Labelling Blog

Polyonics has introduced a family of double coated antistatic tapes that can be easily die cut and auto applied. These unique engineered tapes provide very low tribocharging when applied and removed making them ideal for bonding static sensitive devices (SSD). They are offered in a wide variety of materials, adhesives (PSA) and liners to best suit each application. In addition, the double coated tapes are well suited for applications involving extreme high temperatures and harsh environments including chemical resistance.   Polyonics double coated, antistatic tapes help eliminate electrostatic charges when bonding static sensitive devices Traditional tapes can create over 2500 volts/sq-in when their liners are removed. This tribocharging can severely damage static sensitive devices and components by causing an electrostatic discharge (ESD). Polyonics double coated antistatic tapes use TriboGard technology that helps prevent tribocharging. The tapes generate less than 100 v...

Established in 1993 in Macclesfield, Cheshire England, Mark Andy UK Ltd. was the manufacturer's first international sales and service location. Since opening, the company has enjoyed great success throughout the UK and nearby countries with more than 300 installations.  The showroom and service center is a key location for converters to view the latest technologies from Mark Andy and Rotoflex.   The newly opened showroom currently features two Mark Andy Performance Series machines - a P3 10 inch (250mm) and a P7 17 inch (430mm) - as well as a Rotoflex VSI 330. The Mark Andy presses are equipped with the Performance Series innovative and award-winning print platform, as well as a variety of accessories including rotary screen, foil units, and lamination solutions.  The Performance Series offers visitors the opportunity to view the first in-line narrow-web flexo machines certified for HD Flexo. The Rotoflex VSI, with exclusive Genesis advanced control system and eDri...

The Labelexpo Global Series has announced a brand new event, Label Summit Indonesia 2013. Focusing on the growing Indonesian and South East Asian label market, the inaugural two day conference and table-top exhibition will take place between the 29-30 May at the Westin Resort Nusa Dua in Bali. Alternating each year between Bali and Jakarta, it is the second new summit to be added to the award winning portfolio following Label Summit Africa’s successful introduction earlier this year. Aimed at label and package printing converters/printers, brand owners and designers, the Summit has the full support of the region’s trade bodies including the Indonesian Packaging Federation, as well as the industry’s major international manufacturers who have already committed to exhibit at the show. Label & package printing is consistently the fastest growing sector in the global printing marketplace and Indonesia’s label consumption currently stands at 100million square metres. A vibrant...

The KODAK MAGNUS 800 Platesetter is already recognized as a leader in the field, and now the newest features mak e it even more compelling for customers looking to increase productivity. Most significant are the 27 percent increase in throughput and new power save mode, which, combined with WINDOWS 7 support, gigabit Ethernet connectivity to KODAK PRINERGY Workflow, improved remote support capabilities including remote on/off increasing operation flexibility, and a new design, make the device even more efficient and user friendly. On display last month at drupa 2012, the MAGNUS 800 Platesetter is designed for medium and large commercial printers needing high-quality imaging and high productivity. The device features options for advanced automation, including the industry’s only Automatic Pallet Loader (APL). In addition, KODAK SQUARESPOT Imaging Technology on the MAGNUS 800 Platesetter provides outstanding stability, reliability, and accuracy with resolutions up to 10,000 dpi. ...

Goss International Corporation (“Goss”) today announced a restructuring of management. The Board has appointed Mr. Richard Nichols as CEO of the Company, effective immediately, replacing Mr. Jochen Meissner. The Board expects that the Goss management team, headed by Mr. Nichols, will undertake active and effective measures to stabilize and expand the Goss leadership position in the industry. Relying on Shanghai Electric’s support and Goss` own distinctive capabilities, Goss will optimize the allocation of resources to enhance innovation and responsiveness to customers and market demands, within a culture that fosters an inspiring and challenging working environment. This will propel the company to a new level of performance, to meet and exceed the strategic goals of the Board. Shanghai Electric believes that the impact of financial crisis will subside and the development of the world economy will bring new opportunities. Shanghai Electric has confidence in Goss and the printing in...

