Labelling Blog

With success: not only the precise HEUFT TORNADO S self–adhesive labeller gives top performance. The HEUFT conveyor transport system, the HEUFT synchron conveyor control system, the HEUFT VX full container check as well as the HEUFT XY and the HEUFT DELTA–FW laning units and multi–segment rejectors also do a good job. The aim was to combine two lines in Liverpool into a single line. The new filling line not only had to be extremely reliable but impressive with short changeover times and a high degree of flexibility due to the great variety of brands which includes over 250 products in the most varying containers with filling quantities between 20 cl and 1.5 l – just the right task for the experts from HEUFT. They renewed the complete layout and all the parts of the line. Only the two fillers and the new glass feeder remained. Transporting without impact pressure It starts immediately after the glass feeder: multi–chain conveyors carry the bottles to the pressureless combiner and

SOURCE Austrian company IFW MouldTec has combined in-mould labelling technology with in-mould assembly in production of a system for PP pipe fitting production. This new process, which was demonstrated at the recent Fakuma fair on a 240 tonne HM 240/1330H/210S Wittmann Battenfeld machine, makes it possible to reduce the three previous individual production steps - moulding, gasket insertion and marking - to one automated moulding process. In a further extension of the technology, the company says it could insert RFID chips for individualised tracking. According to Micheldorf-based IFW, the traditional approach to marking moulded pipe fittings has involved the use of engraved moulds, so modification has always meant a lot of effort. In-mould labelling provides more flexibility and allows the information on the each part to be designed individually for the customer or application. IFW's technique ensures that the label, once placed in the cavity, is not displaced by the incoming pol

SOURCE: MARK ANDY Mark Andy Canada Inc. is pleased to announce the Mississauga, Ontario, manufacturing facility continues to work full-time to fill outstanding Rotoflex equipment orders, with the first shipments of the year completed in mid-January Since the December 2008 acquisition of Rotoflex International by MAI Holdings, operational efficiencies and customer service have been a primary focus for the business. As the only global facility assembling authentic Rotoflex equipment, the Ontario team is proud to be producing and delivering the durable, reliable solutions expected by the brand's client base. "Our team is committed to the operational efficiencies of the Mississauga facility and is focused on lead times and project turnaround," states Paul Brauss, CEO, MAI Holdings. "We continue our dedication to Rotoflex customers, understanding their needs and providing the level of support and service required of industry leaders." In addition to completion of e

SOURCE: DAETWYLER Peter Daetwyler, owner of the MDC Max Daetwyler Group und Max Rid, owner of the companies Hell Gravure Systems, K. Walter, and Bauer Logistik unite their activities in developing, manufacturing, selling, after sales, and service of gravure cylinder making equipment. By unifying their enterprises they will now be able to offer the full spectrum of technologies as seamlessly integrated systems, which will enhance the competitiveness of the gravure process. The joint venture will be effective January 1, 2009. Max Rid and Peter Daetwyler have founded a new corporation with the name Heliograph Holding GmbH for this purpose. From now on this holding company will be home to the newly founded Daetwyler Graphics as well as the corporations Hell Gravure Systems, K.Walter, Bauer Logistik, Schepers, Daetwyler R&D Dayton and their world wide daughter companies. Within the new holding structure these daughter companies will continue to distribute Daetwyler doctor blades and d

SOURCE: EPSON EUROPE Epson has been awarded seven iF design awards for 2009. The Epson Stylus Pro GS6000, Epson EMP-400W, Epson TM-S1000, Epson Stylus Office B40W, Epson Stylus Office SX600FW, Epson Stylus Photo PX700W and the Epson Stylus Photo PX800FW have all been recognised in this year’s awards which highlight Epson’s continued investment in product design and innovation. The International Forum Design evaluates products against a number of criteria including design quality, workmanship, innovativeness, environmental compatibility and functionality. As an independent institution it has been rewarding design in industry, as well as providing a window on the latest design developments and trends for over 50 years. Barbara Kuhr, Head of Strategic Marketing Epson Europe says “Epson considers ease of use, ergonomics and style in all of its product design. We are delighted that the iF jury has recognised Epson’s commitment to bringing stylish and highly innovative products into the ma

