1,000 dollar investment and greatly increased brand awareness.

Other good uses of QR codes include virtual stores, store locators, recipes and data capture – eg polls to get consumer to vote for their favorite flavor. I look forward to seeing what label innovations will be dreamt up next to keep us interested.

Carol Houghton
Editorial assistant
Labels & Labeling

Dave’s Blog - packaging makes the world go round

I’ve just been reviewing some stats of the traffic coming through the Package Print Worldwide website, and am highly pleased to be able to report that they validate any claim we make that PPW is a global resource.
 
Overall, from New Year’s Day to January 26, we had visitors from 98 countries. The best guess is that there are around 196 countries in total around the world which means, by that number, more than half the world is looking at www.packprintworld.com.
 
That is of course a huge extrapolation, but when the figures show news and features are being read from Azerbaijan to Zimbabwe via a whole host of destinations, it makes good reading for a magazine with "worldwide" in its title. Visits from the Philippines, Peru, Chile, Canada, Russia and New Zealand mean this site is being seen and drawing interest from all corners of the world.
 
Numerous visits from India, China and Japan make us popular in the developing nations, while there’s similar attention being paid to the work of Package Print Worldwide in South American nations, such as Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia.
 
A look at the below graphic will show you just what I’m talking about, as areas with any hint of green signify a location which has visited www.packprintworld.com.

 

The dream, of course, is to have every country in the world registering interest in Package Print Worldwide, but, for now, more than half allows us to credibly claim to be the true source of information for industry suppliers, designers, technology manufacturers, printers and converters, brand owners and end users involved with the printing of all forms of consumer packaging, especially folding cartons and flexible packaging, around the world.

Dave’s Blog - PPW goes large

2012 has finally arrived, and promises so much. I’ve been looking forward to this year for some time as it will be a big one for Package Print Worldwide.
 
The big development for PPW this year will be the printed journal, which will provide exclusive insight, market information and analysis on the global business of package printing.
 
The first-ever printed issue, published towards the end of 2011, has been well received across the market and is already somewhat of a collector’s item, such has been demand for the publication.
 
This must, in part, be attributed to the quality of the features contributed by some of the biggest and brightest minds in the industry, who not only gave the magazine a solid foundation upon which to build but, in many cases, were also part of the success of the inaugural Package Printing Zone at last year’s Labelexpo Europe.
 
The Package Printing Zone is set to become a staple of future Labelexpo events, and while details are still being finalized, there’s talk that the presence of PPW and the Package Printing Zone at Labelexpo Americas in Chicago this year will be amplified.
 
Package printing’s place within the world’s leading label shows is, of course, intended as a value-added extra to supplement the main focus of these events, that of labels and labeling, and to cater for the inevitable cross-over as the two markets intersect at various points.
 
However, package printing will be breaking out on its own from 2012, with the first in a series of events taking place to specifically address the market.
 
Packprint Summits will provide an educational forum for those involved and interested in the package printing market, and give attendees the opportunity to learn from, interact with and share knowledge with others in the market from across the world.
 
For those based in and looking at the Middle East, Packprint Summit Dubai takes places in November this year. The Middle East market will be further investigated by a follow-on exhibition, Gulf Print & Pack, in 2013 that will provide a showcase of the technologies, machinery and materials prevalent in the area and beyond.
 
Packprint Summit Miami will provide a similar educational forum for the Americas. It takes place in November 2013.
 
A Digital Packprint Summit is also taking place this year. This will address the growth and development of digital technology in the package printing market and takes place in Berlin on October 1-2 this year.
 
I can’t forget this very website, which is becoming an ever-more powerful tool and utilized resource for the package printing market, and Drupa, potentially the largest tradeshow I’ll have ever attended.
 
As you can see, there’s plenty going on this year and so many opportunities to make the most of that mean PPW is a must-watch brand and publication in the package printing market. I hope you have similar expectations for 2012, and look forward to working with you as many as possible.
 
As ever, I’m readily contactable on dpittman@packprintworld.com or on +44(0)20 8846 2836 so don’t hesitate to contact me.