Laptop covers are molded in an IML process with previously unachievable thicknesses of less than 1 mm in a collaboration of European and Chinese companies. Engel (Schwartberg, Austria) showed the technology at a recent symposium on an injection-compression mold by Inmold Technologies (Suzhou, China). The laptop has a coated polycarbonate (PC)  foil covering and a PC carrier. The approach includes a process tweak to avoid the high reject rates often experienced with in-mold labeling (IML) despite use of a The gray matte finish of the Kindle is just as demanding as piano black. clean room. In an effort to improve the foil cleaning technology, brushes supplied by Wandres (Buchenbach-Wagensteig, Germany) are moved immediately adjacent to the  mold. Cleanroom technology is supplied by Max Petek Reinraumtechnik (Radolfzell, Germany). “The trend in consumer electronics products is towards customization. The design is becoming an important differentiating feature”, says He...

Edale are pleased to announce the signing of Tianjin G-Sight Technology who will represent the RFID machine side of Edale’s business proactively throughout China. With a strong background in commercial security applications G-Sight will be focused solely on the sales of Edale’s RFID converting lines. Having been signed up with Edale for a number of years there is now an agreed strategy defined to focus on the RFID market; this is a growing area in China and one in which Edale are keen to exploit.   “We are delighted to have collaborated with G-Sight to develop a strategy which we hope will see our range of RFID converting lines sell throughout China. Their experience and knowledge of security led applications and machinery sales make them an ideal fit, and we look forward to forging a long lasting partnership” says James Boughton, Edale Managing Director. Since this new strategy was put in place, G-Sight have sold and installed a Lambda converting line to a company, who ...

A year after taking over as president of FINAT, the world-wide association representing the interest of the self-adhesive labelling industry, Kurt Walker discusses current and future strategy as well as milestones and collaborations with other leading associations. FINAT’s developing strategy FINAT’s initial four-year strategy was built on four pillars: raising the profile of FINAT and ensuring a healthy growth; further strengthening FINAT as the European umbrella organisation; offering more room for international business development and networking; and, finally, planting seeds in Asia. And fairly quickly we achieved the 600 member benchmark we had set ourselves and established The Label Printers Forum and the Young Managers Club and both helped increase membership interest in entrepreneurial and management issues. This success was followed by the agreement of four defined strategic intentions that were later extended to include the fifth: 1. Enhance the global associ...

After receiving a significant amount of interest and positive feedback from customers visiting drupa 2012, KODAK INSITE Prepress Portal System 6.5 is now available. Version 6.5 offers a number of new features that help to further decrease costs, reduce cycle times and strengthen client relationships—including an application that allows users to review, approve and annotate jobs from their APPLE IPAD Tablet.   Designed for today’s increasingly mobile workers, the INSITE Software 6.5 App for IPAD Tablets is based on Kodak’s award-winning Smart Review System. Features include an overview of all jobs on the INSITE Software Server, visibility into review and approval status for all stakeholders, and the ability to mark up and annotate on-screen. Once a job is approved in the App, INSITE Software can automatically begin processing the files in KODAK PRINERGY Workflow . The application is available at no charge to customers who upgrade to version 6.5. “The INSITE Software Applica...

Payne has demonstrated its commitment to developing its packaging solutions product range with a major investment in a new Nilpeter FA-4 label press at its Cardiff manufacturing facility. The FA-4 is a fourth generation printing press with the latest technical specifications for narrow web UV-flexo combination printing. It is equipped with direct servo drives and is ideal for handling an extremely broad range of multi-substrate packaging materials. The FA-4 also features a print management centre that helps control all print jobs, allowing the setting of process and production parameters, which ensures exceptional quality. This cutting edge technology also drives low wastage and set up times are reduced, ensuring optimum performance with minimal environmental impact. Payne offers a range of packaging solutions for brand owners, delivering consumer focused benefits such as easy opening and resealability as well as high impact branding information and security solutions. Its Cardiff...

