Labelling Blog

The global market for labels and label release liners is forecast to reach $43.4 billion by 2017, according to Smithers Pira. Valued at $34.3 billion in 2012, Smithers Pira forecasts it will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 4% to 2017. Labels market growth is being driven by several factors, ranging from socio-economic, demographic and lifestyle changes to the development of new materials, improvements in labeling technologies, innovations in existing materials and emerging trends within end-use segments.   The Future of Global Labels and Release Liner Markets to 2017 analyzes market drivers based on economic, social, and demographic influences as well as cutting edge technological developments within the industry. The liner markets are broken down by printing process, end-use applications, and geographic region. Market trends are further discussed as they apply to all pertinent industries such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetic and toiletries, cleaning products, industrial, and

Registration is now open as Labelexpo Europe 2013 prepares to bring a touch of magic to Brussels Expo between 24 – 27 September. Set to be the largest show in its 33-year history, the sector’s leading event for the label and package printing industry is again supported by FINAT. Attracting a record breaking 28,636 visitors in 2011 from 123 countries, Labelexpo Europe is aimed at label and package printers/converters, general printers, brand owners, designers and industry suppliers. Covering seven exhibition halls, over 550 exhibitors are set to conjure up the latest working machinery, dazzle with cutting edge technology and spellbind visitors with solutions and materials to improve business efficiency and increase profitability. The only place to see the latest innovations in digital printing, multi substrate presses, in-line decoration systems, RFID/smart labels and pre-press and plate making, Labelexpo Europe 2013 will also run several feature areas. The Package Printing Wo

FLEXcon , an innovator in adhesive coating and laminating, today announced the availability of the DPM® LSE™ , a new line of 2 mil polyester films for low surface energy durable labeling applications. DPM® LSE™ utilizes our L-778 adhesive, a high-performance adhesive that permanently adheres to low surface energy surfaces such as thermoplastic polyolefins (TPO), painted metal, powder coated paint, polycarbonate and fiberglass. FLEXcon’s L-788 addresses one of the biggest challenges end users face when bonding to low surface energy plastics, specifically TPO, because these surfaces often require a pre-treatment for permanent adhesion. L-778 adhesive is unique in that it permanently adheres to TPO surfaces without the use of pre-application primers or flame treatment. The adhesive requires only an IPA/water wash before application to form a permanent bond, saving OEMs time and money. The solution will benefit the auto/trucking after market, outdoor power equipment and power tool, rec

The by far largest wine label printing company in the eastern Austrian area, Marzek Etiketten, opted for a RHINO™ flat bed foil embossing system to be integrated to one of their semi-rotary Rotatek Brava presses, thus improving differentiation on short jobs. For Marzek Etiketten, the outstanding look of 3D foil embossed labels is a further development of their differentiation skills on low volume jobs. The integration was done into a Rotatek Brava press, adding RHINO™ for high speed refining. For Peter Frei, CEO at Pantec GS Systems, Rotatek Brava and RHINO™ are complementing each other perfectly.” With its 16” web width and the high output speed the Rotatek Brava is a powerful press system for short and medium jobs. RHINO™, also equipped with 16” embossing width and a speed up to 120m/min, is neither limiting web width nor speed – but substantially enhancing the value of the output by 3D foiling differentiation. The higher margin for the attractive look ensures a fast payback.

UPM Raflatac celebrated the official opening of its new labelstock slitting and distribution terminal in Ukraine on May 23, 2013. There were around a hundred participants attending the ceremony from Ukraine and the neighbouring countries, including customers, suppliers, and local trade press. The opening included a seminar and a ceremony, and it was followed by a terminal tour and dinner reception. "It’s a great pleasure to celebrate UPM Raflatac’s true entry into Ukraine. Thanks to our own sales and distribution, we can provide our customers with clear service improvements: product quality that is second to none, deliveries that you can depend on and people that you can trust", said Tapio Kolunsarka , Senior Vice President, UPM Raflatac EMEA, when speaking at the opening ceremony. "We are looking forward to building a long-lasting and successful presence in Ukraine together with our customers." The new terminal stocks a wide range of paper and film self-adhes