SOURCE: MAN ROLAND The Supervisory Board of manroland AG has today approved the package of measures proposed by the Executive Board to increase the company’s competitiveness and has instructed the Executive Board to conclude agreements for a balancing of interests and a social plan. he package covers the cutting of 515 jobs in indirect functions in the Sheetfed Press Business Sector and 110 jobs in indirect functions in the Web Press Business Sector over the years 2009 and 2010, as well as closing the Mainhausen factory and integrating the product lines assembled there into the main sheetfed press factory in Offenbach. The objective of the personnel adjustments is to comply with the existing supplementary wage agreement and thus do without redundancy due to business operations. To safeguard the company’s long-term performance, manroland must align factory and fixed cost structures and thus its cost basis to the difficult situation. Constructive discussions have commenced with the empl

SOURCE: HERBOLD On Wednesday 14.January 2009 one of the world largest PET bottle recycling plant for food grade flakes has been opened at Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA. The operation is a joint venture of URRC and Coca Cola named NURRC and will process 50.000 tons / year (output) of PET bottles at its final stage. This plant is not only a significant environmental benefit but with 100 newly created jobs also an advantage for the local community. NURRC uses the latest state of the art technology in processing post consumer PET bottles into food grade flakes. The selected equipment supplier for the size reduction part is Herbold Meckesheim GmbH from Germany with a total of 6 units of its new series of forced feeding granulators. This new granulator series type SB offers key features of today's demand for reliable, energy saving and highly productive recycling machinery. The bottles in the granulator storage hopper are evenly and horizontally fed into the cutting chamber with th

SOURCE: RECOUP Recoup are pleased to announce the completion of the first of a number of key projects planned for 2009. Plastics Packaging - Recyclability by Design, an essential guide for all those involved in development, design, marketing and procurement is NOW available for download. Following the great success of the original guide, published in 2006 it is expected that this revised Guide will have even greater relevance, maintaining its positive reputation worldwide and continuing to be a European industry recognised publication. What’s new? - Mixed Plastics Packaging section - Bioplastics section - Increased international consultation and guidance The full 48 page Guide is available for FREE download from: http://www.recoup.org/design/rbdv2 The Guide takes a realistic view of what is currently achievable in terms of collection, sorting and reprocessing of plastics packaging. It also focuses on ensuring that the introduction of new materials into the recycling stream is not a

An end to plastic bottle pollution may be in sight. ENSO Bottles , of Phoenix, Arizona is introducing a biodegradable PET plastic bottle that will change the way we think about plastic. In 2007, there were more than four (4) billion pounds of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles that were burned or ended up in landfills, roadsides, streams and oceans. Thousands of years from now they will still be there. "The pollution problem is enormous and continues to grow," said Danny Clark, founder of ENSO Bottles, LLC. Clark said ENSO has developed a more "Earth Friendly" biodegradable plastic bottle. "ENSO knows that biodegradable bottles are just part of the solution, and that's why ENSO is developing a recycling partner program for consumers, local and state governments," said Clark. Clark added that, "Enso bottles are not oxo-biodegradables or PLA (Polylactic Acid). ENSO bottles are 100% biodegradable and 100% recyclable PET plastic bot

Industrial print shops looking to offer their customers top quality and quick delivery achieve this through high-performance presses such as the new Speedmaster XL 105 with perfecting device from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg). This Peak Performance Class press is now in use at a number of pioneering print shops around the world and is setting new standards in terms of productivity and cost efficiency in perfecting mode. "This press enables us to boost productivity by ten million sheets per year," report Christian and Stefan Aumüller, owners of Aumüller Druck in Regensburg. This commercial print shop has a workforce of hundred and, following a comprehensive field test, installed not one but four Speedmaster XL 105 perfecting presses in its pressroom. "The excellent productivity and flexibility of these presses cuts production costs and enables us to offer competitive prices," the two owners add. The Speedmaster XL 105 with perfecting device is an integ

