Labelling Blog

Alito the leading offset print supplier has invested in a KODAK NEXPRESS SE2500 Digital Production Color Press with Fifth Imaging Unit and new KODAK NEXPRESS Dimensional Printing System to maximise opportunities in the direct mail and commercial printing markets. The company has completed the deal at Ipex 2010. The NEXPRESS Digital Color Press will become the first digital press installed at Alito. “This was a carefully thought out move for the future of our company,” says David Collins, Managing Director at Alito. “There are huge commercial opportunities in the digital printing sector. Once we had made the decision, the KODAK NEXPRESS Press was the obvious choice for our purpose. We already have a very strong relationship with Kodak that goes back more than five years. When devising our digital strategy, we could see the advantages of having Kodak as our chosen supplier – not only from a market-leading technology perspective, but also we know their service and support will be excel...

Presstek, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRST), a leading supplier of digital offset printing solutions to the printing and communications industries, today announced that IPEX 2010 was its most successful trade show since drupa 2008. Presstek’s IPEX presence was highlighted by the worldwide debut of the Presstek 75DI digital offset press. The Presstek 52DI-AC and Aeon, a no preheat thermal CTP plate, were also both demonstrated for the first time at a European trade show during IPEX. "The positive response from the global print community to the 75DI and our expanded digital offset portfolio, as well as to our expanded array of CTP solutions confirms that our strategic initiatives are in line with today’s market requirements,” said Jeff Jacobson, Chairman, President & CEO of Presstek. “I have said it before and I will say it again: The time is right for Presstek. Our expanded portfolio of solutions is ideally suited to address many of the business challenges faced by printing firms of all siz...

UPM Raflatac's new RD 200 L adhesive is optimized for high-performance for clear-on-clear labelling under a wide range of pharmaceutical end-use conditions. Combined with a thin and clear polyester face it has an excellent mandrel hold on small-diameter containers such as vials, laboratory test tubes, ampoules and syringes. With a PET 36 liner for a smooth adhesive wet-out, RD 200 L provides the ultimate in clarity. It also contains a luminescent additive that allows it to be used for missing label detection, a feature frequently used in pharmaceutical application. Good resistance to water, chemicals and autoclave sterilization further assures the functionality of this ultra-clear formulation. About UPM Raflatac UPM Raflatac, part of UPM’s Engineered Materials business group, is one of the world’s leading suppliers of self-adhesive label materials and the world’s number one producer of HF and UHF radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and inlays. UPM Raflatac...

Ultimate Packaging, one of the UK’s leading independent flexographic print suppliers to the food industry is achieving significant success in the packaging sector using the KODAK FLEXCEL NX Digital Flexographic System. Demonstrating its impact on the industry, the company recently won the Gold award at the European Flexographic Technical Association (EFTA) awards for ‘Best First Time Entrant’ for a project undertaken for Young’s Seafood and a Silver accolade for ‘Promotional Print’ for Kodak USA.  At Ipex 2010, Ultimate Packaging will partner with Kodak and will demonstrate samples on Kodak's stand E320 in Hall 9 including designs for Young's Prawns and Seafood.  Located on a greenfield site at Europarc on the outskirts of Grimsby in the UK, a town renowned for its links with food processing, the 60,000 sq.ft. Ultimate Packaging factory was designed and built with consultancy from leading supermarket chains, retailers and food manufacturers and in cooperation with experts in i...

DCM USIMECA opens  a “Sleeve Shop” to serve the converters Since 1985, DCM USIMECA is a major actor among the machine manufacturers who have contributed to the development of the shrinkable sleeve process as an alternative to the traditional labels. To improve the knowledge of the potential customers in this technique, DCM USIMECA has built, in their factory of Nanterre near Paris, a permanent demonstration platform called “ Sleeve Shop”. At this place the converters will have the possibility to test the well known standard machines: - the SLEEVE to form and to seam the tube, - the  SLEEVECUT to cut the sleeve in register and/or to perforate any shape - the doctoring rewinder BABYCAT.