The Castel Group has installed nine Linx IJ350 large character coders to ensure effective coding without losing productivity in the face of tough technical demands. The machines are installed on nine production lines operating at varying temperatures, coding 30 boxes per minute with EAN128 barcodes. Coding takes place in parallel to the conveyor and before automatic palletisation. The method and speed of printing meant the ink had to dry quickly to prevent it migrating between the boxes during palletisation. Production costs and stoppages for maintenance needed to be kept to a minimum, to maximise the productivity of each line. The Linx IJ350 is ideal for printing large characters in high quality on porous materials such as cardboard. The integrated error-free coding software guides the operator through the process of choosing the message to be printed, minimising the risk of mistakes. The Linx IJ350 is compact, making it easy to integrate and simple to use without interrupting ...

PMMI, founder and producer of the PACK EXPO family of trade shows including EXPO PACK México, announces that Packaging Machinery Technology (PMT) Magazine will launch a new digital publication for the Mexican marketplace: PMT en Español. "Mexico is consistently among the leading importers of U.S. packaging machinery," said Tom Egan, vice president of industry services, PMMI. "PMT en Español will bring the same insight to Mexico that our current audience already receives." PMT En Español, launched in June 22, 2012, at www.pmtdirect.com.mx , is a Spanish language translation of content from the English language version of PMT Magazine for consumption in Mexican markets. New content will be released as the magazine is published on a bi-monthly schedule. Source: http://www.pmmi.org

Political leaders attending the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development have failed to meet the pressing environmental and social challenges that the world faces today, according to Green Cross International President Alexander Likhotal. “Rio+20 demonstrated a disappointing lack of leadership,” says Mr Likhotal. “The outcome document is grossly lacking inconcrete action.” “Rio+20 represented a unique possibility for the world, but what started as a zero draft outcome document has seemingly evolved into a zero result statement by today’s end of the conference.” Green Cross International, which was founded by President Mikhail Gorbachev following the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, was calling upon the leaders to update the view of economic development, and develop a roadmap for transformative action to put the global community onto a path towards truly sustainable development. Green Cross Brazil President Celso Claro de Oliveira says: “Rio+20 has hidden its lack of...

The AWA Label Release Liner Seminar has become the ‘must attend’ annual event for all associated with the pressure-sensitive label and release liner market as supplier, producer, or user. Conveniently held each year just prior to the Labelexpo shows in Chicago and Brussels, it takes place this year in Chicago, at the Hyatt Rosemont Hotel on September 10. Leading the seminar is AWA Alexander Watson Associates’ President and CEO, Corey M Reardon, who says that the event will ‘pull together experts in their respective disciplines and address the key issues and opportunities for release liners used in pressure-sensitive labeling across the value chain.’ It also represents a valuable opportunity for industry networking. Organized by AWA Conferences & Events, the seminar is sponsored by a number of leading companies within the industry, including Platinum Sponsor UPM and Gold Sponsors Billerud, Boise, Dow Corning, Dow, and Mitsubishi Polyester Film. Online registration is now open v...

Multiprint Litho, Johannesburg, is the first operation in the Middle East and Africa to enhance its sustainability by switching plate production to the new KODAK SONORA XP Process Free Plate. Established in 1951, Multiprint Litho is one of South Africa’s most prestigious printing houses producing a wide range of general commercial print for local businesses and blue chip operations. Fundamental to this service is a very strong environmentally conscientious ethos. It was this commitment to continued sustainability improvements that led the company to  begin using  KODAK SONORA XP Process Free Plates. “We liked the fact that the plates offered high-quality thermal imaging and the complete elimination of plate processing,” says Multiprint Litho’s Managing Director, David Baker. “Sonora XP Plates help increase productivity, simplify operation and remove costs by reducing the number of steps required for platemaking.”   The plates offer enhancements in both imagin...

basysPrint has made spot varnish printing a cost-effective reality following co-operation with MacDermid Printing Solutions. Through the joint development, basysPrint is now able to offer the MacDermid Accent high quality coating plate for packaging and commercial offset printers. The MacDermid coating plate applies spot varnish, as opposed to blanket coverage, on the printed matter via a dedicated fifth printing unit. The water washable polymer based plate, sensitive to 405 nm laser light, can be imaged by basysPrint’sUV CtP solutions. After exposure the plate is developed by means of a high pressure wash-out unit followed by a drying and curing step. This produces coating plates with the same accuracy as offset plates and in perfect registration. It also enables printers to bring coating plate production in-house, which results in a considerable cost advantage.   “Increasingly end-users are looking to differentiate their products with more creative finishing. Inline s...