SOURCE: RPC The relaunched range of Leyland Lifestyle paints from PPG Architectural Coatings EMEA is using plastic pails with in-mould labelled (IML) decoration from RPC Containers Oakham in order to position the brand as the ideal choice for the contemporary consumer. The Leyland Lifestyle range – which is sold exclusively through UK independent stockists – consists of eight paint types in a variety of colours. PPG felt that the existing tin packaging needed updating to better reflect the new ‘lifestyle’ branding, and has relaunched two of the ranges: Matt & Silk, comprising 24 shades, and Kitchen and Bathroom, with 8 colours. Plastic was felt to be a softer and more contemporary material that was in line with the desired effect, and the company turned to RPC Oakham to provide suitable 2.5 and 5 L containers. At the same time, RPC Oakham’s expertise in IML has enabled the high-quality reproduction of new all-over labels featuring typical lifestyle images around the home – anot

SOURCE: JAMES TOWNSEND AND SONS Exeter-based Label Printer James Townsend & Sons have developed a major breakthrough in labeling technology, with the UK's first wet glue label using 100% recycled paper. Environmental concerns have led high volume customers including supermarkets to demand a maximum recycled content in labels, but poor adhesion issues have made this problematic - until now. “Working alongside Hildon Water, we're particularly proud of this advance”, said Townsend's Technical Manager Terry Stedman. “We've always had an excellent record of delivering a quality product. Now we've a label that's environmentally sound yet still offers all the qualities of presentation and adhesion that our clients rightly demand. This is a real breakthrough.” James Townsend are labelling specialists, working with both lithographic and flexographic wet glue labels printing onto all substrates. Research and development is a key component of their corporate approach

SOURCE: VERSTRAETE A highly topical subject in the injection moulding industry is the addition of an O2 barrier to packaging. There is a demand for this feature mainly for products such as salads, cheese and pet foods. An O2 barrier can be added in two ways. On the one hand, two components can be injected, in which an EVOH polymer can be injected between two PP layers. On the other hand, Printing Company Verstraete in partnership with one of their film suppliers is introducing a film to the market which already possesses a PP-EVOH-PP structure. In designing packaging with IML and an O2 barrier, there is a requirement to cover the container in its entirety with the label. A container with a base and all-round label was exhibited jointly with Borealis, Husky and Müller at the last K-Messe show. The first barrier tests were positive. The O2 permeability factor of the film being used is 2 cm³/m²/day/bar.

SOURCE: RPC Together with RPC Kutenholz, L´Oréal Paris has developed an eye-catching new bottle containing two high quality face care products under the label “Derma Genesis”. The Refreshing Cellular Tonic Water appears in a light pink bottle whereas the Cellular Cleansing Milk looks white. The products are branded at the premium end of the market. The 200 ml bottles are produced in Random Polypropylene from a customer owned tooling. The development was achieved in cooperation with L´Oréal Paris and the first filling took place in Karlsruhe.

SOURCE: Sustainable Forestry Initiative The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) label is a sign you are buying wood and paper products from well-managed forests, backed by a rigorous, third-party certification audit. Learn more about how SFI Inc. is improving sustainable forest management in North America and supporting responsible procurement globally. Retailers, printers, publishers, distributors and merchants are turning to SFI-certified papers and packaging materials to meet the growing demand for responsibly sourced forest products. SFI “percent content” and fiber sourcing labels make sustainable forestry less anonymous. They provide is a visual cue telling you and your customers the fiber used to produce paper and packaging products – from envelopes to juice boxes to magazines – is from a legal and responsible source. SFI Inc. is one of the world’s largest forest certification programs, and it is internationally recognized and accepted. This offers the advantage of a steady

