Labelling Blog

GRAPH EXPO 2010 attendees will see a vast assortment of products to help them grow and expand sales. Plus live daily demonstrations and presentations.   Agfa Graphics and the Pitman Company have teamed up for GRAPH EXPO 2010. Two booths (#2611 & #844) but one goal: help customers grow sales! Combined, Agfa and Pitman have the most comprehensive assortment of inkjet solutions. This includes entry-level systems all the way up to high-speed industrial inkjet, plus a wide variety of rigid and flexible media. Booth #844 will be fully dedicated to profit-generating inkjet solutions, including Agfa's :Anapurna M 2050 UV-curable inkjet printer. The :Anapurna M 2050 is designed to give users a cost-effective solution for speed and 1440 dpi display printing. Moreover, Agfa's :Jeti 1224 HDC FTR (flat-to-roll), a high-productivity UV inkjet printer featuring High Definition Color capabilities, will be running live during the show. This system offers the best true flatbed combi

On this year’s fair Delbrouck sets a focus on the presentation of the new standard crate for the “Perlenflasche” of the Genossenschaft Deutscher Brunnen. Furthermore Delbrouck shows new scopes of design and crate innovations for the softdrink industry and beer market, e.g. crates for Steinie bottles. Delbrouck presents solutions for transport and sales of multipacks: Dual-Trays and the Displaybox that has been developed for IFCO lately. The crate becomes a shelf. Source: http://www.delbrouck.de

The beverage industry is rewarding operating strategies of companies with solutions for making lighter containers . But that is not all; their strategic vision must include business models that provide significant cost reductions in all phases of the production process. Over the last two years, SIPA has created bottles, production and hot-fill systems for cylindrical containers of various shapes which have a petaloid base, are panel-free, and can be labeled with a regular, wrap-around label. Filling occurs at 85° – 87° degrees centigrade. A dose of liquid nitrogen immediately prior to capping results in 1.5 bars of internal pressure. After the beverage cools and its volume contracts, the internal pressure remains at 0.2 - 0.3 bars, ensuring rigid packaging and ease of labeling. Advantages This type of bottle reduces costs significantly: • the container is more lightweight due to the elimination of the side panels which are no longer necessary because a vacuum is no

On the occasion of the FINAT Congress in Valencia last June, FINAT and Tarsus signed the agreement that renews the Labelexpo Europe partnership between the two organisations. The new agreement has a duration till 2019 and covers the next 5 editions of the Labelexpo Europe shows. At the occasion of the signing ceremony, FINAT President Andrea Vimercati commemorated that it will be 20 years ago next year that FINAT signed its first agreement with the organizers of Labelexpo Europe. The agreement was the start of a long standing relationship between our organization. Source: www.finateducation.com

This Forum aims to provide an open platform where label printers from different countries meet to discuss and benchmark common management problems and solutions . The idea is to organise two or three meetings per year each focusing on one specific theme (lean management, succession, young executives education, exports, waste management etc.). Meetings will be held in accordance with the 'weight watchers' principle: participants should bring in an open mind and be prepared to share ideas and solutions at the meeting with the other participants. The Label Printer Forum (LPF) will be chaired by the Vice President of FINAT. Meetings of the LPF will be linked to the meetings of the FINAT Board, allowing participants to provide direct feedback and input to the FINAT Board on other topics relevant to label printers UPCOMING MEETINGS 9 NOVEMBER 2010: TRENDS IN THE BEER LABEL MARKET On 9 November 2010 FINAT is going to tap from the source of the beer market by organizing a special

Pira International is launching a new multi-client study to assess the opportunities for beer in PET packaging. The study is aimed at brewers, brand owners, packaging converters and suppliers who need to understand the market potential for beer in PET, technology drivers and barriers, consumer acceptance, hot topics and a realistic timeline for adoption based on primary research. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is showing increased demand from a number of different categories including juices and nectars, ready-to-drink (RTD) teas, functional drinks, flavoured waters and beer. PET bottles are convenient, practical, lightweight, unbreakable and better for the environment. However many brand owner remain reticent when it comes to using PET packaging for beer. Market and technology barriers include: Product sensitivity to the damaging effects of oxygen and the development of suitable barrier technologies. Developing good barrier protection while not adversely affecting t