Mark Andy has announced the addition of John Vigna to the international sales and marketing team. Vigna comes to Mark Andy with more than 21 years experience in the graphic arts industry, most recently serving as Latin American Sales Manager for a leading die manufacturer. His knowledge of the expanding Latin American flexo market will serve him well in this new role. "We are pleased to have John join our team," states Steve Schulte, vice president sales and marketing, Mark Andy Inc. "His key industry relationships and knowledge of flexography, combined with his Spanish-speaking abilities, are a perfect fit for our growth strategies in these regions." Vigna will manage sales efforts for the Mexico, Central America and Caribbean region both directly and through a team of distributors, providing an additional level of support for the valued customers in the area. John Cavey will maintain sales and territory responsibility for Mark Andy presses throughout the res

ODD GmbH, one of the most advanced print and media houses in the Bad Kreuznach region of Germany, have just installed a six colour, full UV Edale FL-3 label and flexible packaging press with an array of additional options, to produce labels and thermo tickets Founded in 1988 as a traditional sheet offset company, ODD now employ over 150 people and have diversified into all aspects of print – offset, digital and more recently, flexo, with the introduction of the Edale FL-3. ODD GmbH opted for additional features on to their machine including turn bar, cold foil station and fan folding delivery option, as well as a rail mounted personalisation system inkjet platform to mount their existing Domino inkjet heads. Alexander Hassinger, Technical Director, of Odd says “ We chose to work with Edale because we believe the FL-3 machine is a smart solution for our requirements; excellent British technology, good service and a friendly team of people. The machine is highly versatile and we can

Flexo printers from around the world submitted more than 500 projects to be evaluated by a panel of judges in the 2013 Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) Excellence in Flexography Awards. The awards were presented at the FTA Forum & INFO*FLEX show in San Diego last month, and Kodak customers took home three of the seven coveted overall “Best of Show” honors for their outstanding projects. In addition to the three “Best of Show” winners, Kodak customers from North America, Europe, Japan and Australia also captured 20 additional awards across six different flexo categories. All 23 of the award-winning jobs were produced exclusively with KODAK FLEXCEL NXH Plates , demonstrating the versatility of the technology and the ability to deliver outstanding results across a variety of applications with a single plate type.   “The fact that nearly half of the ‘Best of Show’ awards went to Kodak customers demonstrates how our technology is helping users do more with less and diff

In recent years, the market for paints and varnishes has been increasingly oriented toward customising the neutral buckets with large self-adhesive labels, featuring many different graphics with strong colours and metallic parts that have a great visual impact to try to attract the attention of buyer by diversifying, as much as possible, the various types of product, yet implementing, at the same time, cost-effective packaging solutions at the expense of purchasing in-mould label buckets. It is a reality that demands greater flexibility from the manufacturers of labelling machines. Packlab is now consolidating its presence in the paints and varnishes industry thanks to its linear self-adhesive labelling machines that are highly flexible and capable of applying partial self-adhesive labels on the front and back of full and empty plastic buckets up to 20 litres, but also wraparound labels on metallic cans, with or without handles. Packlab provides the industry even with self-adhesive

FINAT, the international association for the self-adhesive label industry, is calling for papers for its 2014 Technical Seminar . The organization’s last three seminars proved a major success, attracting around 200 delegates each time. Next year’s event runs from March 5 - 7, and will again be staged at the Fira Palace Hotel in Barcelona, Spain. FINAT President, Kurt Walker, comments: "The self-adhesive label industry is constantly evolving, and self-adhesive materials remain the most versatile option for product decoration. "At the 2014 FINAT Technical Seminar we’ll be exploring the theme, ‘ Redesigning the label ’. This will include reviewing the current technology and market for self-adhesive labels, as well as the latest trends regarding raw materials, label construction, printing, converting and applications for self-adhesive labels." The one-and-a-half day seminar is aimed at all levels of the technical community, from research and development to productio