To receive your copy of PPW, subscribe for free here.

Dave’s Blog - Christmas converting cheer

As a bit of Christmas cheer, here’s my favorite ‘converting’ stories, as suggested by Google News.
 
You see, as a newshound I’m always scouring the web for news articles to fill the website and pages of Package Print Worldwide. News aggregators, such as Google News, are a great way to quickly pick up on keywords and developments. However, they are not always spot on with their sourcing.
 
Some of the headlines that get sent to my inbox are tenuous to say the least, and it has become a bit of a running joke in the office.
 
Here are a couple of my favorites:
 
Steven Spielberg Considers Making 'Jurassic Park' 3-D
MTV.com
If we follow his precepts, more films will be post-converted, but the only movie I'm interested in post-converting is the first 'Jurassic.' "After Cameron's Titanic 3D arrives in theaters in April 2012, perhaps Spielberg will be more set on whether ...

(There’s a big craze for ‘converting’ existing 2D films into 3D at the moment, and Jurassic Park would be a pretty good one to do in my opinion. Not sure on Titanic though, especially if any cinemagoers aren’t strong swimmers.)
 
Chip shop fryer oil crime wave as thieves steal cooking grease to power cars
Daily Mail
Converting a car engine to run on vegetable fat costs around £200 but the money can quickly be recouped because buying the oil from supermarkets works out cheaper than filling up at the forecourt. It is possible to convert used cooking oil to a fuel ...

(If this works, this time next year I could be a millionaire!)
 
There are plenty more, especially on ‘converting’ from one religion to another, ‘converting’ waste into useful by-products and ‘converting’ passes and fumbles into touchdowns in American football.
 
These always bring a smile to my face when they land in my inbox, and quickly do the rounds in the office. Let’s hope 2012 is another great year for ‘converting’ and long may the world, and Google News, find new and interesting things to convert.

Dave's Blog

It’s three months on Monday (December 19) since I joined the Package Print Worldwide team, and I wanted to share some of my highlights with you, in pictures:



1. The inaugural Package Printing Zone at Labelexpo Europe 2011 was a big success as we launched the printed version of PPW.












2. EskoArtwork's 3D visualization functionality impressed me












3. I love a big tradeshow and Brussels' exhibition centre had a lovely entrance.



































4. Interest from my previous work on material handling magazines Hoist and OCH was reignited at ICE Europe 2011.












5. Updating and refreshing the PPW website has been a key task in my early months, but we are now seeing some very positive results.
















6. The Titan SR9-DT slitter rewinder was probably one of the most visually impressive machines I've seen when it was launched at ICE Europe.



































7. Starfoil Technology's machinery provided a good photo opportunity at ICE Europe.












8. The year ended with a suitably silly Heroes and Villains themed office Christmas party.

Dave’s Blog

Just a quick update for all you people who are good enough to read my blog posts. The Digital Packprint Summit, which had originally been rumoured for Barcelona, is now taking place in Berlin, Germany on October 1-2, 2012.
 
More details will be released in early 2012 but it’s sure to be a humdinger of an event as digital technology becomes evermore important to printers.
 
The technology itself is becoming more sophisticated and more advanced, providing converters and brand owners alike with a host of unique solutions and opportunities when it comes to printed packaging.
 
Digital will be a constant theme throughout Package Print Worldwide and on packprintworld.com, so keep your eyes peeled for more information as it’s sure to be an event you don’t want to miss.
 
See www.packprintsummit.com for more event details, as well as the news feed/event listing on packprintworld.com for details as and when they become available.

Dave's Blog

I know there’s a very real difference between putting in place plans to facilitate growth and achieving genuine returns, but it’s surely a sign of better times to come when half the headlines on packprintworld.com feature the G word, or a derivative thereof.
 
It’s of course telling that much of the growth being planned is in China and Asia, but in the global world we live in today the ripples will surely be felt by many, whether directly involved in the Asia-Pacific region or connected through partners and agents.
 
Education can also be seen as an ongoing concern, using recent PPW headlines as a litmus test. It’s good to see machinery manufacturers doing there bit to educate the market, an area which is also receiving support from official channels such as the EU’s EncuPack project.