Edale hosted its second distributor event from 22-23 September 2010 at their Head Office in Hampshire, UK. The event was held for current and prospective distributors from all around the globe who received two days of Edale product and brand training. The first day saw James Boughton, Managing Director of Edale, welcome all attendees before they were taken on a full tour of Edale’s new purpose built premises and given in-depth training and demonstrations of the complete Edale product range; from the award winning Alpha through to the innovative Gamma and Lambda ranges of servo driven printing and converting machines. The second day was reserved for attendees to receive more in-depth 1:1 training and Q&A sessions on specific machines; it was also a great opportunity for potential distributors to discuss agreements and as a combined result of the event and previous meetings, Edale signed a new distributor to cover Germany.   Edale will be holding the next Distributor training e

Tribune Direct Marketing is the first direct marketing company to use the KODAK PROSPER Press Platform to offer unique capabilities for producing personalized, full-color direct mail solutions that meet customers’ requirements in today’s digital marketing environment. “We believe that the PROSPER Press will be a game-changer for our industry,” said Lou Tazioli, President, Tribune Direct. “The PROSPER Press brings flexibility to vary both the images and content of every single mail piece to achieve maximum relevancy and ROI for our clients.” Tribune Direct Marketing selected the PROSPER Press because of several features that make it ideally suited for direct marketers looking to increase efficiency and effectiveness. Those features include speed, productivity and substrate flexibility. The PROSPER Press will offer speeds up to 650 feet per minute, while providing offset printing image quality on a broad range of paper. In addition, the press boasts an advanced ink formulation to fur

Coating Ricofin S.r.l. announces the transfer of its industrial activity (manufacturing and trading of self adhesives materials) to the beneficiary Ritrama S.p.A. , operative from October 1 2010. This operation allows to create a unique center of competence, able to emphasize the technical and logistic skills and resources of the companies involved, with the aim of supplying a more effective and high quality service to our customers. Source: www.ritrama.com

Agfa announces the addition of permanent and removable self adhesive grades to its innovative portfolio of Synaps synthetic papers. Synaps is a polyester based material ideal for use on standard offset presses with standard inks. Jo Vander Aa, Worldwide Marketing & Sales Manager for Synaps, said "With Synaps, printers are offered the possibility to use a synthetic paper that prints like a normal offset paper. These self adhesive grades now broaden the range of applications." Standard Synaps OM and now self adhesive Synaps AP and AR feature extremely fast ink setting and drying. Synaps has an antistatic layer and ink receptive topcoat to facilitate smooth transport and fast drying while using standard offset inks and without the need for powdering. Press speeds are higher than with other substrates and as oxidising inks are not required there is no expensive and time consuming clean down at the end of the print run. Jo Vander Aa added: "The addition of self a

SOS Print + Media Group is the first company in Australasia to purchase the new KODAK PROSPER 1000 Press, KODAK’s high performance inkjet web press solution. The installation of the press is part of the company’s continued expansion into digital print as Bob Gardner, Joint Managing Director, SOS Print + Media Group explained. “There is no doubt the digital side of our business is where growth is coming from. Globally, across all market segments, there is a move toward shorter run lengths, which brings with it quicker time frames, and tight market prices. The KODAK PROSPER 1000 Press delivers an extremely competitive technological advantage which will assist us in capturing existing markets more competitively and serving our markets faster.”       SOS Print + Media Group produces a large volume of books for a number of leading trade and education publishing houses in Australia. Gardner said the KODAK PROSPER 1000 Press would enable SOS Print + Media Group to drastically reduce product

Once again, Labeltronix is blazing a trail for its customers by expanding its Lean Labeling® program and now offering the highest quality available with the installation of a new state-of-the-art servo driven press, one of the first of its kind. “We wanted to give winemakers even more ways to get eye-catching labels,” says John Trail, Labeltronix president. “With our new press, we have greater flexibility in how we can print elegant label designs: using several foil colors, with embossing and de-bossing and multiple varnish finishes.” “As more clients have taken advantage of our new Lean Labeling® program, we began to learn about the printing challenges they have. We decided the best way to support them was with innovative technology,” says Trail. “Lean Labeling® helps them reduce their costs when they create, buy and manage their wine labels. Now, they will have more premium printing options, too.” This finishing press is one of the first of its type to be delivered in N