Kodak and Acsis will share insights with pharmaceutical brands on packaging strategies that will protect their products from diversion and counterfeiting at the fourth annual Anti-Counterfeiting Summit for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices, May 22-24 in Philadelphia. Experts from Kodak and Acsis will help brand owners navigate threats and challenges to protect end consumers from counterfeit or diverted medications. The Anti-Counterfeiting Summit will feature Kodak and Acsis on the topic of “Leveraging Serialization/e-Pedigree Mandates to Achieve Brand Protecti on and Operational Efficiency” on May 24 at 9:45 a.m. The session will outline the immediate and long-term benefits of an enterprise serialization solution and create a roadmap to help decision makers plan and implement a brand protection program.   “Impending legislation changes such as California’s e-Pedigree mandate and the European Union’s Safe Medicines Directive are making companies reexamine their supply chains

duomedia, a leading pan-European agency specializing in public relations and marketing communications for packaging, graphic arts and industrial technology markets, has been named media partner for next year’s 9 th Annual Packaging and Converting Executive (PACE) Forum, held in Brussels, Belgium, 12 -14 February 2014. duomedia wil also be exhibiting at the event. One of the overarching aims of the PACE Forum 2014 is to bring supply chain stakeholders and brand owners closer together, and identify ways to improve communication and increase collaboration throughout each stage of the production process. At the event there will be a series of insightful keynote presentations from industry experts to outline market trends and of course the chance for delegates to interact and debate the issues shaping the industry.   Anja D'Hondt, Managing Partner at duomedia, comments: “We have many clients working in the packaging sector, so we’ve an excellent understanding of the challeng

Tamar Labels is pressing ahead with its plans for expansion with the addition of a Mark Andy LP3000 430mm 8-colour UV Flexo press in a bid to offer high-quality premium labels to increasingly discerning markets. The move forms part of a forward looking companywide reinvestment strategy for 2013/14. The LP3000 is an 8-colour press fitted with a full GEW UV system that will allow Tamar to offer a premium quality range of labels to customers along with achieving production consistency and operational efficiency. According to Tamar’s operations director Ricky Hann (pictured) the new press is a ‘productivity platform’ that has already enabled the company to win a series of lucrative new contracts. “With the inline foil and screen capability on the LP3000 we saw it as a giant leap forward to be able to enhance the range of premium quality labels that we can provide, and we were right. Just having this press has already opened the doors to new markets for the production of luxury and othe

For over 30 years, the Interflex Group's two UK manufacturing sites in Dalkeith, near Edinburgh in Scotland and in Sunderland, north-east England, have been innovators in advanced flexible packaging solutions. The company is a leading supplier of flexographic printing and coating techniques, multi-film laminations, paper-film strip laminations and wax coated paper for the speciality bakery, biscuit, confectionery, cereals, processed meat and cosmetic market sectors.     Rewind shaft showing a typical ball lock system for differential winding In 1995, Tullis Neal, which later became part of the Interflex Group, commissioned a 1300mm wide Titan SR6 twin-shaft cantilever slitter rewinder. After almost 17 years of reliable service, the company decided that the slitter rewinder would become much more productive and efficiently operated by upgrading the specification of its two rewind shafts. Early in 2012, engineers from Atlas Converting Equipment Ltd. (Bedford, UK) installe

Newman Labelling Systems, a leading supplier of specialist pharmaceutical labelling systems, has supplied an S250 fully automatic labelling system to Merck Animal Health in Millsboro, Delaware, USA. A highly versatile system, the S250 is being used by Merck Animal Health to label poultry vaccine products in a wide range of glass and plastic vials, from 3ml to 50 ml, at a speed of up to 250 c.p.m. The system is not only readily able to handle such variety, but also with a minimum of change parts, making it very convenient as well as flexible.     The S250 has been supplied by Newman with a high specification 1200mm diameter rotary infeed turntable to feed the vials into the labeling system. The table top has been manufactured from very hard Chrome Vanadium steel to minimize wear, together with a maximum top deflection of 0.5mm across the full diameter. In addition to the specialist infeed turntable, the S250 has been fitted with a hot foil coder working in conjunction w

Global trends, sustainable packaging and the benefits and challenges mergers and acquisitions bring were the main topics of conversation as 623 delegates gathered for Label Summit Latin America 2013. Held in Brazil’s Sao Paulo, between 14-15 May, the fifth edition of the table-top exhibition and conference was attended by label and package printing converters and printers, brand owners, label designers and industry suppliers. Maurício Médici, general manager of UPM Raflatac Brazil opened the Summit with a keynote presentation. Exploring micro and macro market trends, Médici gave an overview of global trends and highlighted the main challenges such as technological advances and environment facing the Brazilian and wider market place. Daniel Sandrini, head of technical operations, Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil at Diageo gave a case study of how the company has adopted and implemented its sustainable packaging program. Committed to reducing, reusing, recycling and removing, Sand