HOP-SYN ® is introducing a new top coated product for digital printing called LI Indigo. This product is a white synthetic paper that is durable and has an economical top coating on both sides used for Indigo Printing. LI Indigo is a high impact, rigid, weather resistant, tear resistant synthetic paper manufactured to the highest standards of the printing industry. LI Indigo is a UV durable substrate that is suitable for ID cards, menus, POP displays, and tags & labels. HOP’s LI Indigo grade’s high dyne level and prime coated finish allows you to produce higher quality graphics, at a much faster production rate than on other conventional plastics. Additional advantages of the LI Indigo grade are: • It offers a significant price advantage over Teslin and top coated PVC vinyl. • Offers more durability and UV resistance when used for outdoor applications. • Prints and processes more like fine offset paper when printing on an Indigo Press. • Superior ink receptivity when printing by

SOURCE: ICIS With the prospect of oil supplies eventually drying up, bioplastics offer a more sustainable future. But can they live up to the hype? CONCERNS ABOUT future supplies of petrochemical raw materials and plastics disposal have sharpened the focus on renewable and biodegradable plastics. Many different types of bioplastics are produced today, but they are still on a journey to full sustainability. There are even claims that, in certain circumstances, traditional plastics could be environmentally preferable. Production of bioplastics has the potential to generate less greenhouse gases and require less energy than traditional plastics, says industry association European Bioplastics. Harald Kab, chairman of the association, says bioplastics made from renewable resources have the advantage that they are compostable and, if incinerated, produce greener energy since the renewable carbon content of the raw materials is recycled back to carbon dioxide. One of the main bioplastics i

Growing business for National Labels in the high-end sector of value-added health & beauty labels made Nilpeter's introduction as the first sleeve-based narrow web combination offset press the dream come through. This led to the investment in the first MO-4 - and plans for more to come. The new MO-4 was taken over after several days of production simulation on live commercial blue chip cosmetic labels – with an exceptional result. It will be the first MO-4 Nilpeter delivers to the American market. Jim Shacklett, III, Chief Executive Officer, National Label Company, says, “The Nilpeter offset presses are vital to achieving our goals of increased quality, performance, and flexibility in today's competitive world. The new MO-4 allows us to improve our quality and reduce our waste of time, material, and set-up resources. The performance of the Nilpeter MO-3300 Servo is a benchmark in our industry; however, after intensive testing on our new MO-4, we are pleased to see further

Multi-Color Corp . will consolidate its heat transfer label (HTL) manufacturing facility located in Framingham, Massachusetts into its other existing facilities. The transition will begin immediately with final plant closure within the next several months This is another step forward in the continuing optimization of our manufacturing assets," said Frank Gerace, President and CEO of Multi-Color. "These actions will strengthen our competitive position by reducing fixed costs and increasing manufacturing efficiencies. While this plant closing is a difficult business decision, it is a necessary step that the Company must take to align our manufacturing capacity and fixed cost structure to match current market conditions. I would like to thank all of our Framingham associates for their hard work and commitment to provide quality products to our customers." LINK: Converting Magazine

Mark Andy Inc. , a world leader in narrow web printing equipment, is proud to have partnered with Spectrum Label Corporation (www.spectrumlabel.com) on installation of the first shaftless Mark Andy XP5000. The press, introduced at Labelexpo Americas 2008, is dedicated to innovative productivity and flexibility for printers and converters. Spectrum Label is a high-end label converter with interests in a variety of markets including food, wine & beverage, health & beauty, pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. Increased interest from customers in obtaining film-based labels and flexible packaging prompted Spectrum to investigate expanded competencies in their production area. After learning about the superior film handling capabilities and the flexible platform design of the shaftless servo Mark Andy XP5000, Spectrum made their choice. "The shaftless XP5000 fulfills the promise of servo technology through independent interstation surface speed and registry control," stat