DiMS! organizing print, the world leader in MIS/ERP systems for the printing and packaging industries, has released an extended version of DiMS! Advanced Production Tracking. Integrated with the core DiMS! system’s Web-enabled end-to-end workflow, the DiMS! Advanced Production Tracking tool is an industrially robust, proactive feature, enabling efficient production via immediate, high-quality communication to and from the production floor. It communicates directly with the DiMS! server, instantaneously providing real-time feedback regarding status and required tasks to all parties connected with a particular job. Moreover, the DiMS! Advanced Production Tracking has been praised for its user-friendly interface. Exceptionally convenient for users, it has highly efficient touch-screen ability, customized screens and is behavior-modifiable. With the addition of pop-up reminders, the customized screens allow the user the opportunity to optimize their work tremendously. Other highligh

ROTOCONTROL today announced the receipt of an order for a RSC Slitter Rewinder Inspection Machine for Grafimax in Brazil. The order was led by FORPACK, the local Agent in South and Central America for ROTOCONTROL leading edge inspection, slitting, rewinding and die cutting finishing machines for the narrow web industry. Ralph Beier, ROTOCONTROL International Sales Manager commented: "We are pleased to receive this order from Grafimax, a well-respected Label Converter in Brazil. Our local Agent FORPACK was very instrumental throughout the purchasing decision and will continue to support Grafimax after the installation.  Mr. Elimar Reinhold, Founder of Grafimax commented:  "Grafimax heavily invests in the latest industry technology to maintain our high standards of producing top quality product for our customers.  After meeting with FORPACK and ROTOCONTROL to learn more about the RSC Slitter Rewinder Inspection Machine, we made the decision to purchase based on our production

After the stupendous success of the 3rd edition of the Indian Label Directory, Eon Infomedia, the publishers of Labels India - India’s exclusive magazine for the labels, packaging and the converting industry is pleased to bring to you the Fourth edition of the directory, this November 2010. The Indian Label Directory is a one-stop reference manual for the Indian label industry, giving one instant access to information on equipment manufacturers, materials and services suppliers and printers operating globally with a special emphasis on India and Asia Pacific. As the Indian Label Directory has firmly become a standard reference tool for business, it's time to take a good, hard look and decide on advertising in the directory that offers a fast track to success. A bible for the Indian Label industry, already Rotometrics, Mark Andy / Flexo Image Graphics, Xeikon, Monotech Systems, Sino Label, Electro Optics, R K Machine Tools, S Kumar, Taiyo, Standard Printers Providers, SMI Coate

The all-new KODAK NEXPRESS Photo Platform with Print Genius is designed for the printing of high-quality photo products, whether these products originate on a desktop, online, on a KODAK Kiosk, or at a retail outlet like a KODAK EXPRESS store or retail partner. The solution is based on proprietary intellectual property and Kodak’s expertise in image science, materials, digital technology, software and hardware. The NEXPRESS Photo Platform features outstanding photo quality output with exceptional productivity for the production of printed photo products, including hard and soft cover photo books, calendars, greeting cards, 4x6 prints, magnets, and other photo products. Designed to deliver unique effects such as raised printing and matte or gloss coating, the NEXPRESS Photo Platform is ideal for photo specialty printers, photo labs, commercial printers, and others who serve customers in the photo space. “The demand for high-quality photo products certainly is on the rise,” says Step

EskoArtwork (www.esko.com), the leading supplier and integrator for packaging, printing and sign and display solutions, reports a strong performance during the first half year of 2010. Consolidated revenues for the first half year of 2010 amounted to 84.9 million euro, an increase of 25% over the first half year of 2009 and an increase of 7% over the same period in 2008. EBITDA for the first half year of 2010 ended at 17.0 million euro, a 149% improvement over the same period of 2009 and 42% higher than the results of the first half year of 2008. Revenue for packaging products increased by 27% compared to the first half of 2009 and by 8% compared to the first half year of 2008. Customer services revenue for the entire business went up by 18% and 15% compared to the first half year of 2009 and 2008 respectively. First half revenue growth came from all regions and product lines The EskoArtwork strategy of offering integrated solutions has two major objectives; to enable customers t