Blue Wolf Capital Partners and Atlas Holdings today announced that they have reached an agreement to acquire a controlling interest in Twin Rivers Paper Company, Inc. (“Twin Rivers”) from Brookfield Asset Management Inc.  Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in approximately three weeks, allowing time for certain procedural requirements.  Blue Wolf and Atlas, both New York-based private investment firms, have long track records of building forest products companies in North America. Twin Rivers, with facilities in Edmundston and Plaster Rock, New Brunswick, and Madawaska, Maine, has been a vital economic engine for the region for over 80 years, producing specialty papers and lumber for a variety of markets.  Through the acquisition of a controlling stake in Twin Rivers, Atlas and Blue Wolf are showing their commitment to the future of the business, and will work with the company in the development of its long-term capital and growth plans.

The installation of a Gallus ECS 340, often known as the ‘granite press’, at Kimoha Entrepreneurs Ltd in the Jebel Ali Free Zone, south of Dubai, brings to 23 the number of Gallus narrow web label presses installed in the Middle East, where the Swiss manufacturer is represented by Heidelberg ME. It was also the first of its type in the region, according to Kimoha’s Managing Director, Vinesh Bhimani, who prides himself and his company on a development philosophy built around new technology. Kimoha, which remains a family business, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and from humble beginnings has grown to become one of the Middle East’s top five label and tag converters. The majority of the company’s work is the production of self-adhesive labels on both paper and filmic substrates, and paper converting for the logistics label business. The company also produces shrink sleeves that account for around 15% of total output at the factory, but according to Mr Bhimani: “this is unli

ROTOCONTROL, a manufacturer of leading-edge slitter/rewinder inspection machines , today announced the upcoming move of its current German headquarters in Ahrensburg to nearby Trittau at the end of this month. Located near Hamburg, the new location provides additional office and manufacturing capacity, from the current 1000 m2 space to a 5000 m2 area, to accommodate the growing number of ROTOCONTROL and LeoMat employees and increased production demand. "ROTOCONTROL has experienced tremendous growth in the last four years," comments Marco Aengenvoort, Managing Director of ROTOCONTROL. "With the successful early acceptance and continued demand of our finishing machines in the market and integration of the LeoMat brand, we have maximized our current office and manufacturing capacity. Our new location provides increased manufacturing and engineering capacity to accommodate future growth." New Headquarters for ROTOCONTROL Currently, there are 42 ROTOCONTROL and L

Royston Labels has added a new generation technology to its printing capabilities. The breakthrough takes the form of a coating treatment which offers safe and highly effective antimicrobial performance, and lasts forever. This advancement allows Royston Labels to offer a labelling solution which deactivates bacteria and other microbes, without compromising on design or decoration. Royston Labels has extended its printing capabilities with the inclusion of a new generation bacteriostatic technology. The breakthrough takes the form of an advanced coating treatment, offering safe and highly effective antimicrobial performance, which lasts forever. Packaging can spread infection because it is usually comprised of materials, such as paper and cardboard, which have the potential to harbour and transmit bacteria through contact – these materials are known as fomites. Because of this, antimicrobial challenges affect all packaging that might be handled by many different individuals, or is

Nilpeter will handle sales and technical support for the Vectra range of turret rewinders and the Omega and Flytec slitter inspection systems from AB Graphic International and will also have license to sell the Omega Digicon converting line. A branch of Nilpeter A/S operates from its facilities in Assago, in the Milan province, and has a significant sales and technical support team in place to support its range of label printing presses. "This agreement accentuates our great commitment towards our customers in offering top class, narrow-web equipment to the Italian market", says Angelo Tribocco, Managing Director of Nilpeter Srl. “We are very pleased to collaborate with AB Graphics in offering first class products”, Angelo Tribocco concludes. Matthew Burton of AB Graphic International adds, "As our new partner in Italy, Nilpeter will provide on-going technical support for our new and existing customers throughout the region. We are extremely pleased to have made this