MillerCoors is introducing a new innovate bottle called Miller Vortex, a bottle with specially designed interior grooves that give your pour a whirlpool effect. The new 12 oz. glass bottle, manufactured by O-I, will still have the same great pilsner taste of Miller Lite. Source: www.gpi.org

In comparison to other Web to print offerings, which can depend on a click charge, the KODAK INSITE Storefront System now provides three affordable pricing packages. Print service providers can choose a Kodak hosted, customer hosted (both under subscription) or purchase option. Uniquely, customers can switch between options to accommodate any changes in their circumstances giving them long-term peace of mind. As an example, once the volume of orders makes it challenging to operate in a “cloud” environment, a customer’s INSITE Storefront System configuration can easily be migrated back on site. Kodak is committed to helping print service providers set up a customized, branded online shopfront for their business which is affordable, cost-effective and flexible for them. The INSITE Storefront System - part of the KODAK Web to print Solutions - is competitively priced, easy-to-use and can dramatically increase a print service provider’s reach and help them retain and attract new customers...

Substantial sales, meetings with new prospects, product launches and strengthened partnerships highlight a successful event. EskoArtwork (www.esko.com) reports a successful closing of Ipex 2010, held from May 18-25 in Birmingham (UK). Lead generation far exceeded expectations and a good amount of sales were closed on the stand. There were also significant investments closed with customers from the Middle East, Eastern Europe and India—for complete hardware and software configurations. "Ipex gave us two surprises—the super weather and the super visitor numbers. We were very pleased with the show and the number of international visitors we met. Ipex has definitely regained strength and presented a great opportunity for EskoArtwork and Enfocus to reinforce our leading roles in innovating the commercial printing, packaging and sign and display markets,” states Armand Gougay, EskoArtwork Senior VP Emeala. "More and more, it’s becoming clear that workflow automation is a key elem...

The Asia’s fastest flexographic printing press was just successfully installed and put into operation by Comexi Group in Beijing China last February 2010. After many successful installations of COMEXI flexographic printing presses in China (e.g. Huhtamaki, Walkiwisa, BPI, Huangshan Novel etc.), another heavy weight market player in China, Lianbin Plastics & Printing Co., Ltd., has just placed their trust once again in Comexi Group with their strategic investment acquiring their first flexographic printing press to Comexi. As a solid converting machinery manufacturing group, Comexi Group has been offering to the market central drum flexographic presses, laminators, slitters, environment devices and peripherals since 1954 from Europe to all over the world. So far, this flexographic installation is the fastest one in Asia with up to 600 m/min printing speed using solvent based ink printing on polyethylene from 10 to 150 microns. Lianbin Plastics & Printing Co., Ltd. is on...

Nuova GIDUE, the Italian manufacturer of printing and converting machines for the label and packaging industry, appoints GUTENBERG as exclusive distributor for Brazil. The company Gutenberg is one of the oldest and most reputed Brazilian companies in graphic arts, and represent high quality equipments like Komori, Perfecta and Osako, and Asahi flexo plates. Gutenberg has also an established experience in the narrow web market by importing since more than 20 years printing equipments for the label industry. Klaus Tiedemann, President of Gutenberg comments: " GIDUE reliability and high quality is well known in the market, but I am myself impressed by the amount of innovation developed by Nuova GIDUE. The GIDUE offset and flexo print units have attained the highest levels of quality and automation; also the range of products is vast and we understand that Nuova GIDUE is a flexible and "listening" company. Gutenberg is happy to offer this opportunity to the Brazilian conve...

The Sirus VRS incorporates a new Vertical Roller Stabiliser Module and is designed for fast high tolerance wraparound applications without compromising quality or output. The technology has been developed to accommodate the needs of the Pharmaceutical and Personal Care industries. In short, products are supported by three point contact between two vertical rollers and a wide belt wraparound during label applications. Through this, the VRS can achieve 360 degrees label applications at speeds of 300 per minute and a line speed of 25 metres per minute. The result is a high-speed, highly accurate application with a greatly improved skew tolerance skew tolerance, and will maintain this quality of application regardless of container stability. The Beauty of the VRS is that is has been designed specifically so that changeover times are quick and easy, therefore making it very user-friendly. Source: Harland

Leading heat seal pre-cut lids manufacturer Chadwicks has produced quality foil lids for the Clandeboye Estate Company’s range of luxury yoghurts. Chadwicks has produced 95.5mm 37 micron aluminium foil lids printed using six colours, full UV flexographic on a narrow web press. The range of yoghurts is produced using the milk of the Clandeboye Estate’s award-winning herd and showcases three lid designs to correspond to each of its three flavours including Raspberry, Strawberry and Toffee and Caramel. The lids feature desirable oil painting designs that were created by estate owner Lady Dufferin, presenting a brand identity that reflects the dairy’s core values of nature and goodness. Vicki Slater, account manager at Chadwicks, said: “We are a market leader in producing heat seal pre-cut lids for the dairy industry and the Clandeboye Estate Company project was particularly rewarding for us. “Thanks to our complete understanding of the demands faced in the dairy ma...