NJM/CLI introduces the all new Model 126 Trotter Labeler, a pressure sensitive labeler designed to label up to 120 bottles per minute. This machine, designed for the entry level market, is ideal for multi-function labeling applications for contract packagers. The machine is equipped with a heavy duty stepper-driven label dispenser, flexible and easily customizable to end user requirements, with the addition of coders and inspection systems. The machine has a control solution from Rockwell Automation including an Allen-Bradley MicroLogix 1100 programmable controller to control machine functions. The MicroLogix controller offers NJM/CLI a cost-effective micro-control solution for control, communication and visualization applications. The system’s standard, off-the-shelf components offer NJM/CLI’s customers easier maintenance and reduce the need to keep spare parts on-hand. The labeler also features an Allen-Bradley PanelView Component C600 human-machine interface (HMI) to p

The company Aqua Nova, a known producer of infant water under the Aqua Anna brand, has decided to offer consumers an alternative and, apart from PET bottles, also bottle quality water in glass. Aqua Nova chose to cooperate with the glassworks Vetropack Moravia Glass in producing a lighter bottle with an optimum volume and weight ratio. The bottle filled with infant water weighs almost a kilogramme, so a pack of 6 bottles will not weigh more than 6 kg and will be very easy to handle. Besides this the bottle can be easily closed and stored in the fridge thanks to it screw top. The 0.7 l bottle of clear glass and a simple transparent label underlines the purity and total natural nature of Aqua Anna water. When purchasing water in glass, consumers should be convinced that glass provides perfect protection for its contents and is an excellent container in terms of safety. It is totally inert (impenetrable), so it is the best container to retain the taste and quality of the water. The

X-Rite, Incorporated (NASDAQ: XRIT), the world leader in color management, measurement and communication technologies, today announced that its recently announced PrintCheck and PressOptimizer solutions are now available exclusively through X-Rite’s worldwide network of sales partners. Developed jointly with GMG, a developer and supplier of high-end color management and proofing solutions, the new line of X-Rite-branded automated print quality control and standardization solutions allow print buyers and pressroom operators to follow a job from contract to delivery, and ensure quality consistency and ISO standards compliance using the process control methodology of their choice (G7, PSO, Japan Color, etc.).  The new solutions will be sold exclusively through X-Rite and its worldwide network of sales partners. X-Rite’s new PrintCheck and PressOptimizer solutions offer printers of all sizes an affordable and easy to implement path to standardization. The new solutions feature a very i

Specialty Print Communications (SPC) of Niles, IL is committed to implementing cutting-edge digital technology to meet the needs of its customers. With a record of strong growth and success over the past few years, SPC is once again taking the lead as it installs CMYK capability on four of its PROSPER S10 Imprinting Systems. The company also uses three KODAK NEXPRESS Digital Production Color Presses, two KODAK VERSAMARK DS6240 Printing Systems, and eight additional PROSPER S10 Imprinting Systems in its state-of-the-art production facility. “Today’s marketers know more about their consumers than ever before,” noted Adam LeFebvre, President of SPC, “so being able to customize direct mail with that information makes it much more effective. And being able to customize in full color, with high quality, makes it even better. This new capability will set us apart from our competitors.” The PROSPER S10 System is designed to enable part-page and full-page variable print inline at full speed

Newspaper print service providers can now reduce their environmental impact without compromising performance thanks to new chemistry for the KODAK VIOLETNEWS GOLD and THERMALNEWS GOLD Digital Plates from Kodak. The company will launch the KODAK 1090 Thermal Plate Developer, and KODAK 206 Violet Plate Developer and KODAK 206R Violet Plate Replenisher, at IFRA Expo 2010. Visitors will also have the opportunity to discuss with Kodak experts the KODAK VERSAMARK VL4200 Printing System and KODAK PROSPER S-Series Imprinting Systems, which are ideally suited for newspaper applications, in addition to other publishing and commercial applications. The company will also be showcasing the KODAK COLORFLOW Software with Ink Optimizing Solution and the KODAK NEWSMANAGER Workflow System. The event is a major fixture in the newspaper and media calendar. This year’s show takes place 4 – 6 October 2010 in Hamburg, Germany. Kodak can be found in Hall 4 - Stand 4.620 Open new business opportunities