GIDUE S.p.A., a press manufacturer active in the label and packaging market since 1999, has filed on December the 22nd 2008 for voluntary winding-up. The fiscal year 2008 which ended on the 31st of July 2008 had been for GIDUE the absolute top-record year in sales (34 million Euros). The sales forecast prepared by the world wide sales network aimed at a further 10%-20% growth in 2009, which confirmed the usual growth trend of GIDUE during the years. Unfortunately the global recession has hit the company far beyond any possible expectation, causing an unexpected strong downturn in sales, which are no longer sufficient to cover the company fixed costs. Nuova Castagnoli S.r.l., a former supplier of GIDUE for Offset print units, vision systems and Hot Stamping technologies has agreed with GIDUE S.p.A. to take care of service of existing presses and of new sales. “An installed base of more than 320 presses worldwide, with high customer satisfaction and confirmed innovation through the enti

Innovia Films has recently expanded its range of Indigo® printable label films with the launch of two 'squeezable' films. These latest developments are Rayoface™ CZDI, a high performance clear high gloss film and Rayoface™ WZDI, a white high gloss non cavitated film. Both biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) label facestock films are coated with a new top coating which has been specifically designed to be compatible with the HP Indigo® range of digital offset colour printing presses

Yupo Corporation launched its newest synthetic paper grade,YUPOBlue™, made specifically for and certified to run on the HP Indigo line of digital printers*, is perfect for short run and customized pieces. YUPOBlue™ and HP Indigo offer the flexibility of using a superior substrate on premium printing projects that must meet the tightest of deadlines. When deadlines are tight, YUPOBlue™'s faster drying time gives printers an edge. And because the ink adheres to YUPO®'s surface, there is little-to-no smearing, chipping or scratching." YUPOBlue™ is superior among synthetics for dimensional stability and also received HP’s highest level of substrate certification. Like all YUPO® paper, YUPOBlue™ is bright white, super smooth and durable. It is stain-resistant, 100 percent waterproof and resists stretching. An outline of the product follows below. 1) Sale Date Now on sale 2) Grade Name YUPOBlue™YPBL150/200/250 3) Printability Specifically for HP Indigo * Consult with us

Flint Group Flexographic Products is proud to announce the addition of Dansen Prepress Corporation to its sales force for the rotec® line of sleeve products, effective December 15th, 2008. Dansen will be responsible for the northeast region of the USA and will act as full sales and technical service for the rotec® sleeve product line. Dansen has over 15 years of experience in the flexographic industry and currently sells an extensive line of consumable supplies and equipment. LINK: Flint Ink

From 27th to 30th January 2009, functionaries from Sacmi Labelling will be at stand n. 2219 of the Sacramento Convention Center in California. Ever since the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) and the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) joined forces to create the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium 15 years ago, this appointment has been a vital one for the entire North American wine-making sector. This year the event will include a series of conferences on the all the very latest developments in the industry and will bring together major wine producers and manufacturers of wine-making machines and technologies. The North American wine market is highly attentive to new technologies and the use of eco-compatible packaging: this is why Sacmi Labelling aims, on this occasion, to promote not only labelling technologies but also an integrated compact unit for the production of bag-in-box packaging. Packs of this kind not only guarantee better product preserv

Source: Food Manufacturing Interesting article I've read in the above mentioned link: A typical consumer knows the type of product he needs as he heads down the aisle in a big, chain supermarket. He knows, for example, that he needs butter, but hasn’t yet decided what brand to buy. The odds are pretty good that the butter package that grabs his attention - the one that he picks up and looks at more closely - will be the one that ends up in his cart. A major key to a product’s success is getting customers to grab it off the shelf. In fact, once a consumer picks up a product from a store shelf, there’s an 87 percent chance that he or she will buy it. Using this truism as a springboard, it’s relatively easy to see where the packaging industry is headed – and who’s doing the driving. Packaging that is more appealing, more functional, and easier to stack on store shelves has become vital to the two groups of people most interested in selling the products: retailers and wholesalers.

A Mexican company is marketing squeezable margarine in an inverted bottle that is targeted at children. San Antonio Margarina Sin Sal (unsalted) from Cremeria America comes in a 280-gram inverted polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle with a gravure-printed shrink sleeve. The bottle’s graphics appeal to children, and it is designed to be easy for children to hold and use. Source: Food and Beverage Packaging