Premium decoration with CCL’s PS labels is the cost-saving alternative to direct printed bottles. The benefits of being fully flexible in developing great shelf appeal and visual improvement is self-evident. PS Labels deliver economic and design advantages and demonstrate simply the best contemporary labeling technology. A wide range of material substrates and technologies enhanced with CCL´s printing capabilities offer an outstanding range of choice and flexibility throughout product developments and final visual appearance on the POS. The Van Pur marketing team decided to develop an innovative premium decoration together with CCL Label. After installing a pressure sensitive labeling machine in Rakszawa (Poland) Pressure Sensitive Labels from CCL Label replaced the direct printed, cost intensive bottles. The new PS Labels upgrade the brand image of CorteS Mojito and CorteS Tequila due to a contemporary and sophisticated look which will attract new consumers. The labels ...

Gallus has notched up another success in the Middle East: Al Mawrid Printing & Advertising Ind. L.L.C., the commercial and packaging printer, has placed an order at drupa 2012 in Dusseldorf (Germany) for a custom configured Gallus ICS 670 inline machine system for producing high-end folding cartons from Gallus Stanz- und Druckmaschinen GmbH. The contract was signed on May 7, 2012 at the Gallus drupa Al Mawrid, located in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, is part of the Thomsun Group of Companies, a multi-faceted business enterprise. The manufacture of deluxe packaging and high-end folding cartons for cosmetic, tobacco, and food products represents an important pillar for this big-name print house, which employs 350 staff. The investment in the highly automated Gallus ICS 670 will enable Al Mawrid to add streamlined – and far more flexible – end-to-end inline production of folding carton blanks from the roll to its traditional sheet based folding carton production.  Membe...

Staropramen is the Czech Republic’s second largest beer brand and the leading brand of the Starbev group, which was recently acquired by MolsonCoors. The new bottle shape and label adaptation enhances the premiumness and modernity of the Staropramen brand. To achieve this successfully within the restrictions, international beer design specialists were required. CARTILS was selected as branding & packaging design consultancy to create the new design. The objective was to create a revolutionary new 3D design for the bottle shape. The brand needed to express modernity yet still reflect its heritage. This was achieved through creating a new angular and masculine bottle shape, maximizing the impact of the vertical branding, while balancing it with the traditional high-quality detailed embossings. The new Staropramen ‘S’ symbol was translated to an attractive embossing positioned at the back, offering the consumer an extra tactile experience. “The new packaging reflects the innova...

Xeikon announces record sales and lead generation in all three of its business areas – Xeikon digital presses, ThermoFlexX and basysPrint – at drupa 2012, which was held last month. These excellent results have more than compensated for the slower start to the year due to the so‑called “drupa effect”: a decline in sales orders that typically precedes the quadrennial tradeshow for almost all capital equipment suppliers.   Over the fourteen days of the show, visitors to the Xeikon booth were treated to a world of customer-driven innovation. Alongside demonstrations of the company’s latest product releases, visitors were taken on a journey of innovation covering all the technological advancements Xeikon has brought to the market over the last 20 years. After crossing a bridge to the future, visitors had the opportunity to experience Trillium™, Xeikon’s latest achievement that the company believes is the future of printing. Overall sales numbers for Xeikon at the show were...

Italian packaging provider Domenico De Lucia S.p.A. has boosted the quality of its output after installing the KODAK FLEXCEL NX System. Domenico De Lucia specialises in the agri-food sector. The company provides an integrated service, providing packing services for dried fruit and pre-cooked vegetables, as well as flexographic printing of plastic films for flexible packaging. Diversifying into new markets The KODAK system was purchased as part of a project that led to Domenico De Lucia’s diversification into flexible packaging printing with the incorporation of a local printing house. Domenico De Lucia wanted to invest in the latest, most advanced flexographic printing systems, including in-house plate production: “After evaluating another system, we opted for the KODAK FLEXCEL NX System with KODAK PRINERGY EVO Workflow,” says Marisa De Lucia, head of the flexible packaging production division. “The high-resolution plates and the printing results delivered by the FLEXCEL NX S...