Husky Injection Molding Systems today announced that it will be launching H-PET™ AE (all-electric), a new PET preform injection molding system at the upcoming K2010 tradeshow in Dusseldorf, Germany, October 27 – November 3, 2010. “With the launch of H-PET AE, we have applied our beverage packaging experience to develop a small, efficient and low maintenance all-electric solution that is purpose-built for PET preform manufacturing,” said John Galt, Husky’s President and CEO. “This system will more effectively meet the needs of customers in emerging markets and low-volume or custom producers in more mature economies.” The H-PET AE system will complement Husky’s leading product line that is based on the Hylectric® platform, including HyPET™, HyCAP™ and HyPAC™. It will offer a high level of quality and performance, but in a smaller size. As with all Husky systems, all functions within the workcell will be managed by Polaris™ Control, the company’s PC-based controls, centralizing oper

Chris Lyons, a well-known executive and publisher in the graphic arts industry, has joined Kodak as Global Segment Director to ensure the company’s solutions address customers’ specific application needs. Recognizing that each major market segment demands a targeted, unique approach to deliver the right integrated solutions and capture the exciting growth and revenue opportunities, Kodak selected Lyons for his broad experience and expertise in virtually every key segment. Lyons’ position at Kodak was created to oversee activity in the six primary segments of the graphic arts industry: commercial print, publishing, packaging, data-driven printing, enterprise, and photo products. Within these segments, Lyons is responsible for maximizing investments in marketing, advertising, messaging, and online activity around the world. “The segment approach to the market makes a lot of sense today,” observed Lyons. “Printers and marketers need a partner who understands the trends and challenges

Bradford, UK, based label specialist The Label Makers Ltd has finalized its decision to purchase a Xeikon 3030 digital color label press from Xeikon in conjunction with a highly sophisticated finishing line for offline label enhancement. The Label Makers Managing Director, David Webster, attending the Labelexpo show in Chicago, commented on his company’s latest investment in digital label printing equipment: “The combination of the Xeikon digital engine and a highly sophisticated finishing line means we can truly satisfy customer requirements for premium-quality short-run work at competitive rates. The market is requiring greater flexibility from its supply base with shorter and variable print runs and this latest investment program means we will have the facility to deliver the expectations of our customers irrespective of run length.” The addition of the new digital line will further extend the company’s wide range of label printing solutions, which already include flexographic,

Delegates attending On Demand Russia 2010 can discover how to generate additional revenue and spur growth by visiting the Kodak booth. The company will be demonstrating the KODAK VERSAMARK VL2000 Printing System, and will show print service providers how they can use this cutting-edge digital system to increase productivity and exploit new business opportunities. On Demand Russia 2010 takes place 18-22 October 2010 in Moscow at the Crocus Expo International Exhibition Centre. Kodak will be presenting its solutions at its booth in Pavilion 2, Hall 5. VERSAMARK VL-Series Printing Systems showcase – a solid platform for business growth Based on a flexible, powerful Drop on Demand (DOD) inkjet printing platform, KODAK VERSAMARK VL-Series Printing Systems are equipped to handle complex variable data print applications, such as transactional documents and direct mail. They reduce costs and turnaround times by streamlining the production process through forms replacement – eliminating the

By: Jack Roe Vice President & General Manager, Labeling Systems LLC   Government mandates to serialize pharmaceutical products are increa sing around the globe. The California State Board of Pharmacy is requiring that 50% of each manufacturer’s drug products be serialized by January 1, 2015, with the remaining 50% serialized by January 1, 2016. Turkey has required that all drugs be serialized since January 1, 2010. Brazil will require serialization beginning in January 2011. Italy, Belgium, Greece and France all have programs in place. There are two predominant drivers behind these serialization mandates: • Fighting grey market diversion and counterfeiting • Aid in government reimbursement programs Details vary from region to region, but in general all mandates require marking the smallest unit of sale with lot and expiration information, as well as a serial number, creating a unique license plate for each unit.   To facilitate tracking units t