Alcoa Inc. (NYSE:AA) and Exal Corporation announced today that the lightweight, sustainable Coil-to-Can®, or “C2C”, aluminum bottle made from Alcoa’s bottlestock sheet and Exal’s C2C manufacturing technology won the top honor, a prestigious Diamond Award, in the 22nd annual DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation. The DuPont Awards are the packaging industry’s longest running, independently judged competition, honoring packaging materials, technology and service innovations. Diamond Award winners are those determined to demonstrate excellence in innovation, sustainability and cost/waste reduction by the judges, comprised of global packaging executives, industry experts and consultants, and industrial designers. This year 160 entries from around the world competed, and the Alcoa-Exal team was one of only two Diamond-level winners. “This year we focused the DuPont Awards program on the essential elements needed to drive breakthroughs in packaging. Innovative new developments, along wi...

Labeltronix took home four gold awards, two silvers, and one bronze in the 2010 Excellence in Flexography Awards national competition held earlier this month. Judges recognized three Labeltronix-produced wine labels, a brandy label, two nutraceutical labels, and one automotive label. Sponsored by the  Flexographic  Technical Association (FTA) , the competition showcases flexography’s most cutting-edge work.  Some 40 flexographic industry professionals volunteered their time to examine nearly 600 submissions from all across North America—and beyond—to find those truly worthy of recognition.   Labeltronix, a leading provider of printed labels, received extensive praise from the judges, ultimately landing seven awards out of the 26 possible in the narrow web category.  “Winning 27% of our category awards—including four gold medals—is a great accomplishment for Labeltronix. It shows we deliver on our commitment to our customers providing the highest print qu...

Edale, the UK-based manufacturer of narrow web printing and converting presses, have today announced the launch of their ‘infinitely adjustable sheeter’, the VLS-650. The VLS-650 is a fully servo driven sheet cutter which allows for jumbo rolls of plain or pre-printed material to be fed through, and converted to sheets resulting in a delivery of shingle or deep pile stacks. Although initially launched into the digital market - with installations on a number of AGFA :Dotrix Modular machines in companies worldwide -  the machine can be run in-line with almost any web fed machinery. One of the many features of the VLS-650 is the capability to process a wide range of substrate types from 80 micron-600 micron, and widths of between 510mm-1,000mm. These materials can be cut into constant or variable lengths, to register, and can respond to varying sheet lengths instantaneously, on the fly without the need to change tooling. This unique ability is achieved through an optical sensor wh...

Edale have ‘redesigned’ their company literature with the introduction of a new-look corporate brochure and separate product datasheets, giving a more fresh and contemporary feel to the brand.  The new brochure, which is having its official ‘launch’ at IPEX at the NEC in Birmingham from 18-25 May 2010, will highlight the ‘new generation Edale’ with a fresh look. With the current range of machines all having been manufactured since 2000, Edale felt a redesign would enhance the product range and show what a truly 21 st century company they are.   The success of the brand has really started to flourish, and with more distributors signing up to promote Edale worldwide, this can only grow. With a new Sales and Marketing team having been brought in to more heavily promote Edale and increase brand awareness, a new brand positioning strategy was formed, leading to more stand-out from other print manufacturers, and an increased presence worldwide through a drive of marketing an...

DiMS! organizing print, the world leader in MIS/ERP systems for the printing and packaging industries, announced their new commitment as Partner Member with the CIP4 organization (International Cooperation for the Integration of Processes in Prepress, Press and Postpress). By elevating their status, DiMS! organizing print becomes the first new company in 4 years to contribute as a Partner Member. DiMS! organizing print has been a Full Member of CIP4 since 2003, however, the upgrade in membership level to Partner Member further strengthens their on-going commitment to the graphic arts industry through CIP4. As part of this membership class, DiMS! organizing print has appointed Annemieke Marneth-Dirkes for a seat on the Advisory Board. “I am very enthusiastic about this challenge, and excited to help the CIP4 organization deliver maximum value to the printing industry,” stated Annemieke Marneth-Dirkes, General Manager DiMS! organizing print. “DiMS! organizing print has made a ma...