FLEXcon , an innovator in adhesive coating and laminating, today announced the extension of the THERMLfilm® HT™ product line with the addition of polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) products. The PEN products offer narrow web converters optimum performance in high-temperature labeling applications for the automotive, aerospace and consumer electronics industries. The PEN products have undergone rigorous testing which includes being subjected to five cycles of fluctuating temperatures, varying humidity levels and chemical exposure and have proven performance at intermittent temperatures up to 500˚F (260˚C). This ensures that the PEN films can withstand the heat, abrasion and chemical factors of a wide range of high-temperature uses and are ideal for automotive, aerospace and consumer electronics applications. Designed specifically for high-density barcode and alphanumeric information, the topcoat on all THERMLfilm HT products has static dissipating properties that minimize the risk of pr...

Mark Andy has announced multiple recent Performance Series press sales in Latin America. In two years more than 15 Performance Series machines have been installed throughout the region, from Mexico to Argentina and most countries in between. Recent Performance Series P5 installations include a 17 inch (432mm) P5 for Regispel Bobinas e Etiquetas in Brasil, a 10 inch (250mm) P5 for Jackrom de Venezuela, and the first P3 sold into the region, a 10 inch (250mm) P3 for Color Digital in Mexico. With an estimated annual growth of +5.3% up to 2013, the Latin American label industry continues to be a strong global market. Converters in the region are showing more interest in newer technology and are extremely business savvy with regard to efficiency and productivity. The benefits of the Performance Series - including fast changeovers, reduced makereadies and minimal waste - are appealing to these profit-conscious business owners. "The Latin American market has been a consistently pe...

In 2011, FINAT, the international association for the self-adhesive label industry, introduced its new website and on-line community. The new platform, that is continuously being updated and upgraded, allows FINAT members to conveniently access knowledge, download exclusive information, get in contact with other members of the FINAT Community, submit blogs, set up and engage in discussions, register for events and order publications. In addition to these virtual association features, FINAT now introduces FINAT On-the-Go. Always have your association with you, wherever you go! The App allows members to conveniently keep track of FINAT News and FINAT Event while travelling. The settings functionality will allow the user to set his or her preferences by news  or by category. A social media link allows the user to share information within his or her network. All iphone users can take full advantage of the App.

For some years now, Sivakasi based Graphic Reproduction Syndicate (GRS) has been playing a key role in producing self-adhesive labels in the Indian label industry. The strength of its market position is supported to a major extent by letter presses and Flexo technologies from Mark Andy. In fact not many know that the first machine ever sold by Flexo Image Graphics in South India was a Mark Andy Scout in the month of January 2002 to GRS. Yes GRS was FIG’s first client when they started operations in South by selling Mark Andy machines. Naturally, when GRS was planning to expand its capacity in flexographic operations, could GRS think of any other press to be added? The answer was an emphatic “No” by Mr. D. Karunakaran, Director of Graphic Reproduction Syndicate. One of the newest additions to the GRS family is second Mark Andy Press from Flexo Image Graphics (FIG). However, this time GRS has gone in for the much talked about Performance Series P7 printing system, after their only Mar...

  FINAT, the worldwide association of the self-adhesive labelling industries domiciled at Den Haag, announced the winners of its 32nd label awards competition at the award ceremony of its annual congress in Athens. Within the group A (Marketing / End-uses) Pago won in the category “Booklet labels” the Finat Label Award for Harmony Fruit & Yoghurt Dessert. Multifunctional Booklet label The multilayer, specially shaped Pagoinfoform label is produced inline in letterpress printing process. Thanks to the clever construction and the nice design, the label provides for product decoration, information and tamper evidence. The self-adhesive booklet is applied over the packaging closure and therefore reliably protects the product until its first use. An impeccable perforation allows for the convenient packaging opening. By means of an attractive designed and six coloured printed front side, the consumer is to be animated by the buy of the product. The lower part of the front side...