Durban-based Uniprint has invested in a Nilpeter 10-colour multi-substrate flexo press. As a group, Uniprint enjoys a well-polished reputation for investing in leading-edge technology to meet customers’ complex needs. Label printing is not a simple topic at Uniprint. The company produces self-adhesive labels, shrink sleeves, film wrap-around labels, and, of course, the ubiquitous litho-printed wet-glue labels. Underscoring its position at the technological cutting-edge, Uniprint undoubtedly counts among South Africa’s leading suppliers of self-adhesive labels, boasting the latest narrow-web multi-colour flexographic and UV-lithographic, rotary silk-screen and rotary hot foil inline presses, as well as a digital press. Now adding to this impressive line-up is a brand new Nilpeter FA-4 flexographic press. “This Nilpeter FA-4 press is the first one of its kind in South Africa, featuring the latest technology”, explains Del Wiggill of CSM Machinery Sales, Nilpeter’s local agent. “Uni

Xeikon NV, an innovator in digital color printing technology, today announced that it is hosting a Xeikon Café event in Canada. Open to labels and packaging printers and converters, this informal knowledge exchange provides a forum for sharing ideas on digital print production with industry experts and peers, and exploring opportunities in the worldwide digital label market. The Xeikon Café will be held at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on June 12, 2013, and is a part of a series of such events that Xeikon is holding all throughout the world. “The worldwide label and packaging industry is experiencing massive changes, and printers and converters who understand and embrace these changes will be best positioned for growth,” said Michael V. Ring, president of Xeikon America, Inc. “The Xeikon Café is a great opportunity for printers and converters to network with experts, and each other, and come away with insights and ideas to make this opportunity profitable for their business.”

Significant new functionality in workflow automation for packaging, labels, signs & display and print production workflows. Esko Suite 12.1 brings automation beyond typical prepress tasks to even further streamline workflow throughout the entire packaging and print production supply chain. From novice users to advanced multi-site operations, Suite 12.1 adds valuable new functionality for every user. Esko ( www.esko.com ), a global supplier of integrated solutions for packaging, sign and display finishing, commercial printing and professional publishing, announced the release of Esko Suite 12.1 at EskoWorld, its annual user meeting being held in Phoenix, Arizona, May 19-22. The release includes significant new functionality that further streamlines end-to-end workflows across the entire print and packaging supply chain. Suite 12.1 follows the successful release of Suite 12 at drupa 2012 and includes updates of its flagship editing and automation software. Workflow Made Easier

Access to project designs and support files from one centralized cloud-based database offers on-line collaboration throughout the packaging supply chain.   Esko (www.esko.com) announces the worldwide availability of ArtiosCAD Enterprise, the latest release of the world’s most popular structural packaging design software. With ArtiosCAD Enterprise, all assets are stored in a centralized — yet private — corporate database in the cloud. The Enterprise Database Server, powered by WebCenter, provides a secure web-accessible database in the cloud and project management engine. It enables dynamic on-line collaboration between design groups, CAD and graphic designers, suppliers, brand owners and production. The ArtiosCAD Enterprise client enriches WebCenter projects with all the CAD-specific metadata, like geometry and materials, so that all details about the packaging project are captured and managed from beginning to end. “ArtiosCAD offers users to access a secure enterprise datab

Improved stakeholder collaboration and faster approvals equal more cost effective product design. Stora Enso Packaging, the leading producer of corrugated board sheets and packaging, is enjoying a significantly enhanced product design and completion process following their investment in ArtiosCAD Enterprise from Esko, a global supplier of integrated solutions for packaging, sign and display finishing, commercial printing and professional publishing ( www.esko.com ). “ArtiosCAD Enterprise allows all authorized parties involved in the design of a product to access up-to-the minute information and share their input in real time for more efficient approvals and faster time to market,” comments Andis Skujenieks, Baltics Sales and Marketing Manager for Stora Enso Packaging. “As a result, we can handle a greater number of jobs and complete them more cost efficiently.” ArtiosCAD Enterprise, supplied by Esko dealer BZG Solutions, has been installed at Stora Enso’s sheet converting plants