KCL Pilot Plant of Espoo, Finland has purchased a KODAK VERSAMARK VL2000 Printing System and a KODAK PROSPER S10 Imprinting System for use in its customers’ inkjet paper research. KCL will use the KODAK Equipment in developing, testing and demonstrating inkjet papers for the direct mail, transactional, book manufacturing, newspaper, magazine and catalog printing markets. “Affordable papers that bring out the best of digital print are a key factor in growing the market. We want to help our customers to develop their products to fit the process,” said Raimo Pollari, Pilot Plant Director, KCL. “As a market-leading representative of drop-on-demand inkjet technology, the KODAK VERSAMARK VL2000 Printing System was a great choice for our paper optimization initiative, while the PROSPER S10 Imprinting System will allow us and our customers to simulate increasingly popular hybrid operations.” Both customizable and scalable, the VERSAMARK VL-Series Printing Systems are designed to provide p...

Built on KODAK VERSAMARK Printing Systems technology, the new CorrStream™ High-Speed Digital Printer from Sun Automation is the first product of its kind designed specifically for the corrugated packaging industry. The CorrStream™ Printer is a result of a product development and commercialization agreement between Kodak and Sun Automation and is part of Kodak’s plan to extend the application of its core technologies into a variety of targeted markets. Running at production speeds of up to 500 fpm, the CorrStream™ High-Speed Digital Printer provides 45 inches of color print area across a corrugated sheet up to 60 inches wide. The printer utilizes up to 20 KODAK VERSAMARK DH90 Printheads to produce color images suitable for corrugated applications such as point-of-purchase displays and versioned or variable primary and secondary graphic image packaging. Jeff Peterson, President, Sun Automation, noted: “Introducing digital inkjet technology to this market makes it possible to reduce l...

After a year of comparative tests, Turkey-based Zaman Newspaper is set to optimize its prepress operation and achieve a uniform quality standard by implementing a raft of KODAK Technology. The company has invested in ten KODAK GENERATION NEWS Systems, along with KODAK NEWSMANAGER Page Pairer  Software, KODAK COLORFLOW Software with Ink Optimisation, and KODAK STACCATO Screening Technology with KODAK SQUARESPOT Thermal Imaging Technology. Zaman will install two  KODAK GENERATION NEWS Systems in each of its five print production houses. The installation will also help the company establish a centralized control and reporting system. Zaman Newspaper and its parent company, Feza Publications Inc, were established in 1986 in Ankara, Turkey. Zaman quickly evolved into the most widely read and respected conservative newspaper in Turkey, with a daily circulation reaching nearly 900,000. Zaman has now become a trademark, with offices around the globe printing international editions ...

The specialty chemicals Group ALTANA has signed an agreement to acquire the business of Aquaprint GmbH. The company, which is based in Oyten, Lower Saxony, Germany, primarily produces coatings for in-mold labels and other labels as well as water-borne overprint varnishes for use on paper, cardboard, and foils. By way of an asset deal, ALTANA mainly acquires Aquaprint’s customers and know-how, as well as its machinery, plants, and inventories. Within the ALTANA Group, Aquaprint will be incorporated into the ACTEGA Coatings & Sealants division, where it will be fully integrated into ACTEGA Terra GmbH, Lehrte. “Bolt-on acquisitions like Aquaprint make an important contribution to further consolidate the position of ALTANA in attractive and fast-growing niche markets“, stated Dr. Matthias Wolfgruber, CEO of ALTANA AG. He pointed out that the field of packaging with its strong end-user orientation and high resistance to crises is an important market of the future for ALTANA to further...

Global commercial launch of innovative engineering and technology delivering profitable label production at IPEX (18 th -25 th May 2010) Seiko Epson Corporation ("Epson", TSE: 6724) today announces the global commercial launch of the SurePress L-4033A, a highly versatile short-run digital label press designed to print labels efficiently and profitably. Since first shown in prototype form three years ago the SurePress L-4033A has undergone significant development to meet the growing demand for fast turnaround, low volume, and multiple version label jobs. SurePress is designed for label converters taking the first steps into digital printing or expanding their existing digital printing capacity, as well as general commercial printers looking to add digital label printing to their portfolio of services. The Epson digital label press prints on a range of off-the-shelf papers and film up to 330mm wide and at speeds up to 5m/min and fits easily into existing digital workflo...