Andy's Blog

With the announcement by the Indian government that retail foreign direct investment (FDI) will finally be allowed in the country, the doors might soon open to the last great consumer market in the world still closed to the major global retailer groups.

Currently in India these companies can only sell their own private label products and cannot sell the global brands they stock in every other major consumer market in the world. This has had the effect of closing off avenues of choice to consumers and limits the penetration of the global FMCG brands. It is no coincidence that the major European and North American-based label and packaging converting groups – CCL, Rako and Chesapeake, for example – have invested in China rather than India, and for this simple reason: in China the government has actively encouraged Walmart, Carrefours and the rest to invest in the country with wholly-owned operations. And they have bought with them their entire global supply chain. The major converting groups have come in on the back of supporting products from P&G, Unilever, L’Oreal and so on, where the run lengths are generally longer and the quality of materials used and complexity of converting techniques are up to global standards.

The second effect of the global retailers entering China has been that local brands have been forced to respond with new product formulations and packaging, including labels, which reflects a more upmarket positioning. This in turn is creating value throughout the supply chain. I write this column from Labelexpo Asia in Shanghai, and it is clear that this is now being reflected in Chinese converters buying new kit and new quality control equipment for their presses and rewinders.

It is not only Western converting groups which have entered China on the back on this value chain. A small, elite group of converters, companies like the mighty Starlight, are now buying right at the top of the Western press market and servicing the multi-nationals to the same quality standards as their Western competitors.

So if retail FDI does go through in India, I predict we will see a similar, rapid uplift in the value throughout the retail and supply chain, feeding through to the package converting industry.


 

Dave’s Blog

News of the Highcon Euclid and claims that it is set to revolutionize the folding carton market is the first real shot in the arm I’ve had about the technological breakthroughs and innovations I’ll see at my first Drupa next year.
 
It’s certain this won’t be the last big pre-event machinery story I hear about prior to Drupa, which is good news for both myself and Package Print Worldwide. I’m already anticipating Drupa for the sheer size and spectacle, if nothing else.
 
Moreover, I’ve put together a very early preview of the show for the next issue of Package Print Worldwide, featuring a very insightful interview with Drupa show director Manuel Mataré and exclusive insight from exhibitors and visitors addressing what they are looking forward to and what the big trends will be to look out for.
 
All of this has got me quite excited for the show, a full six months before the doors even open.
 
I might have Christmas, New Year, a birthday and a first wedding anniversary to look forward to before next spring, but professionally May 3 is the key date in my diary for the first half of 2012.

Dave’s Blog

Small but perfectly formed, ICE Europe 2011 was another chance to hit the road and learn more about the package printing and wider converting industries.
 
Germany-based international tradeshows have a reputation for being gargantuan affairs across all industries (see woodworking machinery show Ligna in Hannover, and OutDoor and ISPO, in Friedrichshafen and Munich respectively, for the outdoor and sporting goods markets as examples) and, while I’ve always enjoyed them, they are events you have to gear yourself up for.
 
Having heard ICE Europe 2011 was taking place at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre, I’d suitably prepared myself for a few days of hard walking down the aisles of such another show, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover the show was in just two of Munich’s halls (the last time I was there was for ISPO in February, which covered 16 of the site's 17 halls).
 
This made for a much more manageable show and presented me with the opportunity to spend some quality time with the likes of Atlas Converting Equipment and its new Titan SR9-DT slitter rewinder for flexible packaging applications, as well as Folex, Delta Industrial and BST International, to name a few.
 
Thanks to all those who took the time to introduce a relative newbie (I think I’m safe to still call myself that two months in) to new technologies and established systems that are sure to find their way into Package Print Worldwide in the near-future.
 
Drupa will, of course, be a totally different story, but nonetheless the extra days are sure to give me the opportunity to spend some more quality time with the industry and uncover the mountain of riches and innovations that will be on show in Düsseldorf.

For the Package Print Worldwide review of ICE Europe 2011, click here
To see photo highlights from ICE Europe 2011, click here